this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2025
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago

"Just leave it anywhere there is a secure structure" - Yes, I see this regularly when I have to maneuver around bikes carelessly "parked" in the middle of the pedestrian walkway...

[–] [email protected] 38 points 9 hours ago (15 children)

Rain, ice and severe cold are a removed. I like bicycles, but driving to work in a heated car looking at that poor cyclist riding somewhere at 6 in the morning at -6°C, sorry, no, I'm gonna go with a car.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

I disagree cycling in winter is nice. Just get some warm clothes and good tyres. A car is also really expensive to own in the city. Why pay for a car and parking when the alternative is almost free and arguably more fun.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 hours ago (3 children)

It was minus seventeen degrees celsius when I got up yesterday. In the time it would take me to bicycle to work on clear paths/roads - assuming no accidents - I would have frostbite on all of my face unless I was also wearing a full-face helmet.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

You should check out Oulu in Finland where kids bike to school in cold weather. Not a problem apparently. If that is too far fetched, you should visit Bozeman MT where people bike commute in the winter quite often.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 hours ago

If a full-face helmet works why not use one? You can also just skip the extremely cold days and use public transport instead. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing decision.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 hours ago

Could probably rock a balaclava in those temperatures. I bought one in anticipation of winter riding, but the coldest I've ridden this year is -11 C and it wasn't quite necessary yet at that point, but I was debating trying it out.

Climate change is basically killing most of the cold days we have where I live so this is a problem I'm long-term apparently not going to have to deal with. Instead I will have to deal with the way worse type of weather - wet weather.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

Like my mom used to say: are you made of sugar?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 hours ago

If the cities are built for it, cycling doesn't become something where you're doing it for extended periods or distances. Neighborhoods that are setup for bikes means everything is local area, or mostly.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 hours ago

If the weather is bad enough, I will take transit instead, but cycling down to -10 C is doable without any problems.

I will be far less inclined to bike if it's raining, that I do hate with a passion. Of course, I could just work from home in that scenario as well, if I don't feel like taking transit

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

The one downside is that a lot of people I know have had some nasty accidents and broke a bone or something. Sure, in cars you are also at the risk of kissing a tree at highway speed, but bike accidents feel a lot more common and have a lot less protective metal involved

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

I used to love to bike but I moved to an area with steep hills and it’s too high effort. Maybe fine for exercise but I always used them for transport and you can’t arrive at work or a music lesson drenched in sweat. Wish they would install those hill lifts some countries have. I walk now. Would love an electric but the expense makes it much more painful when it’s stolen (and every one of my regular bikes has eventually been stolen).

[–] [email protected] 66 points 10 hours ago (4 children)

Bikes were and still are a revolutionary technology. There's a reason suffragettes were often associated with bicycles.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 hours ago (5 children)
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[–] [email protected] 116 points 12 hours ago (26 children)

Don’t forget that maintenance is super cheap AND most people, with only the most basic tools, can do the work in their living room or even just on a sidewalk. And if I don’t get it right and the brakes don’t work perfectly I probably won’t fuckin’ die.

Hi, car owner here. I do all the work myself and it requires a fair bit of knowledge, expensive tools, space, and a childhood where I was never told I couldn’t do that work if I was thoughtful about it. That’s a high fuckin’ bar and requires a whole lot of privilege-oh there it is, too many people with privilege like to shit on those without and most of North America has dogshit for public transit or bike infrastructure and the “freedom of movement” with a car is all there but heavily artificial. Thanks auto industry and their lobbyists.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

But what if i need to commute 600 miles to work and back every day and on top of that once a year I drive a million miles to my vacation home? Checkmate!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

Sorry, a car can't take me across the ocean. From now on, all of my trips will be made by airplane as this is the only vehicle that can cover all of my needs.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 hours ago (6 children)

A bicycle gives you freedom of lightweight activities within a few miles of your home. You want to play baritone sax in the band 25 miles away? It's not happening with a bike.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 hours ago

I live in rural Norway up in the mountain side. We have wind, snow, ice and rain like hell, and I have ~150 elevation to get to the main road to get anywhere.

... I'm still considering getting a bike for all the mentioned benefits.

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