Murica

I'm disabled in a way that means I can't use one, but can use a car, which kinda sucks.

Fortunately bike infrastructure usually helps me in my chair, so I'm all in favor of wider bike adoption.

Welcome to the Netherlands. If there's anything that fills me with pride it's our cycling culture. Most people have a car too, but I don't, and I do everything by bike and public transport.

Arrive to work soaked in sweat because it's been 100+ degrees every day for the past 8 weeks.

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).

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

Cold, rain etc... And moving heavy things (like heavy groceries)

Because it's harder to kill someone by hitting them with it.

But in all seriousness, you can go a lot farther, a lot faster, across much worse terrain and weather in a car than a bike.

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.

Try this when you are in your 70's and come back and we'll chat. And bring a cure for my chronically poor balance on your way over.

I dare you to travel on your own bicycle in the depths of winter across the USA in the same timeframe as a car.

Cuz putting on a raincoat or some warm clothes is too much for these weak ass people.

because the entire transport infrastructure is geared towards making cars the safest, quickest and most convenient way of getting places. its by design, absolutely on purpose.

i own a pedal bike and enjoy riding, but i can get places nowhere near the speed and safety. i almost always need at least a bus ticket to get halfway there, which forces me to rent the damn bikes wherever i go if i want to use them. a basic city motorcycle or scooter is fucking cheaper and quicker than mass transit where i live, without the disadvantages. this is probably why they seem to be so popular rn.

it feels like you have to go out of your way for any alternative and its still worse. maybe its time to rethink it but wtf do i know. you can blame the car industry or capitalism for that.

> hills

Inb4 they just remove regulations so it becomes the vehicle of freedom

Bikes are only cheap if you rarely use them, or are just starting out. Spend enough time on them and you will start looking at all the gear, components, and upgrades that can improve your quality of life. There is definitely a point where insurance becomes necessary, but luckily even bike insurance is much less expensive than auto insurance.

My only issue is the grocery store is a half an hour drive away by car because we live rural. We shop once a month for staples and stock a lot of things in bulk to avoid making multiple trips. Not everyone does or should live in a city. If there was a service like a train or a bus even we would use it but it isn't an option.