Let's answer point by point (I'm not a heavy bike user, but I used to bike everyday to work): - What if it is raining? You use a raincoat. If it's really raini

Let's answer point by point (I'm not a heavy bike user, but I used to bike everyday to work): - What if it is raining? You use a raincoat. If it's really raining too heavily, use public transportation (bus/metro/tram). It doesn't happen too often in most areas, as far as I know. - What about when it is too far away to arrive without being sweaty? There is very little "too far" when in a big city. If it's really too far, use public transportation, or if it's outside the city, a taxi (or equivalent) or rental. If it happens too much, you are not in an area favorable to bikes, sorry. - What if it is too cold to be outside for long? Are you in an area where it's often below 0°C? If not, it's really not too cold. If you are, well sorry, you are not in an area favorable to bikes either. - What if it is too far uphill? Public transportation on the way up, shared bikes on the way down. That's how it's done here at least. Or you train to go uphill if you have you own bike. - What if you need to take a child with you? You use a bike which have an attachment to carry a child. It's very common in the Netherlands. - Or two people from out of town? They take a bike too. Or they rent a car if they are not confortable using bikes. - What about bringing back furniture from ikea? You pay Ikea to deliver it to your door. Or you rent a truck. - How do you leave the city and go out to the surrounding area? If you really need to (most of the time, you don't), you use a taxi (or equivalent) or a rental. - What if you need to get somewhere faster than a bike can take you? Taxi. To sum up: they are necessary if your location is not bike friendly (heavy rain often, too cold to be outside, really lackluster public transportation, or not in a big city). Otherwise, you can live without car, you just need to plan ahead for the occasions you go out of the city or need to transport things. It's cheaper in the long run too. I understand it may be hard to conceive if you always owned a car. Try to buy a bike and use it whenever possible. At some point, you may find that you don't use your car anymore. Or you may not, and you really do need a car, that's understandable too. Source: 28 years old, living in Paris, I never owned a car. I rely on friends and family car when outside of Paris. If I couldn't rely, I would rent a car when going on vacations and that's it. Unless I move out of Paris, I don't plan to own a car, ever.