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Ever notice that in much of Europe bikes get used for work as well as general transportation/play? In EU: postman, grocery getting/delivery, common commute veh

Ever notice that in much of Europe bikes get used for work as well as general transportation/play? In EU: postman, grocery getting/delivery, common commute vehicle, etc etc In USA: NYC bike couriers.

ugh 16y ago
I have met quite a few Americans who think of biking as a sport first and as a means of transport second which is exactly opposite to how I perceive biking (I’m from Germany). That might have something to do with city planning (many places where you would want to go are actually realistically reachable by bike), it might (and I’m quite fond of that hypothesis) also have something to do with driving age. 16 in the USA, 18 in Germany.
- coffeejunk 16y ago
  Driving age is definitely a big factor, but also public transportation. The village I lived during my childhood had literally no public transportation. Therefore the only option to get anywhere was the bike.
- roc 16y ago
  It's considered sport first, because transportation by bike is usually impractical in the US. (Outside of maybe a half-dozen cities and some one-off "I work a mile from home" anecdotes, it's almost entirely impractical) The average commute (one-way) is about 25km. There will be no bike lanes. The drivers on the road will generally have no clue how they should deal with you, if they even notice you. The sidewalks (where US bikers sometimes find refuge, as no-one walks in America either) are sporadic, at best. Your destination probably won't have so much as a simple bike rack, let alone a shower. Because of this, when adults in America think of biking, they (generally) think of putting their bikes on the car and driving to a place that was designed to have decent/sane space for biking. (usually parks) Children can effectively bike around subdivisions, mostly because they have nowhere to go aside from their friends houses and the corner store. So biking is seen by adults as either being sport, or --frankly-- a whimsical sort of transport. Because to bike in most the US you have to be, in some sense, not serious about trying to get anywhere.
khafra 16y ago
I would buy an Xtracycle or other cargo bicycle if it didn't cost more than the cars some of my friends drive :(. Perhaps they're cheaper in Europe.
- organicgrant 16y ago
  Xtracycle add-on model isn't that expensive. Last I knew - like $169. I have friends that use trailers from http://bikesatwork.com/ http://bikesatwork.com/ Very inexpensive. Easily attached, and you can use your bike regularly whenever you want.

Ever notice that in much of Europe bikes get used for work as well as general transportation/play? In EU: postman, grocery getting/delivery, common commute vehicle, etc etc In USA: NYC bike couriers.

ugh 16y ago

I have met quite a few Americans who think of biking as a sport first and as a means of transport second which is exactly opposite to how I perceive biking (I’m from Germany). That might have something to do with city planning (many places where you would want to go are actually realistically reachable by bike), it might (and I’m quite fond of that hypothesis) also have something to do with driving age. 16 in the USA, 18 in Germany.

coffeejunk 16y ago
Driving age is definitely a big factor, but also public transportation. The village I lived during my childhood had literally no public transportation. Therefore the only option to get anywhere was the bike.
roc 16y ago
It's considered sport first, because transportation by bike is usually impractical in the US. (Outside of maybe a half-dozen cities and some one-off "I work a mile from home" anecdotes, it's almost entirely impractical) The average commute (one-way) is about 25km. There will be no bike lanes. The drivers on the road will generally have no clue how they should deal with you, if they even notice you. The sidewalks (where US bikers sometimes find refuge, as no-one walks in America either) are sporadic, at best. Your destination probably won't have so much as a simple bike rack, let alone a shower. Because of this, when adults in America think of biking, they (generally) think of putting their bikes on the car and driving to a place that was designed to have decent/sane space for biking. (usually parks) Children can effectively bike around subdivisions, mostly because they have nowhere to go aside from their friends houses and the corner store. So biking is seen by adults as either being sport, or --frankly-- a whimsical sort of transport. Because to bike in most the US you have to be, in some sense, not serious about trying to get anywhere.

khafra 16y ago

I would buy an Xtracycle or other cargo bicycle if it didn't cost more than the cars some of my friends drive :(. Perhaps they're cheaper in Europe.

organicgrant 16y ago
Xtracycle add-on model isn't that expensive. Last I knew - like $169. I have friends that use trailers from http://bikesatwork.com/ http://bikesatwork.com/ Very inexpensive. Easily attached, and you can use your bike regularly whenever you want.