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I bike around SF with my kids in a Cargo bike all the time. The bike is freeing in the city, and the kids love it. As they’ve gotten bigger and older, I had to

I bike around SF with my kids in a Cargo bike all the time. The bike is freeing in the city, and the kids love it. As they’ve gotten bigger and older, I had to put a motor on it for the hills. I hate that bikes are controversial in the City, as they are such a great way of increasing mobility around town. eBikes, are also amazing for this aspect of mobility. With all the new scooters and rental bikes though, it’s stressing our already limited bike lane capacity, pointing toward what’s been set aside as far too shortsighted.

TomK32 8y ago
Just give it a few years, the rental bikes and scooters will disappear. OBike has gone bankrupt and many more are to follow. Which is a bit sad of course because the whole thing is such a waste of precious resources for shitty bikes.
- 21 8y ago
  Rental bikes exist in London and NY for many years now. I'm not sure if the city pays for them or not. Scooters are also amazingly convenient - see the many articles about them where the author started unconvinced (and don't tell me all of them are submarine). They will survive in one form or another, maybe with subvention by the city.
  - fyfy18 8y ago
    Here in London the docked bike scheme - currently called Santander Cycles, over their main sponsor - have been going since 2010. Last year 17% of its operating costs came from public funding, but most came from sales and sponsorship. The bikes compared to Mobike (the only dockless scheme I’ve tried) are a lot more comfortable and easier to ride. The only issue of course is finding somewhere to park it, which at peak times can be difficult.
extralego 8y ago
I hope u have a big flag. Cargo bikes scare me so much when they are on the road and kids are in them.
- extralego 8y ago
  Interesting a comment concerned with child safety would get downvotes. How curious.
dominotw 8y ago
> I hate that bikes are controversial in the City, as they are such a great way of increasing mobility around town. Doesn't this assume that you live in the city though?
u801e 8y ago
> As they’ve gotten bigger and older, I had to put a motor on it for the hills. How steep are the ones you have to deal with? I take mine up a short 6% grade in my second to lowest gear without too much difficulty, but I imagine that if the hill was much steeper, I wouldn't be able to make it up without getting a granny gear on my bike's cassette.
- bluejekyll 8y ago
  it wasn’t really a capability, so much as a speed thing. I didn’t like being so slow compared to the cars when going up hills. With a bionix I we can cruise up minor grades at a much better clip.

TomK32 8y ago

Just give it a few years, the rental bikes and scooters will disappear. OBike has gone bankrupt and many more are to follow. Which is a bit sad of course because the whole thing is such a waste of precious resources for shitty bikes.

21 8y ago
Rental bikes exist in London and NY for many years now. I'm not sure if the city pays for them or not. Scooters are also amazingly convenient - see the many articles about them where the author started unconvinced (and don't tell me all of them are submarine). They will survive in one form or another, maybe with subvention by the city.
- fyfy18 8y ago
  Here in London the docked bike scheme - currently called Santander Cycles, over their main sponsor - have been going since 2010. Last year 17% of its operating costs came from public funding, but most came from sales and sponsorship. The bikes compared to Mobike (the only dockless scheme I’ve tried) are a lot more comfortable and easier to ride. The only issue of course is finding somewhere to park it, which at peak times can be difficult.

extralego 8y ago

I hope u have a big flag. Cargo bikes scare me so much when they are on the road and kids are in them.

extralego 8y ago
Interesting a comment concerned with child safety would get downvotes. How curious.

dominotw 8y ago

> I hate that bikes are controversial in the City, as they are such a great way of increasing mobility around town. Doesn't this assume that you live in the city though?

u801e 8y ago

> As they’ve gotten bigger and older, I had to put a motor on it for the hills. How steep are the ones you have to deal with? I take mine up a short 6% grade in my second to lowest gear without too much difficulty, but I imagine that if the hill was much steeper, I wouldn't be able to make it up without getting a granny gear on my bike's cassette.

bluejekyll 8y ago
it wasn’t really a capability, so much as a speed thing. I didn’t like being so slow compared to the cars when going up hills. With a bionix I we can cruise up minor grades at a much better clip.