4 ms·

I think you are being a bit overly negative but you do have a point. Where I live (northern Europe) I could never get by with any kind of "open" vehicle (i need

I think you are being a bit overly negative but you do have a point. Where I live (northern Europe) I could never get by with any kind of "open" vehicle (i need a roof and heating) and snow tyres.

Hamuko 5y ago
You can get snow tyres fitted on a bicycle (I had some as a youth) but bicycles are still quite horrible in the winter. I remember biking home from school during the winter when it was snowing heavily. The sidewalks were completely snowed in with heavy snow so the bike just really went where it wanted to go and very slowly. I eventually decided to move over to the road but I was soon tailgated by a bus. Since the bus was honking at me, I had to pull over to the next bus stop to get him out of my ass. I think it was about at that moment that I decided to ditch winter biking once I could own a car.
- petre 5y ago
  Yes bikes are nice and fun until you have a familiy that aren't hippies. Also hippies prefer warmer climates and home schooling. I wonder why. We've got quite a few bikes. Never use them during winter. Winter means snow and sub zero temperatures. I'd rather nordic walk instead. Not in the city breathing fumes, of course. I would ride my bike most of the time once cars or vehicles that spew fumes and turn you into roadkill are taken off the roads either by legislation, environmentalist militias or apocalypse.
  - germinalphrase 5y ago
    What kind of nonsense is this. I and many others commonly ride and commute by bicycle in the winter up here in Minneapolis.
    - henriquez 5y ago
      Minneapolis is the most bike-friendly city I’ve lived in. Even in the winter the city maintains its bike routes; it’s safer than most of the SF Bay Area.
- semi-extrinsic 5y ago
  Modern snow tires like Schwalbe's Ice Spiker Pro are a far cry from what existed in the olden days. Nowadays it's mainly a matter of having the quads (or electric motor) to drive them. Even with kids in the bicycle trailer, biking as primary transport is straight-forward on 95% of the days in winter.
- benfrancom 5y ago
  Fat tire bikes work great in the snow.
- Pxtl 5y ago
  I bike through winter in Canada. I take the bus for a day or two after a blizzard, but after that the salt is down and it's fine if you bundle up. Heavy gloves, a balaclava, and splash-pants make all the difference.
- adrianN 5y ago
  Cars are pretty horrible in heavy snow too. The solution we have for cars is clearing the roads. This can be done for bike paths too.
- NathanielK 5y ago
  I've found similar. Clearing all paths is not always a priority. In the winter it is was necessary for me to find alternate routes for my bicycle commute. Single lane roads with no shoulder can be very dangerous in the winter. Fortunately where I am in Canada, there's adequate space for cars to pass on the roads I take. > bicycles are still quite horrible in the winter. I find the opposite. The activity itself is fine, but the winter is quite horrible on bicycles. Salt and slush can really make a mess of the mechanisms.
Ma8ee 5y ago
I’ve bicycled as my main mode of transportation for thirty years, all year round, in Stockholm and in Umeå. They sell excellent studded tires for bicycles. I’m not saying it’s possible for everyone. I would probably not do it if my commute was longer than 20 km one way. But many more people can define do it for the benefit of their health and the environment.
TulliusCicero 5y ago
Seriously? You know the Netherlands and Denmark are both in northern Europe, right? Hell, Oulu has high biking rates and is one of the northernmost cities on the planet.

I think you are being a bit overly negative but you do have a point. Where I live (northern Europe) I could never get by with any kind of "open" vehicle (i need a roof and heating) and snow tyres.

Hamuko 5y ago

You can get snow tyres fitted on a bicycle (I had some as a youth) but bicycles are still quite horrible in the winter. I remember biking home from school during the winter when it was snowing heavily. The sidewalks were completely snowed in with heavy snow so the bike just really went where it wanted to go and very slowly. I eventually decided to move over to the road but I was soon tailgated by a bus. Since the bus was honking at me, I had to pull over to the next bus stop to get him out of my ass. I think it was about at that moment that I decided to ditch winter biking once I could own a car.

petre 5y ago
Yes bikes are nice and fun until you have a familiy that aren't hippies. Also hippies prefer warmer climates and home schooling. I wonder why. We've got quite a few bikes. Never use them during winter. Winter means snow and sub zero temperatures. I'd rather nordic walk instead. Not in the city breathing fumes, of course. I would ride my bike most of the time once cars or vehicles that spew fumes and turn you into roadkill are taken off the roads either by legislation, environmentalist militias or apocalypse.
- germinalphrase 5y ago
  What kind of nonsense is this. I and many others commonly ride and commute by bicycle in the winter up here in Minneapolis.
  - henriquez 5y ago
    Minneapolis is the most bike-friendly city I’ve lived in. Even in the winter the city maintains its bike routes; it’s safer than most of the SF Bay Area.
semi-extrinsic 5y ago
Modern snow tires like Schwalbe's Ice Spiker Pro are a far cry from what existed in the olden days. Nowadays it's mainly a matter of having the quads (or electric motor) to drive them. Even with kids in the bicycle trailer, biking as primary transport is straight-forward on 95% of the days in winter.
benfrancom 5y ago
Fat tire bikes work great in the snow.
Pxtl 5y ago
I bike through winter in Canada. I take the bus for a day or two after a blizzard, but after that the salt is down and it's fine if you bundle up. Heavy gloves, a balaclava, and splash-pants make all the difference.
adrianN 5y ago
Cars are pretty horrible in heavy snow too. The solution we have for cars is clearing the roads. This can be done for bike paths too.
NathanielK 5y ago
I've found similar. Clearing all paths is not always a priority. In the winter it is was necessary for me to find alternate routes for my bicycle commute. Single lane roads with no shoulder can be very dangerous in the winter. Fortunately where I am in Canada, there's adequate space for cars to pass on the roads I take. > bicycles are still quite horrible in the winter. I find the opposite. The activity itself is fine, but the winter is quite horrible on bicycles. Salt and slush can really make a mess of the mechanisms.

Ma8ee 5y ago

I’ve bicycled as my main mode of transportation for thirty years, all year round, in Stockholm and in Umeå. They sell excellent studded tires for bicycles. I’m not saying it’s possible for everyone. I would probably not do it if my commute was longer than 20 km one way. But many more people can define do it for the benefit of their health and the environment.

TulliusCicero 5y ago

Seriously? You know the Netherlands and Denmark are both in northern Europe, right? Hell, Oulu has high biking rates and is one of the northernmost cities on the planet.