4 ms·
That is maybe the most ridiculous comment I've ever heard when comparing cargo bikes to cars.
by occz 4y ago
That is maybe the most ridiculous comment I've ever heard when comparing cargo bikes to cars.
- LunaSea 4y agoCargo bikes cost between $2k and $5k, can be easily stolen, take as much space to park as a car, and carries one person. Cars carry 5 people and can cost between $5k and $10k. So cargo bikes are really no match.
- detaro 4y ago> take as much space to park as a car They really don't. I'm not sure why you need 5 people for the things listed above, like carrying groceries? > can cost between $5k and $10k. And how much per year in insurance/tax/maintenance?
- petriw 4y agoSo let us assume 2 adults and 3 kids. $5k for a _very nice_ cargo bike capable of transporting 1-2 kids too young to cycle on their own. $4k for _nice_ bikes for each adult. ($2k x 2) $3k for _good_ bikes for each kid as they grow out of the cargo bike. ($1k x 3) $1k a year on maintenance for the bikes if you don't want to do it yourself. $1k for locks and a crash course on how to lock your bicycles to stuff making it too much of a pain to steal. That's $15k, or the cost of your lower end for a car for 3 years. So between year 3 and 4 you can start either just replacing the bicycles with new nice ones because you like brand new, get yourself even more expensive electrified bikes, or spend it on other stuff. And all the while here you could also settle for just "decent" bicycles which cost way less.
- LunaSea 4y agoWhat kind of math is that? That car will last you 10 years something you can hardly say about the cargo bikes. You don't need a new car every year.
- petriw 4y agoAre you seriously comparing a $5k car to a brand new, high quality cargo bicycle? The equivalent cargo bike to a $5k car is below $500 and kids bicycles are below $100. Edit: As for why I calculated like that? It is quite normal for a car to cost $5k per year. You have insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, financing, depreciation and fuel to pay for. If you _only_ spend $5k on a car you're either going to skimp on a lot of those costs or pay it in maintenance, repair, and fuel... or you should compare it to the same tier of bicycles. Used bicycles you fix up yourself.
- bawolff 4y agoYou think a 5k car is going to last you 10 years?
- occz 4y agoYou're comparing brand new cargo bikes to used cars. The real comparision would be a new cargo bike (2-5k) vs a new car (>40k). You're making the assumption that the cargo bike seats only one person, when a parent could easily seat two children on a cargo bike. You're making the assumption that everyone would be using the cargo bike as their primary day-to-day transportation, when the cargo bike is mostly useful for either transporting young children, or when transporting cargo. At other times a more reasonable choice would be to use a regular bicycle. You're making the assumption that cargo bikes take up as much space as cars which is just downright false.
- LunaSea 4y agoNew cars don't cost $40k in the real world. Also, there is close to no second hand cargo bike volume so it is absolutely a fair comparison. If I want to buy a vehicle I don't care if second hand cargo bikes are available or not. I know that second hand cars so exist though.
- petriw 4y agoIt is much better to view cars as a yearly cost, or a per mile cost. Most people don't pay $40k up front, instead they pay $4k to $10k per year for a new car.