6 ms·

If you live in most American cities, biking is basically a life hazard on par with smoking imo

8f2ab37a-ed6c 4y ago
And good luck not having your bikes get regularly stolen in places like SF or NYC. You better ride the most revolting beater you can find, and even then.
- convolvatron 4y ago
  eh...decent hardware fits on an old steel frame. and while yes, it does suck to lose a bike...I still end up way way ahead of someone paying to park, fuel, and maintain a car. and I'm much more fit and enjoy my commute more.
- rhaway84773 4y ago
  I’ve had a $300 used bike service me just fine for over 11 years now. There was a period right during/after the pandemic where things were really bad but it’s settled to a fairly decent situation. If you ride a $500 bike then you will probably be fine factoring in a $50-$100 theft cost at most. Finally, most bike theft is covered under rental insurance, which isn’t all that expensive to begin with, and is highly recommended anyways.
  - notch898a 4y ago
    Might want to check the deductible on your renters insurance. For me it'd be a total loss. Basically only worth it if someone drives up with a moving truck and just steals half the house or if someone gets hurt and sues me for medical bills.
stouset 4y ago
This sounds right, but the actual statistics show that—for the average American—every minute of cycling increases expected lifespan by at least one minute. Obviously this is an average and won't hold true for every American in every locale.
- notch898a 4y ago
  The average American is biking for leisure. If they had to bike on their commute it totally changes and instead of a planned low-risk leisure route you're on the highway to hell in the thick of rush hour traffic. It's completely incomparable.
  - brucedawson 4y ago
    I bicycle commuted for years in an American city. It is as safe as your local council decides it should be, and my commute always felt safe. Don't give in to the belief that unsafe cycling is inevitable.
    - notch898a 4y ago
      Alright, here's my anecdote in kind. I biked for over a decade without incident for leisure. Then I started bicycle commuting. Within one year I had not one but two occasions where I was knocked unconscious by angry rush hour drivers. I no longer could plan my destination but rather had to fight the entirety of traffic trying to get downtown at the same time at once. I still have trouble with one arm and the other time I believe I got a concussion after the driver destroyed my bike hitting me broadside and drove off. I have about 3-4 years of biking as only transport including working as a full time professional bike messenger. I have never been hurt outside of rush hour. I have never been hurt on a planned leisure route. Only when I cannot pick the destination. The hostility in my experience is like 10x dealing with angry to/from work rush-hour traffic headed to a dense job-rich area, especially with folks like soccer moms desperate to pick up their kiddy from daycare in time, etc.
      - kyleee 4y ago
        Hard won wisdom, I am glad you made it through your injuries. I generally will only cycle in my area on weekdays around 09:30 to 13:30 or so in order to avoid any rush hour or high traffic times as much as possible. It makes a significant difference. As you note and in my experience the school drop off / pick up times are the scariest as you near schools and arteries on the school destination paths. There are frequently backups and gridlock situations at these times, coupled with palpable driver anxiety and hurriedness, which just seems like a recipe to get killed or maimed as a cyclist
brucedawson 4y ago
Just remember that this is a societal choice. Biking can be safe and efficient. In Vancouver BC they have prioritized modes of transportation other than driving, including creating a dense network of cycling paths and slow-streets. There is a big difference between what is, and what must be. Improvements are possible, which is what the linked article is all about. These are baby steps, but if you want to bike more (and get healthier and live longer and live happier and pollute less) then demand more from your local politicians.
- SQueeeeeL 4y ago
  It's more of a choice by the elites which deprioritize the needs of the actual populace. Often they do this by mixing the zoning of cities with surrounding suburban areas who have deeply conflicting interests and lifestyles

And good luck not having your bikes get regularly stolen in places like SF or NYC. You better ride the most revolting beater you can find, and even then.

convolvatron 4y ago
eh...decent hardware fits on an old steel frame. and while yes, it does suck to lose a bike...I still end up way way ahead of someone paying to park, fuel, and maintain a car. and I'm much more fit and enjoy my commute more.
rhaway84773 4y ago
I’ve had a $300 used bike service me just fine for over 11 years now. There was a period right during/after the pandemic where things were really bad but it’s settled to a fairly decent situation. If you ride a $500 bike then you will probably be fine factoring in a $50-$100 theft cost at most. Finally, most bike theft is covered under rental insurance, which isn’t all that expensive to begin with, and is highly recommended anyways.
- notch898a 4y ago
  Might want to check the deductible on your renters insurance. For me it'd be a total loss. Basically only worth it if someone drives up with a moving truck and just steals half the house or if someone gets hurt and sues me for medical bills.

stouset 4y ago

This sounds right, but the actual statistics show that—for the average American—every minute of cycling increases expected lifespan by at least one minute. Obviously this is an average and won't hold true for every American in every locale.

notch898a 4y ago
The average American is biking for leisure. If they had to bike on their commute it totally changes and instead of a planned low-risk leisure route you're on the highway to hell in the thick of rush hour traffic. It's completely incomparable.
- brucedawson 4y ago
  I bicycle commuted for years in an American city. It is as safe as your local council decides it should be, and my commute always felt safe. Don't give in to the belief that unsafe cycling is inevitable.
  - notch898a 4y ago
    Alright, here's my anecdote in kind. I biked for over a decade without incident for leisure. Then I started bicycle commuting. Within one year I had not one but two occasions where I was knocked unconscious by angry rush hour drivers. I no longer could plan my destination but rather had to fight the entirety of traffic trying to get downtown at the same time at once. I still have trouble with one arm and the other time I believe I got a concussion after the driver destroyed my bike hitting me broadside and drove off. I have about 3-4 years of biking as only transport including working as a full time professional bike messenger. I have never been hurt outside of rush hour. I have never been hurt on a planned leisure route. Only when I cannot pick the destination. The hostility in my experience is like 10x dealing with angry to/from work rush-hour traffic headed to a dense job-rich area, especially with folks like soccer moms desperate to pick up their kiddy from daycare in time, etc.
    - kyleee 4y ago
      Hard won wisdom, I am glad you made it through your injuries. I generally will only cycle in my area on weekdays around 09:30 to 13:30 or so in order to avoid any rush hour or high traffic times as much as possible. It makes a significant difference. As you note and in my experience the school drop off / pick up times are the scariest as you near schools and arteries on the school destination paths. There are frequently backups and gridlock situations at these times, coupled with palpable driver anxiety and hurriedness, which just seems like a recipe to get killed or maimed as a cyclist

brucedawson 4y ago

Just remember that this is a societal choice. Biking can be safe and efficient. In Vancouver BC they have prioritized modes of transportation other than driving, including creating a dense network of cycling paths and slow-streets. There is a big difference between what is, and what must be. Improvements are possible, which is what the linked article is all about. These are baby steps, but if you want to bike more (and get healthier and live longer and live happier and pollute less) then demand more from your local politicians.

SQueeeeeL 4y ago
It's more of a choice by the elites which deprioritize the needs of the actual populace. Often they do this by mixing the zoning of cities with surrounding suburban areas who have deeply conflicting interests and lifestyles