3 ms·

I think it would be fantastic if we biked more, but let’s be realistic: while biking can be super-fun in perfect conditions, it is considerably less so when you

by jl6 3y ago

I think it would be fantastic if we biked more, but let’s be realistic: while biking can be super-fun in perfect conditions, it is considerably less so when you add hills, rain, cargo, and temperature extremes.

steve_adams_86 3y ago
You're right. Electric bikes are pretty awesome at addressing these problems, though. I know they remove some of the exercise element, though for many it might add exercise since they're otherwise doing nothing at all. It's also okay to be a little uncomfortable. A lot of us are quite obsessed with avoiding discomfort, but it's often exactly what we need. I like riding my cargo bike with my son to his school, getting soaked and blown around in the wind. Sometimes he hates it, sometimes I dream of dry sunny days, but when I get home or to the office I'm in love with my awesome bike and all the cool stuff we do with it. Camping, shopping, errands—it's awesome, and totally worth the discomfort. Like in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: on a bike, you're in your environment, not just watching it go by. You're a participator, not a spectator. You're in the weather, you can reach out and touch some tall grass or a low hanging branch. That aspect makes little parts of the day so much more immersive and interesting. I love that, and I'll take getting hot and sweaty or cold and soaked over driving my car 95% of the time. I know it's only my perspective, and many will never consider it, but I hope a lot more people do. Bikes made my life so much better. For what it's worth, I'm out of shape and a bit overweight, so I'm not some fit and out-of-touch athlete telling people they should just go ahead and do a difficult thing. I'll admit though, there are definitely financial barriers. If you take the bus for economical reasons, an electric cargo bike probably isn't an option. If you own a car and need it, and you can barely afford it as it is, an electric cargo bike also isn't a realistic option. It's definitely a privilege in a sense, and I won't shame someone for relying on a car in those circumstances. Well, I won't shame anyone regardless.
- mbrock 3y ago
  I love going with my kid in the cargo bike when it's raining and he's sitting in the canopy dry and happy. The car's role in family life is hard to overstate, though, when you have more than one kid, and you need to get somewhere all together while also bringing some cargo like a stroller. We get by with renting a car occasionally, but installing two car seats and bringing them back up to the flat again is getting really boring. Actually I'm dreaming of buying a used RV...

by jl6 3y ago

steve_adams_86 3y ago

You're right. Electric bikes are pretty awesome at addressing these problems, though. I know they remove some of the exercise element, though for many it might add exercise since they're otherwise doing nothing at all. It's also okay to be a little uncomfortable. A lot of us are quite obsessed with avoiding discomfort, but it's often exactly what we need. I like riding my cargo bike with my son to his school, getting soaked and blown around in the wind. Sometimes he hates it, sometimes I dream of dry sunny days, but when I get home or to the office I'm in love with my awesome bike and all the cool stuff we do with it. Camping, shopping, errands—it's awesome, and totally worth the discomfort. Like in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: on a bike, you're in your environment, not just watching it go by. You're a participator, not a spectator. You're in the weather, you can reach out and touch some tall grass or a low hanging branch. That aspect makes little parts of the day so much more immersive and interesting. I love that, and I'll take getting hot and sweaty or cold and soaked over driving my car 95% of the time. I know it's only my perspective, and many will never consider it, but I hope a lot more people do. Bikes made my life so much better. For what it's worth, I'm out of shape and a bit overweight, so I'm not some fit and out-of-touch athlete telling people they should just go ahead and do a difficult thing. I'll admit though, there are definitely financial barriers. If you take the bus for economical reasons, an electric cargo bike probably isn't an option. If you own a car and need it, and you can barely afford it as it is, an electric cargo bike also isn't a realistic option. It's definitely a privilege in a sense, and I won't shame someone for relying on a car in those circumstances. Well, I won't shame anyone regardless.

mbrock 3y ago
I love going with my kid in the cargo bike when it's raining and he's sitting in the canopy dry and happy. The car's role in family life is hard to overstate, though, when you have more than one kid, and you need to get somewhere all together while also bringing some cargo like a stroller. We get by with renting a car occasionally, but installing two car seats and bringing them back up to the flat again is getting really boring. Actually I'm dreaming of buying a used RV...