4 ms·

I cycled to work for 3 years in Paris. Cycling on fresh snow isn't so dangerous, but on ice it is as you won't be able to brake. Also, cycling by -20°c is a ver

I cycled to work for 3 years in Paris. Cycling on fresh snow isn't so dangerous, but on ice it is as you won't be able to brake. Also, cycling by -20°c is a very uncomfortable experience and increases a lot your chances to die if you fall and pass out. Last, cycling, especially in winter, is good if you're able-bodied, but it leaves out people with disabilities, which makes a sizable amount of the population if you take aged people in the mix. I agree with OP that in general, a good public transportation system is the first step toward better cities with less cars. Bikes can play a role, but can't be the solution for everything.

Fricken 3y ago
-20°C is plenty comfortable to ride if you know how to dress for the weather.
- analog31 3y ago
  To put it in perspective for US folks, -20 C is -4 F. It's manageable, including ice, with studded tires. With that said, I don't push it on my friends. I'd rather encourage them to make riding in nice weather a habit before taking the plunge. Also, there's more to it than even cold and ice. The roads become effectively narrower due to piled up snow. It gets dark during commuting hours, making it more dangerous if car traffic is involved. Road salt makes a mess of bikes, so it helps to have a dedicated winter bike that can take the brunt of it.
- Tade0 3y ago
  -20°C is the temperature at which even snot freezes which is in and of itself uncomfortable. I grew up with winters occasionally reaching -30°C and the logistics of walking (and cycling) in such an environment are simply time-consuming.
  - Fricken 3y ago
    Getting a car started in those conditions is time consuming as well. Then you sit in a cold car freezing your ass off while waiting for it to warm up. On a bike it takes about as long to get the blood flowing, and once acclimatized the ride can be quite nice. I've been out riding in -42°C (mostly just to prove I could), and at those temperatures I started running into mechanical problems. The metal of different components shrank at different rates, and my fork was binding up in the headtube, and the freewheel loosened off such that the ratchets wouldn't always connect with the pawls, causing slippage.
    - Tade0 3y ago
      > Getting a car started in those conditions is time consuming as well. Not if you have a garage or a remote startup function in your car. This is what you're going up against proposing that people cycle in freezing temperatures. > On a bike it takes about as long to get the blood flowing, and once acclimatized the ride can be quite nice. That's the same as using the outdoor pool in an aquapark in winter, which I enjoy doing because... there's almost no one there at that time of the year!
      - Fricken 3y ago
        Well, cars are noisy, dirty, expensive to both individuals and taxpayers, they clog up roads, and are inherently anti-social. We have a climate crisis, an obesity crisis, and also a mental health crisis, and bikes serve to alleviate all those things. Stuff like morals and good citizenship: people just don't seem to value these things anymore. That's tragic, and also catastrophic.

Fricken 3y ago

-20°C is plenty comfortable to ride if you know how to dress for the weather.

analog31 3y ago
To put it in perspective for US folks, -20 C is -4 F. It's manageable, including ice, with studded tires. With that said, I don't push it on my friends. I'd rather encourage them to make riding in nice weather a habit before taking the plunge. Also, there's more to it than even cold and ice. The roads become effectively narrower due to piled up snow. It gets dark during commuting hours, making it more dangerous if car traffic is involved. Road salt makes a mess of bikes, so it helps to have a dedicated winter bike that can take the brunt of it.
Tade0 3y ago
-20°C is the temperature at which even snot freezes which is in and of itself uncomfortable. I grew up with winters occasionally reaching -30°C and the logistics of walking (and cycling) in such an environment are simply time-consuming.
- Fricken 3y ago
  Getting a car started in those conditions is time consuming as well. Then you sit in a cold car freezing your ass off while waiting for it to warm up. On a bike it takes about as long to get the blood flowing, and once acclimatized the ride can be quite nice. I've been out riding in -42°C (mostly just to prove I could), and at those temperatures I started running into mechanical problems. The metal of different components shrank at different rates, and my fork was binding up in the headtube, and the freewheel loosened off such that the ratchets wouldn't always connect with the pawls, causing slippage.
  - Tade0 3y ago
    > Getting a car started in those conditions is time consuming as well. Not if you have a garage or a remote startup function in your car. This is what you're going up against proposing that people cycle in freezing temperatures. > On a bike it takes about as long to get the blood flowing, and once acclimatized the ride can be quite nice. That's the same as using the outdoor pool in an aquapark in winter, which I enjoy doing because... there's almost no one there at that time of the year!
    - Fricken 3y ago
      Well, cars are noisy, dirty, expensive to both individuals and taxpayers, they clog up roads, and are inherently anti-social. We have a climate crisis, an obesity crisis, and also a mental health crisis, and bikes serve to alleviate all those things. Stuff like morals and good citizenship: people just don't seem to value these things anymore. That's tragic, and also catastrophic.