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> Honestly I don't even understand why enough people still use their cars through my city instead of biking. I am an ex-avid cyclist. Bikes are easily stolen,

> Honestly I don't even understand why enough people still use their cars through my city instead of biking. I am an ex-avid cyclist. Bikes are easily stolen, You can get soaked if the weather is poor, If it is bitterly cold it can literally take you hours to warm up (especially if you are older). If you have to ride in traffic it can be very frightening especially if you haven't done it before. Other people find cycling simply uncomfortable, I've been told it more uncomfortable for women.

roflmaostc 2y ago
I use a decent U lock. Always lock the frame to something metal and solid. Additionally I have a ~100USD insurance to cover my several thousand dollars bikes. Never got stolen any. Yeah you need to adapt to weather. But a good pair of biking pants, rain cover for the shoes, thick leather gloves and different pairs of coats (which you anyway need) usually do the job. If your bike is super uncomfortable there is tons of different sattles and options. Even bike fitting to fit your bike perfectly to your body.
- EndShell 2y ago
  Not to be rude. You think I am not aware of all of this? I was an avid cyclist. I have repaired and built my own bikes for the last 25 years, I still look after my bikes even though I don't ride them as often as I used to. > I use a decent U lock. Always lock the frame to something metal and solid. Additionally I have a ~100USD insurance to cover my several thousand dollars bikes. Never got stolen any. You are lucky. I've had two bikes stolen. I ride a very old and battered looking mountain bike (Marin Hawk Hill 97). My anti-theft measure is that it isn't worth stealing. > If your bike is super uncomfortable there is tons of different sattles and options. Even bike fitting to fit your bike perfectly to your body. If you haven't cycled in years it is just painful on backside and your nether regions. I hadn't cycled in over a year and I was saddle sore for about two days afterwards. I was expecting it btw. The bikes I have fit me perfectly, I use a good saddle (roll). Generally people buy the cheapest POS bike from a store, the fitting probably isn't right or they just get their friends bike that they no longer want and put up with it until they can afford a car. They aren't going to a proper bike shop to get fitted up.
seszett 2y ago
Well we're in different places so I guess it's different. I used to bike in France and I got about three or four bikes stolen there, one every other year or so. At around 30-50€ per bike it's not that expensive even though it's certainly inconvenient. Now my bikes don't get stolen anymore in Flanders (even though I use a much cheaper and more convenient frame lock). About the weather, I just wear warm clothes. I'm about ten minutes away from my children's school, not 2 hours. It rarely gets lower than -5°C though (23°F). It also works because we have decent cycling infrastructure so cars don't kill too many cyclists. I'm not an avid cyclist or an avid automobilist but I sometimes have to drive the same route by car and I have never wished I was in a car rather than in a bike including under rain, while the other way around is almost every time.
- EndShell 2y ago
  > At around 30-50€ per bike it's not that expensive even though it's certainly inconvenient. The bikes I had stolen would be about €2000 today. I ride a second hand mountain bike that is old and isn't a target for thieves. > About the weather, I just wear warm clothes. I'm about ten minutes away from my children's school, not 2 hours. It rarely gets lower than -5°C though (23°F). I am in North of England. The temperature itself frequently isn't the problem. It is the wind chill factor. You can literally feel it chill your bones. I have fenders on all my bikes and tbh that reduces how wet you get by about 30-50% but affects the bikes handling a lot IME.

roflmaostc 2y ago

I use a decent U lock. Always lock the frame to something metal and solid. Additionally I have a ~100USD insurance to cover my several thousand dollars bikes. Never got stolen any. Yeah you need to adapt to weather. But a good pair of biking pants, rain cover for the shoes, thick leather gloves and different pairs of coats (which you anyway need) usually do the job. If your bike is super uncomfortable there is tons of different sattles and options. Even bike fitting to fit your bike perfectly to your body.

EndShell 2y ago
Not to be rude. You think I am not aware of all of this? I was an avid cyclist. I have repaired and built my own bikes for the last 25 years, I still look after my bikes even though I don't ride them as often as I used to. > I use a decent U lock. Always lock the frame to something metal and solid. Additionally I have a ~100USD insurance to cover my several thousand dollars bikes. Never got stolen any. You are lucky. I've had two bikes stolen. I ride a very old and battered looking mountain bike (Marin Hawk Hill 97). My anti-theft measure is that it isn't worth stealing. > If your bike is super uncomfortable there is tons of different sattles and options. Even bike fitting to fit your bike perfectly to your body. If you haven't cycled in years it is just painful on backside and your nether regions. I hadn't cycled in over a year and I was saddle sore for about two days afterwards. I was expecting it btw. The bikes I have fit me perfectly, I use a good saddle (roll). Generally people buy the cheapest POS bike from a store, the fitting probably isn't right or they just get their friends bike that they no longer want and put up with it until they can afford a car. They aren't going to a proper bike shop to get fitted up.

seszett 2y ago

Well we're in different places so I guess it's different. I used to bike in France and I got about three or four bikes stolen there, one every other year or so. At around 30-50€ per bike it's not that expensive even though it's certainly inconvenient. Now my bikes don't get stolen anymore in Flanders (even though I use a much cheaper and more convenient frame lock). About the weather, I just wear warm clothes. I'm about ten minutes away from my children's school, not 2 hours. It rarely gets lower than -5°C though (23°F). It also works because we have decent cycling infrastructure so cars don't kill too many cyclists. I'm not an avid cyclist or an avid automobilist but I sometimes have to drive the same route by car and I have never wished I was in a car rather than in a bike including under rain, while the other way around is almost every time.

EndShell 2y ago
> At around 30-50€ per bike it's not that expensive even though it's certainly inconvenient. The bikes I had stolen would be about €2000 today. I ride a second hand mountain bike that is old and isn't a target for thieves. > About the weather, I just wear warm clothes. I'm about ten minutes away from my children's school, not 2 hours. It rarely gets lower than -5°C though (23°F). I am in North of England. The temperature itself frequently isn't the problem. It is the wind chill factor. You can literally feel it chill your bones. I have fenders on all my bikes and tbh that reduces how wet you get by about 30-50% but affects the bikes handling a lot IME.