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What do people do when it rains or snows? Do people walk instead, take mass transit, or drive? I think the reality of what people are arguing for is for people

by babesh 13y ago

What do people do when it rains or snows? Do people walk instead, take mass transit, or drive? I think the reality of what people are arguing for is for people to live more closely together. That makes biking, mass transit, and even walking more viable. Some people like it, some don't. Part is what you are used to. People coming from rural areas think that the Bay Area is crowded but the East Coast is more crowded, parts of Europe are more crowded still, and then parts of Asia are more crowded still.

MattLaroche 13y ago
Put on some fenders, rain pants, a rain coat, and ride! Or take transit. Living closer together is great, but cycling infrastructure matters too to get people onto bikes.
- arethuza 13y ago
  That's a new difference between US and UK English for me - "fenders" here are things that are used to stop boats/ships bumping into things, across here we call them "mudguards". Having said that, I know some people who could benefit from fenders (UK) on their bikes...
yoodenvranx 13y ago
> What do people do when it rains or snows? Do people walk instead, take mass transit, or drive? I live in Northern Germany and for the last 20 years I used my bike to first drive to school, then to university and now to my workplace. On average I drive about 10 to 15 km a day for commuting and perhaps another few km for shopping and going out in the evening. I can not remember a single day were I did not drive bike because the weather bad. Even two or three winters ago when the streets were covered with ice for 4 weeks driving to work with a bike was not a problem at all. Some stuff I learned: * buy high quality mudguards * use a hub dynamo (Shimano or SON) and not these horrible cheap one which touch the wheels * invest 80 euro in a really really good LED front light (I am a big fan of Busch & Müller, those things are really bright and switch on automatically when it is getting dark) * for snow and ice buy some spike tires. If you are a bit careful and experienced you can drive over pure ice without any problems. They cost 60 euro per piece but you can use them for 3 or 4 winters * for normal weather buy some tires with protection against glass and other sharp objects. I have a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus and I never had a flat tire in the last 6 or 7 years * buy the most expensive lock you can find (Abus or Kryptonite) and always lock your bike to something * always have a set of dry clothing at your workplace just in case the rain is really bad. * some people buy special rain pants but I personally don't like/need them * buy and wear a helmet * install a fender rack to which you can install some bike bag (I am a big fan of everthing from Ortlieb) With the right gear driving in bad weather is not a problem. Sometimes it isn't fun but I am grateful that I am not dependent on a car! But what matters most is the infrastructure. Driving bike in Germany is really nice most if the time. But when I lived in the midwest in the US in a smallish town I was one of very few ciclyst in town and driving bike there sucked a lot.
URSpider94 13y ago
They ride. No, really. Pretty much all bikes have fenders, so you don't get the rooster-tail of mud up your back. I was there two weeks ago, and it rained pretty much every day, yet I rode the 2 miles to the office each day with my raincoat on.

by babesh 13y ago

MattLaroche 13y ago

Put on some fenders, rain pants, a rain coat, and ride! Or take transit. Living closer together is great, but cycling infrastructure matters too to get people onto bikes.

arethuza 13y ago
That's a new difference between US and UK English for me - "fenders" here are things that are used to stop boats/ships bumping into things, across here we call them "mudguards". Having said that, I know some people who could benefit from fenders (UK) on their bikes...

yoodenvranx 13y ago

> What do people do when it rains or snows? Do people walk instead, take mass transit, or drive? I live in Northern Germany and for the last 20 years I used my bike to first drive to school, then to university and now to my workplace. On average I drive about 10 to 15 km a day for commuting and perhaps another few km for shopping and going out in the evening. I can not remember a single day were I did not drive bike because the weather bad. Even two or three winters ago when the streets were covered with ice for 4 weeks driving to work with a bike was not a problem at all. Some stuff I learned: * buy high quality mudguards * use a hub dynamo (Shimano or SON) and not these horrible cheap one which touch the wheels * invest 80 euro in a really really good LED front light (I am a big fan of Busch & Müller, those things are really bright and switch on automatically when it is getting dark) * for snow and ice buy some spike tires. If you are a bit careful and experienced you can drive over pure ice without any problems. They cost 60 euro per piece but you can use them for 3 or 4 winters * for normal weather buy some tires with protection against glass and other sharp objects. I have a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus and I never had a flat tire in the last 6 or 7 years * buy the most expensive lock you can find (Abus or Kryptonite) and always lock your bike to something * always have a set of dry clothing at your workplace just in case the rain is really bad. * some people buy special rain pants but I personally don't like/need them * buy and wear a helmet * install a fender rack to which you can install some bike bag (I am a big fan of everthing from Ortlieb) With the right gear driving in bad weather is not a problem. Sometimes it isn't fun but I am grateful that I am not dependent on a car! But what matters most is the infrastructure. Driving bike in Germany is really nice most if the time. But when I lived in the midwest in the US in a smallish town I was one of very few ciclyst in town and driving bike there sucked a lot.

URSpider94 13y ago

They ride. No, really. Pretty much all bikes have fenders, so you don't get the rooster-tail of mud up your back. I was there two weeks ago, and it rained pretty much every day, yet I rode the 2 miles to the office each day with my raincoat on.