apparently my city literally literally banned public rail funding, and people online love jerking off about how good biking is, so i figured might as well try. I have come up with:

pros:

  • good for mental health / exercise / endorphins
  • arguably quaint
  • feel like an old timey guy taking his wares to market
  • feel european
  • can annoy others
  • less of a police state around them vs cars
  • more flexible parking, routes
  • capacity to be peaceful
  • nice in summer

cons:

  • look like an annoying dork (esp w neon - which also hurts the quaint factor)
  • have to wear a helmet (^)
  • getting sweaty, potentially “unpresentable” for work
  • still have to find safe parking
  • still takes a while
  • have to find new routes to places
  • can’t listen to music or might die
  • little meaningful protection against severe injury
  • can only carry so many groceries/etc
  • sucks in winter
  • hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    9·
    6 months ago

    I’ll just comment on the con list

    • look like an annoying dork (esp w neon - which also hurts the quaint factor)

    You don’t have to wear Lycra to bike commute. Comfy shorts, T-shirt and trainers is fine

    • have to wear a helmet (^)

    Get a decent helmet, it’s way less annoying when the helmet is breathing well and sits on your head properly.

    • getting sweaty, potentially “unpresentable” for work

    Yeah this is pretty annoying. Best advice I can give is to have your stuff sacked into a bag attached to your bike (handlebar bag, pannier, etc). Backpack prevents the airflow in your back and causes ton of sweating

    • still have to find safe parking

    No comment on this one, as European I’ve never found myself in a situation where parking a bike is anything but fine

    • still takes a while

    May take longer but is 267% (I measured) more fun than a car

    • have to find new routes to places

    This should be a pro

    • can’t listen to music or might die

    Headphones with transparency mode on are great for cycling

    • little meaningful protection against severe injury

    I’m pretty sure I’ve seen seen studies suggesting bike commute lowers the chance of injury on average due to the health gains. Or something, not bothering to search for it now. Also I think this might be a bit eurocentric, since the bikelanes are not that great on many other places

    • can only carry so many groceries/etc

    If you plan on carrying a week worth of groceries for a family of 3, then cargo bike might just be for you. Otherwise, daily shop visits for what’s needed are fine with bicycle bags or basket

    • sucks in winter

    Attitude issue. I love cycling in winter

    • assaultpotato
      81·
      6 months ago

      Only thing I’d say (as a cyclist) is that “skill issue” is not a great reply for all cases. My city swings from +40 to -40 and it’s not uncommon to see wind chills down below -50. Winter cycling is not always viable, which is why a robust transit network needs to include a variety of options.

      Otherwise, this is a good comment.

      • hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        4·
        6 months ago

        Yeah it’s a bit poking fun, but you have some extreme temperature swings wherever you live :o

        • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world
          1·
          6 months ago

          Looks like standard Midwest USA temp ranges to me, we get all the extreme temps + natural disasters like tornadoes, large hail, blizzards, living near major fault lines for eventual mega earthquake, and don’t forget the gun psychos!