I enjoy riding my bike. I don’t even need an ebike because I’m in good shape but there are plenty of trips I don’t make because I’m worried a car will run over me. The roads around here are very dangerous for people who walk or ride.
On the flip side, it can also inspire those people to vote for politicians that ban bike lanes and stop those pesky bikes from causing gridlock traffic (its totally the bikes fault, not cars making traffic /s).
The problem is it kind of is crazy as an individual even though it makes perfect sense en masse.
The solution is to ride as much as you can when your route can be safe enough for your tolerance. And demand your local gov install better infrastructure for the future. Many cities are making pretty good progress on this so I think it’s changing, just not as fast as I’d like.
It’s just unfortunate that the issue lies in general population. There are so many people in the United States that view car ownership as a status symbol, and the stigma around commuting via bus or bike is ingrained in the society, to the point that people would rather go into massive debt and break the law by skipping registration and insurance. EVEN if using the bus is as or more convenient then car ownership.
Yeah I just ignore the stigma. I was raised as a cyclist and many of my friends get around on bikes as well, so I never felt this in my own group of peers. I can take that on more easily than some people and hopefully make it a little easier on others.
I just want to say that an ebike is more than a crutch for people who aren’t in good shape. I’m in good shape too, car-free, and had been riding acoustic bikes my whole life. It’s awesome, but last summer I bought an electric cargo bike, and this opens up horizons. I still have and ride my old mountain bike for shorter rides, but when I have to go faster, further, and carry more stuff the ebike is a godsend. I’ve crossed snowy forest paths where pedal power was just not enough to maintain momentum. I’ve given people lifts. I’ve trucked like a dozen tonnes of fieldstone from construction sites to build a retaining wall (over several trips ofc but I can easily carry like 500# of stone per go, and it’s easier to get to the stone piles with a bike than anything else).
I enjoy riding my bike. I don’t even need an ebike because I’m in good shape but there are plenty of trips I don’t make because I’m worried a car will run over me. The roads around here are very dangerous for people who walk or ride.
It sounds crazy but the solution to that is more bikes. Seeing cyclists more often conditions drivers to expect to see cyclists more often
On the flip side, it can also inspire those people to vote for politicians that ban bike lanes and stop those pesky bikes from causing gridlock traffic (its totally the bikes fault, not cars making traffic /s).
The problem is it kind of is crazy as an individual even though it makes perfect sense en masse.
The solution is to ride as much as you can when your route can be safe enough for your tolerance. And demand your local gov install better infrastructure for the future. Many cities are making pretty good progress on this so I think it’s changing, just not as fast as I’d like.
It’s just unfortunate that the issue lies in general population. There are so many people in the United States that view car ownership as a status symbol, and the stigma around commuting via bus or bike is ingrained in the society, to the point that people would rather go into massive debt and break the law by skipping registration and insurance. EVEN if using the bus is as or more convenient then car ownership.
Yeah I just ignore the stigma. I was raised as a cyclist and many of my friends get around on bikes as well, so I never felt this in my own group of peers. I can take that on more easily than some people and hopefully make it a little easier on others.
What kind of stigma? In Europe there is none. Bikes are considered a reasonable alternative to cars but less convenient.
Even in Australia, the current joke is: “You never see kids on bikes anymore, it’s just crackheads!”
(Lots of the kids have scooters now… Either push scooters or escooters)
that you’re poor or homeless. being broke in the US is akin to having leprosy
I just want to say that an ebike is more than a crutch for people who aren’t in good shape. I’m in good shape too, car-free, and had been riding acoustic bikes my whole life. It’s awesome, but last summer I bought an electric cargo bike, and this opens up horizons. I still have and ride my old mountain bike for shorter rides, but when I have to go faster, further, and carry more stuff the ebike is a godsend. I’ve crossed snowy forest paths where pedal power was just not enough to maintain momentum. I’ve given people lifts. I’ve trucked like a dozen tonnes of fieldstone from construction sites to build a retaining wall (over several trips ofc but I can easily carry like 500# of stone per go, and it’s easier to get to the stone piles with a bike than anything else).