yeah im not wild about maintenance of my bike than maintenance of my home.

@Evkob @salvagepunk when I commuted in the UK, 200 miles a week year round I ended up just getting a new bike every 5 years. It was cheaper than replacing drive train and wheels. Plus I cracked the frame on one.

I am a daily commuter, but mostly it's harsh Canadian winters with salted roads combined with poor storage and maintenance. Tis hell on bicycle parts 😅

In the 5 years I’ve had my current bike, I think it’s on it’s fourth drivetrain?

How many miles a day are you putting on that thing to go through so many?!

His death, at a care facility, was from complications of a 2015 biking accident in which he sustained severe head trauma, said his wife, Jacqueline Phelan, a writer and former national off-road biking champion who is his only immediate survivor.

I didn't know that was why he died. Imagine your whole life dedicated to the very thing that causes you to die. Terrible.

Cargo bikes are awesome. Plus they hold value pretty well so you can resell them when your kids get to big. I’m the third owner of a cargo bike and it’s been great.

Absolutely! I'm a part of a couple different cycling groups, one of which actively lobbies and is the reason our city is actually changing for the better. We're also super behind on our canopy coverage, and topographically I'm surrounded by rivers which increase the humidity. So, when it's hot, it's very hot.

It's one of those things that my grown children will be able to enjoy, but it's shameful it's taking this long. I just wish progress was quicker.

Talk more about your problem. Complain as much as possible to your city government. Organize or join a transit union.

It also sounds like your city needs more green space. Yeah, my only advice is, "fight like hell for you kid's future."

Swedes bike in the winter, but only out of spite. Our governments aren't tremendously great at keeping bike paths clear in the winter...

in my fairly generic swedish town there's a whole bunch of people with box bikes, to the point that my dad gets annoyed at them (i think because they tend to be car replacements, so people keep that driver mindset of assuming people will just give way to you and never fucking slowing down).

So yeah i'd say globally there's a whole lot of cargo bike owners these days.

For people in europe trains are especially viable, as you can get interrail passes that let you take most trains for no extra cost. It's super cool and i think everyone here needs to try it at least once!

fwiw there might be platforms that let you just rent out the car when it's not in use, it's a thing here and my landlord company even puts their cars on it!
(It's GoMore, only available in a couple countries but you can look at it for an example of how it works)

Man, I'd love to take my kids around town on my bike, but drivers here regularly go off the road and hit cyclists. I just don't know if I'd feel comfortable taking my kids out, unless I was in a protected bike lane. It takes about twenty minutes to get to the park and I have to cross several streets, one of which is six lanes across. And I live in the city. Our city is investing in more cycling infrastructure and greenways, but right now, I just can't. Not to mention when it's over 40°C and 80% humidity, by the time I get to the park, it's time to go home, unless I'm driving. It's just a super complicated situation, I'm in. I do welcome any and all advice!

Okay you stand by your lifestyle, I'll stand by mine. Full disclosure: I live in a huge high roof van which means I haven't had to pay rent or mortgage or utilities or property taxes or HOA fees etc for 6 years. I run on solar, and the government still hasn't found a way to suck money out of me for the solar panels I have on my roof. Although I earn very little money I've got thousands of dollars in the bank because my expenses are so minimal.

I can live anywhere I want. Currently parked right next to the ocean. Sometimes I live in Oregon, sometimes I live in Colorado. Sometimes I live in Washington DC. I've driven across the USA five times and don't need hotels, trains, buses, or uber.

I have everything I need in this van, all my clothes, all my electronics, a full kitchen, bathroom.

Confident that I live more economically & more adventurous & more fun & enjoy more geographical variety than bicyclists who live in apartments or houses ☺️

Oh and I have three different kinds of bicycles too. One of them has three wheels so technically not a bicycle 🤷🏼‍♀️

You stand by your lifestyle, I'll stand by mine.

AAA estimated that it was over 12k in 2024. I doubt that price has gone down.

You save about $12k/yr by not owning a car. You can afford a hotel with what you save. Who can afford the gas for a cross country road trip? It's not the 90's. The vast majority of normal trips never go on the freeway. For $12k/yr you can just pay for a taxi for that.

Want a road trip? Try a train. Cross country trains are actually affordable and really interesting adventures. You get to meet interesting folks, actually look at the environment (since you aren't driving), and you aren't risking killing yourself or others in the process. You also aren't destroying that environment. It's just all around a better deal.

Can't take that on the freeway. Can't take that on cross- country Road trips. Can't sleep in it overnight to save money on a hotel.

Okay. I mean that's valid if you expect to have a bike stolen every 8 years the math checks out.

I would choose the healthier option (the cargo bikes). I just don't want to be corralled down a cattle chute where there are no other options. I would also use my vehicle to haul the elderly around, if required (not a cargo bike).

What's your point?

Lots of places the nearest Costco is 10+miles away.

Sometimes it's a lot easier than you think to be the change you want to see. You might be amazed at how far you get before you run into significant roadblocks.

your not made of sugar

have you seen the standard american diet, they kind of are

Yeah, we live in a high theft area of Amsterdam. They also pay total replacement with no deductible. We've actually already come out ahead when my other bike was stolen.

The rate is actually variable based on theft data in the area. It's gone up a lot recently, it might go back down. It was ranging between 68 and 71 for an the bakfiets and a regular omafiets.

Their service is also great. It was like less than a week turn around when my other bike was stolen. It's worth it.

We haven't owned a car in years, so bikes are our primary transport. We can't really afford to be without them, so it's kind of worth it given the situation.

Edit: it also covers bike rental, and it covers damage as well as theft.

Quite a lot more I think. Not everybody needs a cargo bike, but they're really amazing for moving a couple young kids a couple miles