• idle@158436977.xyz
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    1 year ago

    Not really sure how well bikes would work where I live. The winters are harsh, and its steep hill after steep hill.

    • AdamEatsAss@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      A valid concern. Bikes are good for fair weather and close proximity. Not all of the world is set up for this. Trains and busses have been around for a long time and can help reduce emissions and work in bad weather. Trains could require costly new infrastructure but busses can use existing roadways. The big goal should be to move away from cars. Ten people on a bus use less emissions then 10 cars on thier own.

      • Juniper@skein.city
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        1 year ago

        Out of curiosity, could you clarify “close proximity”? Because I certainly agree a bike is not viable if you are in the countryside. However having switched to bicycling and no longer driving my car recently, it has shrunk the world around me far more than driving ever has.

        • AdamEatsAss@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Well for me about 1-3 miles would be a distance I would be fine biking as a commute or to go to the store for a few items. In a compact major city this could cover everything you could need, grocery stores, doctors, liquor store, post office, yoy name it. In some suburbs you might have to drive 5-10 miles to get to some of these things and a bike become more time consuming and more of a physical activity.

        • kool_newt@beehaw.org
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          1 year ago

          Can you expand on that? What do you mean bicycling shrunk the world, it seems counterintuitive?

          • Juniper@skein.city
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            1 year ago

            Understandably so, I think haha. But for me, abandoning my car has made me actually realize distances in my city. Relying on a car, I barely even considered the distances I was traveling, and how necessary or not they were. I was more concerned about where I could park the thing than how far I was traveling just to do errands. But on a bicycle (and just walking), the first thing I do is consider the route, and distance, and I came to realize a lot of the distances I thought are best driven are… extremely walkable, or bikeable. And the distances that are a little far for a bicycle (in my current shape), I questioned why I even need to go that far. Especially if you’re in a city, there are a ton of businesses everywhere, it was easy to look for and find closer alternatives.

            So I guess for me personally, it really helped me contextualize the distances I was actually traveling, and helped me more concretely view my city and what’s around me, compared to just driving through liminal spaces until I reach whichever destination I was headed towards.

            • kool_newt@beehaw.org
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              1 year ago

              Ah, it’s like it allowed you to view where you lived at a new scale. You previously viewed it at car scale, now viewing it at human scale.

              • Juniper@skein.city
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                1 year ago

                Absolutely, that is a far more eloquent way to put it! It’s very freeing in it’s own way.

            • omenmis@beehaw.org
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              1 year ago

              I had the same experience, biking made me appreciate travel over distances I can’t bike. It really is very eye opening.

      • ebike_enjoyer@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        Bikes + trains (or even a bus, if bike racks are on them) are such a great combination for traveling between cities (or even countries if you’re in Europe, I suppose)

        • girlfreddy@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          Problem is so many civic gov’ts have mandated that transit MUST be self-sustaining and profitable without any investment. My own city’s ideology is like this and our transit is one of the worst in Canada. I’ve stood in -40C waiting for a bus that just doesn’t show up. :/

    • ebike_enjoyer@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      E-bikes can definitely solve the hill problem. As for staying warm, there’s the option of bundling up in some winter rated clothes. Think clothes for skiing or winter hiking, etc. I’ve even seen jackets with usb rechargeable heaters inside of them that motorcyclists use, though I haven’t tried that myself.

      • GraceGH@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        e-biking RULES. You don’t even have to pedal if you don’t want to, the throttle works just fine (although it eats your battery life if you don’t augment it with pedaling)

        • VerPoilu@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          This kind of e-bike is not allowed (or it is, but with big caveats, more akin to motorcycles) on public European roads. Regular ebikes can’t have a throttle and are heavily restricted on top speed (20 to 25km/h depending on the country. Can go faster but you’re not helped by the motor over that speed).

          • GraceGH@beehaw.org
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            1 year ago

            We have similar laws in America, but they’re not as strict. Ours can go 35km/h (or 22 mph) before it gets called a Class B e-bike, which you need a driver’s license for and can’t go on bike paths/trails.

              • GraceGH@beehaw.org
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                1 year ago

                No license or helmet required afaik, although I always wear mine. Thing goes fast and my skull doesn’t like concrete so much.

    • cr1cket@sopuli.xyz
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      1 year ago

      Well, i commute by bike in northern austria. All year. About 500m of climbing per day. Weather is solved by clothing. Icy roads are solved by studded tires.

      As a bonus i pretty much can eat a lot of crap without gaining weight ;-)