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
  • KISSmyOSFeddit@lemmy.world
    20·
    4 months ago

    pros:

    • I don’t sit in a cage in the middle of a traffic jam 2+ hours a day
    • When I get to work, I’m awake and in a good mood, when I get back home, I’ve left the work stress behind
    • I’m actually faster door to door than in a car in rush hour traffic on my 8 mile commute
    • It keeps me fit even if I don’t do any other sports
    • It’s fun
    • I can fix everything myself with a toolbox I bought for 40€
    • My bike cost 1000€, 4 years ago, and I think I spent another … 30€ on it in all that time, for lube and tubes

    cons:

    • It can’t fully replace a car. Around once a week I need public transit for longer routes. Around once a month I have to rent a car, too.
    • Bike lanes don’t exist or aren’t usable everywhere. In places without them you need some thick skin to deal with the incoherent rage of strangers who feel like your choice of vehicle threatens their entire lifestyle.
    • Biking has become a political statement for some reason

    From your con list, the only one that is actually true in my opinion is:

    • little meaningful protection against severe injury
      (which is mostly a problem due to cars on the road)

    All the other ones either simply aren’t true, or are only an issue if you’re starting out and haven’t figured out what’s important yet.

    • herrvogel@lemmy.world
      1·
      4 months ago

      The sweat thing is important imo. I don’t want to show up to work or school or whatever drenched in sweat. Sometimes it’s too hot outside, or you have to ride against too strong a wind, or the terrain on your route is difficult. Either way you can easily arrive at your destination soaking wet. Unless you have an e-bike, there is no easy or convenient solution for that ç. A very real consideration that most certainly has made me not choose my bike on many occasions.

      While we’re on the topic of wet, weather is also an important consideration. Keeping yourself protected against the rain on a bike is not easy.

      • KISSmyOSFeddit@lemmy.world
        1·
        4 months ago

        Somehow I’ve managed to commute to work on a bike year round for 10 years now, and I’m in a customer-facing role.
        When it rains I wear rain clothes (jacket, rain pants and over-shoes). I also have full fenders and a chainguard on my bike.
        If necessary, I ride in cycling clothes, carry my work clothes and some deodorant in a pannier, and quickly dry off and change in the bathroom when I arrive. It takes 5 minutes.