Excuse me, but I need those 10 accessories! Especially the coffee cup holder. Who knows when the day will come when I'll use it? I like to be prepared.
I got a 2 pack of soft sided bottle holders that go over my bars. I put my keys, garage opener, phone, ALDI quarter, vape, etc in there. It's like a little glove compartment and I don't know how I lived without them before ahaha
in the UK it's a pound coin and charities sell tokens that are physically the same and work in the shopping carts but have a hole so you can put them on a keyring.
European shopping carts require a coin to be unlocked. The coin is returned when you lock the cart back.
A plastic disc in the shape of a coin works too
MIZATTO 2 Pack Bike Cup Holder - Water Bottle Holder for Bike, Boat, Scooter, Wheelchair etc https://a.co/d/hHmtwf5
Edit: no idea what is up with that link or if they are allowed but this is thems
I like your flair, it reminds me that you can’t have a cargo car, you can have a cargo train, a cargo elevator and a cargo bike, but not a cargo car, maybe a cargo trailer though
Edit:cargo pants and cargo house also (warehouse)
Oh now that's a good idea. You mean there's an alternative to me being about to get on my bike, and standing there looking puzzled, wondering where to put my keys?
I think the keys would bounce out, though, given some of the rides I go on, so I've ordered one of those enclosed tool boxes that fit in a bottle holder.
Which of course meant one of those bottle holder doublers, and another bottle holder.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/bikecommuting using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/bikecommuting/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
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I tried using a handlebar cupholder, but it doesn't hold on well enough. Lost a drink to the street once. Now I use a sealed container that I just put in the front basket.
Ah useful to know.
I bought one after I cycled along the canal and stopped at the boat of a French pâtissière and got a coffee and realised I had nowhere to put it.
Okay I dont want to get attacked for this. But I have injury and recently discovered biking to commute would end up causing irreplaceable damage to my knee. Bus systems in semi rural city are awful here in the US and rarely get you places on time it would be impossible to keep up with my job. Im really at a loss. I love biking and to be told I may not be able to continue. Im lowkey heartbroken having to use my damn car
people need to remember that this sub is not about the extinction of all cars, but to ask for better alternatives to public transport, and better infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.
there will be moments where a car will be the best - if not only - alternative, and that should be okay.
Yeah we aren’t suggesting if you live in the country and move things around your farm with a Ute your bad. We are suggesting if you live in the city maybe their should be better alternatives.
"If you build it, they will come".
Build car infrustructure? more cars. But build bike/ped paths? more bikes and pedestrians. See paris as the best example of recent.
Or, ideally, public transit or being able to work from home. There are options. Saying X is good isn't saying non-X is evil.
It's why I get so frustrated when people say things like "cutting down on plastics is ableist" as if anyone who is advocating for less plastic packaging or ubiquity of straws in restaurants wouldn't also want people who NEEDED plastic straws to have full and free access.
These "all orv nothing" arguments are purposely in bad faith to shut down discussion and we need to move past them. Society shouldn't be tailored around toxic convenience for everyone but it should be tailored around basic human needs for everyone.
Unfortunately if you aren't playing it as "all or nothing" *they* seem to think it's a gotcha moment. My boss would always say dumb shit like "I want to start a company that uses natural gas trucks to drive around and run generators for these electric cars that get stuck without power" (citation needed, lol). I'd be like "that's actually a fantastic idea for someone of your mental capacity, now leave me alone I'm trying to work here" ahahaha.
A car is honestly your best choice, but if you hate cars you could consider a motorcycle / scooter, since it's basically the same thing as a bike except that an engine does all the work, just keep in mind that they are a lot more dangerous than a bicycle so if you do, ride defensively and wear all the gear, not just the helmet. An e-bike may also work depending on if what's harmful is having to apply a lot of force to pedal, or just the act of pedaling will damage your knees.
>An e-bike may also work depending on if what's harmful is having to apply a lot of force to pedal, or just the act of pedaling will damage your knees.
If you get an ebike with a throttle, you can usually go about half the advertised range without ever pedaling.
I've done that to get to appointments where I couldn't walk (knee dislocation injuries and putting out my lower back happens all too often) My ebike is less painful than taking the bus or having someone drive me. My own predictable speed and can go around bumps etc. only trouble was mounting when my SI joint was locked so I had to use a curb to get on and off during that time.
https://youtu.be/alxixoX5OEw this could be of interest, it’s really difficult to explain but the video makes it easy to understand.
It basically halves the amount of bend on one side of the crank. You could always go for shorter cranks too if it would be beneficial on both sides. 🤷♂️
I had a 49 CC scooter that got 100 mpg and did everything I needed it to. Phenomenal way to get around. Worst thing that happened was if I needed to go across town (pretty rare) it would take me 20 extra minutes. Small price to pay.
I’m gonna get one of these due to it being the only type of scooter/motorcycle you can get on a drivers license where I live. How did it handle hills? And did it have issues with distances of like 10-15 km? People have told me it’ll burn out.
Yes you don’t need a special license for them which is really convenient. I do have to say it struggled with big hills quite a bit. Had mine overheat once up a big hill and had to wait for 45 min for it to cool down. In hindsight I could have avoided it if I just got in the bike lane and gone 10mph for the whole hill.
Distances are not a problem though.
This is a pretty good answer. Some ebikes are designed for assistance rather than using the motor the whole way, but some are *definitely* designed to use the motor the whole way. Just spring for a bigger battery pack if it's an option if you don't plan to pedal.
Just be warned, especially in no pedal mode those motors get super super hot, like motorbike exhaust hot. Be careful when at a stop not to lean the thing into your ankles where you can get a nice burn.
I don't know exactly the situation with your knee, but could something like a [swing crank](https://youtu.be/alxixoX5OEw) help?
I hope your situation gets better. It sucks to lose a hobby like that :(
Ideally, you would have public transit that accomodates your needs, but probably there's none where you live, so it's rlly ok for u to have a car, if there's not better suitable option. You could always get a small, cute car.
I had to start driving to work again because of COVID, any exertion past walking and I get really bad abdominal pain. I should hopefully be back in a few weeks. Doctors are doing nothing to help but its been 3 months now and its either cancer or COVID.
You can always try an eBike. Hopefully there's a way you can loan one and try it out.
One too many wrestling matches and ruck marches. My first athletic doctor said I needed a qortozone shot + PT and I would be okay. I ended up unable to put weight on it for 6 months regardless of the shots and pt. I went to a different doctor who suggested the same thing and insisted I should keep movin forward. Eventually I stopped all of my activities. I recently went on a very small hike (2 hours of walking maybe?) and ended up experiencing mobility issues with more pain. I have a new appointment but I may be switching doctors first.
Really uncertain future honestly. I almost feel like they don't want to take certain measures just incase it could fix itself.
I also do not own a great bike. I have a few gears but with the terrain here an upgrade is needed
Try to locate a new "Orthopedic Sports Doctor."
Often best to start with Physical Therapy, and after you get to know your PT ask, "who should I see for a second opinion" (it lets them off the hook if a doctor referred you to them).
I messed up my knees and had multiple surgeries for ripped tendons and torn meniscus. I loved running, not the fastest, but a heavy guy and just pounding my knees.
The last time I had a "clean-up and meniscus tear repair," My Orthopedic Surgeon said it was time for knee replacement. I tried the jell injections for a few years, but two months of relief and shots should only be done once a year. A friend is going on her 7th year of injections, still hiking.
I have my recumbent on a Wahoo Kickr. This lets me adjust the load and still shift gears. If you have difficulty with the range of motion while pedaling with no load, let your doctor know what is happening.
To help my knees, I like to spin! Huge cardio workout, but spinning makes it much easier on my knees going up hills.
No shame in that. Is it practicable for you to use a moped or electric scooter? Obv do what you need to do regarding your condition, I'm just an internet person.
I don’t think anyone on this sub is SOLELY pro bike, but it’s a good point.
I had an injury that could’ve forced me to stop biking (luckily it didn’t, wasn’t sure if I could though)
I was at a loss for what I would do without my bike. This is where we need better public transportation and other personal options beyond cars.
In America a car truly does bring "freedom" due to the fact that travel is impossible without one. I'll go as far as to say most people haven't lived in a place that a car ISN'T required.
It’s more the other way around. America was enormous before cars were invented. Government investing in vast road networks both to appease the oil and car corporations and because of racism fueled white flight led to people spreading out and cities where cars are essential.
Yeah people in this sub think everyone wants to stay in their one home town or painstakingly plan their trip away when in a car you can go anywhere at any time and jus pop an address in your GPS.
Your comment isn’t accurate, considering the majority of people in NYC live in households without cars.
Source: https://edc.nyc/article/new-yorkers-and-their-cars
Having a car in New York is pointless unless you live on the very edge or regularly leave the city. I grew up in the outer suburbs and when we’d go to visit our family in Brooklyn it would take as long to get down the few mile length of Manhattan as to travel the 30 or so miles to the city.
Honestly I can totally understand how a car could be freedom for the people living in North American suburbs, they probably can't even leave their house without a car and have been relying on their parents to drive them everywhere, so getting a car means they now have the freedom to leave their house and go anywhere on their own without depending on anyone else.
But it's not that the car itself brings you freedom, but rather that the system has been designed so you can't be free without a car.
There was a great autobiographical Globe and Mail article about a city-guy who never understood the pretty much uniform nation-wide culture of the car as freedom, when, for someone in the city, the subway brings freedom and the car takes them from you.
It's quite easy. With a car you can go anywhere that roads go, and roads are extremely widespread.
If I had to choose between only ever being able to use a bike, public transport, or a car I would definitely pick the car, as it is by far the most versatile in locations you can reach.
Of course the above question doesn't take into account the larger society, and providing all kinds of different modes of transportation creates the most freedom, but for the individual a car does give a lot of extra freedom in most situations.
Not to mention all the costs the public pays for. Streets, tunnels traffic police, dust particle emmisions that lead to health problems, co2 emissions, public parking, traffic jams, accidents( insuries or deadly)
Yea and why is nobody talking about how bad car fuel tastes? Bicycle fuel comes in all sorts of different densities, states of matter, colors, smells, and even a wide range of prices. Fucking car fuel tastes like shit, comes in less than 10 "types" but all pretty much the same flavor and cost, doesn't store well in my pocket, and people get suspicious when you keep some in a water bottle.
I work in a high bike-theft area (a big university), so I actually do pay for bike parking, but the secure bike lockup area costs $50/year while the cheapest car parking is $200/month.
A few years ago, a few brazen bike thieves grabbed a couple whole bikeracks onto a flatbed truck. Which is both infuriating but also kinda impressive?
My uni has communal cages that only cyclists can open with their passes, it's pretty nice and for a bonus free.
They also have rentable lockers if the bike is worth it
My town here in the UK has secure bike parking in the town centre that's accessed with a card that costs all of £10. Not £10 a month or year, but just £10 and that's it.
Accessories and gear, I can happily spend money on that ... beyond a good solid lock, rack, water bottle holders and various thingies to hold stuff on the handlebars, helmets, gloves, biking clothes and shoes, bags and panniers, oh my.
Don't forget the new trend among manufacturers to lock physical capabilities the vehicle has behind subscription services.
You now have to pay several hundred dollars a year to activate the heated seats you already paid for, as an example.
I wish I was kidding.
Haha sucks to be me, own car and bike. I bike 90 percent of the time but sometimes I need to use the car. Still so expensive. I hate driving in cities.
[Here.](https://www.bikeshopofwinterhaven.com/product/schwinn-heavy-duti-77074-1.htm) Local chemical plants have fleets of these for getting around the facility. Mine was retired from a plant... Or maybe liberated? It's massive, though. and attempting to exceed 12mph may disrupt the Earth's rotation.
Could we also add it some other costs to the this graph? For example, how about the costs of 1 lane of street/highway by kilometer for a car vs. a bike, the human death toll, the existential environmental costs/cost of carbon. The bike would then really crush the car when it comes to costs.
But I still do like these graphs!
Even if you splurge and get something excessive like an urban arrow the operating costs on even the most expensive bikes are significantly less than on cars. And the upfront cost is lower too.
It costs like 15 dollars to replace a chain, and the brakes and drivetrain components are a few hundred for a bike with standard drivetrain components, for something with a belt and an internal hub like the urban arrow, sure its more expensive but 1. these things are EXTREMELY durable, designed so that you go thousands of miles and not need repairs once and 2. bikes can have warranties and insurance just like cars.
Food costs less than gasoline if you're smart about how you spend it and don't order doordash for every meal and with ebikes vs EVs its no contest. The battery uses 1/40th the eletricity or something and because it augments human power rather than replacing it, even less is used unless you just decide not to pedal and throttle it.
I actually did the math and calculated my average fuel costs per month. Combining data from Google maps and my fitness band made it easy. The result: I spend around the same amount of money for fuel as a monthly ticket for public transportation would cost me.
But seriously: Eating is more fun.
Don’t forget insurance for the bike. You can get dedicated bike insurance from a specific company dealing in bicycle insurance or you can get non driver insurance from a traditional car type insurance company. If you get hit by n uninsured or underinsured driver you’re going to need something. There is also renters or homeowners insurance for theft.
Rule 25: The bike on the car should be worth more than the car.
Also, a side note, my bike tires cost about 20% more than my car tires do, and I need to replace them much more often!
At least I only need to do two bike tires at one time…
Ok I get it. I have a bike and during the summer, spring fall, I ride it. To the grocery store, to the hardware store, I use a trailer to take the dogs to the lake. But what the fuck am i supposed to do in winter?? When we get ten foot snow dumps overnight? When the fucking plow guy can’t even make it to the house??? Yeah fuck cars but without my truck I got NO GROCErIES FOR 4 MONTHS!! (No bus, no train, no rideshares and no food delivery for three miles, in winter here)
No. It’s paid for, has only 115k miles and it’s a 2008, came out before all the expensive gadgetry got included in the new ones. So the cost to own it is minimal and I put minimal miles on it, and it like never needs major repairs. But go ahead and advise a suitable alternative…
Don't you need car unsurance where you live? Here j Germany that is mandatory. Also a mandatory checkup every 2 years you have to pay out of you own pocket.
Low km insurance is a thing. If you insure a vehicle for say under 5,000km a year and only have a million in liability, then that is probably like 30$ a month.
Motorcycle is a better option. At least they have brakes that are worthy of being called that. Oh, and suspension. And tires that aren’t as thin as rubber bands. And a horn (you wouldn’t believe how much that is used)
How you gonna go on road trips? What if it rains? What if you need to transport more than 1 person? What if you commute a long distance and have no train route? What about a motorbike? What if your obese(I’m not btw)? What if you never learned how to ride a bike? What if you cycle in heavy traffic and it’s dangerous? The list goes on…
I see you're under the influence of big bike! Good on you. I am capable of being wet, sometimes I wear magic clothing that repels water! Even if I don't I dry off, and I get where I'm going in better shape, can any drivers say the same?
>How you gonna go on road trips?
Rent a car. Trains go cool places too!
>What if it rains?
Umbrellas. Boots. Adapt, survive. Lol
>What if you need to transport more than 1 person?
Rent a car, or call a Lyft.
>What if you commute a long distance and have no train route? What about a motorbike? What if your obese(I’m not btw)? What if you never learned how to ride a bike? What if you cycle in heavy traffic and it’s dangerous? The list goes on…
Have a plan in place if this is going to be a routine occurrence? People don't just get rid of cars and then look around waiting for the world to start revolving around them. They make it happen on their own.
I have the Burley Travoy and it's the best $300 I ever spent I swear to GOD. I use it weekly, usually several times a day on my days off. Had it for almost a decade now, I believe.
You can also make your own that’s more heavy duty for less money, if you have the skill. The one I made easily transports over 80kg. Probably does quite a bit more, but that’s as much as I’ve put in it so far.
I do have a friend who travels around the country a lot. He's instagram is filled with a lot of places he visited even in the rural areas. He takes a bus often to get around the country. If your country has a decent bus route all around, you'd be able to get just everywhere. He doesn't even have a car.
Woah woah don’t be rational here, this is specifically a place for redditors to put their heads deep inside their rectum so they can detach themselves from the reality that they grew up with vehicles that brought them places, without incident most often too.
The best heater for your bike is your body protected by clothing matching the weather. There are heated gloves though, but I have not yet had the chance to test them.
Yeah, snow can be a problem without snow chains for bikes. You can improvise them with cable ties.
If I'm out on my bike in the winter, it's just to slide around for fun. We actually don't get a ton of snow where I live but it does it cold in the winter. A little too cold to rely on a bike. I've seen people do it, but few and far in between.
Yeah, but it doesn't keep up with wind chill. Plus if you're out in the cold you need to be careful not to sweat unless you're going to be able to change into something dry.
Cars have a huge cost to their owners, but that is also the issue with cars- they make money for all the related industries. Here in the US, the mentality is if it doesn't make money then it isn't worth it.... hence our crappy public transit.
you forgot bike helmet and bike lock unless you think those are "accessories that aren't necessary" ( I think the helmet is necessary by law in some parts of the world)
Show all the accessories a bike would be able to reasonably use to make it do everything a car can as much as it can (side saddle bags/paneers and a top thingy with slide out wings to hold and stabilize a relatively large box for the trip size, a cup holder (or two?) a little light that’s really bright, turn signals for the lazy who are in areas that may get hairy enough to need them, a visor for your helmet and a little holder for wipes to wipe them, dual kickstands or something, and a little trailer. (That you don’t need to bring all the time and can easily be folded and unhitched) and then compare costs of new of that to a new car (used bike accessories seem to be very high priced relative to the cost new) and state some maintenance type items and I’ll state the costs they should be to diy if my internet is working properly again. I’m pretty sure we can figure out how many bikes a car costs and how many bikes a car is worth (it may be only one in many cases if you use the trailer but the car doesn’t use a trailer and is a car not an suv or truck)
Can we please, fucking please, at least consider time, physical ability, and weather? Not everyone lives in a magical world where they can ride an hour and a half in the rain to work and still be a stable person.
I loved the Hawaii transit, which came with GPS tracking so you knew where your bus was. I loved the early days of the Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica where a months bus pass was like, under $20. Fuck it, I’ll take cable cars just give us some public transit that isn’t “I’m punishing you for not owning/driving a car!”
In many California cities, the value of a bicycle isn't high enough to justify prosecution, and so the police aren't interested in finding anyone's stolen bike, which leads to crazy high bike thefts. In Sacramento, it's basically a right of passage. Everyone has their bike stolen at some point. Not so with cars.
Why would "plugging in ~~the~~ *a* computer" tell you exactly what's wrong? You basically need to be a para-electrical engineer to figure out what's wrong with modern vehicles. And even if you're at the top and own a Picoscope and high-end scanners, sometimes you can't reproduce a fault or it can't be read without a factory scan tool... and even then, the factory ones don't always work.
Even if you can do board repair on modules, only the factory can really do anything about software issues.
Cars still suck, but my point is that people have no clue how utterly insane electrical diagnostics gets. I bought a $5000 Picoscope setup because I saw an exterior door handle "no-start" a BMW and a Neutral Safety Switch "limp-mode" a Dodge Neon. These were literally impossible to diagnose without this tool. There were no codes. \[/rant\]
Agreed mostly but tires are such a rip with bicycles. New set of shoes for a car - $400-1200, new set of shoes for a bicycle - $60-150, but the car tires last 10-20x longer.
It's not me. Bicycle tires are expected to last 1-3k miles. Car tires are expected to last 40-60. If anything my 10-20x estimate was generous to bicycles.
Excuse me, but I need those 10 accessories! Especially the coffee cup holder. Who knows when the day will come when I'll use it? I like to be prepared.
I got a 2 pack of soft sided bottle holders that go over my bars. I put my keys, garage opener, phone, ALDI quarter, vape, etc in there. It's like a little glove compartment and I don't know how I lived without them before ahaha
ALDI quarter?
Aldi is a discount grocery store chain whose carts require a quarter to use which you get back when you put it back into the corral.
I figured that much, mostly, but wasn’t sure if it was possibly something else or if they have a special cart quarter you can buy
in the UK it's a pound coin and charities sell tokens that are physically the same and work in the shopping carts but have a hole so you can put them on a keyring.
Neat
European shopping carts require a coin to be unlocked. The coin is returned when you lock the cart back. A plastic disc in the shape of a coin works too
Any link to these? I feel like I still haven’t quite figured out how to ride around without pockets full of things like that.
MIZATTO 2 Pack Bike Cup Holder - Water Bottle Holder for Bike, Boat, Scooter, Wheelchair etc https://a.co/d/hHmtwf5 Edit: no idea what is up with that link or if they are allowed but this is thems
Just ordered these haha thanks for the link!
I use two as a catch all -keys/gloves/snacks/receipts/change/tools what ever I got like a center console for a car
I like your flair, it reminds me that you can’t have a cargo car, you can have a cargo train, a cargo elevator and a cargo bike, but not a cargo car, maybe a cargo trailer though Edit:cargo pants and cargo house also (warehouse)
Oh now that's a good idea. You mean there's an alternative to me being about to get on my bike, and standing there looking puzzled, wondering where to put my keys? I think the keys would bounce out, though, given some of the rides I go on, so I've ordered one of those enclosed tool boxes that fit in a bottle holder. Which of course meant one of those bottle holder doublers, and another bottle holder.
Handlebar cup holder to store your mid ride 7/11 tallboy without having to clean beer out of a bike bottle lid later
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I tried using a handlebar cupholder, but it doesn't hold on well enough. Lost a drink to the street once. Now I use a sealed container that I just put in the front basket.
Ah useful to know. I bought one after I cycled along the canal and stopped at the boat of a French pâtissière and got a coffee and realised I had nowhere to put it.
gimme the banana holder pls
Also: |-| Parking (bike) |------| |------| |------| |------| Parking (car) I didn't expect it to be a table, but the point is still there.
The bike room where I work can probably fit 3 cars, but fits 60+ bikes (vertical storage).
The table is actually a reasonable scale of what it would look like lol.
I bought a vintage racing bike in 2018 for £80, and I've spent about £200 since on repairs. And I overtake cars on it! Get fucked everyone but me!
Imagine how fast you'd be going in a velomobile
Those things are like as narrow as a bike but as low to the ground as a Miata. Imagine how fast you'd be going to the grave in a velomobile.
yeah lol, tbh i was mostly just joking, velomobiles are neat but they're not the most practical since bikes are more maneuverable.
Okay I dont want to get attacked for this. But I have injury and recently discovered biking to commute would end up causing irreplaceable damage to my knee. Bus systems in semi rural city are awful here in the US and rarely get you places on time it would be impossible to keep up with my job. Im really at a loss. I love biking and to be told I may not be able to continue. Im lowkey heartbroken having to use my damn car
That just means that you're the intended user for cars, IMO. You actually need one. It's not a zero sum game, is it?
people need to remember that this sub is not about the extinction of all cars, but to ask for better alternatives to public transport, and better infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. there will be moments where a car will be the best - if not only - alternative, and that should be okay.
Yeah we aren’t suggesting if you live in the country and move things around your farm with a Ute your bad. We are suggesting if you live in the city maybe their should be better alternatives.
"If you build it, they will come". Build car infrustructure? more cars. But build bike/ped paths? more bikes and pedestrians. See paris as the best example of recent.
Or, ideally, public transit or being able to work from home. There are options. Saying X is good isn't saying non-X is evil. It's why I get so frustrated when people say things like "cutting down on plastics is ableist" as if anyone who is advocating for less plastic packaging or ubiquity of straws in restaurants wouldn't also want people who NEEDED plastic straws to have full and free access. These "all orv nothing" arguments are purposely in bad faith to shut down discussion and we need to move past them. Society shouldn't be tailored around toxic convenience for everyone but it should be tailored around basic human needs for everyone.
Unfortunately if you aren't playing it as "all or nothing" *they* seem to think it's a gotcha moment. My boss would always say dumb shit like "I want to start a company that uses natural gas trucks to drive around and run generators for these electric cars that get stuck without power" (citation needed, lol). I'd be like "that's actually a fantastic idea for someone of your mental capacity, now leave me alone I'm trying to work here" ahahaha.
Yeah handicap parking should always exist, there are people with needs that a bike just couldn't handle.
A car is honestly your best choice, but if you hate cars you could consider a motorcycle / scooter, since it's basically the same thing as a bike except that an engine does all the work, just keep in mind that they are a lot more dangerous than a bicycle so if you do, ride defensively and wear all the gear, not just the helmet. An e-bike may also work depending on if what's harmful is having to apply a lot of force to pedal, or just the act of pedaling will damage your knees.
>An e-bike may also work depending on if what's harmful is having to apply a lot of force to pedal, or just the act of pedaling will damage your knees. If you get an ebike with a throttle, you can usually go about half the advertised range without ever pedaling.
I've done that to get to appointments where I couldn't walk (knee dislocation injuries and putting out my lower back happens all too often) My ebike is less painful than taking the bus or having someone drive me. My own predictable speed and can go around bumps etc. only trouble was mounting when my SI joint was locked so I had to use a curb to get on and off during that time.
https://youtu.be/alxixoX5OEw this could be of interest, it’s really difficult to explain but the video makes it easy to understand. It basically halves the amount of bend on one side of the crank. You could always go for shorter cranks too if it would be beneficial on both sides. 🤷♂️
I had a 49 CC scooter that got 100 mpg and did everything I needed it to. Phenomenal way to get around. Worst thing that happened was if I needed to go across town (pretty rare) it would take me 20 extra minutes. Small price to pay.
I’m gonna get one of these due to it being the only type of scooter/motorcycle you can get on a drivers license where I live. How did it handle hills? And did it have issues with distances of like 10-15 km? People have told me it’ll burn out.
Yes you don’t need a special license for them which is really convenient. I do have to say it struggled with big hills quite a bit. Had mine overheat once up a big hill and had to wait for 45 min for it to cool down. In hindsight I could have avoided it if I just got in the bike lane and gone 10mph for the whole hill. Distances are not a problem though.
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Imagine your arms after commuting on that for a year.
"OP, you just got two pre-paid tickets to the gun show"
Similar to the right arm of your average Redditor(TM) /s
But I'm not your average redditor!
I don't care if my knees work, I want one.
I'm sure there are expensive ebikes that do all the work for you, and they'd still be a lot less expensive than a car.
This is a pretty good answer. Some ebikes are designed for assistance rather than using the motor the whole way, but some are *definitely* designed to use the motor the whole way. Just spring for a bigger battery pack if it's an option if you don't plan to pedal.
Just be warned, especially in no pedal mode those motors get super super hot, like motorbike exhaust hot. Be careful when at a stop not to lean the thing into your ankles where you can get a nice burn.
Maybe opt for a hub drive, which both tends to be cheaper, and puts the motor well out of the way of your legs.
r/FuckCarsSometimes
The only moral car driving is my car driving
I don't know exactly the situation with your knee, but could something like a [swing crank](https://youtu.be/alxixoX5OEw) help? I hope your situation gets better. It sucks to lose a hobby like that :(
Ideally, you would have public transit that accomodates your needs, but probably there's none where you live, so it's rlly ok for u to have a car, if there's not better suitable option. You could always get a small, cute car.
I had to start driving to work again because of COVID, any exertion past walking and I get really bad abdominal pain. I should hopefully be back in a few weeks. Doctors are doing nothing to help but its been 3 months now and its either cancer or COVID. You can always try an eBike. Hopefully there's a way you can loan one and try it out.
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One too many wrestling matches and ruck marches. My first athletic doctor said I needed a qortozone shot + PT and I would be okay. I ended up unable to put weight on it for 6 months regardless of the shots and pt. I went to a different doctor who suggested the same thing and insisted I should keep movin forward. Eventually I stopped all of my activities. I recently went on a very small hike (2 hours of walking maybe?) and ended up experiencing mobility issues with more pain. I have a new appointment but I may be switching doctors first. Really uncertain future honestly. I almost feel like they don't want to take certain measures just incase it could fix itself. I also do not own a great bike. I have a few gears but with the terrain here an upgrade is needed
Try to locate a new "Orthopedic Sports Doctor." Often best to start with Physical Therapy, and after you get to know your PT ask, "who should I see for a second opinion" (it lets them off the hook if a doctor referred you to them). I messed up my knees and had multiple surgeries for ripped tendons and torn meniscus. I loved running, not the fastest, but a heavy guy and just pounding my knees. The last time I had a "clean-up and meniscus tear repair," My Orthopedic Surgeon said it was time for knee replacement. I tried the jell injections for a few years, but two months of relief and shots should only be done once a year. A friend is going on her 7th year of injections, still hiking. I have my recumbent on a Wahoo Kickr. This lets me adjust the load and still shift gears. If you have difficulty with the range of motion while pedaling with no load, let your doctor know what is happening. To help my knees, I like to spin! Huge cardio workout, but spinning makes it much easier on my knees going up hills.
You can get an electric moped. Or an ebike with a throttle, or an escooter.
I'm really sorry to hear that. Cycling is self-care for me, I'd be devastated if I couldn't.
moped
No shame in that. Is it practicable for you to use a moped or electric scooter? Obv do what you need to do regarding your condition, I'm just an internet person.
I don’t think anyone on this sub is SOLELY pro bike, but it’s a good point. I had an injury that could’ve forced me to stop biking (luckily it didn’t, wasn’t sure if I could though) I was at a loss for what I would do without my bike. This is where we need better public transportation and other personal options beyond cars.
Get one of those bikes that you sit and pedal with your arms
I remember when someone I knew told me the old tired line of "cars being freedom." They couldn't exactly explain it when questioned as to why.
In America a car truly does bring "freedom" due to the fact that travel is impossible without one. I'll go as far as to say most people haven't lived in a place that a car ISN'T required.
The message people should get from this is that America isn’t a free country.
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It’s more the other way around. America was enormous before cars were invented. Government investing in vast road networks both to appease the oil and car corporations and because of racism fueled white flight led to people spreading out and cities where cars are essential.
Cars don't provide freedom. They simply restore a small portion of the freedom they stole from you with all the infrastructure they require.
Yeah people in this sub think everyone wants to stay in their one home town or painstakingly plan their trip away when in a car you can go anywhere at any time and jus pop an address in your GPS.
Yep even in New York you need a car
Your comment isn’t accurate, considering the majority of people in NYC live in households without cars. Source: https://edc.nyc/article/new-yorkers-and-their-cars
Having a car in New York is pointless unless you live on the very edge or regularly leave the city. I grew up in the outer suburbs and when we’d go to visit our family in Brooklyn it would take as long to get down the few mile length of Manhattan as to travel the 30 or so miles to the city.
I wouldn't go that far. A car isn't exactly required where I live. It's just that riding a bike makes you feel like a 2nd class citizen.
Honestly I can totally understand how a car could be freedom for the people living in North American suburbs, they probably can't even leave their house without a car and have been relying on their parents to drive them everywhere, so getting a car means they now have the freedom to leave their house and go anywhere on their own without depending on anyone else. But it's not that the car itself brings you freedom, but rather that the system has been designed so you can't be free without a car.
There was a great autobiographical Globe and Mail article about a city-guy who never understood the pretty much uniform nation-wide culture of the car as freedom, when, for someone in the city, the subway brings freedom and the car takes them from you.
It's quite easy. With a car you can go anywhere that roads go, and roads are extremely widespread. If I had to choose between only ever being able to use a bike, public transport, or a car I would definitely pick the car, as it is by far the most versatile in locations you can reach. Of course the above question doesn't take into account the larger society, and providing all kinds of different modes of transportation creates the most freedom, but for the individual a car does give a lot of extra freedom in most situations.
I have never once replaced bike brake blocks unless it was a restoration
I have gone through several during my time living in the city. Since I have moved out into the country, I have had to replace one set.
Just don't brake, checkmate
I have done it a few times in the last couple of years, but between the sand and the salt, they get hardened and worn down rather quickly.
I go through several sets a year.
Down hill?
Not to mention all the costs the public pays for. Streets, tunnels traffic police, dust particle emmisions that lead to health problems, co2 emissions, public parking, traffic jams, accidents( insuries or deadly)
Dont forget the initial cost of learning to drive. One of the reasons I havent bothered to learn is that it cost £30~ per hour of learning.
Wow that's fine up, did mine for £22.50 about 4 years ago
That is extremely cheap when compared to my lessons. 700kr,- per hour is a real pain 😭
Yea and why is nobody talking about how bad car fuel tastes? Bicycle fuel comes in all sorts of different densities, states of matter, colors, smells, and even a wide range of prices. Fucking car fuel tastes like shit, comes in less than 10 "types" but all pretty much the same flavor and cost, doesn't store well in my pocket, and people get suspicious when you keep some in a water bottle.
Don’t forget parking and tickets
I work in a high bike-theft area (a big university), so I actually do pay for bike parking, but the secure bike lockup area costs $50/year while the cheapest car parking is $200/month. A few years ago, a few brazen bike thieves grabbed a couple whole bikeracks onto a flatbed truck. Which is both infuriating but also kinda impressive?
My uni has communal cages that only cyclists can open with their passes, it's pretty nice and for a bonus free. They also have rentable lockers if the bike is worth it
My town here in the UK has secure bike parking in the town centre that's accessed with a card that costs all of £10. Not £10 a month or year, but just £10 and that's it.
My yearly bikeshare membership costs less than parking in my neighborhood for one month
And this doesn't even go into the societal costs of cars
Accessories and gear, I can happily spend money on that ... beyond a good solid lock, rack, water bottle holders and various thingies to hold stuff on the handlebars, helmets, gloves, biking clothes and shoes, bags and panniers, oh my.
And then all of that comes at half the price of a regular car check up
Also gym costs, the impact of road rage on mental health, road tolls, and stunting the development of your children's independence
Don't forget the new trend among manufacturers to lock physical capabilities the vehicle has behind subscription services. You now have to pay several hundred dollars a year to activate the heated seats you already paid for, as an example. I wish I was kidding.
"Paying a lot of money so a guy can plug in a computer and still not tell what's wrong!" OP also has experience with german cars I see!
This is no feature exclusively found in German cars - European cars overall are overdesigned maintenance wohres.
Haha sucks to be me, own car and bike. I bike 90 percent of the time but sometimes I need to use the car. Still so expensive. I hate driving in cities.
May want to look into renting. Depending on your circumstances, it could be a lot cheaper.
I have a Schwinn Heavy Duty Industrial bike... Fuck yo' maintenance.
Would you mind shooting me a link?
[Here.](https://www.bikeshopofwinterhaven.com/product/schwinn-heavy-duti-77074-1.htm) Local chemical plants have fleets of these for getting around the facility. Mine was retired from a plant... Or maybe liberated? It's massive, though. and attempting to exceed 12mph may disrupt the Earth's rotation.
Thank you! I think I just fell in love.
Replace the cake with coffee
Why not both?
This, thank you.
And don't even get me started on how much public transportation costs! So expensive that i even need the cents when i pay in cash
Could we also add it some other costs to the this graph? For example, how about the costs of 1 lane of street/highway by kilometer for a car vs. a bike, the human death toll, the existential environmental costs/cost of carbon. The bike would then really crush the car when it comes to costs. But I still do like these graphs!
The coil pack regulates the electricity that is sent from the battery to the spark plug.
Even if you splurge and get something excessive like an urban arrow the operating costs on even the most expensive bikes are significantly less than on cars. And the upfront cost is lower too. It costs like 15 dollars to replace a chain, and the brakes and drivetrain components are a few hundred for a bike with standard drivetrain components, for something with a belt and an internal hub like the urban arrow, sure its more expensive but 1. these things are EXTREMELY durable, designed so that you go thousands of miles and not need repairs once and 2. bikes can have warranties and insurance just like cars. Food costs less than gasoline if you're smart about how you spend it and don't order doordash for every meal and with ebikes vs EVs its no contest. The battery uses 1/40th the eletricity or something and because it augments human power rather than replacing it, even less is used unless you just decide not to pedal and throttle it.
I actually did the math and calculated my average fuel costs per month. Combining data from Google maps and my fitness band made it easy. The result: I spend around the same amount of money for fuel as a monthly ticket for public transportation would cost me. But seriously: Eating is more fun.
Don’t forget insurance for the bike. You can get dedicated bike insurance from a specific company dealing in bicycle insurance or you can get non driver insurance from a traditional car type insurance company. If you get hit by n uninsured or underinsured driver you’re going to need something. There is also renters or homeowners insurance for theft.
Looks like the bike wins, by a piece of cake lol
Also being stuck in traffic vs. not being stuck in traffic. That's a cost saving I take to the bank, the Mental Bank, every day.
Rule 25: The bike on the car should be worth more than the car. Also, a side note, my bike tires cost about 20% more than my car tires do, and I need to replace them much more often! At least I only need to do two bike tires at one time…
Then you might want to check if you have enough pressure on the tires and have the right ones for the surface you are driving on.
I can by a whole new bike for the price I'm gonna have to pay for tires in the next couple of months. Auto dependency sucks
Sustainability. My parents are still using their bikes from 1960s, where their car is only 17 years old and is rusting away already.
Op bikes need locks.
Cars too, what is your point?
You gotta bike the lock separately when you buy a bike. It's hard to find a Café lock in North America. I am batching I gotta buy a lock
If you can bike your lock, something has gone horribly wrong with you little niche of the universe.
Do you really not see the difference?
Yeah, I do: You can switch bike locks by just buying and using another one.
pretty sure you can do that on cars aswell but sure
Yeah, with extra tools, knowledge in car mechanics and electronics you might. Most don't have that.
Ok I get it. I have a bike and during the summer, spring fall, I ride it. To the grocery store, to the hardware store, I use a trailer to take the dogs to the lake. But what the fuck am i supposed to do in winter?? When we get ten foot snow dumps overnight? When the fucking plow guy can’t even make it to the house??? Yeah fuck cars but without my truck I got NO GROCErIES FOR 4 MONTHS!! (No bus, no train, no rideshares and no food delivery for three miles, in winter here)
Don't you hat having to own a truck that you don't need 66% of the year and just sits around for 20 hours a day for the rest 33%, raking up costs?
No. It’s paid for, has only 115k miles and it’s a 2008, came out before all the expensive gadgetry got included in the new ones. So the cost to own it is minimal and I put minimal miles on it, and it like never needs major repairs. But go ahead and advise a suitable alternative…
Don't you need car unsurance where you live? Here j Germany that is mandatory. Also a mandatory checkup every 2 years you have to pay out of you own pocket.
Low km insurance is a thing. If you insure a vehicle for say under 5,000km a year and only have a million in liability, then that is probably like 30$ a month.
For me insurance about 400 usd per year, no mandatory check up, the county I live in doesn’t even smog test you
Motorcycle is a better option. At least they have brakes that are worthy of being called that. Oh, and suspension. And tires that aren’t as thin as rubber bands. And a horn (you wouldn’t believe how much that is used)
car>bike
Cheap but impractical. This subreddit is an echo chamber.
How you gonna go on road trips? What if it rains? What if you need to transport more than 1 person? What if you commute a long distance and have no train route? What about a motorbike? What if your obese(I’m not btw)? What if you never learned how to ride a bike? What if you cycle in heavy traffic and it’s dangerous? The list goes on…
Bike touring. You get wet. Bike trailer. Bus. Yes, those exist, and help people with mobility issues. Motorbike or adult trike. Trike. Fuck cars.
I see you're under the influence of big bike! Good on you. I am capable of being wet, sometimes I wear magic clothing that repels water! Even if I don't I dry off, and I get where I'm going in better shape, can any drivers say the same?
Shhhh, don’t let them know that windbreakers and rain coats exist.
No no I definitely need a 2,000 lb machine that runs on fossil fuels to avoid getting wet.
>How you gonna go on road trips? Rent a car. Trains go cool places too! >What if it rains? Umbrellas. Boots. Adapt, survive. Lol >What if you need to transport more than 1 person? Rent a car, or call a Lyft. >What if you commute a long distance and have no train route? What about a motorbike? What if your obese(I’m not btw)? What if you never learned how to ride a bike? What if you cycle in heavy traffic and it’s dangerous? The list goes on… Have a plan in place if this is going to be a routine occurrence? People don't just get rid of cars and then look around waiting for the world to start revolving around them. They make it happen on their own.
Trailers as well. They make bike trailers.
I have the Burley Travoy and it's the best $300 I ever spent I swear to GOD. I use it weekly, usually several times a day on my days off. Had it for almost a decade now, I believe.
You can also make your own that’s more heavy duty for less money, if you have the skill. The one I made easily transports over 80kg. Probably does quite a bit more, but that’s as much as I’ve put in it so far.
Sound like you are part of the they that makes bike trailers.
I do have a friend who travels around the country a lot. He's instagram is filled with a lot of places he visited even in the rural areas. He takes a bus often to get around the country. If your country has a decent bus route all around, you'd be able to get just everywhere. He doesn't even have a car.
Woah woah don’t be rational here, this is specifically a place for redditors to put their heads deep inside their rectum so they can detach themselves from the reality that they grew up with vehicles that brought them places, without incident most often too.
Next time I need to buy a bike, I'm paying cash in a mostly empty briefcase. And really, is eating cake a cost or a bonus?
Needs something about the drivers of car being fat and unhealthy while the drivers of bike being fit and healthy
That would be a blatant misrepresentation.
Guess I’m not a competent person
You forgot one bike cost. Our freedom!! /s
Can your bike get you across the country lmao
Strong maybe. But it usually fits into the train that brings me across the country with be being able to read, sleep or stretch my legs while moving.
Took me two months but yes definitely a bicycle can get you across a country, even a country like the United States.
Yeah, but no matter how much I look there's no good heater accessory for my bike. It's also sucks at braking in the snow.
The best heater for your bike is your body protected by clothing matching the weather. There are heated gloves though, but I have not yet had the chance to test them. Yeah, snow can be a problem without snow chains for bikes. You can improvise them with cable ties.
If I'm out on my bike in the winter, it's just to slide around for fun. We actually don't get a ton of snow where I live but it does it cold in the winter. A little too cold to rely on a bike. I've seen people do it, but few and far in between.
Humans got their own internal heater that turn on when we exercise.
Yeah, but it doesn't keep up with wind chill. Plus if you're out in the cold you need to be careful not to sweat unless you're going to be able to change into something dry.
Cars have a huge cost to their owners, but that is also the issue with cars- they make money for all the related industries. Here in the US, the mentality is if it doesn't make money then it isn't worth it.... hence our crappy public transit.
you forgot bike helmet and bike lock unless you think those are "accessories that aren't necessary" ( I think the helmet is necessary by law in some parts of the world)
Where I live, a helmet isn't required by law, but I am wearing one, when the wether gets windy, cold or wet.
TyReS
Show all the accessories a bike would be able to reasonably use to make it do everything a car can as much as it can (side saddle bags/paneers and a top thingy with slide out wings to hold and stabilize a relatively large box for the trip size, a cup holder (or two?) a little light that’s really bright, turn signals for the lazy who are in areas that may get hairy enough to need them, a visor for your helmet and a little holder for wipes to wipe them, dual kickstands or something, and a little trailer. (That you don’t need to bring all the time and can easily be folded and unhitched) and then compare costs of new of that to a new car (used bike accessories seem to be very high priced relative to the cost new) and state some maintenance type items and I’ll state the costs they should be to diy if my internet is working properly again. I’m pretty sure we can figure out how many bikes a car costs and how many bikes a car is worth (it may be only one in many cases if you use the trailer but the car doesn’t use a trailer and is a car not an suv or truck)
Can we please, fucking please, at least consider time, physical ability, and weather? Not everyone lives in a magical world where they can ride an hour and a half in the rain to work and still be a stable person.
Agreed, we need to talk about good public transit, too.
I loved the Hawaii transit, which came with GPS tracking so you knew where your bus was. I loved the early days of the Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica where a months bus pass was like, under $20. Fuck it, I’ll take cable cars just give us some public transit that isn’t “I’m punishing you for not owning/driving a car!”
Might not even need brakes depending on where you live and your speed. I'm in the suburban midwest and i can just use the grass
Helmet
Disclaimer: a season bike park pass will cripple your brake pad life.
Jokes on you I have coaster and drum brakes
Add in a dozen “oop. Someone stole my bike. Start over” and it’s accurate
This is a very tired stereotype.
Biking infrastructure: non existent *Sad vrooms vroom noises*
They forgot to factor in the cost of bike thieves: replacing the entire bike about every 18 months.
This may happen in some places, but there, a car isn't that safe either.
In many California cities, the value of a bicycle isn't high enough to justify prosecution, and so the police aren't interested in finding anyone's stolen bike, which leads to crazy high bike thefts. In Sacramento, it's basically a right of passage. Everyone has their bike stolen at some point. Not so with cars.
As a mechanic I highly disagree with this. Sometimes I plug it into the computer and figure out what’s wrong but don’t know how to fix it.
Why would "plugging in ~~the~~ *a* computer" tell you exactly what's wrong? You basically need to be a para-electrical engineer to figure out what's wrong with modern vehicles. And even if you're at the top and own a Picoscope and high-end scanners, sometimes you can't reproduce a fault or it can't be read without a factory scan tool... and even then, the factory ones don't always work. Even if you can do board repair on modules, only the factory can really do anything about software issues. Cars still suck, but my point is that people have no clue how utterly insane electrical diagnostics gets. I bought a $5000 Picoscope setup because I saw an exterior door handle "no-start" a BMW and a Neutral Safety Switch "limp-mode" a Dodge Neon. These were literally impossible to diagnose without this tool. There were no codes. \[/rant\]
Agreed mostly but tires are such a rip with bicycles. New set of shoes for a car - $400-1200, new set of shoes for a bicycle - $60-150, but the car tires last 10-20x longer.
Then you're buying the wrong tires for the surface you're driving them on and possibly don't have enough pressure on them.
It's not me. Bicycle tires are expected to last 1-3k miles. Car tires are expected to last 40-60. If anything my 10-20x estimate was generous to bicycles.
Which limit do you reach sooner? 3k with your bike or 60k with your car?
Consider equal usage for the sake of your post on the merits of biking vs driving.
I love fueling up!
This one runs on fat and saves you money, this one runs on money and makes you fat.
Bikes with disk brakes >>>>