The entire country of the Netherlands have proven that infrastructure, not weather, makes cycling the most popular mode of transportation. Hell, most of Nordic big cities are cycling heavens despite their shitty snowy/rainy weather.
It’s not the best and given the choice, I’d rather bike in dry weather but with the right equipment (waterproof jacket, waterproof overpants and waterproof shoes), it’s fine.
It’s been raining nonstop for months here and I’m still happier on my bike than in any alternative like getting stuck in traffic for hours searching for a parking spot or shoving myself in public transportation with hundreds of people including reeking teenagers who confuse a shower with Axe body spray.
The smells on public transit usually aren’t pleasant.
I get frustrated with carrying around waterproof clothes. But, Southern California, especially with the high costs of cars, I don’t understand why people aren’t enthusiastically switching to e bikes.
Sure, but great weather just makes it that much more appealing. It’s not a prerequisite but it’s a huge plus. So, not having great bicycle infrastructure in a place with great weather seems like such a loss.
Oulu, Finland is a massive biking center. The weather is winter most of the year. Their infrastructure for bikes is amazing so people use it, even when it’s cold.
They also have very strick guidelines about how quickly the bike roads are plowed after/during snowfalls. They keep the routes open and useful so people can trust the transit modality all year round.
The US just plows the snow onto the bike lanes and then complains about how bad biking is.
It makes sense for Southern California to use bicycles as transportation. There’s great weather and little rain most of the year.
The entire country of the Netherlands have proven that infrastructure, not weather, makes cycling the most popular mode of transportation. Hell, most of Nordic big cities are cycling heavens despite their shitty snowy/rainy weather.
I live in Copenhagen. I confirm: great cycle infrastructure, even in snow.
Same and same (almost always, I mean 2 weeks ago there was a day or two where the bike lane was too full of slushy crap)
I really dislike bicycling in the rain
It’s not the best and given the choice, I’d rather bike in dry weather but with the right equipment (waterproof jacket, waterproof overpants and waterproof shoes), it’s fine.
It’s been raining nonstop for months here and I’m still happier on my bike than in any alternative like getting stuck in traffic for hours searching for a parking spot or shoving myself in public transportation with hundreds of people including reeking teenagers who confuse a shower with Axe body spray.
The smells on public transit usually aren’t pleasant.
I get frustrated with carrying around waterproof clothes. But, Southern California, especially with the high costs of cars, I don’t understand why people aren’t enthusiastically switching to e bikes.
Sure, but great weather just makes it that much more appealing. It’s not a prerequisite but it’s a huge plus. So, not having great bicycle infrastructure in a place with great weather seems like such a loss.
Infrastructure not weather makes bicycling great.
Similarly having great trails and sidewalks makes walking great, not the weather.
People have been walking in the rain and snow for millennia.
Oulu, Finland is a massive biking center. The weather is winter most of the year. Their infrastructure for bikes is amazing so people use it, even when it’s cold.
https://oulu.com/en/living/mobility/cycling/
Yup, salt can do a lot on the snow.
They also have very strick guidelines about how quickly the bike roads are plowed after/during snowfalls. They keep the routes open and useful so people can trust the transit modality all year round.
The US just plows the snow onto the bike lanes and then complains about how bad biking is.
Does the salt damage the bicycles?