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
  • Bahalex@lemmy.world
    1·
    9 months ago

    Rebuttals to a few of the cons:

    • don’t dress like an ‘annoying dork’- unless that’s your vibe, no need to change anything to ride a bike.
    • you don’t ‘have’ to wear a helmet. Though there are some less bulky, big, or wherever this cons comes from. Probably best to wear one.
    • no need to go fast and work up a sweat, or e-bike as other have mentioned. There may be financial rebates available. Other commuter tips include: bring extra clothes, and wet wipes to clean up once getting to.
    • until a matter transporter comes along, it takes time to go anywhere.
    • you get to find new routes. Find new shops, new neighborhoods, new parks. Feel like a part of you community. Not locked in a metal box or tube.
    • bone conduction headphones, or other non noise canceling headphones
    • there are bikes, racks and bags in any combination that can carry all sorts of groceries.
    • no bad weather, only bad gear. I’d say heat of summer is worse than winter.
      • Bahalex@lemmy.world
        1·
        9 months ago

        I don’t disagree. I’ve worked on an ambulance, I’ve seen what the results of improper protection does to a person. But also how it affects everyone else involved- from the people scraping you off the street to the family that has to take care of you. The unseen injuries of head trauma. At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice- just think about the possible consequences to yourself and those around you.

        Think of it this way- don’t wear a helmet because you ride a bike, wear a helmet because everyone else is in a car… they don’t look for you, they don’t care about you. Only you can care about you. It’s car culture pushing the responsibility of safety onto the cyclists to avoid culpability.

        Two fairly interesting videos arguing each point and may help yall convince others to wear a helmet better than calling them stupid.

        https://youtu.be/rhzH6mEpIps?si=UGH6OVQVYDOH7oLf

        https://youtu.be/1JfbTwrtOWU?si=WF7RlOLg4h_uv58e

        Be safe, anything can happen. Wear a helmet, even for the ‘safe’ rides so it becomes second nature.

        • pumpkinseedoil@sh.itjust.works
          1·
          9 months ago

          At 06:25 they explain that 35% of the people use special wheels with nails, so that’s different of course (they also use such rails for the winter triathlon (running (with spikes), cycling (with spike wheels), cross country skiing)).

          With such wheels it for sure is safer, if someone wants to go cycling in winter that’s definitely the way to go. But if there are 20 cm of fresh snow you’ll still get stuck, you need clean roads like in the video. If the roads are clean (at 09:20 they say that the roads are clean 24h per day, max. 2 cm of snow, absolutely highest they let it go is 4 cm but that’s the exception, they also have an app that shows snow levels on each street in real time) and there’s no elevation and no sharp turns it even works with normal tires, but that’s rarely the case.

    • XeroxCool@lemmy.world
      01·
      9 months ago

      there are bikes, racks and bags in any combination that can carry all sorts of groceries.

      Paper and liquid products are not cooperative with two-wheeled transportation, so there’s still a tangible limit

  • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin@lemm.ee
    0·
    9 months ago

    Legit medical issue for men, doing it too often can negatively impact your performance in bed, IIRC especially if you ride on unpaved terrain a lot.

    • Wahots@pawb.social
      0·
      9 months ago

      There have been studies debunking claims of bike-induced ED, buuuuut, if you are really worried, you can get a ventilated or slotted saddle and occasionally stand up on your bike at traffic stops and such. There are specialized saddles and a variety of bikes with different riding positions.

      I love downhill mountain biking, singletrack, and city riding, and never had issues with getting it up either. When the shitty OEM saddle made my balls fall asleep, I swapped to a better saddle made by SQ Labs and changed the seat angle slightly.

      Also… if ED were an issue, the Netherlands and Japan would be like…sterile, hahah