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Comment by Tade0 | Hacker News Reader

I don't enjoy displaying Amsterdam as an example of how cycling would take over if only given the chance, because this city is an outlier as it's essentially flat.

Elevation map of Amsterdam:

https://www.floodmap.net/Elevation/ElevationMap/?gi=2759794

Paris:

https://www.floodmap.net/Elevation/ElevationMap/?gi=2988507

Note the difference in scale.

You need a lot more sustained power for climbing in comparison to just cruising along.

Also the Netherlands have a high population density of 500 people per square kilometer, so they simply can't really rely on cars.

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I live in Amsterdam. Your point is valid that the flat topography makes cycling easy.

But electric bicycles solve the issue of climbing slopes and are extremely cheap. For the price of an entry-level car you can buy 6 good e-bikes or 2–3 top-of-the-line models. Making cities more bike-friendly would be a boon to the working class who could then enjoy mobility cheaply.

I agree that they are a good alternative, but to me they're also a very bad combination of being somewhat expensive and, at the same time, easy to steal.

Personally if I were to invest in an e-bike, it would have to be the folding variant which I could take with me.

My daily commute takes me from sea level (well, 1 meter above) to 66 meters above sea level. It's not uncommon that I have obligations at around 79 meters above sea level. Both of those climbs are single hills that don't let up, and are on major commuting routes in my city - a city in which biking is almost at an Amsterdam-level of bike usage.

Sure, it's tougher than a flat road. But if you're in any kind of shape it shouldn't take too big of a toll out of you. During lockdown I spent months without going on that commute, and without keeping myself in shape by other means, and when starting back up again I didn't miss a beat.

A small hill (which I consider ~60-80 meter differences) shouldn't scare people much.

EDIT: I should also add that I ride on a heavy mountain bike. The intention was to use it as a commuter and to ride trails, but it's almost exclusively been used as a commuter.

E-Bikes solve that problem.

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