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Comment by dwighttk | Hacker News Reader

I just got an ebike with the intention of riding to and from work. So far I have chosen not to do it for the 5 work days I’ve had the bike:

Weather is an issue: what do bike only people do when it is raining? Cold?

First couple days it was still dark when I was about to head out… I’m hoping that goes away soon.

I’ve misplaced my bike lock keys so I need to get a new one if I want to ride anywhere else.

Even if roads were changed tomorrow to be 100% bike friendly, at least 80% of my car trips are too distant to bike without a major shift in my schedule. And that is with most of my long trips cut off since Covid.

The electric motor does help with arriving super sweaty and some of the safety issues, but there are quite a few problems won’t be solved by removing some parking and nicer bike lanes.

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Raining and cold on a bike are just issues of wardrobe. Typically, a cycling cap, windbreaker, and gloves are perfectly adequate for most dry days above freezing.

The most bike commuting city in the world is Copenhagen, Denmark. They manage the winters just fine. That said, getting from here-to-there is challenging for most novice bike commuters, and having experience friends in the transit alternatives community is the only way for this knowledge to be passed from one person to another.

In effect, the fact that the dressing for weather has been nullified by cars for three generations has effectively hamstrung us all because of the loss of cultural knowledge.

Not all your trips can be replaced with a bike, but if some do that's still a win. IMO there is a ton of low hanging fruit. For example, in rush hour traffic when I drive to work its 35-45 mins, because you are crawling at 16mph. On a bike it actually takes the same amount of time or less sometimes, because I can split lanes and come up to the front of lights vs having to wait through multiple cycles sometimes. Sure you are working but IMO the cardio is probably better for me than sitting for 45 mins straight. Ebikes are great too if you have some hills but imo even with just a road bike you can go for pretty far on flats without getting sweaty without having to be in great shape thanks to the gearing and how light the bike is. A ride able old schwinn road bike might only be $50 on craigslist too, so pretty disposeable if they get stolen often. You can throw your bike on renters insurance too if you werent aware for your ebike, maybe homeowners too.

My commute is only about 10 minutes and I’m driving 35 for most of it except for about a minute at 60 on a highway. So I’m going to be going slower on my bike and slightly farther.

I have found that riding my old bike always gets me sweaty outside of narrow temperature and humidity bands in the spring and fall, but perhaps I’m not using the gears correctly. It is a hybrid not a road bike though.

I’ll be parking it inside at work so I’m not worried about it being stolen there. If I try to replace some grocery runs I will want to lock it up outside there and will definitely want the electric assist.

You wear gloves and use less of the motor when it's cold. You bring a change of clothes when it's raining and learn to enjoy the rain

Gotcha… don’t ride anywhere I can’t change clothes when it is raining. And I need a rain proof backpack. And I need to add even more time to my transit when it is cold.

People in Denmark don't generally carry a change of clothes if it's raining. And I thought most backpacks were waterproof anyway.

We use rain jackets, ponchos and/or waterproof overtrousers, depending how heavy the rain is. It's generally fairly light here, so my overtrousers don't get much use.

Temperature is not a problem, just add or remove clothing according to the temperature. (Is this not obvious? I sound like my mum when I was 8 years old "it's cold outside, wear a coat!").

I’m just going to have to figure out the wardrobe change. Since I usually drive to work I’m used to wearing work temperature clothing covered by a jacket or a coat depending on temp to get to the car and in to work and if I misjudge the amount of cold it is a problem for those two minutes, maybe 5 more while the car heats up.

Now I need to figure out how to handle a much longer time in the temperature and rain, plus windchill (the other day when I tried out my ebike it took 3 minutes for my eyes to stop watering, I’m hoping that is just an acclimatization thing).

I did realize I can probably get some plastic bags to keep a change of clothes in inside my backpack.

I’m sure I just have a bad attitude but I’m working on it over here.

And with a car you might need to scrape off the snow from the windshields, and make sure your tires are in good shape so you don't hydroplane in rain. Everyone deals with weather in some way. Donning rain pants, some rubber covers over your shoes, and a rain jacket isn't so bad. All that rain gear is still going to be cheaper than even one new tire for a car.

I may not have bought an expensive bike in a rainy location, but cold in itself is not the issue.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBU

22% of all trips is considered to be a lot of trips? What is the break down of the other 78%?

I can probably get close to 22% as long as Covid keeps my long distance trips suppressed. I thought when people were saying “I bike everywhere” they meant like 80% bike 20% walk or something.

No one is going to be able to stop you from making excuses. Your problem is 10% logistics, 10% gear and 80% attitude.

Telling people interested in replacing car trips that is not going to win them over.

Based on your posts so far I don't think you're genuinely interested, I think you're trolling. But even if we assume you are, you need to hear it - you have an attitude problem.

(One thing with the bike lock is I can get a pretty nice one for the price of a tank of gas)

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