Hacker News Reader

Comment by jff | Hacker News Reader

I love my bicycle, but they are:

Slow, one person at a time, low hauling capacity, no protection from the elements, and easily stolen.

Like it or not, cars have their place. People who are so proud of not needing a car? They do a lot of mooching off car-having friends.

View on HN

Allow me to introduce you to Portland's Emily Finch.

http://bikeportland.org/2012/06/28/with-six-kids-and-no-car-...

Also of possible interest is the lead story in this month's issue of Portland Afoot, which is about making a $200 grocery store trip by bike.

http://portlandafoot.org/2012/12/mood-to-move-how-to-make-an...

These are extreme examples, perhaps, but the point is that there are plenty of bikes out there with hauling capacity for both people and stuff (Extracycles, bakfiets, etc), there's also plenty of equipment that can be added to a regular bike to increase hauling capacity (racks, baskets, oyster bucket panniers, trailers, etc), and a little creativity can go a long way, as my second link shows.

Also, in this day and age of bike racks on public transportation and multiple carsharing providers in many major US cities, there is little excuse for mooching rides off of car-owning friends, and I question the validity of your claim that the carfree are ride moochers. I lived car-free in Oakland/Emeryville for almost a year after my car was stolen twice and then totaled for mold, and I was a happy user of both. It never occured to me to mooch rides off of friends, because it wasn't necessary.

Somehow, I don't think this represents the future of transportation.

Bicycles that have significant carrying capacity cost more than cars.

Emily Finch is all cool and shit, but that's about $3500 of bicycle that she's pedaling.

Someday that'll probably change.

It's arguably a better ride for her and her kids than $3500 for car + insurance + maintenance + gas could buy her.

> Slow

For various values of slow, in cities they aren't necessarily slower than cars especially door-to-door when the need for parking is included.

> one person at a time, low hauling capacity

Cargo bikes neatly solve both issues. They are both traditional and widely used in the Netherlands and Denmark.

> People who are so proud of not needing a car? They do a lot of mooching off car-having friends.

Yeah, who's ever heard of mass transport, deliveries and car rental?

Well yes, cars are do have their advantages. No mode of transportation is perfect. Mooching off == carpooling == good :) If roads and cities were planned so that bicycling is easier then it will create incentives for more people to use pedal power. Easily accessible mass transit can solve the hauling capacity problem and long-distances problem. Honestly, if I could bicycle on roads (without having to worry about being run over by an SUV) and take the bike on a train/subway, I would do that 99% of the time. And, if I only need a car for the 1%, then I might as well rent one when I need it.

> Slow, one person at a time, low hauling capacity, no protection from the elements, and easily stolen.

http://www.milan-velomobil.de/index_en.htm

> Like it or not, cars have their place. People who are so proud of not needing a car?

well, considering that 70% of car rides are less than 10km, I don't need much mooching off...

If you believe a bike is one person only, you've obviously never been to china. A family of three on a bike is not an uncommon sight.

Atta love how all the responses to your statement are either weird bike designs or "nobody does this / this is hugely inconvenient, but theoretically you could..." :-)

I have lived car-less in Los Angeles for 15 years. I do NOT "mooch" off car-having friends. If we are all going to a party together or on a trip, I pay for my share of gasoline, and usually buy lunch for the driver if applicable. I never request a ride from anyone when a bike or public transport can do the job.

Your characterization of non-car-having-people is very misinformed.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com