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0 pointsaBioGuy4y ago0 comments

I have two little kids. I also own an electric cargo bike. It has replaced over 2,000 car miles in the past year. I can bike to the grocery store, with two kids, and come back with a week's worth of groceries.

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jrussino4y ago

Which bike? I also have two little kids and would do this in a heartbeat if I felt that they could be reasonably safe.

aBioGuyOP4y ago

Tern GSD

xhkkffbf4y ago

So it replaced 2000 miles. If the average person puts 10k-15k on a car, it sounds like you only used it on a few little trips around the neighborhood.

You're making my point for me. I'm not saying bikes don't work. I'm just saying that there are many times that they don't work. And it sounds like you're a bike lover and even then, you couldn't replace 8k-13k a year of car travel.

And I'll note that you're using an electric bike. That's like an electric car, but with only two wheels. So you're really on the wrong side according to this article.

maccard4y ago

> if the average person puts 10k-15k on a car, it sounds like you only used it on a few little trips around the neighborhood.

The average mileage in the UK is 7k miles annually. Americans just drive too much.

cameronh904y ago

If most people managed to reduce their car driving by 2000 miles per year, I fail to see how that is a bad thing.

xhkkffbf4y ago

IT's not. But my point is that you still need cars for the other 5k++ miles. I'm not saying that bike riding isn't nice, merely that it is not possible for many, many people during many, many parts of the year.

Okay, some hipster with two young kids can take a saturday jaunt on a super-long, super-expensive electric bike, but that's not going to work for most people when it's cold, dark and rainy.

aBioGuyOP4y ago

Well the car has about 1000 miles in the same time frame. A second (non electric) bike has about 1500 miles. More importantly I was seriously considering replacing the car (it is quite old) but with the cargo bike the car gets used so infrequently now it doesn't seem worth it. Plus if the car does go down we can replace it at a leisurely pace.

aBioGuyOP4y ago

The e-bike (pre COVID) would do about 2-3 24 mile trips a week. Plus the local trips. The other 1-2 days were a regular bike. That's a lot of rush hour miles removed from the road.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

jrussino4y ago

Which bike? I also have two little kids and would do this in a heartbeat if I felt that they could be reasonably safe.

aBioGuyOP4y ago

Tern GSD

xhkkffbf4y ago

So it replaced 2000 miles. If the average person puts 10k-15k on a car, it sounds like you only used it on a few little trips around the neighborhood.

And I'll note that you're using an electric bike. That's like an electric car, but with only two wheels. So you're really on the wrong side according to this article.

maccard4y ago

> if the average person puts 10k-15k on a car, it sounds like you only used it on a few little trips around the neighborhood.

The average mileage in the UK is 7k miles annually. Americans just drive too much.

cameronh904y ago

If most people managed to reduce their car driving by 2000 miles per year, I fail to see how that is a bad thing.

xhkkffbf4y ago

Okay, some hipster with two young kids can take a saturday jaunt on a super-long, super-expensive electric bike, but that's not going to work for most people when it's cold, dark and rainy.

aBioGuyOP4y ago

The e-bike (pre COVID) would do about 2-3 24 mile trips a week. Plus the local trips. The other 1-2 days were a regular bike. That's a lot of rush hour miles removed from the road.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse