Besides the cost, which he covers fairly well in the video, I’ve found the biggest block to people fully replacing their cars with a bike/e-bike is their willingness to ride in bad weather. My wife has an e-bike that she bought on the cycle to work scheme and commutes on it when the weather is good, but she absolutely refuses to ride it in wet or very cold conditions. And to be honest I can’t really blame her. Inconsiderate drivers can be infuriating in ideal conditions, but when they’re forcing you into a gutter full of rainwater or sending sprays of dirty water your way as they close pass you I can understand why anyone would think twice about riding in those conditions.
Not to mention, some car drivers completely lose their minds once a few drops hit their windshield.
In my personal experience, workplaces having shower facilities really help with this. Not sure if that’s universal though.
Workplace showers do seem to be more common nowadays (including at my wife’s office), but it’s addressing the symptom rather than the cause, I feel. Better bike infrastructure won’t stop you getting rained on, but it’ll make riding in the rain much more tolerable, turning more of those fair weather cyclists into just plain cyclists.
I’d love a cargo bike but I have no where safe to keep something that big. I live in a flat which does have its own bike shed, but it’s only long enough for a regular bike. There’s no chance I’m leaving an expensive bike chained up outside overnight.
A minivan/car/etc is much less likely to get stolen. I suppose I could buy a van as a portable shed to keep my bikes in…
You may find it difficult to insure if you keep it in the van
Very good point!
