I really doubt it is. The biggest barrier must be the weather - biking in the cold and rain is just super unpleasant for an average person, especially for errands and commute. I know you can prep, but it's still pain. I gave up due to Seattle rain, and I am not even an average commuter - I'd go on a major hike on a rainy day... but biking in the same weather just sucks so much. And Seattle is mild.
I can see how it can be the 2nd biggest barrier, although for me in Seattle it's the fear of my bike being stolen. Dunno if I'm lucky or what, but the only 2 times I've been in serious cycling accidents it was 100% my fault (both times at 20+ mph passing cars on the left - rear ended another car once, and rode into tram tracks the other). I'm still afraid of cars but not as much as having to uber back in wet cycling clothes if my bike gets stolen :)
Rain is no problem, I commute everyday in the rain (SF Bay Area). I could see it being a bigger issue when I lived in the midwest and had much heavier thunder storms and might not want to be biking but I would usually walk or take the bus. Snow is definitely more of a challenge but much of the danger is due to poor infrastructure, the snowplows pile the snow on the side of the road which removes what was left of the little space bikes have on the road. You can get studded tires for bikes if its icy.
My point is that we default to easy and comfortable when given a choice, and cycling in -42 is neither. We won’t see mass adoption of cycling in these areas, regardless of infrastructure, unless we forced people to do it... and I don’t think pushing the majority of people towards enduring that kind of weather is something we should do, when there are alternatives.
Rain does not make in-city cycling significantly more dangerous, and is definitely fine for inexperienced cyclists. But if people cycle regularly, they aren't inexperienced, anyway.
In areas with frequent rain, people are practiced in carrying waterproof overclothes and such. Sub-zero temperatures, snow and ice can be a much bigger problem, of course, but good maintenance resolves a lot of that, too, as it does for cars.
As noted by drakonka, you continue to argue the infeasibility of something that works well for many cities/countries, citing things that those with experience know aren't a big problem. Sure, you can't just suddenly start cycling when your life/city is built around driving tens of miles, but a city/country can work towards biking in a way that has worked well around the world.
The biggest obstacle for me has been the weather. If it rains, you get soaked and all of the shit from the road flies onto your clothes. And during winter, the roads are so icy and uneven that I'm worried I go tumbling downhill and slide right under a car.
Helps that the bike path situation here is decent, where you're usually on a shared-use path with a curb, although you really need to pay attention when the bike path crosses a road. Some people just don't see you and others don't know that they actually need to yield to cyclists in quite a lot of intersections.
Technically it's no problem at all. There exists good enough clothing for you and good tires for the bike, making it very feasible. I see people commuting by bike all year around here in my town in Norway.
The problem is that bike lanes are often not maintained during winter. Luckily they are in my town, at least to some degree.
Sure if you are super motivated you can bike in any weather. But for 95% of people they will only be willing to bike if it is nice out.
The average person is not going to go out and buy a fat bike or spiked tires for the winter. And they probably shouldn't, biking in winter is dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. And sure I could wear a full rain suite and bike in the rain, but that is far less convenient than just driving and wearing a light jacket. So sure it is possible to bike in all weather, in the same way that it is possible to walk 5k, just no one wants to.
It rains a lot in Seattle, and we still have plenty of cyclists. Rain isn't as big of a factor as extreme heat/cold when considering whether to ride a bike or not.
Bikes are also exposed to the elements and easily stolen. Yes someone will chime in saying they are perfectly fine cycling in freezing winter or muggy summer weather, but that’s not going to do any favors in convincing most people to embrace cycling as their primary means of transportation.
There is no bad weather for biking, just being unprepared. If people can bike commute in Scandinavia all-year round I believe it's possible to do it in most of the developed world.
I live in Seattle, it's cold and rainy all year long (more or less). I still prefer using my bike over a car (though I have no problem with small car that replaces big car.)
Possibly. Americans seem real reluctant to hop on a bike, and I don't think it's just for safety reasons. Big chunks of the US are too cold to want to be outside that much, a lot of the year.
But more dedicated bike infrastructure would be a huge help in general.
Nah, not even close. Minneapolis has a lot of cyclists who go year-round. Even on the coldest days when the snot is freezing in my nose I'll see a couple of people cycle past me as I commute. After snowfall the main bike paths are frequently cleared first, before any roads. We have multiple bike-only highways that make a lot of travel safer for cyclists.
We could use concrete barriers between bike lanes and traffic, that's for sure, but there are enough options that you can usually avoid having to be in traffic.
It's certainly not even close to the crazy quantity of cyclists we normally have, but it is by no means a non-starter or dead out. Fatbikes really make a difference.
I feel like people haven't actually done those things here, they just say it as a matter of faith.
It's miserable trying to bicycle in slush, or in near freezing temperatures. Bicycling any length of time in the rain also is miserable. Strong wind makes things worse, and there's only so much you can do to compensate. Let alone what happens when you get sick from a chill, or you work at a job that has lots of physical labor or standing time, or bike in high heat with no showers available at your job.
I used to do so a lot as a young man, and it really does limit you. Sometimes you just give up the bike and walk, because the weather is that bad.
I biked to work in Seattle every day including freezing 35 degree rain in winter and enjoyed it. Half an hour biking in such a weather made me feel like I achieved something before work day starts. And biking was totally optional - I had a car.
But people are different and I get what you want to say.
Copenhagen is definitely colder than Seattle, with lows below freezing all through the winter.
It's definitely harder to ride a bike in cold winter weather— but the same is true of walking and driving. One mostly needs cleared roads/paths (as drivers and pedestrians do) and warm, windproof gear (as a pedestrian and skier does). The right bike for city cycling year-round isn't a road bike designed for warm weather high-speed recreation, either.
I wear normal clothes and just add a nice wool 'Buff' scarf for face/neck coverage and good gloves for cycling around NYC in winter weather. I also use snow tires for safety, just because the city doesn't do a great job clearing snow from all the bike lanes, and the bike lane network isn't yet extensive enough that I can avoid mixing with car traffic.
So— cycling in cold weather is perfectly possible, and, in any case, most people don't live in places where it regularly gets cold enough for cycling to be truly difficult.
It depends on the climate. If you live in California or west coast outside of rainy seasons, there really isn't much of a problem unless you have a huge hill to climb on the way to work. Actually, that was my problem in Lausanne (3D town, I road up the hill every morning, and would be a bit sweaty, but I had my own office so I didn't care).
Riding worked for a particular phase of my life, now it doesn't, since I have a kid to take care of and the bike theft problem has gotten out of control in my locale.
That's not true in places that have good bike infrastructure. E.g. Belgium, the Netherlands or Denmark get plenty of rain. That doesn't stop bicyclists at all. Cold and snow doesn't stop most people either. You just wear a couple of extra layers and go a bit slower if it's slippery.
Agreed. It's definitely doable in the winter but is objectively less "easy" (have to pull out/put on weather gear) and more dangerous (lower visibility when it's snowing or raining, and fewer cyclists are out in general so cars don't expect you as much).
There's a reason motorcycles are common in the summer in WA State, but very rare in the winter. You'll arrive completely drenched if you're not in a car. Not only is there rain, sometimes sideways rain, but also lots of roadway spray. At times, there are "greyout" conditions where you can't see more than 100 feet down the freeway, for all the water in the air.
Seattle's former Mayor Mike McGinn used a bicycle to commute, and often arrived at city meetings as a sweaty and smelly person. Most businesses don't have a shower for bicyclists.
I can see how it can be the 2nd biggest barrier, although for me in Seattle it's the fear of my bike being stolen. Dunno if I'm lucky or what, but the only 2 times I've been in serious cycling accidents it was 100% my fault (both times at 20+ mph passing cars on the left - rear ended another car once, and rode into tram tracks the other). I'm still afraid of cars but not as much as having to uber back in wet cycling clothes if my bike gets stolen :)
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