I'm so happy to see all the family cargo bikes in my neighborhood!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My issue with these is that they need to get OFF the sidewalks. I’ve almost been mowed down by electric cargo bikes before, and no you aren’t more virtuous because you’re on an electric cargo bike costing $$$. You need to yield to pedestrians on the sidewalk if the road is too dangerous for you to bike on.

See the Conn Ave thread and the "bike lobby" thread and you will see the problem. Cyclists are happy to not ride on the sidewalk, but that leave the road, which is more dangerous because of cars. Hence the need for protected bike lanes, but the entitlted drivers don't want to give up their parking or travel lanes...so??????

PP here. I support protected bike lanes on Conn Ave, so you’re not talking to me!

(PP again) Also— if you are on an electric bike (or any bike) riding on the sidewalk, you must yield to pedestrians. You don’t get to mow them down or come within inches. If the sidewalk is crowded, you need to dismount and walk your bike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admire the people who do this, but personally I can't get past the safety risk (from vehicle traffic) or the inclement weather logistics. Does everyone who bike commutes in May-Sept have access to showers at work? Because I would be a disgusting mess by the time I got to work, and I don't have a place/time to shower there.

I used to take bike share to work daily from my home in Brookland to downtown. You'd be surprised at how much cooler you are whizzing down the street on a bike than walking, even in high humidity. I did have to adjust my clothes to accommodate the bike (some clothes make you hot and sweaty despite the air flow and I'd avoid those, plus you want pants that won't flop around near the pedals and gears and also something that will be comfortable to sit on a bike in) but it was well worth how easy it was to commute this way.

The main weather issue with a bike is actually cold and especially rain. No one wants to sit on a wet bike. If it was just a drizzle, I'd wear a good rain jacket and make sure to bring a towel to wipe down the seat. But in a downpour, I'd take metro. I also had to get the right gear for biking in really cold temps -- this meant gloves with good grips, a jacket or scarf that I could pull up around the lower part of my face, and sometimes wearing long underwear under my clothes. But DC has relatively few bitterly cold days and it almost never snows, and you can always take public transportation instead if the weather is bad enough, so this wasn't a big deterrent.

Biking in DC is so fast and convenient. I'm no longer in good enough shape to do it and no longer have a daily commute which is an obstacle to getting back into shape for it. But I did it for about three years and it was great.

Don't forget the bike racks in front of buses are there for you if there is a downpour!
I commuted by bike for decades. Snow was the only real deterrent. Avoid the construction metal plates when it rains, hop onto the bus if it's just too much. You can even learn to be on the look out for and see ice to avoid it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So this is what DDOTs $3 million to WABA is being used for? Fake pro-bike propaganda on obscure local forums?

WABA runs some great city cycling classes for people to get used to it. I have no idea if that's what the city is paying for, but it would be a smart use of $$.

[Anonymous]

I'll add, I don't get WABA money, but I think I'm supposed to get paid by George Soros if that's where you were going next. Odd that I haven't gotten a check yet, but I'm sure it's coming soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this is what DDOTs $3 million to WABA is being used for? Fake pro-bike propaganda on obscure local forums?

WABA runs some great city cycling classes for people to get used to it. I have no idea if that's what the city is paying for, but it would be a smart use of $$.

As well as extensive programs in DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll add, I don't get WABA money, but I think I'm supposed to get paid by George Soros if that's where you were going next. Odd that I haven't gotten a check yet, but I'm sure it's coming soon.

LOL.
I'm trying to remember whether I ever *gave* WABA money in the form of membership dues 15 years ago. Is that what PP meant, maybe?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Come back when the weather’s bad. Around here, that’s frequent.

It’s the first couple weeks of school. Two people with too much disposable income decided to try the new lifestyle fad they read about in the New York Times. It will last until the day of the first big fall morning rainstorm, if they make it that long. After that, the cargo bike will sit next to the camping backpack carrier and the jogging stroller, perhaps to be carted out just once next summer with the idea of riding down to the mall for the fireworks but then realizing that the kids have now outgrown it and are too heavy on the uphill ride back home. After that it will go on Craigslist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come back when the weather’s bad. Around here, that’s frequent.

It’s the first couple weeks of school. Two people with too much disposable income decided to try the new lifestyle fad they read about in the New York Times. It will last until the day of the first big fall morning rainstorm, if they make it that long. After that, the cargo bike will sit next to the camping backpack carrier and the jogging stroller, perhaps to be carted out just once next summer with the idea of riding down to the mall for the fireworks but then realizing that the kids have now outgrown it and are too heavy on the uphill ride back home. After that it will go on Craigslist.

Do you also hate Christmas? And singing, do you hate songs? What other dire predictions do you have that fail to take into account that today's cargo bikes are electric, freedom from cars is addictive, and e-cargo-biking preschoolers for 5 blocks on a continuous path of protected bike lanes is actually super duper easy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started riding my son to his DCPS everyday to/from school when I’m telecommuting.

It’s only a 6 minute ride, but it’s easily the favorite part of his day.

Love these people who wouldn't dream of driving a child anywhere without strapping them into a car seat, but they'll put a child on a bike in a crowded city and are like, "it's fine -- i'll just be careful."

The kids wear helmets and the bikes go a lot slower than cars do. Also, I would only commute with my kid on my bike in residential neighborhoods with low speed limits and good bike infrastructure. it's actually much, much safer than driving.

This just seems delusional. You are putting your child in a life threatening situation. If you get hit by a car, he or she is dead.

I mean, I walk my kid to school about six blocks. She doesn't wear a helmet or anything. I rely on the exact same safety measures as I would while riding a bike -- awareness of vehicles, caution at intersections, etc. And on our walk there is always the risk that my kid could dart out into the street at the wrong time (she knows not to do this but with kids you never know). Do you think it's "delusional" to walk with my daughter to school every day? Is the only "safe" way to transport a child inside a vehicle?

No, you don't. You and your child (presumably) walk on a sidewalk aside from when you are crossing the street. A family in a cargo bike cannot ride down the sidewalk for the whole route, or really any of it, generally. Unless there is a protected bike lane, they are in the road with cars.

A lot of people only do a bike commute with a child if they can take streets with either protected bike lanes or something like a contraflow lane which are much safer because of better visibility for all involved. I feel very comfortable biking down the one-way street near my house with my kid on my bike. It has low traffic volume and a very low speed limit, and I can see oncoming cars, including turning cars, from at least a block away. I would not ride down a busy two way street with my kid unless there was a protected bike lane.

See, it's almost like people who take their kids on bikes are very thoughtful about safety issues and not just throwing caution to the wind. You seem to think that a kid on a bike is inherently unsafe which is a bizarre take. There are probably more people driving around with improperly installed carseats right now than there are people riding around with kids on their bikes total, but I don't see you going into the car threads and yelling at people that it's unsafe to drive your kids around because of the potential for carseat malfunction.

+1

OP here. The number of families that have decided that the new bike infrastructure near them is finally enough for them to bike commute with their kids is a beautiful thing.

I bet it drips when the weather gets cold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come back when the weather’s bad. Around here, that’s frequent.

It’s the first couple weeks of school. Two people with too much disposable income decided to try the new lifestyle fad they read about in the New York Times. It will last until the day of the first big fall morning rainstorm, if they make it that long. After that, the cargo bike will sit next to the camping backpack carrier and the jogging stroller, perhaps to be carted out just once next summer with the idea of riding down to the mall for the fireworks but then realizing that the kids have now outgrown it and are too heavy on the uphill ride back home. After that it will go on Craigslist.

Do you also hate Christmas? And singing, do you hate songs? What other dire predictions do you have that fail to take into account that today's cargo bikes are electric, freedom from cars is addictive, and e-cargo-biking preschoolers for 5 blocks on a continuous path of protected bike lanes is actually super duper easy?

"super duper" if you have the $$$$

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come back when the weather’s bad. Around here, that’s frequent.

It’s the first couple weeks of school. Two people with too much disposable income decided to try the new lifestyle fad they read about in the New York Times. It will last until the day of the first big fall morning rainstorm, if they make it that long. After that, the cargo bike will sit next to the camping backpack carrier and the jogging stroller, perhaps to be carted out just once next summer with the idea of riding down to the mall for the fireworks but then realizing that the kids have now outgrown it and are too heavy on the uphill ride back home. After that it will go on Craigslist.

Do you also hate Christmas? And singing, do you hate songs? What other dire predictions do you have that fail to take into account that today's cargo bikes are electric, freedom from cars is addictive, and e-cargo-biking preschoolers for 5 blocks on a continuous path of protected bike lanes is actually super duper easy?

Super easy when the are pre-schoolers and the weather is nice. Both are have very limited periods of time. But sure, the world should cater to your faddish hobby and whims. I get it. It’s the same reason why Palisades Rec Center had pickleball courts that are never used. Fortunately that’s a little less consequential allocation of public resources and goods dedicated to a niche hobby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Started riding my son to his DCPS everyday to/from school when I’m telecommuting.

It’s only a 6 minute ride, but it’s easily the favorite part of his day.

Love these people who wouldn't dream of driving a child anywhere without strapping them into a car seat, but they'll put a child on a bike in a crowded city and are like, "it's fine -- i'll just be careful."

The kids wear helmets and the bikes go a lot slower than cars do. Also, I would only commute with my kid on my bike in residential neighborhoods with low speed limits and good bike infrastructure. it's actually much, much safer than driving.

This just seems delusional. You are putting your child in a life threatening situation. If you get hit by a car, he or she is dead.

I mean, I walk my kid to school about six blocks. She doesn't wear a helmet or anything. I rely on the exact same safety measures as I would while riding a bike -- awareness of vehicles, caution at intersections, etc. And on our walk there is always the risk that my kid could dart out into the street at the wrong time (she knows not to do this but with kids you never know). Do you think it's "delusional" to walk with my daughter to school every day? Is the only "safe" way to transport a child inside a vehicle?

No, you don't. You and your child (presumably) walk on a sidewalk aside from when you are crossing the street. A family in a cargo bike cannot ride down the sidewalk for the whole route, or really any of it, generally. Unless there is a protected bike lane, they are in the road with cars.

A lot of people only do a bike commute with a child if they can take streets with either protected bike lanes or something like a contraflow lane which are much safer because of better visibility for all involved. I feel very comfortable biking down the one-way street near my house with my kid on my bike. It has low traffic volume and a very low speed limit, and I can see oncoming cars, including turning cars, from at least a block away. I would not ride down a busy two way street with my kid unless there was a protected bike lane.

See, it's almost like people who take their kids on bikes are very thoughtful about safety issues and not just throwing caution to the wind. You seem to think that a kid on a bike is inherently unsafe which is a bizarre take. There are probably more people driving around with improperly installed carseats right now than there are people riding around with kids on their bikes total, but I don't see you going into the car threads and yelling at people that it's unsafe to drive your kids around because of the potential for carseat malfunction.

+1

OP here. The number of families that have decided that the new bike infrastructure near them is finally enough for them to bike commute with their kids is a beautiful thing.

I bet it drips when the weather gets cold.

And he’s literally talking single digits right now when the weather is nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come back when the weather’s bad. Around here, that’s frequent.

It’s the first couple weeks of school. Two people with too much disposable income decided to try the new lifestyle fad they read about in the New York Times. It will last until the day of the first big fall morning rainstorm, if they make it that long. After that, the cargo bike will sit next to the camping backpack carrier and the jogging stroller, perhaps to be carted out just once next summer with the idea of riding down to the mall for the fireworks but then realizing that the kids have now outgrown it and are too heavy on the uphill ride back home. After that it will go on Craigslist.

Do you also hate Christmas? And singing, do you hate songs? What other dire predictions do you have that fail to take into account that today's cargo bikes are electric, freedom from cars is addictive, and e-cargo-biking preschoolers for 5 blocks on a continuous path of protected bike lanes is actually super duper easy?

Super easy when the are pre-schoolers and the weather is nice. Both are have very limited periods of time. But sure, the world should cater to your faddish hobby and whims. I get it. It’s the same reason why Palisades Rec Center had pickleball courts that are never used. Fortunately that’s a little less consequential allocation of public resources and goods dedicated to a niche hobby.

We talked about this on some other thread. When they're too old for the cargo bikes, families with a good path of protected bike lanes will bike single file together. We're already seeing plenty of this. But I say this, forgetting that you see adults carrying adults on electric cargo bikes. It looks ridiculous, sure, but the electric upgrade is a game changer in that way.

[Anonymous]

Seems dangerous to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m glad families are choosing to do this, but my guess is it coincides a lot with increased working from home. Everyone is my neighborhood seems to start work at 10 and can leisurely bike or walk kids to school. I have to drive to work and commute every day so biking just doesn’t make sense. But good for all of these families!

We are considering a cargo bike and yes, we WFH which is what makes this possible. But we don't "leisurely start work at 10"! Our school is a 12 minute walk or a 5 minute bike ride away and our kid has to be there by 8:30. We are home and working by 8:45am. Having a bike would make this even easier because it cuts the commute home from school in half, giving us a bit more of a buffer on mornings where we have calls scheduled at 9am, which is often.