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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine these are regularly stolen unless kept out of sight?

This would be my concern.

It's a concern, so you do keep it locked and out of sight. However, they don't seem to be stolen anywhere near as often as expensive road bikes, or new car tires.

Wait, what - stealing new car tires during the day seems much more tricky than stealing a bike!

Wasn't thinking day versus night, but simply that I read reports of tires theft more than weekly, and haven't read a "have you seen this cargo bike?" social media post in a while.

Maybe it’s because so few people are actually using cargo bikes in the first place?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine these are regularly stolen unless kept out of sight?

This would be my concern.

It's a concern, so you do keep it locked and out of sight. However, they don't seem to be stolen anywhere near as often as expensive road bikes, or new car tires.

Wait, what - stealing new car tires during the day seems much more tricky than stealing a bike!

Wasn't thinking day versus night, but simply that I read reports of tires theft more than weekly, and haven't read a "have you seen this cargo bike?" social media post in a while.

Maybe it’s because so few people are actually using cargo bikes in the first place?

Yes, yes, there are fewer cargo bikes than cars. The 'regularly stolen' comment just doesn't seem to be so true, as far as I can tell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine these are regularly stolen unless kept out of sight?

This would be my concern.

It's a concern, so you do keep it locked and out of sight. However, they don't seem to be stolen anywhere near as often as expensive road bikes, or new car tires.

Wait, what - stealing new car tires during the day seems much more tricky than stealing a bike!

Wasn't thinking day versus night, but simply that I read reports of tires theft more than weekly, and haven't read a "have you seen this cargo bike?" social media post in a while.

Maybe it’s because so few people are actually using cargo bikes in the first place?

Yes, yes, there are fewer cargo bikes than cars. The 'regularly stolen' comment just doesn't seem to be so true, as far as I can tell.

There are 300,000 registered cars in DC and maybe 100 cargo bikes. Even if 1 cargo bike is stolen that would be equivalent to 3,000 cars. Orders of magnitude difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine these are regularly stolen unless kept out of sight?

This would be my concern.

It's a concern, so you do keep it locked and out of sight. However, they don't seem to be stolen anywhere near as often as expensive road bikes, or new car tires.

Wait, what - stealing new car tires during the day seems much more tricky than stealing a bike!

Wasn't thinking day versus night, but simply that I read reports of tires theft more than weekly, and haven't read a "have you seen this cargo bike?" social media post in a while.

Maybe it’s because so few people are actually using cargo bikes in the first place?

Yes, yes, there are fewer cargo bikes than cars. The 'regularly stolen' comment just doesn't seem to be so true, as far as I can tell.

There are 300,000 registered cars in DC and maybe 100 cargo bikes. Even if 1 cargo bike is stolen that would be equivalent to 3,000 cars. Orders of magnitude difference.

I'd love to know the actual number of cargo bikes in DC. It would be great to hear some sales numbers from the local bike shops.

[Anonymous]

Kuddos to the dad on the big cargo thing with a big rain box tent on the back and the two kids in it, downtown this morning!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kuddos to the dad on the big cargo thing with a big rain box tent on the back and the two kids in it, downtown this morning!!

The. One. Dad.

You only notice it because it’s so rare and it’s a big acknowledgment that people generally don’t bike in the rain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kuddos to the dad on the big cargo thing with a big rain box tent on the back and the two kids in it, downtown this morning!!

i am baffled by the complete lack of safety rules regarding kids on bikes. if children are in a car, they have to be in car seats or belted in. but if they're on a bike, then a plastic tent is cool?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kuddos to the dad on the big cargo thing with a big rain box tent on the back and the two kids in it, downtown this morning!!

i am baffled by the complete lack of safety rules regarding kids on bikes. if children are in a car, they have to be in car seats or belted in. but if they're on a bike, then a plastic tent is cool?

A plastic tent is for rain. You can technically have a kid in a convertible with the top down while it's raining. Maybe a jerk move, but legal?

There are safe ways to have a kid on a bike, but it sounds like maybe you aren't familiar with them. If you want to bike with a kid, there are plenty of people who will share with you what works and what doesn't. If you have no interest in doing so, then please just drive carefully and patiently, especially around pedestrians and bicyclists and especially children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kuddos to the dad on the big cargo thing with a big rain box tent on the back and the two kids in it, downtown this morning!!

i am baffled by the complete lack of safety rules regarding kids on bikes. if children are in a car, they have to be in car seats or belted in. but if they're on a bike, then a plastic tent is cool?

A plastic tent is for rain. You can technically have a kid in a convertible with the top down while it's raining. Maybe a jerk move, but legal?

There are safe ways to have a kid on a bike, but it sounds like maybe you aren't familiar with them. If you want to bike with a kid, there are plenty of people who will share with you what works and what doesn't. If you have no interest in doing so, then please just drive carefully and patiently, especially around pedestrians and bicyclists and especially children.

So basically you're saying: "It's fine! I'll just be really careful! It's up to other people to make sure we're not in an accident!"

No one would ever accept this logic with children in cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I agree that electric motors have revolutionized access and use of bicycles.

BUT.

As a European accustomed to seeing all kinds of road-sharing in my home country, I'm just terrified for cyclists here. Car drivers do NOT know how to share the road in this country. And some cyclists are just asking to get hit. I nearly hit a cyclist with no lights, dressed all in dark colors, on Rockville Pike on a winter's night. I live off of Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, and every year there's at least one cyclist fatality near the beltway entrance and exit. Usually a teenager.

Please be careful when cycling and please stay alert for cyclists and pedestrians when driving.

+1

The bicyclists assume everyone sees them zipping out into traffic - and not everyone does.

Please, please, please pay attention when you are biking with small children.

And please tell people driving cars the same thing.

If someone in car makes a mistake, the biker dies. The driver may get a ticket or worse, but they will still be alive. It's not worth the risk to me. I can't understand why others or so cavalier about it. I also don't understand why people just walk into crosswalks without making sure the car sees you and stops, even though the car should of course stop. If it doesn't, you die or get seriously injured. It feels like people are risking their lives based on the way things should be and not the way they are.

[Anonymous]

I personally wouldn’t bike my kid in a cargo bike, but it’s a family choice. Some families are less risk averse. It’s fine. I’m probably giving my kid an anxiety disorder and depriving him of fun activities. You can’t demand that all parents make the same risk assessment as you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I agree that electric motors have revolutionized access and use of bicycles.

BUT.

As a European accustomed to seeing all kinds of road-sharing in my home country, I'm just terrified for cyclists here. Car drivers do NOT know how to share the road in this country. And some cyclists are just asking to get hit. I nearly hit a cyclist with no lights, dressed all in dark colors, on Rockville Pike on a winter's night. I live off of Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, and every year there's at least one cyclist fatality near the beltway entrance and exit. Usually a teenager.

Please be careful when cycling and please stay alert for cyclists and pedestrians when driving.

+1

The bicyclists assume everyone sees them zipping out into traffic - and not everyone does.

Please, please, please pay attention when you are biking with small children.

And please tell people driving cars the same thing.

If someone in car makes a mistake, the biker dies. The driver may get a ticket or worse, but they will still be alive. It's not worth the risk to me. I can't understand why others or so cavalier about it. I also don't understand why people just walk into crosswalks without making sure the car sees you and stops, even though the car should of course stop. If it doesn't, you die or get seriously injured. It feels like people are risking their lives based on the way things should be and not the way they are.

I personally don't understand why some people are so cavalier about driving when it could easily kill or injure pedestrians, but you do you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I agree that electric motors have revolutionized access and use of bicycles.

BUT.

As a European accustomed to seeing all kinds of road-sharing in my home country, I'm just terrified for cyclists here. Car drivers do NOT know how to share the road in this country. And some cyclists are just asking to get hit. I nearly hit a cyclist with no lights, dressed all in dark colors, on Rockville Pike on a winter's night. I live off of Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, and every year there's at least one cyclist fatality near the beltway entrance and exit. Usually a teenager.

Please be careful when cycling and please stay alert for cyclists and pedestrians when driving.

+1

The bicyclists assume everyone sees them zipping out into traffic - and not everyone does.

Please, please, please pay attention when you are biking with small children.

And please tell people driving cars the same thing.

If someone in car makes a mistake, the biker dies. The driver may get a ticket or worse, but they will still be alive. It's not worth the risk to me. I can't understand why others or so cavalier about it. I also don't understand why people just walk into crosswalks without making sure the car sees you and stops, even though the car should of course stop. If it doesn't, you die or get seriously injured. It feels like people are risking their lives based on the way things should be and not the way they are.

On balance, people living a car-free lifestyle are reducing risk of traffic accidents. Where’s your concern for all the parents in the burbs driving their kids around constantly? We are car free and my newborn was literally never in a car.

[Anonymous]

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

Just did this week. Not bad at all. We will see when it gets colder. But the kids have a canopy that stays pretty warm. It isn't like the trip takes hours, it is literally a 5 min bike ride. Better than a 20 min walk or waiting in traffic for 20 min at the drop off line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Just did this week. Not bad at all. We will see when it gets colder. But the kids have a canopy that stays pretty warm. It isn't like the trip takes hours, it is literally a 5 min bike ride. Better than a 20 min walk or waiting in traffic for 20 min at the drop off line.

Do these people think that jackets don't exist?