Both of those countries have very mild winters, and the snow storms that are common on the US east coast are completely absent from that part of Europe.
Oulu, Finland on the other hand has a 12% bicycle mode share in winter with plenty of snowfall. Only around half the people cycling stop doing so in Winter.
Yeah, just starting to bike to work one day is often impossible, just like starting to commute by car would be for someone who lives car-free.
It’s a lifestyle you have to make possible. For me it was always a high priority in life, cause it turns wasted time in traffic into exercise, fun, and, depending on weather, a bit of adventure every day. I’ve never even considered a home or work place that didn’t allow for a bike commute. Which means I didn’t take the highest-paying job I was offered, and didn’t rent the cheapest place per square meter. But I also don’t have a car payment or gas expenses and I arrive awake and relaxed both at work and at home.
I’m planning on doing some winter cycling today since the plows are catching up now!
But I get it, winter cycling requires more gear and more pre-planning that winter driving, you need to invest in better gear that isn’t just whatever hat and gloves are the cheapest at the store, and it makes paved roads more like biking on gravel/sand so you have to put more work in, plus you show up at your destination just as sweaty as summer biking except now you have a bunch of snow gear to wash because it’s all sweaty and gross too and is that melted snow or sweat or snot from my runny nose that I feel on this wet scarf I just covered my face in?!
Edit to add: OH AND THE WIND! Those fall/winter winds are hell on accoustic bicycles. I’ve needed to pedal down a steep hill with a trailer filled with 100lbs of kids and kids school stuff behind me because the wind was so strong that gravity alone wouldn’t propel me down the hill!
Seriously this must be what it’s like to sleep with men, I was promised 10 inches but only got about 6! At least that’s better than when we’re promised 6-8" and only get about 4"
angry sentiment. the people having nothing better to do than shouting “biking! is the best thing in the world. everybody should do it” for one misses that not everybody wants to do it (and being pressured to do sth causes an understandable and hefty backlash) and that more important, it’s ableist because it assumes everybody is physically healthy enough to even bike in any weather.
for example, my throat reliably hurts every time i bike in temperatures of below 5°C. that’s not because i’m really disabled, but because cold, icy wind + sensitive throat = sore throat. that sucks.
and that’s besides the point that my coworkers wouldn’t really appreciate to smell my sweat for 6 hours (we have no shower in office). and i also don’t want to be in sweat-sticky clothes all day long.
If you bike to work, you feed two birds with one scone.
It snowed 10 inches here today. Not really an option everywhere
That’s a great opportunity to go by ski, if the distance is reasonable.
Then you’re getting that upper body & core shovel workout.
Literally my dad these days.
Gotta put those snow tires on.
lol have you tried biking in half a foot of snow, even with a fat bike? that shit is hard as hell and slow as fuck
I bike in the winter to get groceries and stuff, but it’s on mostly plowed surfaces
I was just kidding, I grew up in snowy winters.
An offroad motorcycle though…
There more pleasant ways for a suicide, no?
Biking through unplowed snow sucks, but it’s hardly impossible. The worst part about it is having to deal with traffic at the same time
TIL it doesn’t snow in Netherlands and Denmark /s
Both of those countries have very mild winters, and the snow storms that are common on the US east coast are completely absent from that part of Europe.
Oulu, Finland on the other hand has a 12% bicycle mode share in winter with plenty of snowfall. Only around half the people cycling stop doing so in Winter.
Commendable toughness! I definitely wouldn’t want to do that.
Snows very little in the Netherlands these days.
Yeah, just starting to bike to work one day is often impossible, just like starting to commute by car would be for someone who lives car-free.
It’s a lifestyle you have to make possible. For me it was always a high priority in life, cause it turns wasted time in traffic into exercise, fun, and, depending on weather, a bit of adventure every day. I’ve never even considered a home or work place that didn’t allow for a bike commute. Which means I didn’t take the highest-paying job I was offered, and didn’t rent the cheapest place per square meter. But I also don’t have a car payment or gas expenses and I arrive awake and relaxed both at work and at home.
I’m planning on doing some winter cycling today since the plows are catching up now!
But I get it, winter cycling requires more gear and more pre-planning that winter driving, you need to invest in better gear that isn’t just whatever hat and gloves are the cheapest at the store, and it makes paved roads more like biking on gravel/sand so you have to put more work in, plus you show up at your destination just as sweaty as summer biking except now you have a bunch of snow gear to wash because it’s all sweaty and gross too and is that melted snow or sweat or snot from my runny nose that I feel on this wet scarf I just covered my face in?!
Edit to add: OH AND THE WIND! Those fall/winter winds are hell on accoustic bicycles. I’ve needed to pedal down a steep hill with a trailer filled with 100lbs of kids and kids school stuff behind me because the wind was so strong that gravity alone wouldn’t propel me down the hill!
if you’re in a city, then it’s still possible, your local government just says ‘fuck you’ to non-drivers
but yeah not much you can do if you’re rural in that situation
of course, half of drivers can’t drive in more than 2 in of snow anyways
come on. do it!
its not really 10 inches :-)
Seriously this must be what it’s like to sleep with men, I was promised 10 inches but only got about 6! At least that’s better than when we’re promised 6-8" and only get about 4"
Break out the xc skis!
angry sentiment. the people having nothing better to do than shouting “biking! is the best thing in the world. everybody should do it” for one misses that not everybody wants to do it (and being pressured to do sth causes an understandable and hefty backlash) and that more important, it’s ableist because it assumes everybody is physically healthy enough to even bike in any weather.
for example, my throat reliably hurts every time i bike in temperatures of below 5°C. that’s not because i’m really disabled, but because cold, icy wind + sensitive throat = sore throat. that sucks.
and that’s besides the point that my coworkers wouldn’t really appreciate to smell my sweat for 6 hours (we have no shower in office). and i also don’t want to be in sweat-sticky clothes all day long.
Your reply is ableist because it’s hard for dyslexics to read.
If you can’t ride a bicycle, then find some other synergistic way to save time.