Things that can make or break your city bike life

I'm a big fan of Maddy Novich's Instagram channel Cargo Bike Momma, so I was thrilled when she and her husband Jeff agreed to show me some of the ways they use bikes to get around New York City. But as they were showing me around, I was struck by some of the make-it or break-it moments they encounter every day that either make their lives easier, or throw up barriers they need to overcome.
Follow Maddy: / cargobikemomma
In this video, I was riding a Priority Eight from my new sponsor, and it was zippy, quick and super-fun to ride: alnk.to/cb27bTs
0:00 Introduction
1:36 Make-it Moment: Protected bike lanes
2:59 Overcoming a Break-it Moment: Disconnected network
3:48 Overcoming a Break-it Moment: Unprotected intersections
4:27 Make-it Moment: The costs of cycling
5:29 Make-it Moment: Parks with great bike access
6:15 Overcoming a Break-it Moment: Lack of bike storage
7:37 Overcoming a Break-it Moment: Winter
9:41 Final thoughts on family bike life in a big city
#cycling #bike #commuting
A huge thanks to my sponsors this year. They support this channel, so please support them. They also make amazing products that I use every day and endorse without hesitation.
Priority Bikes: I happily rode the Priority Continuum Onyx through many Canadian winters before they signed on as a sponsor: bit.ly/3tzXTee
Two Wheel Gear: My favourite bike bags and panniers, and the best convertible backpack-pannier that I’ve ever used: twowheelgear.com/?...
Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: rmbooks.com/book/frostbike/
I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’ve tried on this channel that I like. (Of course, you don’t need anything fancy to ride a bike, other than a bike, but these are Amazon affiliate links, and I get paid a small commission if you buy them 😉)
• If you ride a bike in the city, you need a good lock. Litelok is a good option: us.litelok.com/SHIFTER
• If you wear a helmet and like to be well-lit, consider the Lumos: ridelumos.com/shifter
• Hindsight sunglasses have mirrors so you can see behind you while you ride. Plus, they look good: collabs.shop/f9hvof
• Love these RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals: redshiftsports.com/collection...
• Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime): amzn.to/48gsHQ2
• Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?): amzn.to/31s1Ovu
• Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho): amzn.to/3jLkift
• Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount): amzn.to/48giWS6
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[@1234fishnet]

I just sold my car and I'm using a cheap, used cargo bike to do everything like driving to school, Kindergarten, work, shopping by bike. Here in Vienna it's awesome. Now my 7 year old is so fascinated about biking that she's going with her own bike to school. It's either 7 or 12 kilometers one way (depending at which parent she is). I promised her an E-Bike (because of practicality, we need to get a little bit faster). Commuting by bike has such a great impact on physical and mental health.

[@Shifter_Cycling]

This is great to hear. Using a bike with kids is such a great way to spend time with the kids, give them a better sense of the city, get them outside and set them off on a road to independence. Great work.

[@mardiffv.8775]

Toll um zu hören.

[@georgh.3041]

If I asked my kids whether to go by car or by bike, they almost always choose the bike, either their own or the longtail cargobike. And Vienna is going to be better for cycling, right?

[@jonathanleach3914]

Excellent. There are some great bike lanes in Vienna

[@-Bronson]

​@@Shifter_Cycling Are you familiar with velomobiles? Have you considered doing a video on them?

[@ChewysRides]

I live in Hawaii, island of Oahu. We have horrible disconnected bike lanes. Imho, being an island, we should be able to bike Everywhere

[@AdronHall]

Truth, if you could, it's a place I'd seriously want to leave. But I found Hawaii's islands rather auto-dependent. Seemed odd and uncomfortable.

[@Tokoroegao]

Living in Germany, I started commuting and going everywhere by bike when Covid first hit in 2020, because public transport was iterrupted and also I didn't want to get onto crowded trains and busses. Never looked back, been riding everywhere ever since. Recently, because there are so many discounts available right now, I bought a compact electric cargo bike. A total gamechanger. Now, I get places without breaking a sweat if I need to. I can transport packages, pets, crates... No need for a car most of the time.

[@Shifter_Cycling]

Great to hear. Thanks for sharing your story.

[@ambiarock590]

I live in the US where car dependency roams free, and I got myself an ebike to use for commutes and errands. I hope to be part of the pioneering force that gets more people into bike commuting and getting safe infrastructure installed

[@bradybunch84a]

I found this video very interesting. I noticed how much more relaxed riding on your bike could be compared to being in a car in the city. Glad you pointed out where they parked their cargo bikes. I was very interested in that aspect.

[@napilopez]

Despite it being more dangerous to ride a bike due to the lack of infrasctructure, I am infinitely less stressed riding my bike around the city than I was when I used to drive (or when I occasionally rent or borrow a car to go out of town). In fact, it's almost the opposite -- I arrive home in a good mood.

[@lakrids-pibe]

Hello from Copenhagen. Trucks turning right are the scariest.

[@kailahmann1823]

here in Germany trucks are only allowed to do right turns at walking speed if there is a bike lane or sidewalk between since 2021 - this has greatly reduced deadly right hooks within cities and completely (!) eliminated them out of town. And I guess, better enforcement would reduce this even further.

[@Skip6235]

I noticed when you cited that source about bike crashes, you correctly identified trucks and unprotected intersections, but the article very much frames it as an issue with e-bikes. It’s astonishing how much car-bias is just baked in to every aspect of North American life, including articles and studies. There are two correlations in the rise in deaths: more e-bikes and more big trucks. I’m going out on a limb here and going to suggest that it’s the giant death-machines that are the causal link, not the tiny hub motors that allow a break from pedaling sometimes. . .

[@spikethea2630]

Also I think it's usually the food Delivery Drivers who are on a timer who are on e-bikes

[@fallenshallrise]

I noticed this as well and it makes me furious. The problem shown in the data is that cars and trucks are killing people so for what reason are we using distraction techniques like dividing the cycling population into "traditional" bikes and ebikes. Why are we excluding the numbers from pedestrians, skateboarders, scooter riders, etc? Classic don't look here - look over there behavior. Screw anyone who is looking to divide the community to try to hide the real problems.

[@Shifter_Cycling]

I didn't want to get too deep into that article, for the reasons you point out. It's frustrating how blind people are to the real causes of cyclist fatalities -- cars -- and the sometimes absurd lengths they go to find other causes.

[@Shifter_Cycling]

The data said only one of the deaths was a delivery driver on an ebike. One is still too many.

[@GaigeGrosskreutzGunClub]

I am confident that the deserved popularity of ebikes will outrun the coy positing of certain articles. It is worth thinking about ebikes ability to more closely match the speed of vehicles to artificially inflate the sense of security like a sharrow or a soundproofed metal box with a motor, but the clear onus is going to be, or should be on the car

[@zeemon9623]

The truly great urban cycling moments are those when I can just let go of my handlebars. If I can comfortably ride hands-free it means that I'm on a great bike path.

[@maxim5156]

I live in Amsterdam and I bike hands free over half the time of my commute from the suburbs to university. It definitely is an indicator of the safety!

[@koigoi]

Does the bike still self-balance when you let go? I've been terrified to even try that where I'm at.

[@maxim5156]

I mean it just depends on your bike and how good you are at balancing it, it's not just gonna do that on its own

[@zeemon9623]

@@koigoi You can learn to balance it and even steer without your hands on the bars. It's all a matter of practice. One tip I have is that your handlebars need to turn very easily. If you need significant force to steer, you will have a hard time making micro-adjustments with your hips as you go.

[@xieulong]

My bike's coming in next week. I'm going to try to go car-free this year. It's Winnipeg, so we shall see how it goes.

[@justindurham1129]

I would love for you to come to Lansing Michigan. We have an awesome infrastructure but its very disconnected. I think you bring a lot of attention to our city that is trying

[@Shifter_Cycling]

I totally relate to a city with good but disconnected infrastructure. It seems to be a big challenge for so many cities.

[@VictorQuesada-bl1xk]

Maybe he took it private, but Casey Neistat had a great video about how getting around on a bike with kids in NYC is really the only way to go when they are young, because the speed, flexibility, and versatility of a bike let him move the littles around without getting stuck at all the typical chokepoints.

[@Shifter_Cycling]

Bikes make so much sense in a dense, traffic-clogged city like New York. And even more sense in cities that don't have the public transit options of New York.

[@kailahmann1823]

@@Shifter_Cyclingdriving in NYC is something a sane person only does, if they need the car (or it's freight) at the destination - not to use the car for transporting yourself. Because it's an absolute pain in the ass and often slower than walking.

[@kaite8371]

​@@kailahmann1823 I was in New York a long time ago. In 1986. Even then the price you had to pay for a parking slot in Manhattan was insanely high. No one with normal income could afford. That's simply the reason why most New Yorkers don't go by car. May be different in outer parts of Brooklyn.

[@Digital.Done.Right.]

I've followed her on Instagram for years. As a cargobikelifer myself we exchange experiences and many of those are around "bike lanes". Recently, she has adopted a phrase we use here in Germany "paint is not infrastructure". Meaning a green-painted path on a street with cars is not going to protect you. She mentioned later in this video that more car-free days would make a big difference. Sure, then you don't need any paint! Great video!

[@nuansd]

Is that originally from Germany? I remember hearing NJB use that one a lot.

[@jimbo1637]

The biggest thing NYC could do to improve biking is to create a proper network linking the 5 boroughs as opposed to just putting bike lanes in where it's politically convenient. Despite there being an abundance of genuinely good bike lanes, virtually every single trip I take still involves spending at least some time in "painted bike gutters" or mixed traffic without traffic calming.

[@kaite8371]

It's all the same in every country. "Ah, here we have some space left. Let's build a bike infrastructure." - "But there's a bridge, no space unless you take it from car traffic " - "No, then the bike lane must end here ". Greetings from Germany. Newer infrastructure is getting built much more consistent, but in the past it was just like that.

[@jimbo1637]

@@kaite8371 I agree that everywhere could do better, but what I'm talking about here is simply something like the cycling highways in London. Having corridors of consistency good infrastructure along routes that people frequently use goes a long way to make up for a lack of comprehensive network.

[@nzsnyc]

i lived in the city for 15 years and biked around the entire time. never had an accident, never had my bike stolen, and to this day never owned a car. now i live in zürich, switzerland (my bike came with me, of course). paradoxically i find biking more dangerous here. most of the few “bike lanes” that we have here have been created by paining a bicycle sign on sidewalks. it’s madness. i’m not giving up though, i’m picking up my load 60 next week and i can’t wait to claim my place on the sidewalk with my kiddo in the bucket. :P

[@alannadB]

I loved this, Tom! NJB introduced me to bakfiets and put the idea of selling our second car and getting a cargo bike, but its really you and Maddie who brought it to life. I needed your winter biking tips for Calgary and Maddie's experience doing it with young kids to show me whats posssible. We've been cargo biking around Calgary now for almost 6 months and I have no regrets.

[@AdronHall]

Cargo bike mama AND Jeff! LOLz when Jeff said, "also have three kids" and she says, "same three kids" and I just ROFLed. Love her Instagram!

[@wakaflocka37]

Since I read your book, I thought you'd have more to say about biking in winter. Honestly it is my favorite. The bigger problem for me is staying cold on the bike. Frostbike shifted my perspective on "bad" weather. No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing! I just sold my second car in favor of the E-bike that I've been using this past year. These things are amazing, and I will talk anyone's ear off about them any chance I get

[@MultigrainKevinOs]

Great video! I am way more willing to take on the risks of cycling on my own but with kids safety risks are unacceptable. The cargo bike family probably is the best indicator of cycling culture health in our cities and I am just glad more people are able to make those choices. Let's all keep fighting to make their options safer.

[@definitelynotacrab7651]

I recently got an entry level cargo bike, I havent drove to work or errands since, and once this car reaches its natural end, I dont plan on ever buying one again, just using ride/car share, public transit, and my bike. If more people could experience these in a safe setting, their minds would be blown. Letting my parents ride mine and seeing the smiles on their faces with how fun it was, their eyes were really opened.

[@Dave-my1we]

I believe that I first saw this woman on a Propel video (she purchased her bike from Propel). She is an inspiration for some (and should be for many). I ride more because of her and others. I don’t do “instagram” though…. She should create a KZbin channel. Thanks for doing this interview. Good stuff.

[@Kattbirb]

Nothing succeeds like success. Once cycling starts winning like this, it'll snowball further in more places.

[@allanjmcpherson]

They may be able to bike in winter, but look how little snow there is on the ground. Here in Saskatoon we get way more snow in winter. And I still bike year round.

[@rarephoenix]

Right on! I used to ride in the snow as long as they didn't plow the snow into our bike trail. That was so annoying when I lived in a snowy part of the country.

[@keeblebrox]

Snow has to try harder if it wants to stop us ❄️🚲🫡

[@codylittlefield7885]

Yeah I'm in Calgary and it's definitely tough when it dumps. The city doesn't care about plowing the paths or bike lanes. It can get pretty scary.

[@vermilionink]

Thank you so much for coming back to us in NYC! I think you did a great job capturing the highs and lows of biking here! I know you were focused on the family-friendly side of things, and may not have wanted to go into the darker side of some of these locations, but you glossed over some key, heartbreaking details about the evolution of the Central Park West lane. It did not just “come into fruition,” it was only overhauled in 2018 after a tourist was killed there trying to go around a double-parked car. The outcry and press over this tragic incident in a high-profile (touristy, wealthy) location is what pushed the DOT to act, and even then it was a tremendous fight over removing those parking spots, and it’s still not a truly protected lane so cars can (and do) still double-park in it if they really want to. This small increment of progress has not been an easy evolution of enlightenment. Every inch of space for bikes has been thanks to constant fight from grassroots activists pressuring our administration to follow through on promises to keep making our streets better and safer for everyone.

[@notl33t]

the cover is a cool bike storage workaround! it could be anything under there and especially if you're near a business, a lot of businesses and residents use sidewalks to "temporarily store" all kinds of stuff.

[@napskate]

I live in manhattan and I get everywhere on my skates and or bike. We are raising three kids who bike to school with either my wife or me while we skate. We don’t have, need or want a cargo bike. A backpack and my skates or a citibike (bike share) is all we really ever need.

[@SchwSchw]

I would be happy to give you a cargo bike tour of Berlin if you find yourself in the city. I am a cargo bike convert (same story as Maddy’s friend, a friend lent me her cargo bike and we fell in love) and have been biking around the city for a decade and at least half that with little ones in tow.

[@rarephoenix]

Great episode. I was thinking about this and another topic for a video may be bike repair. As a long time commuter I've changed and patched a lot of tires. I've adjusted my brakes or changes the pads many times. There's a handful of skills that every cyclist should probably know. The thing is you rarely get to practice before needing to do it in the field. ❤

[@tthomas184]

Always carry a spare tube. That way you can patch it later, if you choose. Also tire liners are great for protecting the tube if you are cheap like me, and don't want to spend on better quality tires. I bought some years ago. Total gamechanger. No more flat tires. Still useful to know the basics of bike maintenance.

[@letsgoOs1002]

The biggest issue for me was the ability to push the beg button. Like where a I live no way could a front loader work for us. But the tern gsd worked perfectly for us.

[@Shifter_Cycling]

I hear you. Down with beg buttons.

[@letsgoOs1002]

@@Shifter_Cycling like we have advanced so far can we please get raid of these buttons

[@geoffreyhoney122]

Super video again Tom. I LOVE the cargo bike hacks!!! Thanks Maddy for showing how it can be done! Thanks Tom for doing this interview and highlighting the make/break infrastructure aspect!! I really think there are gems here. Maddy is brilliant hiding the ebike in plain sight on the street! And what a great way to show other families who are curious that it can be done: lend them one of your bikes for a week. Kind of how Peterborough Green Up got citizens winter bicycling by lending them studded tires. Maybe this is something the KZbin NYC ebike channel Propel would be interested in for building his ebike business? Could you interview him while you are there and get his thoughts? He's a Great Urban Cycling Advocate in NYC. Super idea for content and I look forward for more!

[@tthomas184]

I'd still be cautious locking a regular electric bike outside overnight. A cargo bike is big and bulky, so less attractive to thieves.

[@cathiek8028]

Another important thing would be for more NYC buildings to provide safe indoor storage space for bike commuters. And one tip I learned while living/biking in Manhattan for about 10 years (before all the nice bike lanes!) was to pull slightly ahead of the first car in unprotected intersections (being careful not to block pedestrians) while waiting for a light to change. That way it's easier for the driver to see you.

[@canica99]

Great report... I gave up my car here in Florida once I also ended a relationship. I am single and have not children and I commute to work 30 miles round trip regardless of the weather and even during a hurricane last year. I think not having a car not only frees your monetary and logistics requirement on maintenance , fuel and insurance but also your mental well being. I have less stress and sometimes I do not get much sleep because I am watching programs such as this one and some of my greatest clarity comes late at night. I also agree with many of the comments about how wonderful bicycling is for your mental well being. I know that I am a better person because I get to ride my bicycle and as a middle age man, I get pretty much everyday to hear, see, feel and experience things in life that you just can't cage in a metal box riding a high speed. This couple in NYC have it figured out and they are living a great life with a great outlook. Great stuff and I really appreciate the content and the comments.

[@haighter5115]

Thank you for this episode! I am moving with my wife and daughter to NYC from Vancouver this fall, and I was planning on ditching the daycare mobile (long tail cargo bike) and transitioning mainly to transit and storage was a big reason why. This made me think a cargo bike may fit into our East Village life after all!

[@ardynottle]

I started commuting on my e-bike back in November. I consider myself a fair weather rider, but love the fact that my commute is mostly shared paths with some back streets. Zero traffic lights and save around $5.00 a day in fuel costs alone. Loving the time on the bike

[@jensenhealey907efi]

This was a great video and thanks to the three folks in the video for doing this. But unfortunately the reality in large parts of the US is a TOTAL lack of any bike lanes or support from city planners for such forward thinking. In the city near where I live there was a single painted bike lane put in near the University here but it's a totally useless thing that goes no-where, it starts and ends at random spots, and is just paint on the street without any bollards or anything else to segregate it from car traffic.

[@PriorityBicyclesNYC]

Great stuff. Part of the challenge for getting more families on the road is the confidence to know it's possible! This is so helpful!

[@Dellvmnyam]

My friend, a Dutchman living in Poland, got unlucky, he got several bikes stolen from him over a short period when he was storing them lockred but uncovered on the street.

[@ekcs3941]

V similar to our situation in London its a mixed bag! but overall cargo bike life is 100% worth it!

[@TommyJonesProductions]

I have a car for when I need to haul video equipment, but that is the only time I use it. I live in Midtown Atlanta, which has a long way to go regarding bicycle infrastructure, but it IS improving at a decent rate. Unfortunately, it's going to take more madmen like me who are not afraid to ride in traffic demonstrating that it can be done to more normalize bicycles as transportation here.

[@Shifter_Cycling]

That's the great irony is that a city won't get many people to ride until there are safe places to ride, but the lack of people riding is used to argue against building safe places.

[@tthomas184]

I lived in Atlanta way back in the 80s and it was very much a car only place. In all the while I was there, I can't remember ever seeing anyone using a bike to get around. It would have been crazy back then. Glad to see things are improving.

[@TommyJonesProductions]

@@tthomas184 - I'm a fourth generation native in my 50s and I can tell you the suburbs have definitely always been extremely car dependent. Here in the city, it was more common, but there was zero infrastructure, we just rode between the cars on Peachtree.

[@robadr13]

And of course it's not just the economics, and the efficiency, and the (free!) included health benefits. It's also the simple fun and pleasure. When the time spent getting around your city becomes a pleasurable and 'consciously engaged' part of your day, instead of a boring and frustrating 'waste of time', it's a marked improvement in quality of life.

[@leonidmetlitsky9259]

Hello! Have you considered making a video about biking in the outer boroughs of NYC? I live in Midwood, Brooklyn, and we really don’t have many good biking options other than Ocean Parkway, which is a mixed bag. (it goes north south in Brooklyn and leads to downtown through neighborhoods like Park Slope). Other boroughs don’t even have that.

[@colinmartin9797]

I just got a trailer for my ride1up v5, and last night loaded it up with 150lbs of cpr mannequins for the university ems program I'm helping found in Seattle. It handles kind of insanely well, and assuming the foot ferry doesn't throw a fit, riding it to campus from my home will have paid for more than half of the trailer, vs gas, toll and parking. Seattle is getting really nice to cycle in, with one annoying 2 mile stretch that doesn't properly connect downtown to the university district, and one two mile stretch of cycle lanes alongside the car lane that has NO timing, so you always have to stop at every single light. But owning an ebike, even living in a rural town outside the city and commuting into the city, has been a gamechanger. We went from three cars to one and my motorcycle on rare occasions like when the car is in the shop and we both need to get to work. It has absolutely paid for itself in gas and registration fees in one year. And the nice thing about the e-bike is that we live in a hilly area. This ain't the Netherlands. Hills abound in Seattle and Port orchard. That big motor just tractoring us up hills and up to speed with traffic at time opens up the city in a way that a car simply can't. It's downright BETTER with a bike a lot of times, I can run to the pharmacy and pick up groceries and be back home literally faster with my bike than my car. And with an ebike, I'm not sweaty or tired after errands or a 7 mile commute covered in hills.

[@JoshKablack]

Ugh. Remember, post Pandemic NYC is easily a top 5 US city for bike friendliness, and it still has all these big "break it" problems. Remember how terrifying it is for those of us riding in slightly more typical US cities.

[@LimitedWard]

The pandemic was only a year ago. You can't expect this to be an overnight transformation.

[@blores95]

It's nice see cargo bikes becoming more mainstream. Bakfiets seem daunting but are more like the SUV of bikes, mid/long tail cargo bikes are more like a reasonable hatchback/station wagon and they're great since they're not much bigger than a standard bike but have so much cargo space. If US cities can replace most second cars with a cargo bike it'd be transformational for cities and families.

[@mattb4640]

Would love to see a video on bike+transit mixed commuting

[@MathieuTechMoto]

Great !

[@LimitedWard]

Completely unrelated, but I noticed it seems you took your bike with you from Vancouver on this trip (or did you just rent?). I'd be really curious to hear about that experience. How did you get to the airport? What steps did you take to pack your bike? What went well and what sucked?

[@tthomas184]

I had the same question. Scroll down, and he says it was a loaner bike from a sponser, not his own. The perks of having a KZbin channel.😊

[@thodorostheofanous3911]

Great video! I would be happy to give you an e-bike tour in Kavala, Greece, where I live. Bike infrastructure is non-existent here and the landscape of the city makes things worse. If you can ride here, I think you can ride pretty much anywhere in the world!

[@iggman18]

What did you do for a rental bike when you were in NY? Was that easy to come up with?

[@Shifter_Cycling]

I rode a amazing loaner bike from my new sponsor Priority. It was a zippy Priority Eight, and it was fun.

[@simonmandrakejones]

I looked up the affiliate link for Priority Bicycles. I can't afford one right now, but they look pretty fantastic.

[@StephenDuncan]

The Dakota is where John Lennon lived. You said where he was shot. Accuracy over infamy.

[@raphiseth6942]

0:40 good that they make that clear😂😂😂

[@SS-wi4tm]

Would like more detail on the intersections. Been cycling in NYC and didn't know about those. What are they and how are they different?

[@Torchman92]

I own a cargo bike for some months. Short distance urban rides by car just seem absolutely stupid now.

[@an_der4856]

Brasil, São Paulo - ABC Paulista. na última sexta feira precisei ir trabalhar de carro. fiz em 20 minutos o mesmo caminho que costumo fazer em 10 minutos. até hoje só vejo vantagens em trocar o carro pela bicicleta.

[@AmusedDaffodils-mz5rw]

I like this

[@sicko_the_ew]

One thing that might help with bike safety anywhere is "contra-flow" bike lanes? (I can see some practical problems with actual cities, where bike infrastructure is incomplete, for instance, and starting it off would be a bit challenging, just in terms of getting all the cyclists doing the same thing on day zero, so this idea might be dead before it even flaps its wings, but anyway, maybe it'll prompt some better alternative.) Just in case the "contra-flow" idea is less obvious than I think it is, if your cars drive on the right, have your bikes drive on the left. So cyclists ride toward oncoming traffic, instead of going with the flow. It's definitely the old fashioned safe way to walk near traffic, but I suppose it could also just be recipe for worse collisions on bikes. The main advantage is that there's no looking behind to worry about this way. If you're walking, walking toward the traffic instead of in the same direction helps you see danger before it smacks into you, and because you're walking sometimes you can just do a nimble hop sideways, or climb up onto something to avoid being mutilated by a lump of steel. It's a bit more difficult to just hop out the way on a bike. Oh there's an open street benefit. If someone opens his door into your path suddenly, your bike just slams the door shut on him, instead of you slamming into, effectively, a wall when this happens. Some drivers might get hurt this way, but at least they'll never die, the way cyclists can, hitting the door from the opposite direction. And there would be circumstances where riding like this would help you make some kind of imperfect avoidance of danger seen well in advance, where you just fall on the sidewalk or hit a lamp post, instead of being run over from behind.

[@HullioGQ]

I ride a bike year-round in wintery Boston and I love it. You just have to dress for it and check the weather report frequently to avoid getting caught in nasty conditions. #electricgloves and #electricsocks.

[@Martin-wj2if]

Very surprising that street parking your cargo bike is safe enough in NYC. Might have to do with the lack of popularity. Here in the Netherlands Urban Arrow bikes are stolen so often that insurance costs have become very high.

[@freddielandrito6612]

Where can to buy a Dutch type cargo bike here in the US?

[@rarephoenix]

Where are you located? Most cities have dealers. Search for bakfiets as well. Craigslist has tons of them in my city.

[@thenexthobby]

I find it curious that one of the few cities in North America with a subway system doesn’t integrate that with bike ridership in some way. Are subway users all walkers? So they drive in from somewhere, then walk to the tube?

[@stuarthirsch]

It seems to me that an e-scooter is a far better alternative to bike commenting and transportation than a conventional or e-bike. Especially for daily life in NY. E-scooters are far lighter, foldable, and portable. Some are faster than bikes and high scale e-scooters have long range. E-scooters are easily carried and stored in an apartment or office cubicle. Not as safe as a bike or ebike, and you are restricted to what you can carry in a back pack or perhaps a small scooter container for the handlebars. E- scooters do require great micro mobility infrastructure for safety, but the same can be said for biking.Price of a good commuter e-scooter from a known manufacturer is comparable to good conventional commuter conventional bike or a quality entry level e-bike.

[@nebulous962]

my name jeff

[@b.griffin317]

Welcome to New York Tom.

[@me12722]

When I see people in SF biking with kids, or even without kids, on bad roads I always wonder why they don't just ride on the sidewalk. Sure it is not technically allowed but sometimes it's more important to stay alive.

[@garyseckel295]

Imagine being a child that travels via a cargo bike/trike! OH.., YEAH!!!

[@88sstraight]

Thanks, good to hear about people making it work with kids. I’m guessing that the shear numbers of ‘bike furniture’ make the chances of yours getting stolen fewer, but I’d still be nervous about leaving something worth that much on the street that could be carried away. Also, no Vitamin D from the sun during the winter in NYC!

[@rarephoenix]

There are reasonable insurance policies for bikes. The one I used to have only required photos of the bike locked each time for a full replacement if stolen. They paid full for a totaled bike after I was hit by a car. Just required a statement from a licensed bike shop.

[@88sstraight]

True that, wouldn’t take away from the heartbreak and rage of a stolen bike though.@@rarephoenix

[@derekjolly3680]

I presume most of what you see for the cargo bikes there including hers, are e-bike cargo bikes. I wonder what the ratio is for the e-bike ones versus the Dutch type or I guess Central European type mechanical ones there in NYC. On the sidewalk parking, you're still going to need something to lock to and you're going to need more locks and carry those. This made it seem like she's just parking it and putting a cover over it. Do random places on the sidewalks near apartments tend to have that? Also is Harlem different from how it's been perceived for a very long time as a dangerous black area?

[@Shifter_Cycling]

Maddy mention that she locks her bike with a couple of good locks and also puts a location tracker on the bike before she puts the cover on it. Carrying locks is pretty easy in a cargo bike.

[@derekjolly3680]

Well, glad she's locking it somehow. I doubt the value of these hidden beacons though for a couple of reasons. For one thing it seems to me that the power on them would expire before you could just find it out in the open. For another they only give you value in theory after you've had your bike ripped off. Others too having to do with cell phones, cops, delays, etc.

[@KJSvitko]

Be healthier and happier. Ride a bicycle.

[@LimitedWard]

I'd be curious to hear their take on biking as a form of independence for children. Would they feel comfortable letting their kids ride around on their own once they are old enough? And if so, what age do they feel is appropriate for a kid of ride on their own in the city?

[@mardiffv.8775]

Well @LimitedWard, dat depends on the city planning. The US and Canada is car orientated and it is dangerous for kids to cycle on the streets. In the Netherlands safe separated cycling infra is everywhere and drivers are cyclists themselves. So they know how cyclists behave. Dutch kids are the happiest in the world because they can go out and explore the world on their own on 2 wheels.

[@LimitedWard]

@@mardiffv.8775 that was something I got to witness firsthand when visiting the Netherlands a couple years ago. Tons of kids biking around to hang out with friends and get to school. I'm mainly curious how a bike parent feels regarding NYC's infrastructure in particular. Hopefully US cities can one day reach that level of safety.

[@rarephoenix]

My kids are between 4-8 and both ride the roads with us. We live in a major city with terrible traffic. It's scary but people are surprisingly careful around kids biking. Start on trails and sidewalks until you feel comfortable. On bad roads I ride in the road and kids on the sidewalk. We just do whatever is necessary to be as safe as possible. But we don't let car fear keep us off the roads. I've been riding roads since I was 5 out in the country. I don't have the fear a lot of new adult riders have.

[@mardiffv.8775]

@@rarephoenix That is great to hear. Keep on cycling.

[@grahambonner508]

The main thing that struck me, apart from the hugely positive attitude of Maddy was the probably biggest negative of the unprotected intersections, which although very negative, can be mitigated with a little education/training and care. I really don't see this as a reason not to cycle and make use of the other great infrastructure.

[@Shifter_Cycling]

Yes, this is true. Even more so than cyclists, education and training needs to happen with drivers.

[@grahambonner508]

@@Shifter_Cycling Yes, cars and HGVs indeed have the greatest potential to cause harm, although people are always going to make mistakes. I think it's also very important for cyclists and drivers to understand things like driver blind spots. If all road users have patience, consideration and take care risk can be greatly reduced. This said separation is always the best solution in my opinion.

[@noyb72]

She was going against traffic. That sets up a head to head with a truck on a blind right turn and left turning traffic crossing your line of travel. Follow traffic flow rules, have less accidents.

[@ashchbkv6965]

2:14 she said PROTECTED bike lane, but where? i don't see it, plastic sticks are not protection.

[@Shifter_Cycling]

That bike lane that parallels Central Park doesn't have true protection, just plastic posts, but it is pretty wide and has a nice buffer, so it felt pretty safe.

[@napskate]

They did show a few of the protected paths but it is true that a some of the bike paths are just painted.

[@IowaNinersFan]

Logged in 10K miles between 3 regular bikes last year and I bike commute to work. I'd be more impressed if it was a regular bike. Lost me at "e"bike.

[@arisocolow7741]

NYC is a great biking city, but there are problems. You came very close to two but didn't highlight them. The CPW bike line is routinely blocked by taxis, school buses, idling trucks. That particular spot in front of the Dakota is a nightmare because if it is above freezing, then there are sometimes multiple ice cream trucks pushing us cyclists out into the middle of CPW. The lane needs better barriers, better enforcement and there should be a separate downtown lane. Separately, the horse manure in the lower part of CP Drive is a tourist-trap related filth that should be eliminated (DeBlasio failed). If you ride in CP on wet days, it gets all over your tires and your clothing.

[@dhanyrafael]

[@ashchbkv6965]

9:45 how could you live without fenders/mudguards

[@LimitedWard]

Guessing he took them off to fly the bike to NY and was too lazy to put them back on.

[@mardiffv.8775]

Avoid puddles and wash his jacket regularly.

[@BoBandits]

🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴

[@rickrynerson4082]

Am absolutely shocked they lock their bikes out on the street. I wouldn't do that and I live in a much smaller city.

[@princeedmunddukeofedinburg]

You will not get a ticket if you're riding with kids on the sidewalk.

[@rarephoenix]

I ride with kids on a sidewalk. Don't give a hoot about a ticket. It's actually legal to ride on sidewalks in my city though. As long as you fear the road conditions you can ride the sidewalk outside of downtown. This is something cities everywhere could adopt. It's really not a bad thing. I've never heard of an issue. We have so much more to worry about than a few bikes on a sidewalk trying not to die.

[@princeedmunddukeofedinburg]

@@rarephoenixVery well said.

[@colleenwright-kakkar6384]

“Can be expensive “ no, they are expensive. For some of us where we live limits where we can ride, so hard to justify the cost. Though would love to have one to take my special needs son out on errand and shopping.

[@buddy1155]

They are a lot of money, but they are not expensive. (big difference). To be honest if you have ONLY the use case where you can take your special needs son out on errands and shopping, that alone would justify the expense. You could also try to find a used cargo bike, it might not be the latest model but bikes are so mechanically simple it is very save to buy a used one, their might be some issues with it but just bring it to a bike shop and they can make it like new.

[@colleenwright-kakkar6384]

@@buddy1155 thank you for the suggestion. I looked into a used one, because I really don’t care if it was the lastest model they still come in at starting $6,000. Way more the we can afford. But I keep looking, if it is meant to be it will happen.

[@buddy1155]

@@colleenwright-kakkar6384 Prices are way different in the Netherlands (where I live) a used cargo bike start at about 100 Euro (~100 dollar), but those do need some work. 1200 euro/dollar are the cheapest new cargo bikes and 2500 euro/dollar are the cheapest new cargo e-bikes. We especially have a lot of used regular cargo bikes, probably from people who upgraded to an cargo e-bike. I really hope you can find one for a good price, and you can take your son out on the bike.

[@colleenwright-kakkar6384]

@@buddy1155 wow, that is what I would call affordable. Thank you have a good weekend

[@MrBirdnose]

@@colleenwright-kakkar6384Ouch. $6000 is more than I've paid for most used cars I've owned.

[@Krommandant]

😢My ears are bleeding, what's the problem with these bells?

[@steemlenn8797]

I see a lot of biek parking space. Just move that car out of the way.

[@SuperRat420]

The hack; softhanded rich cnts

[@thomaslubben8559]

No eye protection? Yikes! That's a real risk. You only get 2 eyes, you know.

[@dangboor4277]

nah i got like 4 i think

[@rudycandu1633]

I looked at the daily high and low temperatures from this winter from New York City. Sorry but that really isn't winter to me. There were only eight days in January where the temperature got below freezing. Only five days in February with the lowest being 28°F. No wonder some of the shots in the video showed green grass. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4HSfJaHh9F3fdUsi=PxbgO_YeGNicSEKP&t=480 Overnight temperature tonight for me (March 22 Winnipeg) is expected to be -4°F. I have used my bike in the winter this year but only a handful of times. I wish winter biking is as easy as shown on some of the KZbin channels. But the reality is that winter biking is not as easy in places that have severe winters.

[@frankcl1]

Tom has made multiple videos about winter bike commuting in Calgary, where temperature can get very cold.

[@rarephoenix]

-4 F is the coldest I used to bike to work. It was really fun. I looked forward to the worst biking days. Thunderstorms are also amazing on bike. Or any torrential downpour. Makes you feel super human powering through. So rewarding.

[@SuperRat420]

Trucks are not cars, sorry. They're not on a fundrive. You wanna make trucks safer around everyone? Abnsolish CPM and accomondate them

[@bankaydin]

As much as I am pro-bicycles "for me", it will never be the mode of transportation for everyone because it assumes a minimum, heterogenous standard of physical health/capability that matches a lifestyle/economic "bar" wherein one is close enough to ride a bicycle for everything. It simply is not so...

[@krob9145]

Lol then there's those with disabilities that use bikes as their mobility aids because they can't walk a lot but they can cycle. It's a myth that cycling is for the super fit. With good cycle infrastructure many abilities can move around on bikes. Some of which use ebikes. It's also the cheapest form of transport without solely depending on walking.

[@garyseckel295]

Amen, Krob! My "Hase Lepus" recumbent trike with 25-inch-high seat is on/off from my wheelchair! Just got set of "Tannus"-brand, solid-rubber tires for it. Cannot get off to fix a flat tire! 70-y.o., limited-mobility handicapper here. Not driving for years now.

[@rarephoenix]

There's a guy with no arms I see biking around town on a regular bike with a mouth operated handle. He's amazing. He bikes better than a lot of able folks. I also see trikes and other bike like things. And those mobility scooters are also allowed in bike lanes and trails. Biking should be for everyone. And who it's not can take a bus or train or walk etc.

[@jonathanleach3914]

Yes there will be some, but as a doctor I regularly recommend bikes especially e bikes to my patients. There are many who can’t walk easily but can cycle. Thanks

[@stuarthirsch]

That's why e-bikes are becoming the standard. If we want to encourage bike centered living we need to build e-bike/e-scooter infrastructure. This will include private and public storage lockers with charging outlets and bike/scooter/pedestrian paths which are completely separated and do not interface with automobile and truck traffic, thus eliminating the major safety risks. Micro-mobility combined with automated public transit systems are the future of urban transportation. E-bikes and e-scooters are leading the revolution.

[@hayterrlgmailcom]

Thanks!