Why Bicycles Deliver the Freedom That Car Advertising Promises

[@danoedalo]

2:08 3/4 of your energy consumption when doing stuff is going as heat waste. Just a small correction.

[@AnotherDuck]

And most of your energy consumption is spent passively, regardless of activity. So even while driving a car.

[@purplelord8531]

"99% of the power you put through the crank" is what he said, which approximately correct.

ALL of our energy consumption will turn into heat

[@Maxence1402a]

It goes lower than 3/4 when exercising, and higher than 3/4 when doing nothing (basically 100%, actually).

[@averagemanonabike]

Yeah but why produce excessive heat unless your goal is to produce a heater?

[@Poctschorn]

I'm into cars, always have been. But I can only enjoy driving in video games. In real life it's slow, boring and expensive. There are just way too many cars out there. And it doesn't help that many drivers are impatient, have bad temper and break traffic laws by ignoring them or not knowing them in the first place. I've sold my car almost a year ago and I rarely miss it. I commute by bike and train now and riding has been such a joy, it became a huge part of my life.

[@Charusel]

Owning new cars is quickly losing its appeal. Its less analog than the days of old, they spy on you now, and even worse its not meant for you to be able to work on them and keep them for decades on end. Where as with bikes, I bought a 37 year old road bike and instantly started beating on it as a trainer. I love it more than I thought I would and now have been picking out parts to restomod it. I can't casually do that with cars unless I'm made of money. Like you said, I love cars but I'm learning towards bikes more and more...

[@jeremymartin8962]

i feel the same. i like driving on a track and i enjoy watching motorsport but man i hate driving on the day to day

[@naser_si]

Then you own the wrong type of cars and obey the "wrong" type of laws

[@jeremymartin8962]

@@naser_si confused what you mean by this

[@naser_si]

1. Wrong type of car: Its a slow, big SUV/Pickup thats eighter got a huge ineficient engine or some overrated japanese car, if you want fuel economy go diesel (a small displacement like the VW 1.9TDI and 2.9TDI work great) and if you want drivinng pleasure then get a 6 cylinder japenese or an older germna engine! also a hatchback is for 1-2 people, wagon is for a family, sedan is for the bussines man, pickup is for the farmer and an suv is for the stupid. 2. Wrong type of rules, Those are the rules that are there to collect fines, theres no reason to do 85mph on a long open road with just a few ocasional cars... floor it! another one is overtaking from the right in 80% of cases its bad and dangerous but, in situations where theres a choper rider or a stupid pickup chilling in the left lane, then fly by them in the right lane, no problem! another one of those rules is using youre phone while driving, 1. if youre calling it makes no impact on youre attention span 2. tho still unsafe texting while driving is 120% safer then doing something as simple as adjusting the radio on newer cars, because they have those stupid tablets so you have to look down and you have no idea where youre going, on the other hand if youre on youre phone youre holding it in front of you, one eye on the road the other on the road... this is still "not safe" but can be a lifesaver sometimes

[@FlyingOverTr0ut]

Lost one car in a hit and run, then a second one the same way. Had to park five blocks from my apartment in LA since parking is so dense, and I've easily spent over $35k on cars in the ten years that I owned them. Biked for 3 years now, car free, love it and now advocate for bike infrastructure in LA.

[@NicholasIstre]

From the study from Bankrate ("The average cost of owning a car"), on average Americans spend $15,504 per year on new cars and $12,960 on used cars. This is all of the costs related to car ownership, like paying the car note, insurance and registration, fuel, maintenance, repairs, and any other costs related to car ownership. Over 10 years, assuming you only bought used vehicles, that is almost $130,000 you've put money into that car. I you had 2 cars, almost $260,000. Think of what you could have done with that money instead? This also doesn't include costs like infrastructure (you pay for roads and public parking mostly by your general taxes, whether you yourself drive or not) or medical and legal costs that may incur from traffic collisions.

[@Teapot-Dave]

You can park a bike anywhere - for free. Around fifteen bikes can be parked in the space needed for one car. Bicycles don't pollute. Bicycles don't maim and kill thousands of people per year. When did you last see a "Bicycle jam"‽

[@Voting-does-nothing]

Yeah its sick cos you are alway in the city cos countrside is too far to cycle too... Oh wait no cars are waaaay better

[@TouringTony]

Bikes are great for holidays as well. Fast enough to get somewhere but slow enough to enjoy the journey

[@josephhaddakin7095]

Everyday is a holiday for me. I haven't driven any of my vehicles since 2012.

[@morosis82]

In certain places they are a vastly superior way to travel. I rode from Florence to Siena on a bike and there were so many beautiful spots to stop that had nowhere to put a car. If you were driving, you couldn't have stopped without blocking the road, but there we were just chilling on our bikes stopping where we liked, because we could.

[@glennet9613]

We bought a couple of cheap mountain bikes when I was fifty and it was so much fun, like being a kid again, it opened up a whole new world. Nearly thirty years later we still cycle just about every day, did 40km yesterday, and it is still just as much fun.

[@CyclingSteve]

I see it as giving up on freedom, saddling yourself with debt and risk while signing up for regular obligatory future expense. All while impacting badly on your community and environment.

[@scopie49]

I sarcastically view owning a car as the freedom to sit in traffic and the freedom to pay for mechanical failures. Or from the morbid perspective, the freedom of others to murder me with their oversized trucks and SUVs when I'm riding my bike.

[@MerlinDerMagier]

Living in southern germany in a very car centric region, I got rid of my car almost two years ago and go everywhere by bicycle or train now. And I have never been healthier, happier and more free than I am now. It felt like waking up from a fever dream.

[@MrPhotodoc]

Talk to anyone who had the courage or just wisdom to ditch their car, and you will most likely be talking to a happy person.

[@RomanDzhanov]

1000% agree, my car has 8000 miles on it and is only used when absolutely necessary, my cargo bike has 12,000 and is used almost every single day!

[@Neomalthusiano]

Freedom also goes maintence-wise: I carry most spare parts that could be needed in case my bicycle has some issue somewhere (flats, damaged chain) and I'm also able to do at home, most services required to keep the bicycle in a good state.

[@TheXtrafresh]

while it is true that cycling is faster in some select, very congested trips, the bigger advantage comes from trip length on a bike being predictable. Commuting by car, I need to take about 30 minutes of leeway to not be late, on a bike the variance is maybe 5 minutes.

[@kianmokhtary3539]

Running or cycling past drivers in their cars lucky to have d+1 (driver + 1 passenger as they are stuck idle in traffic) never mind n+1 lol and yet i get abuse by parents in the school yard for cycling at less than gentle walk pace into the entrance whilst someone parks his X6 SUV outside the school gates with the engine running…. We need to wake up…NHS saves lives so improve your health and get on a bike - and we can save more through better health for all…we need long term investment now! Rant over! 😂 love your videos keep em coming ❤

[@FinalChunk]

Lol, relatable, but not only parking outside the school yard, but parking INSIDE the yard, going at least 10mph and yet I can't go ON the bike going like you, walking pace because apparently I could ''run'' kids over, on my bike -_- They really need to wake tf up.

[@fingerpicker2]

Recently broke my hip couldnt walk across my living room but 25 k on my bicycle was a doddle . The best invention ever

[@bertkreft9689]

i am 59 - living in berlin - never had a driving license - and i am explaining my whole live long to everybody - what you are stating in this one video - you know what ? they call me a missionare people whant to isolated themselve - thats why they pay so much - people are not looking for real freedom instead of this - they whant to feel more connected to a brand or a car repair shop - that makes them believe - that they are part of a extraordinary or honorable group - and they are not interested in logic and rational achivements - they relay on romantic sentiments - it is all about diving into certain nostalgic thougts - living in a familiar framework of feelings You will never meet this person in reality - especially not with rational arguments - he is trapped in emotions and want to stay there

[@buster.keaton]

I've long thought it laughable that nearly every SUV and pick-up truck ad in America promises offroad adventures in places that don't exist anywhere near where the vehicle is being sold. Equally as laughable is the idea that average consumer will spend $50k+ to go destroy their shiny, new vehicle on a backcountry trail.

[@jpg0927]

Not to mention destroy the trail for any other use.

[@erins9271]

Yeah they like to have their giant pickup truck so they can tow their giant motor home to a park 4hrs a way twice a year along with everyone else.

[@goldenretriever6261]

Guy at my work has factory lifted Toyota. Has a 4 km commute and the truck sits in the parking lot from 8am to 6pm everyday while he works his ass off to pay for it.

[@CloverMind]

Freedom is exactly what I feel when riding bicycle. Although frustrations creep in when I'm trying to commute following road rules, and get stuck on red lights by myself because the light monitors don't recognize bicycles. If I want to follow the rules either I can wait for a car to come behind me or ride over to the pedestrian walk sign to press it for the green light. Still its freedom.

[@petergibson7287]

Look for the cuts in the road; that's where the sensors are. A non carbon bike helps, and chromoly is best.

[@josephhaddakin7095]

​@@petergibson7287also, in the U.S. at least, if at night with your bike light on, wiggle your light back & forth while approaching the intersection. Most lights have a sensor to detect emergency vehicle lights & will trigger a green light.

[@DizzyDiddy]

It's probably legal to run the red light in this situation most of the time. There are usually exceptions in the law for when the sensors don't trigger. Still, it might be safer to do exactly what you're already doing.

[@erins9271]

​@@petergibson7287They aren't always present. There are 2 sets of lights near me and neither are set up to recognize a bike. So I either wait for a car to come along or press the pedestrian beg button and wait 30 seconds to minute for the light to change.

[@Paopao621]

I used to spend so much on commute, it was a hassle and i get home incredibly tired, a year ago i purchased a cheap single speed bike, for 200$ and i saved up the money i used to use for commute, lm not as broke as before.😂 I earn 300 dollars a month and 50 from that goes to commuting. It really took a toll on my bank account.

[@tristan1805]

Bro how do you earn just $300

[@PromenadeMTL]

You should look into the Montreal bike network. We have a lot of good trails and Montreal is often acknowledged as a cycling leader in North America.

[@bertkreft9689]

yes - i heard a lot about montreals bikeability - must be outstanding 👍

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

Being a leader in North America doesnt mean much.

[@PromenadeMTL]

@@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714 If you road the trails, you might be surprised.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

@@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714 Inappropriate comment.

[@liamot]

I despise commuting by car. Had to go to the office 3 times this week by car as I needed to make site visits to data centres spread across the city. So much sitting in traffic. Literally takes twice as long for me to get from my home to my office on peak

[@russellprout723]

Companies should be made to have facilities for people who cycle, walk or run into work

[@averagemanonabike]

It should be legislated.

[@adamsouthwell1790]

Just outside Cambridge UK, my organisation had to include a bike shelter to get change of use planning permission.

[@DavePowell-dt4we]

In Perth, Australia, it is mandatory for new developments to provide end of journey facilities for cyclists, walkers and runners. They are very popular and some companies even forgo car parking lots to provide additional facilities for their cycling, walking, running staff.

[@pacman_pol_pl_polska]

Commie propaganda

[@syafiqrenaissance6490]

If you want to be poor and stay poor, owning car is the best choice you can have..

[@chrisgraham2904]

My income is heavily influenced by my SUV in earning me over $200K per year. You could say, my car paid off my house.

[@eda2000-r8h]

​@@chrisgraham2904u can do the same thing with bicycle/motorbike thought, dont u?

[@chrisgraham2904]

@@eda2000-r8h I don't see how. My vehicle carries tools and equipment and delivers materials to my customers.

[@eda2000-r8h]

@@chrisgraham2904 in ur case carried a lot of stuff, well minivan, all mini pickup-truck can do the job just find, it size is way smaller compare to SUV for sure, for carry good with motorbike/bicycle...well u can look up on google, people in my coutry doing that all the time (vietnam or SEA) if u want a preference 😉

[@eda2000-r8h]

@@chrisgraham2904 in ur case carried a lot of stuff, well minivan, or a small subaru pickup-truck can do the job just fine, it size is way smaller compare to SUV for sure, for carry good with motorbike/bicycle...well u can look up on google, people in my coutry doing that all the time (vietnam or SEA if u want a preference 😉)

[@PoserBallin]

3:06 Meanwhile in Ontario Canada, new municipal bike lanes projects have essentially been red taped by the provincial government in the name of reducing car congestion (???)

[@averagemanonabike]

What a joke. Anything to protect their friends in the car industry.

[@CaptApril123]

I'm in Ontario and yes it's completely illogical but politically a pretty smart move. The majority of people drive cars and are stuck in traffic, then see people zip by on a bicycle so that must be the problem.

[@VaioletteWestover]

@@averagemanonabike Doug Ford will forever go down in history as one of the biggest refuse stains in Canadian history. And I don't say that hyperbolically. His whole brand is being a manchild about city council voting his dead brother out of mayorship so his whole personality is taking revenge on Toronto.

[@kavindabandara]

If they want to reduce traffic then they should build more bicycle lanes and take people off of the cars. Just watch videos from #notjustbikes

[@zimmejoc]

And in Mississippi municipal bike lanes don’t exist are not considered and what little shoulder exists on the road is a rumble strip forcing the rider out into the lane where Billy Joe bob rolling coal in his F 25000000 truck that has never been off pavement is driving along, bottle of beer in one hand, phone in the other doing 25mph over the speed limit.

[@SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333]

Lost my car to a bad head gasket, after delivering pizza for many years. Finally got a new job and now I just get around by bike (and sometimes riding the bus) everywhere. Don’t own a car anymore and it might stay that way forever.

[@rynkydynky]

Agree. I'd add repair costs and easy maintenance as Pros for the bikes.

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

I find repair costs to be equal to buying a new bicycle which is what I do and the canabalize the one in worse shape to maintain the better one.

[@FahrradDashcamDeutschland]

Thankyou for this Video and greetings from Germany.

[@Marchey_]

I would love to see some bike highways in the United States

[@josephhaddakin7095]

I hated those 12" wide rumble strips in the middle of the 6" wide bike lane throughout Northern Arizona.

[@barryrobbins7694]

Noam Chomsky: The advertising industry's prime task is to ensure that uninformed consumers make irrational choices, thus undermining market theories that are based on just the opposite.

[@ianbarr4716]

This video............100% accurate and true.......yet car sales (now turning to EV's as a better solution??) continues to grow. Excellent job here. Cheers.

[@MathieuTechMoto]

Micromobility is the future, not cars !

[@cogsnbanjo]

Since I don't commute and only use my vehicle about once a week I reckon, compared to the average person commuting an hour a day, I have extended my productive life by around 500 days, or 1 year 4 months (by not sitting in traffic). By riding a bike regularly I reckon I have extended my healthy lifespan by 10 years and my full lifespan by 5 years. That equates to 16.4 years of life. Just by riding a bike - I'll take that!

[@rodrigosouto9502]

Cars are not the problem. They are the solution. So are bicycles. Car dependency is the problem. And these fake advertisements helps boost car dependency. Very nice analisys.

[@shokodeny]

Cars do offer freedom if you are willing to take it - you can go camping, you can reach the start of a hiking trail, you can make a road trip visiting various small villages... Anytime you want to get out of the city, the car is the most suitable option (unless your country has a good railway transport). As for the commute - yeah, riding a bike, walking or using the public transport would be my go to option

[@averagemanonabike]

The appropritae tool for the job in any case makes sense.

[@deafstoned9521]

I love this video. It highlights a lot of the reasons I ditched the car a few years ago. But at the same time,…the algorithm is designed to have videos preach to their choirs anyway.

[@warrenjansen7096]

We will never get rid of all the cars, but all the cars will probably be the end of all of us! I dont see that as freedom!

[@chrisgraham2904]

If you want freedom, buy a Harley Davidson.

[@barryrobbins7694]

In the United States for example, $5 trillion is spent every year to travel by car - that’s a conservative estimate. One of the biggest expenses is infrastructure.

[@Teapot-Dave]

Americans only make-up around 5% of the world's population, but they use over 30% of the world's energy. Their unquenchable thirst for oil has destabilised the middle-east, and caused many of the global problems we are now seeing; but still we hold them up as a shining example of what we should all aspire to be like.

[@chrisgraham2904]

Now, imagine the economy that would not exist without cars.

[@barryrobbins7694]

@@chrisgraham2904 I am trying to imagine a world where people are more intelligent. Your comment isn’t helping.

[@chrisgraham2904]

@@barryrobbins7694 The original comment was regarding $5 trillion being spent on vehicle infrastructure. I don't know whether that figure is accurate, or whether that supports all modes of transportation for people and goods. What I do know, is that capitalist America would not spend a single dollar on anything unless it provides a return of five dollars for every dollar spent. Maybe your Amish and remain in opposition to improved and safer infrastructure.

[@barryrobbins7694]

@@chrisgraham2904 Improving other forms of transit also benefits those that choose to drive. It means less money is needed for road widening, road construction, and road repair. Los Angeles County alone has over 200 square miles of parking, most of which sits empty for long periods of time. Just think of how that land could be put to more productive use. Money related to cars doesn’t need to disappear from an economy; it gets redirected to something more useful. There isn’t enough money to repair existing roads and bridges as it is. If a road is in good shape it is usually in a new and/or wealthy area. Most of the roads in the United States are very poorly designed. There are roads with multiple lanes ostensibly to increase traffic throughput, but put the public at risk. The lanes and high speeds don’t even increase the throughput because they have to stop at the next traffic light. The irony is that the car-centric mentality doesn’t help the economy, drains middle and low income families, and anyone that drives too.

[@robd8577]

$10k/year buys a lot of holidays.

[@treavy1]

Ebike are the best way for freedom and I love ebikes

[@kellir.747]

I can’t give up my car entirely, but I do try to use my bike for errands when feasible. I certainly enjoy riding my bike more than I enjoy driving my car. The things I don’t like about biking are generally related to motorized traffic and bad drivers, which is why I don’t particularly enjoy driving my car. 😂

[@ronvandereerden4714]

Real freedom is not owning a car because you don't need one for most things you ever do. True freedom is the choice to use whatever form of transportation makes most sense for any trip. Car sharing is awesome. Made that decision 20 years ago and don't regret a moment.

[@josephhaddakin7095]

I guess a lot of bicyclists daydream when they tour. I blank out. I remember once, I was riding up the California coast back in the late 70s. I blanked out in San Onofre & woke up in Huntington Beach. It was a really weird feeling. I still ride & still blank out, lol.

[@eda2000-r8h]

I'm impress that u still alive bro, fvcking amazing😂

[@topcat8804]

I once did about 2 miles on my urban commute completely oblivious. Couldn't remember a thing about it, lost in a daydream, yet I must still have navigated all the traffic and traffic lights on auto-pilot.

[@julianallen515]

Loving the pictures of the New Forest and surrounding area. I moved fro there in 2009 to Vancouver, Canada and miss riding through the New Forest.

[@averagemanonabike]

It's lovely there, I live in nearby Southampton and go twice a week

[@Flix-f6q]

Range is rhe limit. Luggage capacity another. But in urban environment, nothing beats a bike.

[@Shishou_Shi]

I agree, everyone should have a small motorcycle!

[@DANCINGWITHTHEFAILS]

Every time I've paid for a significant other's car repair I thought wow this is worth the same as a new carbon bike or several even

[@ryn2844]

Bike highways aren't designed for high speeds. That common misconception is why they're renaming them to 'keep-on-going bike paths' (or something similar, don't remember the exact translation). They still want majority commuters on them, not recreational sports cyclists. The difference between one of these bike highways and a regular bike path is that there's supposed to be less places where you have to stop, like intersections and traffic lights. In the Netherlands there's more popular resistance to the concept of 'bike highways' than the concept of 'keep on going cycle tracks' (even though they're different names for the same thing) because nimbys don't want large volumes of sports cyclists, but they do want a comfy bike ride to where they need to go.

[@Volkbrecht]

Which is sensible. When you want lots of people to use the bike, you also need to accomodate a healthy average of them on bike paths. But where you have kids and elderly people and maybe also some who are generally not overly secure cyclists, you can't have people barrelling around at 40 km/h. That has nothing to do with nimbyism, that's just common sense. The same logic that applies to road traffic applies to bike paths. Keep things a little slower to increase safety and have a steady flow of traffic.

[@DANCINGWITHTHEFAILS]

Car drivers are the danger, after that I've seen pedestrians and commuters be far more dangerous than any roadie

[@SystemParanoia]

Look at all these apocalyptic word ending popular TV shows and films. Transport is always either a motor vehikse.. Or walking. Sigh. Never a bike even though theyre the perfect apocolypse vehicle ( but maybe not in 28 days later 😅 )

[@petergibson7287]

I must confess that if we had a zombie apocalypse, I'd be screwed if it was like 28 Days Later or World War Z, or I Am Legend, but the original George Romero Walking Dead zombies wouldn't be so bad.

[@SystemParanoia]

@@petergibson7287 agreed, WWZ or 28days later, I'm just giving up. Wayyyyyyy too much running for me 🤣

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

It only works in a high trust society. I am afraid to ride a bicycle to the capitol cos Im afraid that drivers along the way will not respect me before a seperate bicycle road is not finished, and even more pressingly Im worried that someone will steal my bike while I go in to a shop or something.

[@nonegone7170]

Nothing to do with trust, everything to do with infrastructure decisions made by the government.

[@buster.keaton]

Agreed. Riding long distances on a junk bike that no one wants is a non-starter for me. If I'm going to ride a bike daily, I want a bike that's worthy of being ridden... which means someone will want to steal it.

[@Teapot-Dave]

It's ironic that the machine (car) designed to speed-up your journey is actually having the reverse effect and slowing you down, and as you said, very often a bicycle is a much quicker way to commute, or to just get around generally. What was it that Aesop said about Tortoises and Hares? 😅

[@9najtsirkruak]

I got my drivers license a year ago and a car right after it. But there's no way I would want to take that to my city commute over my trusty ebike. Like you said in the video theres just so much more road avaliable to bikes than cars. Even tho my bike is slower than cars I can take so many shortcuts so I always get places faster than in a car. Oh, and we don't even have to talk about parking...

[@ma14.27]

"(Bicycle) It requires no fuel, [...]" Yes it does! Have you seen the prices for energy bars these days?

[@averagemanonabike]

True, you can make flapjacks at home for pennies though

[@disobey35]

I live in Germany, very close to the Netherlands, where I have been uncountable times in my life. Was there in September, in August, and will be next week again… The difference between Germany and the Netherlands is like hell and heaven! Here in NRW cycling is the worst, it is so horrible compared to the Netherlands! And still people in Germany just can’t get their cars out of their minds. But the big problem is: getting around by car and train just sucks as well. Nothing really works here, literally! I guess especially for our unpunctual and unreliable trains we are famous..

[@chrisgraham2904]

Yes, indeed. Owning a car means that you could be stuck in traffic jams for an average of 54 hours per year. That's an extra 54 hours per year that I sit back in my plush leather wrapped, fully climate controlled, comfortable environment to listen to news on the radio, or enjoy the music of my choice on a 14 speaker, TSX sound system. A relaxing time of solitude, catching up on conversations with passengers, sipping a cold drink, or a hot cup of coffee. When the situation hands you lemons, you have to make lemonade. LOL

[@averagemanonabike]

@@chrisgraham2904 Enjoy your mobile living room, it sounds lovely

[@NoNotThatPaul]

I live in a suburb. I see a lot of big, 4 wheel drive pickup trucks... at the grocery store, nope, not a lot of off roading in the suburbs, cool tho, and really hard to park it seems, fucking ridiculous

[@DonKnight-qi4tu]

Not to mention they need 4 parking spaces, 1 for each tire.

[@NoNotThatPaul]

@DonKnight-qi4tu seriously, 8 or 9 times out of 10, it's a super shit parking job, like embarrassing. On the other hand, the pickups are huge and suburban drivers are breathtakingly incompetent

[@kudosbudo]

I really hate driving. It feels constrained and stressful. So many rules to follow, so many folk to look out for in my heavy machinery.

[@thepineapplethief]

Excellent work.

[@vonmusel6158]

+++ true, it's much more human than a car and it won't make you poor

[@nicthedoor]

Great video! Keep it up.

[@tanalson]

If cycling becomes a norm, car companies won't let it happen. Car sales will plummet like crazy

[@salzhaltigersalzhaufen586]

good video got a lot of important arguments for cycling in there but you could talk about the social downsides of car centric infrastructure as poor people have to invest way higher percentage of their salary into mobility than they should need to. Obviously for people who cant drive like children, elderly or disabled people it´s also a hughe downside. (Okay they might not be able to ride their bikes but they could use public transit or walk or use electric scooter that would be insanly dangerous to do in traffi.)

[@peppesimone4897]

no illusion for me, I ride! %^) thanks for the video.

[@Nocturna.]

just normally driving increases my stress and heart rate by about 20-30 beats per minute

[@nitt3rz]

I used to drive, then got a job a couple of miles away, now I cycle. In those 5 years, I have grown to dislike diving & to a slightly lesser extent, drivers. As everything is marketed a 'life-style-accessory' drivers think they have to get the largest vehicle possible; I don't think they like seeing a cyclist shoot past them in traffic & stay in front for quite a while.

[@tonypaddler]

Excellent video and very well presented 🚲👏👍

[@averagemanonabike]

Thanks man

[@roberthenri9945]

Including motor assisted devices in a discussion about cycling is a big mistake. Mopeds, or if like, e-bikes and e-scooters, are not just a nuisance and dangerous, but they and their unskilled riders, damage the reputation and perception of real cycling. These machines have taken over bike paths, trails and pedestrian sidewalks. They're a dodgy alternative to licensed scooters and motorcycles, and offer virtually no health benefits and yet when they are involved in accidents, a frequent occurrence, or a road rage issue with car drivers, the incidence get reported as a 'cycling' incident; further hiding the negative aspects of mopeds and tarnishing real cycling.

[@barryrobbins7694]

E-bikes (real e-bikes) are great. They extend trip range and capabilities. The Netherlands has e-bikes, but they limit the speed just as with cars.

[@jandl1jph766]

Pretty much everything you wrote is contradicted by actual research. Pedal assist E-bikes are not significantly more dangerous than unassisted ones, they don't significantly reduce health benefits compared to bikes without assistance and they increase the likelihood of adoption - which comes out as a very significant net positive for society. Like it or not, they are here to stay and evidence based policies will have to encourage their use. That being said, I'm usually quicker on my (much lighter) road bike, so I'm using that most of the time. I'd also encourage any rider to take their time getting familiar with a new bike in a safe environment - not doing that can easily lead to dangerous errors of judgement, even for experienced riders (I've had my share of near misses because I didn't heed my own advice!)

[@ayangarcia339]

I think it’s a good thing to get more people out of cars, unless you mean those surron edirtbikes that people go 40+ mph on bike paths with

[@barryrobbins7694]

@@ayangarcia339 There are sports cars that can go twice the speed limit of any place in the country. It’s the behavior that’s the problem. Individuals can already self-build high powered e-bikes.

[@guyroebuck8510]

I just think of the healthier body I have, and more money to spend on me, by not having to pay for a car.

[@mudelta4068]

Your vids are great. Concise, persuasive. 🙂

[@NoNotThatPaul]

A little friendly feedback, at some points, you're reading the script a bit too fast 🙂

[@averagemanonabike]

Yeah I know, trying to manage kids and voice the script, had a bit of a speed wobble!

[@graysonstark9573]

Great video

[@Mischu708]

Depreciation hits bikes worse than cars imo. I just bought a Triban RC520 for 400€. The guy who sold it to me bought it in 2021 from Decathlon for 1200€(that is the retail price in Romania at the time). That is a 66% depreciation in 3 years.

[@averagemanonabike]

A car wil lose 15-35% of its initial value in the first year. What's that off 30+ thousand?

[@ChristiaanHW]

but a good bike can last for ages. of course an electric bike needs a accu change every X amount of years but the frame and everything else can last for decades. so for about €1000 you can have a bike that lives as long as you do, and maybe you need to put in €100 a year, for maintenance and every now and then an accu change. that is way cheaper than even the yearly costs of any motor vehicle. and you save money on going to the gym, because you already have your cardio while commuting.

[@nonegone7170]

@@averagemanonabike 15% minimal when your drive away from the car dealer. And Decathlon Triban's are pretty much the worst depreciating bike out there, since they have a few questional design decisions to keep cost down.

[@PRH123]

The point is to ride it. If you want to invest, buying and selling bicycles is not the way to go.

[@fb39ca4]

But old bikes don't wear out like cars do. A steel frame bike will last a lifetime if properly cared for.

[@Korina42]

Great vid, but it's a little disappointing that you didn't credit Tom Flood for the title.

[@averagemanonabike]

Who's that?

[@averagemanonabike]

Don't worry I googled him, seems like we are quite like minded

[@michaelgurd7477]

I assume the footage @ 4:49 was taken somewhere in the UK. If so the e bikes pictured are electric motorbikes and those lads look like they're off on a robbing spree.

[@averagemanonabike]

Haha yes I thought it was funny to put that there, I'm taking the piss out of how the media calls them e-bikes. I must say passing them with a thousand pounds worth of cameras + my bike was quite unnerving

[@monopoly5496]

Instant sub

[@averagemanonabike]

TY, working hard RN on the next one :)

[@polthedestroyer]

I appreciate the intentions behind your video; and as an avid cyclist, I agree 100%. But you did abandon the premise of your video pretty quickly. Less than half way through, at minute 3, you shifted from your thesis to just why cycling is good and how it can be made more prolific in our cities. After minute 3 are just the facts that cyclists already know and all the talking points anti-cyclists won't stick around to listen to. By the time we reach your conclusion, the whole things feels like a bait and switch. This should be 3 different videos, and I really only wanted to watch the first 1. Your original idea is compelling and insightful. It has a clear audience it needs to reach, i.e. drivers who are interested in starting to ride bikes. I hope someday you'll really expound on that subject.

[@averagemanonabike]

Thanks for the feedback. Only been doing this for the last couple of months, always looking to improve. It's been a whirlwind of learning everything at once!

[@larrypilcher3791]

I use a scooter now. Next to nothing in costs to get to the stores or to see friends, and I pack enough groceries home. Now I’m really saving money. Hope to have enough cash for a velomobile by Earth Day. I hate traffic, and all the deaths, pollution, dystopian asphalt landscapes, and on that nonsense goes. When I hear some going on about their car/truck power and convenience, I just view them as selfish stupid idiots.

[@michellamontagne6092]

I would ride A WHOLE LOT MORE if I knew that my bike would not get stolen while I was inside

[@mandje2002]

sorry, very nice, but Amsterdam is not the only city in the world where infrastructure revolves around the bicycle. The whole of the Netherlands revolves around good infrastructure for cars, bicycles and pedestrians; where possible, all three are separated from each other. Many cities around the world look to the Netherlands when it comes to cycling culture.

[@gcvrsa]

Guys like the ones at 4:48 are why so many people hate ebikes.

[@averagemanonabike]

They're electric motorbikes. They're illegal

[@julianlinderjohansen8612]

this basicly only applies to big cities

[@uybshadow6272]

Gentlemen… I present to you Motorcycles 🎉

[@averagemanonabike]

I own both, they're not the same thing.

[@hluos7uhluos7u94]

I hate my car. I wish I could use my bike more.

[@yevhenkozlov286]

1:22 immediately recognised Bangkok after being there just once (upd.: fixed a timestamp)

[@robd8577]

It wasn't Manila?

[@yevhenkozlov286]

@@robd8577 sorry, I meant 1:22 not 1:20

[@naser_si]

Anything that makes me work for "the freedom" isnt freedom, lets say im on a trip and theres a detour where theres a nice cheap restaurant that i want to stop by 1. get sweaty and doubt going there because my head is burning from a stupid helmet i smell like a dog and my ass hurts or 2. i roll the windows down, crank the bass and make the passer byers think "what an asshole" and floor it! thats freedom! to be anywhere in minutes, not have to worry about other people or old people demanding youre seat at a bus, bothering you so you have to pull youre airpods out, and making a trip that would take hours in a car, take the whole bloody day on a bike/bus!

[@deleteduser3455]

The issue with bicycles is the ebike regulations which make a free thing not free

[@kylestevens7263]

I ride a bicycle and I love the freedom it brings, but it does have a 650cc engine.

[@averagemanonabike]

😂

[@PRH123]

Just like an e-bike then :)

[@fredtracy3931]

I have the best of both worlds: a moped style ebike, and a 500cc motorcycle! 💡

[@theleftperson]

still on the fence between getting an e-bike or an electric motorcycle from harley davidsons sister brand, Livewire.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

Just an observation.. An E Bike is ,, well an E bike. A proper bicycle is 100% leg power. Item 2.. Anything from Harley Davidson is junk. Well known. Thy make "Lifestyle images".. Others make motorcycles. Just my opinion based on decades of observation.

[@theleftperson]

@@jeffhildreth9244 harley has a new electric divison called livewire, so idk what point you’re tryin to tell me here lol

[@jeffhildreth9244]

@@theleftperson If Harley has anything to do with a product it will be substandard and overpriced.

[@fb39ca4]

Why not both?

[@jeffhildreth9244]

@@fb39ca4 I am a born again Luddite. E- Bikes are not bikes. They are appliances largely ridden by those who have recently been busted for a DUI. Plus.. I don't like them. They remind me of Taylor guitars. Just as Harley Davidsons are not motorcycles E-bikes are life style accoutrements I have no objection to those who want to buy one.. go for it for whatever your reason might be. Keep the rubber side down. And buy a proper steel frame, lugged bicycle.

[@0658BVB]

Love bicycles; however, man's existence and activities don't not and have never caused or affected climate change. That would be the sun and seasons.

[@kudosbudo]

Don't be daft. We can literally reshape entire environments simply by planting enough trees and bushes to change entire eco systems. At that scale we affect weather. Hell we have built dams big enough to hold enough water to affect the rotation of our PLANET. Saying humans don't have any affect is naive.

[@Viva-El-Kaputtalismus]

Yeah… picking your kids at school 10km away from your job, then heading home for 4 Km more everyday… yeah nothing better than a bike for that. 👍

[@averagemanonabike]

Tell that to the parents at my kid's school who drive 1.5km to drop off

[@Billy_Rizzle]

@@averagemanonabike one of my neighbours used to drive his seriously morbidly obese son to school everyday, even though it was only 0.75Km walk.

[@averagemanonabike]

@@Billy_Rizzle Poor kid

[@magnusrylander]

Now don’t get me wrong, cycling and walkability have their place in major cities, but the car is still the best way to get around for people who travel between cities, which in the United States, most people do. The average distance Americans travel is 20 miles and trust me that’s not biking you want to do every day. One other reason for cars is weather, no one is gonna cycle in the average American climate. As for climate change even being a thing that’s debatable, notice how it used to be called global warming but it’s not anymore? And American cities are incredibly unsafe thanks to poor leadership and a distance from Christian and family values, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere outside my metal cage in any large city. However I get it, driving can be annoying. The biggest problem is modern cars try their best to disconnect you from the road. As a person that drives a manual transmission 90s car I feel as if I’m one with the road. My tip is to take side roads and roll your windows down, and especially buy a small car, preferably from the 90s and early 2000s. Understand how the engine works, and even try to do some maintenance yourself. It still is your ticket to anywhere, you just gotta understand how to get the most out of it.

[@averagemanonabike]

I guess the underlying sentiment I'm getting at is that cars are over used. If there's a valid use case like the one you described then of course a car is appropriate. Thanks for your comment

[@kudosbudo]

I'm currently biking by choice 13 miles per day for fun. If I had more time I'd do 20. It would be easy. It's easy doing 13. You just get used to it.

[@magnusrylander]

@@kudosbudo ok you bike as a hobby, that's fine but the average person doesn't have time to go that far. Not even you do and you said you want to. It takes a lot of energy to bike and sometimes the weather just says no. I rode my bike for 4 years to school every day so I'm talking with experience.

[@mrfitz96]

Speak for yourself, my bike is fuelled by Greggs sausage rolls and espresso.

[@jamestoday2239]

Bollox to cars!

[@stefberg-kk1jl]

talking about maintance cost of a car while an bike cost more these days, and the suspension parts wants a service every 100 hours on your bike

[@averagemanonabike]

@@stefberg-kk1jl What sort of bike are you taking about?

[@MarkNieuwenhuizen]

Suburban and more rural bike lanes in the Netherlands are often made so cars, vans and trucks don’t have to be slowed down by those pesky cyclists

[@derekjolly3680]

Good perspective, although I do set aside the man-made global warming stuff. I see e-bikes as a mixed bag. Very mixed since I have one yet rarely use it now. What happens is that parents give those things to their spoiled kids who do not have the experience to ride them well or responsibly. So shared paths are more dangerous. What happens is that on throttle featured models, like the one I have too, lots of people just tap that power and refuse the exercise. Wimpys stay wimpy and lard asses stay lardy. You lose that aspect of the goodness of more bicycle use in society. Of course if one has discipline like I do for a 55 pound e-bike, you use a little bit of juice as wanted, or quite a bit for higher speeds, but with full physical effort, and that can be a good component of cycling collectively. Depends on mindset and perceptions.

[@PoserBallin]

@@derekjolly3680 still better than an apathetic spoiled teenager with a new license ripping through residential streets in a car. I’ll take them irresponsibly riding an e-bike any day over the alternative.

[@derekjolly3680]

@@PoserBallin Probably better off if the teenager who gets access to a car, learns to drive with the right frame of mind, and sticks to regular bikes until possibly college when there'd be a little more need, especially if he doesn't have a car there. For myself, I had a car then, but I only used it for grocery runs or out of town day trips. Not day to day. I had a bike there, which I used randomly, since the distances were so short. I don't really think the choice is so clear and simple like you say; One bad situation with an e-bike, or another bad situation with a car.

[@josephhaddakin7095]

I'm scared to get an e-bike. I'll get spoiled.

[@derekjolly3680]

@@josephhaddakin7095 For me it's not that I feel spoiled, it's that I feel like a slacker with it even though I don't lean all over the power. It's a strong enough feeling that for big parts of any ride on it I have the power set to zero. I know I don't need that bike. I know I don't need the juice, or the power induced speed, or that throttle. I'm a pretty fit guy at this point in my life and I didn't get there coasting with an e-bike. I got there from riding the road bike more than anything else for longer and harder than I used to ride. I actually took that thing out yesterday for a short ride and to drop off a bill. Had a conversation with this old man (obviously an old motorcycle guy) who walked up to the mailbox about that bike and e-bikes in general. He was shopping for one, but he wanted something with a bigger seat and bigger fat tires. Mine has 2.4" tires. He was just curious and wanted to see one close up. Now that guy would get a heck of a lot more use out of an e-bike than myself. I could tell from how he was talking about things. I mean it could be the main thing for his exercise instead of being a bike I take out for more or less a joyride.

[@PRH123]

For many people, an e-bike is just an excuse to ride a motorcycle on walking and cycling paths. They’re fine on the road, where they belong.

[@flhfd1703]

A bit of an oversimplification, isn't it?

[@fdemey]

Company car takes away many of the downsides of car ownership, especially in income tax heavy countries. Besides that, I'll trade a bit of freedom for a roof over my head when it rains. The only exception being large cities where owning a car has more downsides then advantages. Which is why, I assume, you mostly use large cities as examples in the video.

[@JaydenEricBeaudoin]

A few hundred bucks will get you clad in some great rain gear, problem solved.

[@tconnolly9820]

Living in a rural area I own a car and always will. But it's always possible and practical to also use a bicycle or an e-bike too. I'm going to use my e-bike to cycle 20 km each way to work today. I took the car the previous day because I had other things to do that the bike wasn't as practical for. I wear normal clothes cycling. I'm absolutely not a roadie. Especially on the e-bike, a bike poncho is fabulous for full rain protection and highly breathable. And an e-bike takes the grind out of headwinds and hills. Add a good rack with large permanent panniers and maybe a big basket and you've got loads of luggage capacity. And I also take public transport for longer direct routes instead of driving whenever it's practical for me too. Unlike many videos, it's not just a case of completely either one OR the other. half of my total mileage is on two wheels. It's good for me and good for the environment.

[@petergibson7287]

Rain isn't that bad; it's wind that really sucks, or blows, as the case may be.

[@josephhaddakin7095]

​@@petergibson7287ahh, the elusive downhill tailwind. I found it twice.

[@fdemey]

@@JaydenEricBeaudoin High level clients wouldn't accept me walking into their building with dripping wet rain clothing , my suit crumpled up and my hair a mess. Now imagine having to visit multiple clients a day. Same in summer. Can't walk into a meeting sweating like crazy. I'd have to bring a spare shirt, which you can't even properly transport on a bycicle.

[@moosehand8721]

I ride my bike to the store and all over town but I still need a car if I wanna see my sister inside the day 300 miles away. They are a necessary evil.

[@SolarizeYourLife]

You can rent a car and still have the same problem/joy....and please stop abusing ebike access...

[@jeffhildreth9244]

BAn E bikes.

[@reggiepaulk]

You lost me at “climate change.”

[@averagemanonabike]

Can't please everyone!

[@Mangust2]

Pickup kids under rain? Take bicycle to the outdoor where you can ride it? Still need car for many things. Not to mention shopping, bike will get stolen and you have to carry on hands, under rain maybe :) Use bike for every day is a dream. I suggested my friend to buy e-bike to explore outdoors, now he need to buy bigger car to install rack to carry bike. Good for environment ;)

[@averagemanonabike]

The weather is something you can dress for. But you make some good points highlighting the lack of decent secure cycle storage. My local Lidl has some good cycle racks, but the roads leading there have no bike lanes. Politicians are too scared to upset drivers to do anything decent.

[@dolittle6781]

Be careful not to hype up the benefits of cycling because the throngs of bicycles in Denmark and The Netherlands are creating traffic jams for cyclists on bike lanes and paths. The same high density cycling infrastructure we see in those countries is spreading around the globe. It’s not a good thing for cyclists who want to experience the freedom of riding a bicycle. It’ll become just as nerve wracking riding a bike as driving a car. Let people organically find out about cycling instead of aggressively promoting it. The bike manufacturers will be happy if the roads are clogged with bikes but freedom loving cyclists will hate it.

[@averagemanonabike]

The roads will never be clogged with bikes, because they're tiny and moch more space efficient compared to a car. Bikes primarily transport people, cars primarily transport metal, rubber, glass and fuel.

[@ChristiaanHW]

when that happens it also means less people in cars. because they are now cycling. so you take away one car lane (maybe even one in each direction) and use that space to expand both bike lanes. now you got rid of the useless car space and doubled the space for cyclist. and you need to make the bike lanes at least wide enough to have the ability for cyclist to overtake each other, those little 1 meter wide lanes are just not enough. those are not bike lanes but bragging lanes for politicians, so they can show off their "bike friendliness".

[@nonegone7170]

Traffic jams on bike lanes in the Netherlands? I think you're overstating the problem a bit, seeing how that barely ever happens, and when it does, it's usually due to ongoing construction in the most densely built area of the few major cities, and even appears on the local news as something noteworthy. Far from the hundreds of kilometers of car traffic jams that happened every day for years on end...

[@dolittle6781]

⁠ of course, but that’s how it starts -a little bit at a time . We are currently in the early onset of bicycle traffic jams. Each year it’ll get worse and worse. I tried to warn you. You’ll regret dismissing my warnings as time goes by. At the current rate bikers will be in stand still “wheel to wheel” bike lane traffic jams just like cars l, and you and other cycling advocates will be responsible for it.

[@dolittle6781]

@@ChristiaanHW ​​⁠ That would be a very sad day for cyclists-a very dystopian world indeed.