Here's why you should become a bike commuter in Chicago

Рет қаралды 2,850

Ай бұрын

1. Cost - bikes are cheap
2. Reliability - 97% of the time, you can get from A to B consistently
3. Convenience - bikes are door-to-door
4. Speed - bike transit time is shorter than or equal to CTA transit time
5. Comfort - (drawback) perceived danger, weather, limited wardrobe/difficult to carry some items

Пікірлер: 39

@dmnddog7417 20 күн бұрын

I've been riding my bike in Chicago for about 10 years. I've only had two flats in that time. There's still a lot of room for improvement route-wise, but it has definitely improved in the time I've been riding.

@hilariohernandez Күн бұрын

Nice video, a lot of good points!

@PacificDark 23 күн бұрын

The health benefits are priceless.

@landonlandon2251 Ай бұрын

I do both (when it's above 45 degrees). It has elevated my travel experience to pleasurable one. 🤟.

@user-ie8zm6kx6w 20 күн бұрын

I do not understand the danger of cycling, because i live in the Netherlands, but i reccomend more poeple to bike. I said that because i am like 13 years old going to middelbare school (idk how that called in the us of MERICA) and i cycle allone for like 10 km and never felt in danger or threatend by a driver. SO, getting to my point, i think everyone should think about cycling and protest, because in the 1970's it was very difrant in the NL and only protests got us here! Cycling is very good and comfort can defnitly be chanced by better infrastructure! (Side notes, why did i watched this video? Because i my friend recommended it. Why is my grammer so bad? Because i am still in the eerste (idk how it is called in the USA) and that's only nine monthes! What date was this posted? The seventh of June. (6-7-2024)

@stevejorde 15 күн бұрын

We call them middle school here in the USA. Thank you for your post, it was very inspiring.

@kitchencarvings4621 7 күн бұрын

The problem boils down to two things: Impatience and a lack of regard for the safety of others.

@rustyburger 2 сағат бұрын

Where you live is very different from the USA - Lots of people are VERY mentally unhealthy in Chicago. There has been 85 shootings and 24 murders in Chicago in the last 7 days. I compel you to compare those statistics to the most dangerous part of NL you can pull up, and it won't be close - it doesn't directly relate to cycling, but it relates to peoples mental state which relates to why we can't have nice things, It's even harder to make societal improvements when you can't convince people to stop shooting each other over trivial things. A lot of a very different type of person lives in Chicago then the type of people you're living with in the NL - Not saying the NL's is perfect, but compared to Chicago it is. 😂

@charlienyc1 4 күн бұрын

Biking all year is not difficult, especially with the mild winters we've been having. Just layer up and go for it!

@michaelkernan5165 22 күн бұрын

Comfort should increase with the more people that bike. Infrastructure, although not amazing, is getting better every year. The more people that bike, the more drivers are used to seeing bikes around! Strength in numbers

@yagi3925 22 күн бұрын

Exactly. It's called a "critical mass" in sociology and there are "CM events" organized on a regular basis in several cities - although I'm not sure about Chicago.

@kitchencarvings4621 7 күн бұрын

@@yagi3925 From what I've seen of those, I don't want any part of them. They get violent and smash car windows, which doesn't help anything.

@yagi3925 7 күн бұрын

@@kitchencarvings4621 Physical violence against cars (drivers)? I’ve never witnessed any such thing in critical masses but I’m talking about the European scene. It might be different in the USA. I once took part in a slow roll in Detroit, that’s about all I know about the North American scene.

@kitchencarvings4621 7 күн бұрын

@@yagi3925 This was about 8 or 10 years ago at a critical mass event in San Francisco, I think. Some drivers got caught in the crowd of bikes, and they started climbing and jumping on the car. They started bashing in the windows with bikes. Many of them were naked. It was a mob. I don't know if they are all like this. I hope not, but I don't want to be associated with such people.

@yagi3925 7 күн бұрын

@@kitchencarvings4621 Thanks for the description. It’s insane and I fully appreciate that you should want to dissociate yourself from such people. I am dfinitely against “car centrism” but it’s equally crazy to be “anti car” pure and simple. Thanks again for your account.

@fdtk 8 күн бұрын

Important🚨Please also adjust your seat height to save your knee

@kitchencarvings4621 7 күн бұрын

For sure. I see people riding around with their knees up in their chests. I saw a teenage girl at the bank, and I offered to adjust her seat to the right height for her. Just watching her made me sore.

@krob9145 20 күн бұрын

I've found using my bike for transport to be cheap, reliable, convenient and quick in a city with traffic. It's also comfortable. I'm so used to a bike that being in a car too long makes me travel sick. Dressing for the weather isn't a problem.

@kitchencarvings4621 18 күн бұрын

To my way of thinking, it's free. Even with the cost of bikes and maintenance, being in better shape could potentially save you thousands or even hundreds of dollars on medical bills in the future. You are paying out the nose for having and using a car, but you are essentially being paid to ride a bike.

@aliancemd 5 күн бұрын

How do you take into consideration all the toxic exhaust you are inhaling while riding in traffic?

@kitchencarvings4621 5 күн бұрын

@@aliancemd@aliancemd I'd be breathing it in a car, too; it's in the air. Many people wear a filtering mask, and I've done that before.

@aliancemd 4 күн бұрын

@@kitchencarvings4621 That's not true. Those are quite big particles that car filters easily filter out.

@gem3132 12 күн бұрын

I live in the SF Bay Area. Commute on a "Dutch" bike 4 flat miles to work and 4 miles back, 5 days x week. About 25'. The 2 bus lines will take about the same time.

@pbilk 22 күн бұрын

Actually you can hold an umbrella when it's rainy. The other option is a poncho that you can wear that goes between you and your handle bars so your legs also stay dry.

@yagi3925 22 күн бұрын

Ha ha, how witty!... 🙄 The two most bicycle-friendly countries in the world are actually rain-soaked Denmark and Netherlands.

@IowaNinersFan 17 күн бұрын

Holding an umbrella......are you Mary Poppin???? They do make rain jackets and pants for this purpose. Ponchos don't work on bikes. Been there, tried it.

@charlienyc1 4 күн бұрын

@@IowaNinersFanYup, REI is your friend.

@shamusduffey4873 12 күн бұрын

Immediately when you talked about $600 bikes being only marginally better, I remembered that that's the cost of mine. The difference here is that this one folds, which gives you so many more opportunities when it comes to transit and inside storage.

@kitchencarvings4621 7 күн бұрын

Ideal for the city since you can take it into the store with you and ask for a safe place to put it while you shop. I want a folding bike but my next purchase will be a cargo bike.

@mbengaful 3 күн бұрын

i've been riding basically everyday for 20 years and got a flat tire maybe once. 🤔

@MikeMassey-fi5of 4 күн бұрын

Shouldn’t question #1 be “Is it safe?”

@davidprice6902 11 күн бұрын

I live on the northside and bike in Chicago and his five criteria misses the most important. Is it safe? Chicago is rapidly expanding bike lanes in the city but there are streets you do not want to ride on and you must always be vigilant. On average, about six cyclists die each year.

@charlienyc1 4 күн бұрын

That number is way off. My guess is six a month or week.

@runawaytrain9794 18 күн бұрын

SURE, Cars and whatnot have their pros, but with bikes, think about it...we share the SAME roads with cars with the benefits of no insurance required, no license required, no yearly license fees, no gas expenses, no expensive repairs, no yearly test for your exhaust system, etc. no traffic jams to deal with, etc. etc. It's almost like it's not fair for all you car people lol. Just ribbin' the car folks lol. But no lie - most new cars and even many used cars cost as much as a nice HOUSE did just a few decades ago, and I'm not talking about SUVS! It's insane.

@kitchencarvings4621 7 күн бұрын

Shushhhhh! Now, everyone will know and want to cycle. We'll lose our advantage.😃 Seriously though, the health benefits are insane, both mental and physical.