Lorna SlaterHired an e-cargo bike from Edinburgh Festival of Cycling to run some errands this morning. This is definitely the future of local transport. Now we just need bike parking and safe streets for bikes, everywhere.
Charlie Stross@lornaslater On-street theft-proof bike lockers, if we're talking about owning bikes in Edinburgh! Oh, and kerb-separated bike lanes, so drivers can't randomly swerve across/into them. Embra really isn't cycle-friendly, even before we get onto the subject of potholes ...
DC@cstross @lornaslater I would *hate* to cycle in Edinburgh. (I mean, I no longer cycle, but I used to keenly.) Glasgow also has its problems: it really is quite hilly, to an extent that would cause a problem for many people.
More cycling is good, but there needs to be serious thought to transport needs for the disabled and others who cannot cycle. A short walk for most pedestrians can be an insurmountable obstacle for those with mobility problems.
Ms. Denie@Tanngrisnir @cstross @lornaslater if you * need * to take the car, it still helps you when more people bike, because bikes take less space on the road and when parked, leaving room for you.
@A_denie @cstross @lornaslater Absolutely, but I was really meaning that careful thought needs to be given to where gets closed off from vehicular access, and to things like bus routes (and information regarding bus stop closures and the like).
Tim Bray@Tanngrisnir @cstross @lornaslater Trying a modern e-bike might shift your opinion. They reduce the pain of hills astonishingly. I'm talking about e-assist bikes, no throttle, you have to pedal to go, which deliver 100% of the benefits of biking except for elite-young-person fitness.
@lornaslater @timbray @Tanngrisnir Alas, my sense of balance left the building most of a decade ago, and I have tunnel vision in my right eye (on the overtaking-blind-spot side). So I no longer cycle, e-bike or traditional: I'd wipe out before I travelled a block.
Lucy B@Tanngrisnir @cstross @lornaslater
Might be worth looking at @TricycleMayor (same name on twitter for more posts) if you're interested in making active travel better for disabled people. She's a disabled campaigner and keen e-cargo trike user. Electric assist cycles really are a game changer, but so is good infrastructure and more.
sleepy@Tanngrisnir @cstross @lornaslater As a new cyclist in hilly Seattle, I picked up a pedal assist bike with a throttle. I wouldn’t dare the hills here with an in assisted bike, but with the 750W motor all but the steepest can be conquered.
It’s not a solve for everyone, of course, but it’s been great at keeping me out of my car for most errands within ~5 miles.
@sleepy @cstross @lornaslater It's also worth remembering that every hill has a down slope, too, and that can present challenges to some cyclists. There's some hills here which require hands clamped on the brakes all the way down (except when the wind is high enough you have to pedal).
mattdawhit@Tanngrisnir @cstross @lornaslater I might be missing something, but doesn't more cycling for those that can free up road capacity for those that can't?
Duncan Smith@lornaslater @Tanngrisnir @mattdawhit @cstross I too am baffled by this. The car lobby seem determined to impose mutually assured gridlock on everyone.
@mattdawhit @cstross @lornaslater Yes, but there also needs to be careful thought and provision of infrastructure/services for the disabled, not simply support for cycling. Reducing car traffic doesn't magically make streets accessible, and it's important to remember there are always going to be some who need a car to get anywhere.