this post was submitted on 06 May 2026
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[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca -1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

-20c, Winnipeg, wind chill of -30c, a foot of fresh snow and you wanna be on a bicycle? Being OUTSIDE in winter is what's making us miserable, not my warm car.

[–] LostWon@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

In addition to convenient transit options, yes, I DO want the choice to bike comfortably in the winter. If Northern European countries with similar winter conditions can do it easily and comfortably, then so can we (same 15-minute video at both links): Youtube | Invidious
The only reason we don't do this ourselves is because we're so influenced by US car culture.

[–] non_burglar@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I rode my bike in -20 to -30 to work, 13km. It is possible, but not realistic for most people. Snow-clearing infrastructure (this was Winnipeg) is just not made to make it safe for normal bikes. I needed studded tires.

Being optimistic about possibilities is nice, but it won't help a 53-year old lady with help issues get to work.

I want to get away from ICE cars as much as the next person, but let's temper our enthusiasm with reality, here, come on.

[–] LostWon@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 hour ago

Yes, temperature isn't really the issue for a healthy person. 4:20-6:00 is the time frame of the video I posted above where you can see the section about how snow clearing is handled in Oulu, Finland. (7:38 has about 20 seconds addressing that the cost is still a fraction of what having wider roads costs.) Most there don't even use studded tires.

Beyond that, cars, buses, and rail lines won't suddenly disappear from people gaining the freedom to comfortably ride their bikes. People with health issues (which is what I assume you mean by "help issues") and people who don't like cycling both have the option of driving or public transit and are therefore irrelevant to this conversation (though they would benefit along with everyone else from reduced traffic/road maintenance from slightly narrower streets and less drivers on the road).

Incidentally I straight up hate jogging myself, but you won't find me telling those who do enjoy it that they should go without properly cleared sidewalks (same equipment needed to clear paths for bikes, incidentally) just because I'm in the majority of people who either can't or don't want to jog. I've also complained about big box storefronts that force those using wheelchairs and mobility devices to risk their lives on the road and/or mount/dismount full curbs if they have the gall to approach from the sidewalk instead of the parking lot.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

dude... talk to us when you tie up your man bun and actually ride a bike in -20C.

[–] LostWon@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

I have and I'm not a man.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Well that may be why you dont bike in winter. I dont bike in winter because a) the weather is brutal, often going to -20 and worse with windchill, b) You cant take anyone with you (comfortably), c) carrying anything heavy or large is a pain (like tools, groceries, refillable water bottles, d) we often have a foot of snow overnight and Id rather drive out with my SUV than shovel for an hour just to get to the road, e) putting kids on a bike isn't very safe with distracted drivers all over. Bikes are sometimes a solution for singles, they suck for families. And yes you can put kids on them but its not wise nor safe in this country.

[–] LostWon@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I understand if you don't have time to do it now, but don't reply as if you did watch the video when you obviously haven't. One of the first topics the video addresses is weather. (Also, lol at -20/-30, it can get colder than even that in Winnipeg and there are still die-hards who ride their bikes in it despite the limited supporting infrastructure.) Anyway, nobody is telling you to give up your car. But it's selfish and unreasonable to deny everyone else affordable, healthy, and enjoyable commutes and joyrides because you only want to use one type of transportation yourself. If you want to limit yourself to one transportation method, that's your own prerogative, but you'd find there'd be less traffic on the road and less maintenance costs to the city if more varied options were available to everyone else.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Im actually an incumbent bike rider. But never in my town (Id get run over even with a flag).

[–] LostWon@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

I see. There have been studies in some places showing more people would like to ride but don't bother because of the treatment cyclists get these days, wherever separate infrastructure isn't available. It didn't used to be that way but nowadays there are even folks who will literally just yell at a cyclist for existing, and/or who get pissy because they don't understand you need some space to get around potholes. (These same people who harass cyclists want to complain about traffic and road repairs/construction but there'd be less delays and maintenance costs for us all if everyone that wanted to felt safe and comfortable cycling. That attitude literally make things worse for everyone, including the people who have it.)

[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

We need transit, bike and e-bike lanes, infill densification

The sentence opens with transit.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 0 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Have you ridden Winnipeg transit? No one who can afford a car prefers sitting in a dirty bus one row away from a guy nodding off from his near overdose. There's a reason people overwhelmingly prefer the comfort, privacy and safety of their own car.

[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I wrote:

We need to aggressively transition away from fossil fuel dependence. We need transit

What you're saying confirms what I am saying. Our transit systems are shit. We need better transit, and we need more transit. And we need densification (as I also wrote), so that transit is efficient and reasonable. We need ways of organizing our cities that don't make the private car to be the most obvious and comfortable option. Transit and active transportation should be the most obvious and comfortable options.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 0 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I hear what you're saying but you haven't convinced me that people prefer to be in a public setting, over their own private transportation. Even if transit were clean and safe, I still want the option to drive when I want, where I want, listening to whatever I want, and picking up and dropping off whomever and whatever I want along the way. Transit will always been a poorer choice because it takes away all the freedom of driving which is why it will never be as popular.

[–] eestileib@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 days ago

Driving sucks, when you live near a bus stop or train station you dread having to drive.

[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It sounds like you just haven't experienced living in a place with good transit.

I'm not talking just about clean and safe. I'm talking about frequent, dense, and reliable. Good transit. In Montreal we don't even have an amazing transit system, just a decent one that covers only parts of the city, and I would never never drive to work except if I need to haul some heavy thing because who wants to deal with all that shit (traffic, parking, other drivers etc). On the regular I just hop on transit and watch youtube videos or read or whatever for 30 minutes. And that's at a place that could use a LOT (and I mean a LOT) of improvement.

"An advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use public transport." ~Enrique Penalosa

[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Most of Europe and Asia would disagree with you.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 0 points 2 days ago

Different country, different problem.