this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2025
663 points (96.0% liked)

The Shitpost Office

431 readers
1084 users here now

Welcome to The Shitpost Office

Shitposts processed from 9 to 5, with occasional overtime on weekends.

Rule 1: Be Civil, Not SinisterTreat others like fellow employees, not enemies in the breakroom.

  • No harassment, dogpiling, or brigading
  • No bigotry (transphobia, racism, sexism, etc.)
  • Respect people’s time and space. We’re here to laugh, not to loathe

Rule 2: No Prohibited PostageSome packages are simply undeliverable. That means:

  • No spam or scams
  • No porn or sexually explicit content
  • No illegal content
  • NSFW content must be properly tagged

If you see anything that violates these rules, please report it so we can return it to sender. Otherwise? Have fun, be silly, and enjoy the chaos. The office runs best when everyone’s laughing.... or retching over the stench, at least.

founded 1 month ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] DrSleepless@lemmy.world 65 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

Plus, as we’ve seen, it is much easier to escape the secret police on a bike

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net 51 points 3 weeks ago (13 children)

So for people criticising with rain, wind, snow, and groceries - none of these are nearly the issues you think they are, and there are a wide variety of bike configurations and gear that address these challenges.

The real issue is having to share the road with cars. I've just had too many close calls, and the growth of self-driving vehicles makes me more nervous to be on the road than ever.

Because of cars I hate being on the road whether in a car or on a bike, and every car that passes by automatically makes me tense up these days. I hope a new Carrington event makes all of them useless.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 15 points 3 weeks ago

Yes, weather is just a matter of gear, and these days the wet and cold weather gear is amazing. The best bike gear isn't cheap, but it's much cheaper than the typical repair on a car when something breaks. Panniers are an easy way to carry a lot of groceries with minimal effort. If someone has a huge family there are also cargo bike options. But, of course, with modern American cities, there might not be a grocery store in a reasonable biking range. There used to be mom-and pop grocery stores all over the place. And, in Europe it's pretty common for there to be a small grocery store within a 5 minute walk of your house.

But, North American roads are designed only for cars. Bicyclists and commuters pay taxes to maintain roads, but the roads are built for cars and trucks. To really feel safe on a bike, you need separated bike lanes. You build those, and people will use them.

In many places in North America, a bike lane is merely a thin strip of pavement that's centimetres from passing cars, and in the door zone of parked cars. Even in good weather that's dangerous. In bad weather it's truly awful. But, people still use those bike lanes. In fact, some people even bike and share the road with cars where the bike lanes don't exist. That should be a clue that people are dedicated to cycling, and if you built actual good bicycle infrastructure, a lot of people would use it.

load more comments (12 replies)
[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 30 points 3 weeks ago (21 children)

Snow and rain, but mostly snow.

Hills. I'm 60, and not getting younger, my knees are going.

Some people just can't. But, when I could, I did.

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I love the deluge of people trying to convince you to use a bike anyway. I’m getting old and live where it can hit -20° or worse, with snow and ice. Cold is almost half the year. There’s no fucking way I’d ride a bike for almost two hours each way in the cold when I have to go into the office, over a nice heated 18 minute car ride. Plus every day I bring a bag to and from the office, and some days 2-3 bags of stuff I pick up to bring home. I keto on that here or when I was on Reddit and some asshole will inevitably be like “YOU CAN HANDLE THE COLD AND ICE AND FOUR HOURS OUT KF YOUR DAY UR JUST WEAK” and those people are bad people I don’t like.

[–] rImITywR@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

ride a bike for almost two hours each way ... [or a] 18 minute car ride.

That's the problem we want to fix.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] pdqcp@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Have you thought about getting an ebike instead? My old folks got a pair and it completely changed the game for them

[–] turdcollector69@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Telling Grandma/grandpa to use an ebike in the snow or in lethal wet bulb temperatures isn't a real solution. It's great that it worked for your folks but it cannot work for mine.

It's not uncommon for population centers in the US to be basically uninhabitable without AC/climate control.

The air can be so saturated with water that you cannot evaporate sweat which is the primary way your body sheds heat.

It is unsafe for anyone, let alone the elderly, to travel in these conditions unless you have a vehicle with climate control.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (19 replies)
[–] titanicx@lemmy.zip 22 points 3 weeks ago (19 children)

This doesn't work if you have any distance to go. I spent 8 years without a car, and I'll never do that again. I love my bike, but no.

[–] unknownuserunknownlocation@kbin.earth 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That's... What you have trains for. If you have proper public transit, that need is covered. Oh, and you can get shit done while you're on the train. Or sleep. Or relax.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (18 replies)
[–] HerbSolo@lemmy.world 20 points 3 weeks ago (8 children)

It's the symbol of freedom because kids in north America are locked up until they start to drive. Since you can't walk or cycle without risking your life, parents have to drive their kids everywhere until they are old enough to drive. This then is perceived as liberation.

Of course car centric infrastructure is the reason you need to be driven in order to be safe. It's the product of decade long lobbying by the car industry.

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org 19 points 3 weeks ago (17 children)

It's less disability-friendly than a car, can't carry cargo, and can't transport passengers. You try to have a suburban family with just bicycles - especially if one of the kids has balance issues from early childhood onward. It's not possible. The automobile is viewed as the ultimate symbol of freedom because it can serve multiple roles and has a massive variability in speed.

[–] NoPanko@feddit.uk 71 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

“you try to have a suburban family with just bicycles”

Almost like those suburbs were designed around cars at the exclusion of all other transport

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Almost like those suburbs were designed around cars at the exclusion of all other transport

Absolutely true, but it's still where we are.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] BastingChemina@slrpnk.net 33 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

"Less disability friendly than a car"

I completely disagree but it's debatable.

What kind of handicap can allow you to drive but not bike ? Bike are extremely adaptable to any kind of handicap, to the point that they can basically be turned into an electric wheelchair.

can't carry cargo

I disagree again, it does carry way less cargo but can still carry cargo.

can't transport passengers

Why do we need to carry passagers ? Because a lot of people (child, elderly people, people without license) cannot drive and because car are expensive. If everyone can use a bike and the bike are so cheap that you can have a few aroumd for guests it greatly reduces the need for carrying assengers.

And you can still carry passagers on a bike, the best example is longtails bike that can carry an adult or several kids as passagers.

kid with balance issue

Longtail and tricycles.

Cars are amazing pieces of technology, they do have unique capabilities like doing unscheduled, flexible long distance drive, or carry a lot of cargo at once.

But for a lot of the daily living a bike (and proper bike infrastructure) would be way better suited to the situation.

[–] RushLana@lemmy.blahaj.zone 29 points 3 weeks ago

I want to add my experience to this :

I'm disabled, on a good day I just get tired pretty fast. On a bad day even walking hurt and I need to rest every 15 min or so. I can't drive because I have narcolepsia.

You would think that I would love getting around car but I don't. When everything is made for car I need to walk a lot more even if someone drives me because parkings tend to not have a lot of benches and everything is farther because parking take space. It also makes crossing street horrible because I have to wait a long time for cars to stop.

If everything is bike friendly dedicated transport is faster and can afford to stop exactly where I need it and when I need it. I can take the bus, tram or train if something is too far, and I can stop when I need because bus stop have benches. On top of that everything is closser together since there little or no parking so a 15 min walk get me to more places. If i need to take a lot of grocerie I can just take a chariot, the only downside is sometimes there is noisy kids in the bus but this is solved by noise canceling headphones.

I know this is my experience ( which is obviously not universal ) and public transit / bikes are not a silver bullet that fixes everything mobility wise but earing the "bike centric infrastructure is ableist" rant feels downright insulting when it's the thing that allow me to not depend on friends driving me.

[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 22 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (10 children)

E-bikes are great for people with disabilities who can balance and the elderly. I see old people zipping along on e-bikes a lot here in LA. For everyone else, public transit or para transit is often a better option than a car. A car that can accommodate a wheelchair or disabled driver is usually expensive.

[–] BastingChemina@slrpnk.net 11 points 3 weeks ago

Adult tricycles are great for people with balance issues.

load more comments (9 replies)
[–] the_q@lemmy.zip 11 points 3 weeks ago

There are 3 wheel trikes that help with some disabilities and balance issues, you absolutely can carry cargo with a bike and while you can't carry a family of 4 on a single bike you can on 2 bikes. I literally can't imagine being a contrarian about freaking bicycles.

load more comments (13 replies)
[–] MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca 18 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I miss cycling. I live in the middle of goddamned nowhere, so driving in mandatory to get anywhere relevant. I hate that this is the case, but there's just about fuck all I can do about it.

I will comment that I take issue with bikes being "cheap". If you ride a bike even remotely seriously, your bike is not cheap..... It might not be expensive, but you quickly realize why cheap bikes are cheap.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] _AutumnMoon_@lemmy.blahaj.zone 17 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 3 weeks ago

I live in Utrecht, The Netherlands. I can't park anywhere, my bike will be removed if not stalled in a bike parking spot. I do need insurance, my bike was 4k. There are bike traffic jams sometimes. The rest is all true. No parking fees, no road tax, etc. Just a bit wet sometimes. But my city has one of the best, if not the best bike infrastructure in the world. It's stupid it's not standard everywhere.

[–] AntEater@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 3 weeks ago

"Equipped with this tool, man outstrips the efficiency of not only all machines but all other animals as well."

Ivan Illich on the bicycle. Energy & Equity

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Out of curiosity:
What's that "note" a bike doesn't need?

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Bitcrazy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (5 children)

Bikes are cool and all, but no AC. And no good for a 40 mile highway commute. I also enjoy comfy seats and being able to easily and comfortably transport multiple people with a nice sound system etc…

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 22 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

And no good for a 40 mile highway commute.

Your infrastructure sucks.

[–] Bitcrazy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

You’re not wrong, but am trapped here. 🧐 Bikes will still never be as comfortable or have entertainment like a car unfortunately. There’s just something different about driving and playing music.

[–] PlexSheep 10 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Headphones exist.

And confort of trains will always be categorically better because you literally only have to get in and do nothing until you're there.

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social 9 points 3 weeks ago

What's even better is sitting in an even-more-comfy chair, listening to a better stereo system... at home.

What's interesting is that when everybody went to remote work during the pandemic, lots of bike commuters would start their day with a ride to the office and back, because the ride itself was fun. I didn't hear of car commuters doing that, or people at any time enjoying the process of commute driving. We have to add plush lounge chairs and entertainment systems and sensory-friendly interiors to cars to make the experience somewhat palatable, and even then, the distraction of a phone is irresistible for many drivers. Hell, the tech bros promise that they can even automate away the actual driving part, and people are excited by the prospect.

Sounds to me like a car will never hold a candle to a simple bike as far as enjoyment.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] alsimoneau@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 weeks ago

By those metrics, a tram wins.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] Ledivin@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

"Probably one of the most fuel efficient vehicles in existence" is one of the dumbest takes I've ever seen. The human body is a ridiculously inefficient machine.

[–] QuinnyCoded@sh.itjust.works 38 points 3 weeks ago

my BODY is a MACHINE that turns PIZZA into WHEEL ROTATION

[–] cubism_pitta@lemmy.world 24 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (11 children)

sort of the human body is pretty inefficient but a 20 mile bicycle ride can burn around 1000 calories while a gallon of fuel contains 31,000 calories.

http://berkscountynature.org/calories_in_gallon.html

I am not a chemical engineer so I am not sure how equivalent these two measurements are... I mean for starters I can eat 1000 calories... but I think if I tried to get 1000 calories by consuming gasoline; I would die.

load more comments (11 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›