8 Reasons why People Don’t Ride Bikes

[Chris Nolte]

This is part of a series of videos we filmed with Benno Baenziger, the founder of Benno Bikes and an industry icon who founded Electra bikes and designed the Townie which ended up becoming the most popular bike in the US.

He's helping to define the ebike market and I’m excited to share some of his ideas with you.

what do you guys thing? Any other reasons? I think these are the main ones.

 

[Over50]

...
what do you guys thing? Any other reasons? I think these are the main ones.

Status. I think in US culture riding a bike for transportation is seen by some as an indication of failure.

 

[TMH]

Status. I think in US culture riding a bike for transportation is seen by some as an indication of failure.

You are probably on to something there. Most folks in the U.S. have never priced a Stromer or an R&M or (insert brand of other expensive e-bike here). That might change some opinions!

 

[Art Deco]

You are probably on to something there. Most folks in the U.S. have never priced a Stromer or an R&M or (insert brand of other expensive e-bike here). That might change some opinions!

Nope. At least for the Lexus and up riders, bike = cheap.

 

[Solom01]

Sure, safety. The death rate for pedestrians and cyclists is the highest it has ever been. With very few protected lanes in most places and distracted drivers, whether you wear a helmet or not isn’t worth squat when you get hit by a 3 ton SUV.

 

[Art Deco]

one word ... spandex

 

[Explorer-1]

Bike theft

 

[baxterblack]

cyclists and pedestrians safety is the biggest issue -WAY too many people texting looking down only scanning for cars

 

[revelpaul]

Comfort. People want to hop in their living room on wheels with comfy seat and crank the A/C (or heat).
Oh and a lot of people complain that the wind/helmet messes up their hair.
Perhaps there isn't much we can do to persuade this segment of the population.

 

[Cowlitz]

The seat is not comfy.
It is too hot in the Summer and too cold in the Winter. In the winter, I don't want to ride on icy streets. Make that weather.

 

[Alex M]

what do you guys thing? Any other reasons?

2 more reasons:
1) Time and comfort on long commute - on most highways in rush hour you're still doing 30 mph or more, 30 miles on a bike (bypassing the traffic) will take 1 hour on a saddle - a pain.
2) Convenience. It's not just "can't carry enough" but overall convenience - you can shop multiple places with a car, filling the trunk or back seat as you go. Can't leave your stuff in a bike.

All his 8 reasons are valid for regular bikes and haven't disappeared for ebikes, except for "too hilly" - ebike eliminates this problem, at least in most US cities.

 

[Alex M]

Sure, safety. The death rate for pedestrians and cyclists is the highest it has ever been. With very few protected lanes in most places and distracted drivers, whether you wear a helmet or not isn’t worth squat when you get hit by a 3 ton SUV.

Dangers or cycling VS driving are obvious.
Dangers of walking are less clear. There are more pedestrian fatalities than drivers' per mile, but total pedestrian fatalities are several times lower than drivers' because we don't walk nearly as many miles as we drive, so - realistically - walking is safer than driving.

It is also interesting that total pedestrian fatalities were dropping for 20 years from 1990 to 2009 - then they began rising again and now are about same high as in 1990. The author attributes this to trucks and SUV becoming more popular. Here is the Article.

 

[bikeman242]

Anybody who has biked around Copenhagen / Denmark will know the obvious reason why people in the USA do not ride bikes.

The infrastructure around the cities/towns/localities for safe and convenient bike riding simply isn't there.

Thread closed.

 

[Oberst]

This is interesting:

Seattle will permanently close 20 miles of residential streets to most vehicle traffic — The Seattle Times

The streets had been closed temporarily to through traffic to provide more space for people to walk and bike at a safe distance apart during the coronavirus pandemic.

apple.news

 

[dblhelix]

Status. I think in US culture riding a bike for transportation is seen by some as an indication of failure.

Probably once per long tour someone will come up to me to give me money bc they think I‘m homeless. It always happens in areas where I don‘t see people on any kind of bikes.

 

[Sierratim]

Convenience is a part of it. Jumping in your car is just easier than getting your bike helmet, gloves, panniers, etc. The car is rain tight, your bike, not so much. We get ~60 inches of rain yearly. I'll ride in some light rain, but take the car when it's pouring, which is fairly often in the wet season.

I would think safety would be another top issue. As @bikeman242 pointed out, the cycling infrastructure in the states is not well developed. Unless you restrict your riding to the few dedicated trails that are available near you, you are going to end up riding with cars whose drivers aren't paying attention or just don't care. Sections of busy streets without at least bike lanes will be unavoidable. Some people just don't to deal with this so they take their car.

 

[Alex M]

Wouldn't that depend on your city's cycling infrastructure though?

Your assumption is, if you were to get hit by a car, you would rather be in a car than a bicycle.

It's a reality, mechanics, not an assumption. Drivers fare better (much better) than cyclists, in a cycle-car accident.
Some cities are better than others, some local areas are better than others, but an average US town doesn't have an adequate cycling or pedestrian infrastructure, so it is dangerous.

 

[Ebiker01]

pizza, Mcdonalds, laziness, Football, couch potatoes, Alchool, mass media, internet, medical scams, Hollywood, inability to fix a flat tire for over 90% of population..

Enough reasons i think . Oh and the SUV's ... sooo a culture created for destruction not creation.

 

[sc00ter]

It's funny, we have almost the same discussion on the motor scooter forums. Why wont more people ride a scooter? I think image comes first. If someone doesn't wanna be seen on a scooter or ebike as an adult, nothing will change them. It's to late for them. Shame as most people don't know what their missing. The second problem is danger. I know people who really want to ride either a bicycle or ebike for commuting but as cars get faster/larger and drivers get distracted more, drive with no insurance and let their vehicles go into a state of disrepair (my state is thinking of DROPPING state inspections) its just not safe, and it seems to be getting worse. Plus safe bike paths are far and few around here. We're making some progress but its still no great.

 

[Oberst]

It's funny, we have almost the same discussion on the motor scooter forums. Why wont more people ride a scooter? I think image comes first. If someone doesn't wanna be seen on a scooter or ebike as an adult, nothing will change them. It's to late for them. Shame as most people don't know what their missing. The second problem is danger. I know people who really want to ride either a bicycle or ebike for commuting but as cars get faster/larger and drivers get distracted more, drive with no insurance and let their vehicles go into a state of disrepair (my state is thinking of DROPPING state inspections) its just not safe, and it seems to be getting worse. Plus safe bike paths are far and few around here. We're making some progress but its still no great.

they just need to see a young Sting on a scooter to think cool