Imagining a World Without Cars | Mobility & Capitalism

AdamEatsAss , 3 months ago

It always comes down to city planning. Cities planned around being walkable, dense, mixed, and human centric see less driving. Cities planned around maximizing private land ownership see more driving.

pipows , 3 months ago

Also geography. I live in a hilly place, and walking/biking is tiring. Good for exercise, but not so fun for commuting

AdamEatsAss , 3 months ago

If the distance is short enough it wouldn't matter.

ada , 3 months ago

If only cargo bikes like the one in the picture didn't cost as much as a small car

SorteKanin , 3 months ago

They don't where I live, though they aren't cheap. But within reach for most people that needs one I'd say.

lgsp , 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago)

This is an ill argument: the cost of buying a new cargo bike may be in the same ballpark of a badly used small car, but the cost of running it is negligible.
Try to sum up the following yearly costs:

• gas
• insurance
• property tax
• maintenance
• parking

You end up with something like between 1k€ and 3k€ each year. Multiply this by the years you want to keep your (badly used) car, and then compare the total price

ada , 3 months ago

It's not an "ill argument". I don't drive a car and never have, so I don't pay any of the costs of running a car and I won't be paying them when I get a cargo bike either. The issue isn't the total lifetime cost, but the initial upfront cost. I just don't have $15,000 to spend on a bike

lgsp , 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago)

I didn't write that you drove anything, what I wrote has nothing to do with who you are or what you do, just what you wrote.

• You wrote about cost, not "upfront" or buying cost. And as a matter of fact to run a car you have to consider everything
• cargo bikes like the one in the picture cost 15k$? really? And why would you need that?
  • Tern cargo bikes top at about 5k$, a third of what you mention
  • Bullit cargo bikes top at 8k$

And you know, you can buy second hand cargo bikes too? I don't think that 15k$ can buy a new car, can they?

ada , 3 months ago

I am eyeing off a specific style of cargo ebike.

I happened to see it in the thumbnail of the video.

It is very expensive compared to regular bikes, which I have bought many of over the years.

So I made a comment lamenting about the expensive price tag for that specific style of bike I happen to be interested in.

It wasn't a meta commentary on cargo bikes in general. It wasn't a complaint about total cost of ownership. It wasn't anything other than "I want one of those, but it's expensive.

Chill out

lgsp , 3 months ago

Ok, no bad feelings. You do know tho that "it costs like a car" is a typical anti-cargo bike argument, right?

I also think and agree that cargo bikes are expensive, much more than a typical bike, but why you mentioned 15k? Is it the actual price of that bike? I'm just curious...

ada , 3 months ago

You do know tho that “it costs like a car” is a typical anti-cargo bike argument, right?

No, I was unaware of that particular dog whistle, which explains why I got the reaction I did.

Thank you for the heads up.

tavu , 3 months ago

They're a little pricey I suppose, but judging by a few minutes comparing gumtree listings for hatchback cars and cargo bikes:

< 20% the cost of a hatchback in analogous condition/age/fanciness.

ada , 3 months ago

To be clear, I was explicitly talking about cargo bikes like the one in the video thumbnail.

It was a lamentation that the specific style of bike I want, that is featured in that video, is so expensive.

It wasn't a meta commentary on total cost of ownership, or cargo bikes in general.

agegamon , 3 months ago

Yeah, I agree that there aren't many budget cargo-in-front options yet (none that I could find in 5 sec of googling).

enobacon , 3 months ago

Compared to used car prices, unfortunately there are not many used cargo bikes. I think the cheapest new option would be like the unfinished project I'm riding, which is fine on small hills or if you don't mind working hard sometimes, top assist speed 15mph (+~$500 more = moar⚡)

$3k acoustic supercargo, 440lb max load yubabikes.com/cargobikestore/supercargo/

• $570 tiny 250W 190Wh #eBike wheel ➕ torque arm hilltopperbikes.com/product/sprinter-12-mile-24v-electric-bike-kit-copy/

@agegamon @ada