Originally Posted by
jon c.
Bicycles were not a dominant transportation mode before everyone had a car. Hard to imagine that happening now. E-bikes may have a modest impact on reducing auto travel in metropolitan areas. A small reduction is auto usage is the most one can hope for.
I live in a rural area, roughly 10 miles from anything. I love riding for pleasure but for practical transportation I'll always be in a motor vehicle.
Before the automobile, horses were the dominant mode of travel. Bicycles were popular because they were just as convenient with none of the cost or upkeep a horse required. It was only mass production that shifted the cost/convenience curve in favor of automobiles.
Livin' 10 miles out of town, you can still ride a horse for your errands. Sure is cheaper than a car these days and probably healthy for the horse to get out of the barn once in a while.