Originally Posted by
cyccommute
So its less of a case of not “wanting” to bicycle commute than “not being able to” bicycle commute. That’s two very different things. It’s okay if you don’t want to but please don’t say you can’t.
Again, most cities weren’t really “designed” for cars. Most of them…at least a substantial proportion of the city…existed before cars came into being. Yes, there are towns that were designed and built after cars came into being but, for the most cities, cars were added in after the city was built. Denver, for example, has about a 10 to 15 mile diameter (that’s 175 square miles) that existed prior to cars. Even the suburbs that Denver grew to meet existed prior to cars and have their own areas designed for other traffic than cars.
A “lifestyle cyclist” will make even those places that were designed for cars someplace they can, and will, ride.
Oh I never said I can't. It's a lame excuse that I don't bike to work, and yet I cannot convince myself to do it over driving. The whole point of my post was that if an experienced cyclist/commuter like myself can find such a feeble excuse to not ride, then I can't blame beginners with more legitimate concerns for not trying.
I still think of myself as a lifestyle cyclist from years gone by even though it's no longer much of a lifestyle for me. I've just come to terms with the fact that I don't live in a as cycling-friendly part of town as I used to. My roadie, gravel bike, MTB, and city bikes still get the occasional spin, but I've just given up (for now) trying to make my surroundings something that it's not (a place conducive to a two-wheeled lifestyle). I see folks trying, and I applaud and support from my keyboard.