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Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

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Re: Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

#11

Post by whatshisface »

TomK32 wrote: post #8
kaitai wrote: post #4

This is a really interesting read for me, as I'm considering the purchase of a cargo bike. Apparently, I fit the stereotype pretty well -- highly-educated urban coffee-drinker (no yoga, no vegetarianism, though). The cargo bike would solve the problem of hauling hardware-store purchases home with kid and sans car. But they're expensive! 1.5 or 2 thousand dollars! So for now we're making do with the bus and the stroll…

yes, they are expensive, but once you have a cargo bike you can carry home a tig welder, alu pipes and all the other stuff to build a cargo bike :D No seriously, they are expensive but if you look at craigslist and similar, they keep their value if you take care of your bike. and regarding road safety, ride in the right tire-mark left by the cars. you'll be safe from dooring and cars have to slow down and change lane…

>ride in the right tire-mark left by the cars.

If you're going to do that, why not just ride in the center of the lane like a motorcycle?

Re: Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

#12

Post by edoceo »

whatshisface wrote: post #11
TomK32 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes, they are expensive, but once you have a cargo bike you can carry home a tig welder, alu pipes and all the other stuff to build a cargo bike :D No seriously, they are expensive but if you look at craigslist and similar, they keep their value if you take care of your bike. and regarding road safety, ride in the right tire-mark left by the cars. you'll be safe from dooring and cars have to slow down and change lane…

> ride in the right tire-mark left by the cars. If you're going to do that, why not just ride in the center of the lane like a motorcycle?

The center of the lane is slick with oil drippings, especially after rain. Right side tire rut is visible in rear-view mirror.

Re: Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

#13

Post by 1over137 »

whatshisface wrote: post #11
TomK32 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes, they are expensive, but once you have a cargo bike you can carry home a tig welder, alu pipes and all the other stuff to build a cargo bike :D No seriously, they are expensive but if you look at craigslist and similar, they keep their value if you take care of your bike. and regarding road safety, ride in the right tire-mark left by the cars. you'll be safe from dooring and cars have to slow down and change lane…

> ride in the right tire-mark left by the cars. If you're going to do that, why not just ride in the center of the lane like a motorcycle?

Riding in the centre of a lane is illegal in many places.

Re: Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

#14

Post by 1over137 »

kaitai wrote: post #4

This is a really interesting read for me, as I'm considering the purchase of a cargo bike. Apparently, I fit the stereotype pretty well -- highly-educated urban coffee-drinker (no yoga, no vegetarianism, though). The cargo bike would solve the problem of hauling hardware-store purchases home with kid and sans car. But they're expensive! 1.5 or 2 thousand dollars! So for now we're making do with the bus and the stroll…

Expensive compared to a regular bike, but cheap compared to a car.

Re: Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

#15

Post by noelwelsh »

kaitai wrote: post #4

This is a really interesting read for me, as I'm considering the purchase of a cargo bike. Apparently, I fit the stereotype pretty well -- highly-educated urban coffee-drinker (no yoga, no vegetarianism, though). The cargo bike would solve the problem of hauling hardware-store purchases home with kid and sans car. But they're expensive! 1.5 or 2 thousand dollars! So for now we're making do with the bus and the stroll…

If you haven't considered it already, a bike trailer is likely to be a cheaper alternative to a cargo bike. I've had a bike trailer for years. Mine is a Croozer 2. I transported my kids to nursery in it, and did supermarket runs etc. The tradeoff is it is an extra thing you have to worry about. It's much less convenient to park / lock-up than just the bike on its own. Regardless, I'm looking forward to getting it out when we more to a more bike-friendly place in a month.

Re: Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

#16

Post by bluejekyll »

1over137 wrote: post #13
whatshisface wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ride in the right tire-mark left by the cars. If you're going to do that, why not just ride in the center of the lane like a motorcycle?

Riding in the centre of a lane is illegal in many places.

Where? In CA a cyclist has as much right to the road as a car. A mistake I often see cyclists make is to allow themselves to be stuck in a very narrow space between the center of the lane and the edge of the road/curb/parked cars.

When the road is too narrow, and there isn’t a safe place for a car to pass you, it’s important to consume the space in a way that makes it obvious to cars that they should not attempt to pass you.

Yes, there are some a-holes this pisses off because they had to slow down and lose 30 seconds of their day, but it’s far safer, and worth being honked at.

Re: Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

#17

Post by st26 »

Does anyone know why dads riding these are called "soft"? I've never ridden a cargo bike, but it takes strong legs & constitution to regularly tow a kid or utility trailer more than a few miles.

Is it just that whole notion that fathers who are involved with their children are not masculine?

Re: Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

#18

Post by rgrieselhuber »

st26 wrote: post #17

Does anyone know why dads riding these are called "soft"? I've never ridden a cargo bike, but it takes strong legs & constitution to regularly tow a kid or utility trailer more than a few miles. Is it just that whole notion that fathers who are involved with their children are not masculine?

I'd imagine it has to do with symbolically giving up the role of predator to nurture children.

Re: Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

#19

Post by Symbiote »

kaitai wrote: post #4

This is a really interesting read for me, as I'm considering the purchase of a cargo bike. Apparently, I fit the stereotype pretty well -- highly-educated urban coffee-drinker (no yoga, no vegetarianism, though). The cargo bike would solve the problem of hauling hardware-store purchases home with kid and sans car. But they're expensive! 1.5 or 2 thousand dollars! So for now we're making do with the bus and the stroll…

Check the resale value. In Denmark, cargo bikes hold their value very well in the second hand market.

Re: Cargo bikes as symbolic markers of egalitarian gender roles

#20

Post by sharpercoder »

noelwelsh wrote: post #15
kaitai wrote: post #4

This is a really interesting read for me, as I'm considering the purchase of a cargo bike. Apparently, I fit the stereotype pretty well -- highly-educated urban coffee-drinker (no yoga, no vegetarianism, though). The cargo bike would solve the problem of hauling hardware-store purchases home with kid and sans car. But they're expensive! 1.5 or 2 thousand dollars! So for now we're making do with the bus and the stroll…

If you haven't considered it already, a bike trailer is likely to be a cheaper alternative to a cargo bike. I've had a bike trailer for years. Mine is a Croozer 2. I transported my kids to nursery in it, and did supermarket runs etc. The tradeoff is it is an extra thing you have to worry about. It's much less convenient to park / lock-up than just the bike on its own. Regardless, I'm looking forward to getting it out…

A bike trailer has the dangerous property of not being in your peripheral vision. I personally would never transport kids in a bike trailer; I have seen my sister (her daughters) get into hurtful situations and potentially dangerous situations. Whenever you can spend more for a front-load cargobike, I would highly advise to do so.
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