Also can’t get groceries
Americans unironically believe this. Pathetic
Comment on Murica
heavydust@sh.itjust.works 16 hours ago
inexpensive
lol, most bikes nowadays cost $1000. Also stolen every time so you have to call Uber. Also can’t get groceries or take the highway.
less likely to kill
More likely to be killed.
GissaMittJobb@lemmy.ml 15 hours ago
webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 14 hours ago
There are a few grocery stores in a 30 minute range. But none we could continue to afford long term.
The two which we can afford are an hour away.
Why i chose to live here? It was the only place we could realistically afford.
I am neither considered poor nor do i own/drive a car. (My partner already did before they met me) for perspective. We also have full jobs and kids. So very little time for small trips.
I blame urban planning and townhall. There is a small discounter who has made repeated requests to expand near our area with repeated refusals because “we already have to many (wealthy class) supermarkets”
TheKMAP@lemmynsfw.com 13 hours ago
can’t afford food thinks isn’t poor
TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee 10 hours ago
bruh you live in a food desert
webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 7 hours ago
Not if i had money. Theres a reasonably big store a 15 minute walk away and the few times i am there for an emergency and see the markup they demand for the same products my hate for capitalism grows.
feannag@sh.itjust.works 14 hours ago
Its difficult to buy a week’s worth of groceries on a bike, which is often the norm in the US partly because of the car-centric nature. It’s a trip or ordeal to get groceries.
GissaMittJobb@lemmy.ml 13 hours ago
I routinely buy a week’s worth of groceries on my bike. Every week.
feannag@sh.itjust.works 12 hours ago
For a family or just for yourself? I guess I was thinking through the lens of buying for a whole family, which I know I would struggle to do on my bike.
MichaelScotch@lemmy.world 15 hours ago
lol, do you think $1000 is expensive compared to a $30k car? I ride daily and have never had to “call uber” because my bike got stolen. I get groceries on my bike every week. Why would you want to take the highway on a bike? You know what’s most likely to kill? Heart disease from sitting on your fat lazy ass
yourgodlucifer@sh.itjust.works 5 hours ago
I used to get all of my groceries by bike I did this by adding 2 baskets to the sides of the rear rack and one to the front and wearing a backpack if I am getting a lot of stuff larger items can be attached to the rack with bungee cords
You might be surprised by how much you can Carry by bike and this wasn’t even a cargo bike either
introvertcatto@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 hours ago
I mean you could attach trailer on bike drive that way, it would be slower but works
spankmonkey@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
Or baskets to carry a reasonable amount of groceries.
qjkxbmwvz@startrek.website 15 hours ago
You can ride your bike on many highways in the USA at least. Generally you cannot on the freeway, but there are some exceptions — in California there are requirements about bike accessibility which means that certain segments of a freeway may be bike accessible.
If you live far from a store then groceries are a problem unless you use a trailer, but if you live in a city it’s totally reasonable to use a bike (or walk) for your weekly groceries.
And you can get a new Trek FX for under $600, and that’s just from a quick search. Yes of you want Ultegra or better and a carbon frame, the sky is the limit.
htrayl@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
The average American spends $10k YEARLY on car. You could buy a new bike every month and still end up paying less.
GissaMittJobb@lemmy.ml 13 hours ago
JokeDeity@lemm.ee 15 hours ago
Most bikes now cost about $100 brand new at the store unless you’re buying some specialty shit. Less likely to kill is if both people are on bikes, should have been obvious.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 15 hours ago
$100 means you’re buying Walmart crap. Don’t do that, they are super poor quality, which means they’re as likely to break as get you to your destination.
Buy from a quality brand and spend $500-1000 or so. You’ll be much happier and it’ll last longer.
9point6@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
You had me curious so I just went on Facebook marketplace and searched “bike”
The first screen of results was all bikes under £100
You realise you don’t need to buy a carbon fiber Tour de France bike to get around a town, right?
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 15 hours ago
Sure, but you should get something better than a big box bike so it doesn’t suck to ride. Get what you can afford, but you’ll be so much happier with something $500+ from a decent brand than Walmart crap.
infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 15 hours ago
My bike coop is full of very dependable, freshly tuned bikes that average around $150, built with love and care by expiriend mechanics. If you have issues with your bike, those same mechanics will guide you through the process of fixing it and give you access to every tool you could possibly need to do so, all for free.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 15 hours ago
Oh yeah, if you have a local coop, do that. Just avoid stores like Walmart and Target.
Lupus@feddit.org 15 hours ago
Meh, disagree. The bike I liked the most was the one I bought used for 15€ from a dude down the street, brought it to the old grandpa who fixes bikes for cheap for fun, paid him 35€ for some maintenance, check the gearbox, new brake saddles, oil everything up.
50€ in total, awesome city bike, although a bit heavy and without all the fancy shit, but I just left it chained to a lamp in the street, nobody wants to steal a 50yo bike and even if, it was just 15€. When I moved to a different city I sold it to my neighbor for 15€ again. He still uses it from what I hear.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 15 hours ago
You probably got a quality bike for a steal then. I mention a price range because you’re much less likely to get something that’ll fall apart in a few months.
As long as you avoid big box brands (Huffy and whatnot), you’ll be fine. You can get a decent used Surly or Giant or something for $200-300 if you know what to look for, but that’s also the range for crappy big box bikes new, so I increase the number to $500.
hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 hours ago
You can get pretty good deals under 500, at least here in Europe ($ to € relatively close).
A local shop here for example has some fully serviced and functional, partially modernized, 90s mountain bikes between 200 to 400 eur
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 13 hours ago
Yeah, you absolutely can. I got my kid a great bike for $200, because I knew what to look for.
But your average person will just go to the store to buy something, and $500 keeps them away from most of the trash out there. If you have a bike loving friend, they can probably find you a great deal under $500.
iltg@sh.itjust.works 14 hours ago
not really, for daily commutes any piece of junk that brakes and rolls will do. rode only ~50 bucks bikes for the last five-ish years, old city bikes are indestructible
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 14 hours ago
How far was your commute? If it’s like 2-3 miles, yeah, you should be fine, because you could just walk when something breaks. If it’s 5-10 miles, that’s a lot less feasible.
My commute went through some farmland for a few miles, far from the bus lines, so having something more reliable was more important. I spent about $500 and put thousands of miles on it over the first few years of ownership. The only issues I had were flat tires, so I put on denser tires and that went away (Schwalbe Marathon Plus). I would average 15-20mph, depending on wind, and I don’t race or anything like that.
A big box bike might work okay for a while, or maybe the person who put it together did it wrong. Even if it’s put together right, they use crappy components so it’ll be a giant pain to ride vs a better bike. They’re heavy, have lots of friction in the drive train, the tires are crap, and shifting often breaks after a year or so.
Even with a $500+ bike, you’ll save money, and probably on your first year if it’s replacing a car or bus. Do yourself a favor and get a lower end bike from a quality brand.