A reader makes a solid point:
One aspect that seems to be missing in the conversation about biking to work is the huge difference in daily weather we have in the United States. I live in Houston. The high today, depending on which weather site you look at, is either 98, 99, or 100 degrees. While we are currently in a severe drought, the summer is predicted to be a wet one (knock on wood). So your talking about about riding a bike on days when the temperature and humidity are extremely high. On those days, I get sweaty just walking from my car in the parking lot, and contrary to what one of your readers said, most people I know do not have easy access to showers at work. Sorry. No bike riding to work for me.
Then there are the hills – more of them in US cities than the notoriously flat Amsterdam:
Your reader who cited the examples of Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Groningen, etc. is offering an apples and oranges comparison with the US. All those places have relatively mild temperatures and are flat. Indeed, Holland and Denmark are possibly the flattest countries in the world, and northern Germany isn't too much different.
Subject the citizens of these cities to hills and 97 degree temperatures like we had in Washington yesterday and rest assured the story would change completely. Personally, even when the weather is in the low-80s I still turn into a sweaty mess simply pedaling from the Whole Foods up to Columbia Heights, which takes less than 10 minutes.
Too true. I use a bike for everything. But around now until September, you can barely walk, let alone bike, a block in DC without getting drenched in sweat. Mercifully, most subway trains are air conditioned.
(Photo: Amsterdamize)
The Dish 