[gitanovic]

That's bollocks, it's more that the vast majority of people who buys a cargo bike is a bike enthusiast to start with.

Case in point I am not, I was convinced to buy a cargo bike, and I still like my car very much, particularly when it's rainy and/or cold

Still like the bike in warm summer days, but in winter... only car

[lucioperca]

I use my cargo bicycle everyday because I never bothered to buy a car after Uni and cars where I live would be a major pain because of traffic and parking near my flat. I do have car sharing though. I would not consider me a bike enthusiast, but I like to get my metabolism going in the morning compared to car travel. Weather is no problem, you just need to dress accordingly. Many people in my city do cycle everyday. I play basketball twice a week and 80% of the players arrive by bicycle.

[genman]

Many people live in places where weather is not favorable. Also in your example these are people who actively prefer physically active lifestyle - it's called selection bias, and I bet that they don't have long commute.

Nothing against bicycles here, just pointing out that it is not a solution for everyone.

[lucioperca]

Weather should work for most places in the world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URMQ0d286hY

Well, basically it all comes down to density and infrastructure if people will use other means of transportation. Bicycle accounts for 1/3 of all trips city wide.

Forcing people to active by either (partly) walking or cycling has great benefits for the public.

[tzs]

Careful. Because it works in a very cold place doesn't mean it works in a place that is not as cold.

Here (Pacific Northwest coastal areas) winters don't get cold enough for long enough to freeze the ground. We don't get a lot of snow but when we do it often starts as snow that is barely frozen. It melts and we get a layer of water on top of roads. Then if the air temperature drops to near freezing as the storm progresses that layer of water freezes, and gets covered with snow, We end up with snow on top of big patches of ice.

Compare to places where they get frozen ground and the air too spends a lot of time below freezing. They get snow on top of frozen ground instead of snow on top of an ice layer.

Fortunately we only get days where the air is cold enough to keep the ground heat from keeping the ground clear a few days a year and with plenty of warning so most people can just avoid traveling then.

[genman]

What is their accident rate during winter? Cycling on ice is something I definitely will avoid even when the wheels are spiked.

I have seen this passive/aggressive policing in my city against the car commuters (I'm using public transport mainly) while the main cause of the problem is not the commuters but the city that doesn't encourage enough residential real estate development near the large office hubs.

[lucioperca]

City does a reasonable jobs getting rid of ice and snow. My guess the increase is not higher as with other modes of transportation.

[jounker]

You mean places like the Netherlands?

[genman]

It appears to work for them, but they have also relatively mild weather, much better than in my city for example.

[jojobas]

What's the coldest your city gets?

[tcfhgj]

My case -20°C. Prefer that to 30°C +

[lucioperca]

-10°C

[willsmith72]

"Study finds ..."

"That's bollocks, I still like my car very much"

A completely valid study can find something to be true, one person's anecdote doesn't change the result.

Doesn't mean this isn't a valid study, but "it's bollocks because I don't think so" is not really a scientific reaction

[Clubber]

https://csts.ua.edu/ama/more-doctors-smoke-camels/

[zaphirplane]

True and to further nit pick, a study‘s conclusion is not always a fact.

By now we know that Studies confuse correlation with causation, fail to isolate correctly, are paid for by vested interests, are not reproducible or fabricated

Not to be too tin foil but that’s how it is, so it’s ok to call BS but I get your view that calling anything we don’t like BS leads no where

[stinos]

While this might be true, you'd have to study that as well to be sure. So essentially the question is what would happen if you for instance in a city take people from across the population and force them to use a cargo bike.

[gitanovic]

That is a study I'd sponsor :D

Joking apart (for I am joking, I'd never sponsor something that forces people to do things they don't want) My only point is that whenever I read something like this... well it stinks, because it goes against what I perceive as common sense.

Someone took my first comment too seriously, my point being that after so many studies read, weighted, measured and found wanting... I don't want to waste my time reading something that doesn't pass the smell test.

Who did they interview? People who have cargo bikes Do they like them? Yes they bought them and either liked them to begin with, or are rationalizing, then there is a minority who's objective.

Ask people with Mercedes what's the car brand they like the most.

For example: I drive an Alfa Romeo and once I was stopped by a guy (in Germany) that asked me if I wanted to join a Italian Car Club... and he was the proud driver of a FIAT Tipo, not a car I'd buy for it's beauty or one I'd show in a car club, yet he liked it, and we are discussing a study that hinges on what people like?

EDIT: just to say... I agree with you, there's a bit of selection bias at work here

[NicoJuicy]

Depends.

Electric cargo bikes could replace a lot of 'city' traffic for many people. Definitely in countries like Belgium / The Netherlands where there is a bigger cycling culture.

It mostly handles the use-case of "larger grocery shopping".

The long distance travelling is still the one that will require most people to own a car.

TLDR: From my observation. I use my car for 2 things:

- Larger shopping for cheaper goods ( supermarket). Electric Cargo bikes could fix this.

- Further distances > 20 km.

Edit: After my comment, I started reading the article and it's similar to what the article claims:

> It's not likely to totally replace your car, nor will it probably be your only bike. But access to a cargo bike can reduce car trips, and even car ownership, a study from Germany suggests.