Comments on bikePHL: What's stopping you from riding?

Mine is riding after dark by myself (as a girl). C...

2010-09-28T23:12:04.173-04:00

Mine is riding after dark by myself (as a girl). Class gets out late and I ride 2 miles back through CC and then to the art museum area. Anybody know anything about women riding alone after dark?

My biggest obstacle is weather. I've ridden in...

2009-12-26T22:00:06.950-05:00

My biggest obstacle is weather. I've ridden in the rain, and while I don't mind getting rained on, I hate the extra work involved in caring for my bike after it's been out in the rain/snow.
I'm hoping a regular washing/maintenance schedule will help me get over my "fear" of ruining my bike in the rain and snow so I can just ride whenever I want!

i'm new to the area and was previously living ...

2009-12-18T21:01:39.884-05:00

i'm new to the area and was previously living in a bike-friendly town, i.e. bike lanes, bike paths, and drivers that were accustomed to/comfortable with/tolerant of sharing the road with bicyclists. I arrived here in the midst of what seems like a pretty hostile cyclist/driver climate and I'm intimidated by it. I tend to play it safe and follow the rules so as not to confuse the drivers, but i haven't wanted to brave these roads until i know my way around.

While I now consider myself an all-weather, all-oc...

2009-12-18T13:49:58.812-05:00

While I now consider myself an all-weather, all-occasion bike for transport type, that wasn't always the case. I think the biggest impediments for me were:

1. Owning a car. As long as I had a car to drive, it seemed like an easier option. While car-free is not for everyone, finding out that many, many people in Philadelphia don't own cars inspired me to make that change.

2. Weather. Riding in rain or snow is daunting, but I found that once I got some good rain gear I felt a lot more confident.