Look, I love bikes- I ride them, fix them, dream about them, but honestly, as a former electrician I can also acknowledge that it would be severely limiting to do that job on a bike.
If you’re working on domestic then you need a few ladders, a couple of hundred kilos of tools, at least 3 rolls of different cables, and a small shop of various outlets etc. not to mention that ducking out to the wholesalers to pick up something to finish a job would take 1hr instead of 10 min.Industrial electrician would just be funny - imagine cycling across town with a 500kg variable speed drive or switchboard on your pushy…
I couldn’t do the job efficiently with a sedan, let alone something with a fraction of the capacity. Also - where does the apprentice sit?
Also - where does the apprentice sit?
They’re the ones pedaling
I think it depends on the work that you are doing. I’m currently working as a journeyman and the most I need to bring is my hand tools. If you need to carry more the company will likely give a vehicle, but the vast majority of people drive their personal vehicles only to transport themselves and their hand tools.
I learned about cargo bikes a few days ago…and yeah, they look like a real alternative to cars.
Electrified ones especially, but tradespeople in my area often need to drive 100+ miles a day. Carrying ladders, extension cords, cordless tools, and a couple hundred pounds of other parts and supplies.
It’s also our lunch spot (for those that pack our own) and runabout to get a missing part when needed.
In a city, for handyman work, I could probably set something up and be comfortable and happy. Outside that it’s a stretch and would require changing a lot, or simply offsetting the heavy vehicle use to another user.
I’m in Vietnam right now, and let me tell you, trades people can definitely carry tools around on a bike. The huge loads they carry here are impressive.
However, the reality is, in say Australia, that tradesperson has about 2.5 tonnes of tools, and no bike anywhere is going to be able to lug that around.
4wd. Long range, and most likely, diesel engines are the best for these people. That’s reality. Anything else is a fantasy.
I’m in London, and I frequently see a local painter/decorator with his stuff on a cargo bike - including a stepladdder. Sees entirely practical
For that person sure. My neighbour has 4 different types of nail guns, each for the special task they’re required for. The air compressor to drive them. The high-pressure air hose. About 12 batteries for his various saws, drills, etc. Speaking of saws, he has circular. Drop. Reticulation. And more. Then his hammers, hand saws, nails for said guns. Screws. Ladders. Straight edges. There would be lots of things I’ve missed like saw horses for his drop saw. The actual portable drop saw bench. Then of course the materials. Wood, glues, putty, etc etc etc. There is no way this guy is getting on a bike. My neighbour is your typical tradie in Australia.
Edit. Down voted for the facts. Come on, argue some facts if you disagree.
Nobody expects everybody to transport everything everywhere with a bike.
Germany has a growing number of carpenters, construction workers, etc using cargo bikes when possible, which is quite often. Same in France. Of course they also use a van to transport wood, etc. But many jobs don’t require to bring everything and the kitchen sink. So they have maybe one van and three cargo bikes instead of four vans, or just rent one when needed.
Most tradespeople are working across several jobs at once. The cases where it would be practical to shuttle between them & organise all materials to be delivered ahead of time would be very limited. You’d need to be in a dense area (city), that is relatively flat & have a number of large, simple jobs on the go at a time.
If you’ve ever built something you’ll be familiar with the million screws & extras you had to duck out for - tradesmen carry that stuff in their vehicle to save them (& you) the expense of them coming back with the parts later.
I’m an avid cyclist & used to ride motorbikes. There is absolutely no way I could carry what I need to do the job, outside of a massive multi-week fit out where I can essentially park my tools & all equipment onsite & commute to/from by bike.
What part of nobody expects everyone to use a bike do you not understand?
I don’t care about the people who cannot use a bike. What I do care about is that the people who can start doing so.
You’d need to be in a dense area (city)
So? You make that sound like it’s a rare exception. Plenty of people living in dense cities, let’s start there.
If you’ve ever built something
I guess the carpenter in the example I gave you who started with one bike, now has three, and says it heavily reduced their use of cars hasn’t built anything at all in his life…
You’ll always be downvoted for facts they don’t like here, it’s normal with this kind of people.
And with “facts” you mean the strawmen you like to burn?
https://kbin.social/m/[email protected]/t/570625/-/comment/3180120
Say, how many sock puppet accounts do you have exactly to spread your hate of bikes?
I don’t spread “hate of bikes”. I don’t hate bikes, either. I’ve probably done more kilometers on them than most of the regulars here.
I just point out the extreme level of bigotry in this kind of “kill all cars” communities.
There is no “kill all cars community” except in your head…
Yeh, so he uses his van as a portable store for all of hys equipment. ons alternative is taking the tools you need need for that day’s work.
Anyway. The argument isn’t that bikes are suitable for all tradespeople in all circumstances (well that’s not my argument anyway) it’s that they are practical in a significant way.
I’m in Vietnam right now, and let me tell you, trades people can definitely carry tools around on a bike. The huge loads they carry here are impressive.
And how many are doing this in a way that would be acceptable as traffic-safe in a western city? I’ve seen videos of people in SEA transporting goods in all kinds of highly unsafe manners. Full-size fridge on a normal bike? A ton of bricks in a small hand-cart? Haybales, three meters wide and four high, on a scooter? Quite normal down there, but I can’t see anyone doing this in a large western city.
Not a single one would pass any form of regulation in Australia at least. It can be done, but it’s not practical, legal, nor considered safe in my country.
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The reality I gave was, in fact, for a trades person in Australia, and it’s the way it works there.
No cities or towns in Australia, I guezs
Stupid argument. Its ok to use cars when necessary, the problem is people using them for everything and anything, also people driving around huge gas guzzling monsters by themselves. Cargo bikes are absolutely not a solution for tradespeople who need to take a lot of tools and materials to various job sites.
