Car dependency is depressingly expensive and stressful. A new study by MarketWatch surveyed people about the impacts of car costs on their lives and the results struck me. Not only are many of us spending a huge proportion of our income on automobiles – often more than we can afford – these struggles have a huge impact on our well-being. The worst part? For many people, these are not optional costs because there are no other viable forms of transportation.

Shifter Big Stories, presented by Riese & Müller. This is the third video in a series exploring the most important stories in urban cycling and transportation. A big thanks to Riese & Müller for their sponsorship that enabled the creation of these videos.

In this video, I’m riding the Riese & Müller Load series, which are well-built and thoughtfully designed electric cargo bikes. They are smooth and fun to ride and haul so much stuff, from children to groceries to refrigerators (yes, it’s true): https://www.r-m.de/en-pt/bikes/load-60/

But thanks to Power in Motion, the great bike shop that loaned me the bike in Calgary: https://powerinmotion.ca/

Thanks to Bishops Family Cycles in Victoria, B.C.: https://www.familycycles.ca/

Thanks to Cloud eBikes in Vancouver, B.C.: https://cloudebikes.ca/

Thanks to Cailynn Klingbeil for contributing much research and writing. She has a great newsletter about getting outdoors: https://gooutside.substack.com/

Thanks to Josh Sandulak for his videography and editing: https://www.joshsandulak.com/

Shifter Memberships are here! If you'd like some bonus content while also supporting this channel, please consider becoming a member: https://www.patreon.com/Shifter632

#cycling #bikecommuting #urbanplanning

For bonus content, insider goodies and to help support the future of this channel: https://patreon.com/Shifter632?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

A huge thanks to my sponsors this year. They support this channel, so please support them. They also make amazing products that I use every day and endorse without hesitation.

Priority Bikes: I happily rode Priority for years before they signed on as a sponsor this year. I’m currently riding the zippy and fun new Priority Eight: https://alnk.to/1XWoxFO I’ve ridden the Priority Continuum Onyx through many Canadian winters: https://bit.ly/3tzXTee.

Two Wheel Gear: My favourite bike bags and panniers, and the best convertible backpack-pannier that I’ve ever used: https://twowheelgear.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=shifter&utm_campaign=tombabin

Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: https://rmbooks.com/book/frostbike/

I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’ve tried on this channel that I like. (Of course, you don’t need anything fancy to ride a bike, other than a bike, but these are Amazon affiliate links, and I get paid a small commission if you buy them 😉)

• If you ride a bike in the city, you need a good lock. Litelok is a good option: us.litelok.com/SHIFTER • If you wear a helmet and like to be well-lit, consider the Lumos: ridelumos.com/shifter • Hindsight sunglasses have mirrors so you can see behind you while you ride. Plus, they look good: https://collabs.shop/f9hvof • Love these RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals: https://redshiftsports.com/collections/arclight-pedals?aff=40 • Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime): https://amzn.to/48gsHQ2 • Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?): https://amzn.to/31s1Ovu • Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho): https://amzn.to/3jLkift • Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount): https://amzn.to/48giWS6

Follow me! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombabin Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombabin Threads: https://www.threads.net/@tombabin (@tombabin@threads.net) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tom_babin

#cycling #bike #commuting