Originally Posted by
I-Like-To-Bike
Hmmm, I rode for many years in Philadelphia through some very poor sections of North, South and West Philadelphia and NEVER, EVER saw anybody cycling slowly and dragging their feet to stop. Maybe something about the New Orleans climate makes the coaster brakes and rim brakes dissolve and become inoperative.
Many, many riders here have department store "mountain" bikes with dual suspension in New Orleans. Most are by the brand Next and look like
THIS. They cost under a hundred dollars initially, then get stolen, sold and re-stolen by crack-heads for $20 each. Over and over. Poor people are not going to invest any money in a bike that is almost certainly going to be stolen. These bikes are generally stuck in one gear (the tallest gear) which makes acceleration from stop impossible. None have working brakes due to deformed wheels. Tens of thousands of them are out there. Almost like a bike share program.
Maybe more people own crummy bikes in NOLA due to the ability to ride 365 days a year in our moderate climate - and mass transit sucks. I don't have an answer for why Philly would be different other than some cultural thing I am not plugged into. If I had to figure out how to get to work or the grocery during a Philadelphia winter then I would just continue doing that during the warmer months too.
Maybe you just don't notice how they stop. I have worked in (or near) the bicycle industry in New Orleans since 1989. Poor people wander into bike shops in NOLA all day long asking to tighten a handle bar stem or seat post that has loosened or maybe a flat fix. We just get used to not even bringing up the non-functioning brake arms splayed wide open so they don't rub on warped wheels because we know those problems will not be addressed.