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@notjustbikes@notjustbikes.comBergen built the world's greatest bicycle tunnel and I visited! Check it out in my latest video on YouTube!
Unfortunately we can't have infrastructure like this in Canada because of the winter, so you'll only find stuff like this in a warm, flat, basically tropical city. You know, like Bergen, in Norway.
@notjustbikes Why do I want a t-shirt saying: Welcome to Bergen, Norway - The Ideal Tropical City —- after watching?
@tenkoman @notjustbikes I wouldn't mind if "you know, like Bergen, in Norway" becomes a catchphrase. 
@ticho there are Canadians already making new excuses that it doesn't snow that much in Bergen. 
I link them to my Oulu video, a city with the population density of London, Ontario, more snow than any major city in Canada, and 87% of the population rides a bike. But then they make new excuses. 
@notjustbikes Yeah, the human mind is astonishingly proficient at justifying laziness, i.e. why it would be bad for you to change something about your routine.
@notjustbikes @ticho People largely underestimate the role the exuses industry is playing for climate change. They do produce a lot of hot air. 
@notjustbikes Well, in this day and age, maybe it's understandable that folks prefer arguing on the internet with strangers to facing reality.
Still, XKCD does have a point: https://xkcd.com/386/
@notjustbikes @ticho The GTA just had it's worst winter in probably decades and not a single day's -20C or dumping of snow prevented me from going for a 10K run. Coworkers and neighbours think I'm crazy, I think I own a few jackets and vests and base-layers. Our sports fans love to claim "We the North" though.
@notjustbikes @ticho Although I guess if you were to reframe the winter conditions under the context of another activity like skiing, you'd get the oddest looks if you said "You ski in CANADA? In the WINTER? Are you insane?" So I guess at it's core it must purely just be an admission that the infrastructure is often bad.
@notjustbikes @ticho Canada gets a different kind of snow! /s
@marlies @notjustbikes Here we go, it's the legendary Canadian exceptionalism! 
@ticho@mas.to @notjustbikes@social.notjustbikes.com We are so stupendously brainwashed in to living the oil and gas dream it seems difficult to get real progressive leadership voted in anywhere.
Even people who are voted in and understand cycling and active transportation seem super reluctant to make waves.
It seems like a big uphill battle, but worth fighting.
@notjustbikes @ticho Dude, why are you fighting with people on the internet? That’s got to be the second definition of insanity.
@notjustbikes @ticho The question is, who are these people making excuses? What do they think they gain from making excuses?
@notjustbikes @ticho
Who are those whiny Canadians actually, where do they come from? The few Canadians I've met in my life were wearing t-shirts or shorts in winter. I am surprised to learn some Canadians might get impressed by snow.
@notjustbikes @ticho It's not the weather that impedes winter cycling in Canada, it's the enormous cars/trucks and lack of infrastructure. It's definitely getting better, though, in lots of places.
Winnipeg, where I live, and sometimes colder than Mars, is expanding infrastructure and people are riding more and more in the winter.
Sure, some people make excuses about the cold or snow, but they're usually drivers who don't want to see more bike lanes built. Us cyclists are tougher than that!
@notjustbikes @ticho I loved your Oulu and Bergen videos. I would love to see more details on what it's like for bikers there.
For instance, what is the actual process of clearing snow like? Do they use the exact same vehicles they use to clear the streets, or something specialized for bike paths? Do they use much salt? What do bikers wear? Do they shower at work? What kinds of bike maintenance do they do in winter, and where do they do it?
I've biked year-round in snowy cities in North America, so I know it's possible. But, I also know what some of the difficulties are.
I hope that next winter someone (maybe you, maybe a local) makes some videos teaching Canadians how it can be done.
@ticho @notjustbikes Was just bored and looked at a giant world map in the office - Bergen is almost as North as Anchorage, Oulu as North as Fairbanks (or for Canadians as North as the Great Slave Lake and as North as the Great Bear Lake)
@tenkoman
North America is weird :-)
(or maybe Europe is)
The climate of Bergen is more similar to NE Nova Scotia and Oulu is somewhat like southern Labrador.
@ticho @notjustbikes
@notjustbikes Please come to Tromsø at some point! If we can bike in winter in the arctic circle, you southerners in canada can figure out your nonsense
@streganil @notjustbikes you dont really bike in Winter. you stumble around until the snowy streets are icy again.
@N3r0 @streganil @notjustbikes Tell that to the people biking in winter.
@InkySchwartz @streganil @notjustbikes that Was an answer about tromsö.
Reading comprehesion and so
@N3r0 @streganil @notjustbikes I do know it was about Tromso, my point still stands.
@notjustbikes
Skiing by public transit:
Montréal used to have Le Petit Train du Nord (Montréal to Mont Laurier) with stops are various ski towns. Full of skiers in winter. St-Jérome to Mont Laurier is now bike path.
Vancouver used to that the Ski Train from North Van to Whistler (on top of regular BC Rail service to Prince George). The Ski Train had shuttle buses from Downtown to North Van, and from Whistler resoirt to the train station.
@notjustbikes The Norwegians are to mounrtains what kids are to beaches: they love to dig tunnels. If you took train to Bergen, you would have experienced the many and some very long tunnells through the mountains. So digging the tunnel for the tram was just normal business.
@notjustbikes Never lose the snark <3
@notjustbikes how could I fit my pick up truck there with all those wokecycles???????
@notjustbikes Looks brilliant. I'd also add that Norway has a huge number of tunnels (especially in the north) that aren't bike tunnels but which you are allowed to cycle through https://www.cycletourer.co.uk/maps/tunnelmap.shtml For instance, in 2017 I got to cycle ~6.8km under the sea to get from Honningsvåg back to the mainland. Although those tunnels got very noisy so those angled bricks in the Bergen tunnel seem very useful.
@notjustbikes We can't have nice things because we buy into the insanity that wealth is for the rich only. Redistributing wealth must be wrong.
@notjustbikes It’s stunning how Canada was cursed with two wild phenomena, hills and winter, which occur solely in Canada and nowhere else in the world. I mean, it’s a big country, but still, what are the odds?
@notjustbikes hahah, love the vid. And great reminder about Nebula! Tagging #transportation for folks who want to better their town or city, or otherwise want to watch this
@notjustbikes Cool tunnel...colorful sundial in particular...thanks for sharing this.
@notjustbikes the Winter in Bergen is milder than in most or all regions in canada.
@paavi @notjustbikes what what?
@N3r0 ok, so how about Oulu?
You people are constantly making excuses no matter what.
@N3r0
Most people in Canada don't live in the regions where the winter is harsher though.
Have you ever looked at a density map of Canada. There is only a handful of provinces with people in them, their winters are very comparable to Bergen.
@notjustbikes
@CodexNotFound @notjustbikes it is Not canada is so cold.
But Bergen is so warm.
@N3r0 the winter in Toronto is milder than Bergen. Canadians just love making excuses.
Also, when Canadians mention temperature they round-up an exaggerated "feels like" temperature with windchill, while Norwegians tell you the actual air temperature.
It's so annoying talking to Canadians about the winter.
@notjustbikes You don't see the Dutch building a multi-kilometer cycle tunnel through mountains!
Total lack of commitment...
@notjustbikes As you know, in Dutch "bergen" literally means "mountains", is that also the case in Norwegian?
@captainchaos I believe so, Bergen is surrounded by 7 mountains which its named after. @notjustbikes
@notjustbikes This was a good video, not that your others aren't too. The name check on the tram make and model was also greatly appreciated. Thanks for providing a service for bike and tram nerds alike!
@notjustbikes You might not know this but the climate in Norwegian coastal cities, down at sea level, *is* in fact much warmer than one might expect by just considering the latitude. Not at all comparable to inland Canada.
@tml yes, but I don't care. Canadians also made excuses as to why the weather was different after my video about Oulu, so that's why they could bike there but not in Canada. There's always some difference they latch onto.
It's a never ending stream of excuses from these people and I have no patience for it.
@notjustbikes I really like the idea of using emergeny tunnels fir bike paths! Isn t Stuttgart building tons of tunnels right now and has a shitty bike infra? @thijs_lucas @systemagie
@notjustbikes
You forgot to mention dry. Bergen has a very dry climate. It almost never rains every day in Bergen.
@notjustbikes A real tunnel, not a toy tunnel for electric taxis
@notjustbikes Very nice to see you back in #Norway! One more fun thing about taking the train to go skiing in Norway: Most trains has a special rack in every cart just for skis. I'll get a photo of one for you, if you're interested in seeing them :)
@notjustbikes I loved how you reiterated multiple times that bikes only work in the tropics. 
@notjustbikes re: trams in historical/heritage areas: Whenever someone says that they can't but trams in a historic/beautiful part of a city, I now refer them to Bordeaux. Thanks to Alstom's APS ground-level power system, Bordeaux has trams under trees, through its historic streets, and along its beautiful riverfront. "Ugly" overhead wires are now optional and are thus a completely invalid argument against implementing trams in your city.
gotta wonder if there are extant tunnels in the U.S. that have emergency-access by-tunnels that could be converted to bike/pedestrian usage...
@notjustbikes Barcelona has a funicular that optionally stops part-way: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallvidrera_Funicular. It's also nicely integrated into public transport.
@notjustbikes Your video made the local newspaper in Bergen (paywalled) https://www.ba.no/fyllingsdalstunnelen-i-bergen-gar-viralt/s/5-8-2952538
@SuperManifolds lol I figured that would happen when a double the population of Bergen number of people have watched it. I end up in the news in Fake London often, too. 
@notjustbikes You kanadisk-nederlandske innholdsskaperen, you.