The biggest problem with bicycle transport isn't how to get from A-B but what to do with your bike once you arrive. In NYC there are decent bike lanes around (although the tourists stepping out into them make them difficult in certain areas). Do I lock my bike to a pole and hope it doesn't get stolen? Do I use a bike share system (starting roll out now), and walk way out of my way at the start and destination of my journey to find the nearest one? Maybe I get one of those fancy fold up ones and hope my building lets me take it inside.
I've been lucky to work in areas where theft isn't a huge issue. My biggest problem is the weather.
In the hot, humid summers, I wish my building had a shower, or at least some area to change clothes larger and less smelly than a bathroom stall. When it rains, there isn't always an appropriate place to hang dripping, often muddy clothes (and I hope they dry off before the ride home). I'm also lucky to not need to wear a suit, but I don't envy those whose responsibilities include being more presentable.
If the roads aren't covered with snow and ice, the worst part about winter is the darkness, but that isn't something an office building can solve.
If you are commuting, you don't need to cycle as hard as if you were training/racing. Just use a regular pace, like when you walk in the street instead of running. The same energy you use when walking normally will translate to long distances in a bike, because of the energy-efficiency of biking.
That's a good point. I'm young(ish) and tend to race my past self (while following traffic laws). On one hand, what's the point of biking if I can't get to work faster than by bus? But on the other, a more leisurely pace would surely leave me less sweaty while still providing some exercise benefit.
The bike sharing system in DC is sufficiently dense that I can usually just go to my destination and spend a minute finding the nearest station when I arrive.
Specialized biked and specialized docks - when you park a bike in a dock, a heavy bolt locks it into place. This is done within an enclosure that covers much of he front wheel, and the only way to get at the lock would be to dismantle the entire apparatus. The bikes themselves have no detachable parts and are _extremely_ distinctive with a street value of "You have the right to remain silent".
