Gee, I wonder what it looks like:
1) In the rain,
2) During the winter,
3) In the dark,
3.1) During Katrina,
4) With kids on their way to soccer practice, or
5) After your colonoscopy?
1. Not really an issue, need some cheap/simple clothing to protect from rain
2. Netherlands winter is not Canadian winter! and even here in Toronto you see bike messengers darting through traffic when it is -20C outside. Mater of clothing, having special tires and using special break pads and oil.
3. LED lights in front and back, most city streets are very well lit anyway.
3.1 They build better levies there apparently. If you really need to get the hell out of the city. Pack saddle bags with food and water, if you are in shape you can make it few hundred km pretty easily and you won’t be stuck in traffic when everyone else decides to do the same
4. Kids can bike from pretty young age, if they are too little you can ride with them in the trailer or in child seats (can be behind saddle or in front of the steering)
5. Got me here!
Living in the city bike has a lot of advantages, you do not depends on traffic, get good exercise and it is dead cheap (if you stick with cheap functional stuff and not break bank on fancy racing gear). Hills and such are really not a big deal, just need a decent bike with actual gears(not a fixie) and get in shape and hills become fun.