Yes, weather is just a matter of gear, and these days the wet and cold weather gear is amazing. The best bike gear isn't cheap, but it's much cheaper than the typical repair on a car when something breaks. Panniers are an easy way to carry a lot of groceries with minimal effort. If someone has a huge family there are also cargo bike options. But, of course, with modern American cities, there might not be a grocery store in a reasonable biking range. There used to be mom-and pop grocery stores all over the place. And, in Europe it's pretty common for there to be a small grocery store within a 5 minute walk of your house.

But, North American roads are designed only for cars. Bicyclists and commuters pay taxes to maintain roads, but the roads are built for cars and trucks. To really feel safe on a bike, you need separated bike lanes. You build those, and people will use them.

In many places in North America, a bike lane is merely a thin strip of pavement that's centimetres from passing cars, and in the door zone of parked cars. Even in good weather that's dangerous. In bad weather it's truly awful. But, people still use those bike lanes. In fact, some people even bike and share the road with cars where the bike lanes don't exist. That should be a clue that people are dedicated to cycling, and if you built actual good bicycle infrastructure, a lot of people would use it.

I love the deluge of people trying to convince you to use a bike anyway. I’m getting old and live where it can hit -20° or worse, with snow and ice. Cold is almost half the year. There’s no fucking way I’d ride a bike for almost two hours each way in the cold when I have to go into the office, over a nice heated 18 minute car ride. Plus every day I bring a bag to and from the office, and some days 2-3 bags of stuff I pick up to bring home. I keto on that here or when I was on Reddit and some asshole will inevitably be like “YOU CAN HANDLE THE COLD AND ICE AND FOUR HOURS OUT KF YOUR DAY UR JUST WEAK” and those people are bad people I don’t like.

Have you thought about getting an ebike instead? My old folks got a pair and it completely changed the game for them

That's... What you have trains for. If you have proper public transit, that need is covered. Oh, and you can get shit done while you're on the train. Or sleep. Or relax.

“you try to have a suburban family with just bicycles”

Almost like those suburbs were designed around cars at the exclusion of all other transport

"Less disability friendly than a car"

I completely disagree but it's debatable.

What kind of handicap can allow you to drive but not bike ? Bike are extremely adaptable to any kind of handicap, to the point that they can basically be turned into an electric wheelchair.

can't carry cargo

I disagree again, it does carry way less cargo but can still carry cargo.

can't transport passengers

Why do we need to carry passagers ? Because a lot of people (child, elderly people, people without license) cannot drive and because car are expensive. If everyone can use a bike and the bike are so cheap that you can have a few aroumd for guests it greatly reduces the need for carrying assengers.

And you can still carry passagers on a bike, the best example is longtails bike that can carry an adult or several kids as passagers.

kid with balance issue

Longtail and tricycles.

Cars are amazing pieces of technology, they do have unique capabilities like doing unscheduled, flexible long distance drive, or carry a lot of cargo at once.

But for a lot of the daily living a bike (and proper bike infrastructure) would be way better suited to the situation.

E-bikes are great for people with disabilities who can balance and the elderly. I see old people zipping along on e-bikes a lot here in LA. For everyone else, public transit or para transit is often a better option than a car. A car that can accommodate a wheelchair or disabled driver is usually expensive.

There are 3 wheel trikes that help with some disabilities and balance issues, you absolutely can carry cargo with a bike and while you can't carry a family of 4 on a single bike you can on 2 bikes. I literally can't imagine being a contrarian about freaking bicycles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loan_note

Shorthand for a loan I imagine.

They can be. Don't need to be expensive, and anyone with hands can work on them, even on the go. Parts readily available.

They can be really expensive, but the world is full of used bicycles that cost almost nothing. Sometimes literally nothing.