The climate crisis is putting our future in danger. Cycling is often described as the go-to “green bullet” to make transportation in cities more sustainable and to reduce our exacerbated fossil fuel consumption. But can we still win the global war on cars, or are our beloved cities (and with them, their inhabitants) doomed anyways? I will share a personal account of my journey into cycling research, which is a story of reciprocated love and well-founded panic. I invite you to join me on a bumpy ride to rethink urban mobility: Let’s pet the elephants in the room – and share our visions of being on the road.