WE DON'T LET CARS IN

DavidTQ

Those fast metal boxes dont look so fast to me....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieiF6K5cSB8

Not one of these vehicles re-passed me in the time I was on that road

Have to work on camera position a bit more needs to point up and right a bit more I think...

Why ride a bike on the road, well I do 14 miles a day on a bowl of porridge.

That makes my method of transport far better value than any of those vehicles Im overtaking.

It also appears Im going faster than the "fast heavy metal boxes". Whilst at certain points a cars might hit a higher top speed than me, I can keep a more constant speed, time from point a to point b isnt much different over my 7 miles each way commute.

I get all the "fitness" I need from my riding no need for additional gym membership, no need to encroach on family time etc.

Compared to the old tread mill of buying a new car every three years this is far better, and lets face it sitting in queues like that isnt fun... Motoring is rarely worth the money.

Random Vince

DavidTQ wrote:

Those fast metal boxes dont look so fast to me....


Compared to the old tread mill of buying a new car every three years this is far better, and lets face it sitting in queues like that isnt fun... Motoring is rarely worth the money.

new car every three years? what?

my current car is now 27 years old, i venture to claim this off sets its carbon output due to it saving polution from manufacturing a new car.

i've proberbly spent more on bikes than my gran payed for the car when she bought it (i love cool hand me downs :P )

DavidTQ

Random Vince wrote:

DavidTQ wrote:

Those fast metal boxes dont look so fast to me....


Compared to the old tread mill of buying a new car every three years this is far better, and lets face it sitting in queues like that isnt fun... Motoring is rarely worth the money.

new car every three years? what?

my current car is now 27 years old, i venture to claim this off sets its carbon output due to it saving polution from manufacturing a new car.

i've proberbly spent more on bikes than my gran payed for the car when she bought it (i love cool hand me downs :P )

I started buying newer cars just before I got married. Getting a bit bored of working on a car in the rain...trying to do a mk2 escort gearbox on a wet and oily road using axle stands just isnt fun...

Started on estates when I got the second child (at four now). I thought somewhat foolishly that buying a new car would mean I dont have to work on cars myself anymore,
Unfortunately what actually ended up happening is me driving a bog standard Ka whilst paying for a top of the line Mundano... One time that car spent 6 weeks in one stint at the dealers as they scratched their heads wondering why it wouldnt go... It just seems the thing to do with a family...

I liked my older cars more than the newer ones, but I hate finding the spares, and using a classic car on the road as a daily driver can destroy the things. Back in my single days I had a mk2 rs2000 for a while a mk1 1969 capri a 1971 mini cooper. All good fun cars but not really suitable for daily commute abuse, and finding good spares for anyything but the mini is a headache...

I must have had a good 40 or so cars 7 at one time at one point... I dont miss it, dont miss the hassle of the paperwork, keeping tabs on taxes and insurance etc. all the weekends spent working on them. The newer cars were supposed to be a way out of it all, only did one nearly new and two new cars before deciding that they werent worth the extra money (two new cars from different brands both head aches).

Glad to be out of it. Cycle commuting is saving a fortune compared to that with far better reliability less hassle and helps the fitness.

Will get a vehicle again sometime, Im thinking a VW camper. For holiday use not for commuting... Hope to stick to cycle commuting for a long long time, its cheap, enjoyable, helps fitness in a big way, and theres those pesky environmental fringe benefits. HAve to say as a long term petrol head I keep a bit quiet on the green factor Ive selfishly burnt many a gallon of petrol for pure pleasure, and I still would do it again

Random Vince

at the moment i'm looking at getting a scimitar GTE partly on the basis that the body wont rust.

i'll cycle as much as i can, its just there's times when a bike is not practical, such as my job interview in wales

public transport leaves me about 20 miles from the place...

DavidTQ

Random Vince wrote:

at the moment i'm looking at getting a scimitar GTE partly on the basis that the body wont rust.

i'll cycle as much as i can, its just there's times when a bike is not practical, such as my job interview in wales

public transport leaves me about 20 miles from the place...

The 3litre engine on those is one of my favourites had a couple of cars with that engine. Surprisingly with a auto box it could be cheaper to run than a 1600 escort of a similiar age, driven at a similiar pace. Just that the auto box would let you burble along at 800 rpm doing 40 . Had a 3.0 manual as well for a while. Either way that engine produces loads of low down torque...

Im doing fine without a car for now, can use taxis and hire \ borrow cars from time to time, far cheaper than owning one.

Random Vince

DavidTQ wrote:

Random Vince wrote:

at the moment i'm looking at getting a scimitar GTE partly on the basis that the body wont rust.

i'll cycle as much as i can, its just there's times when a bike is not practical, such as my job interview in wales

public transport leaves me about 20 miles from the place...

The 3litre engine on those is one of my favourites had a couple of cars with that engine. Surprisingly with a auto box it could be cheaper to run than a 1600 escort of a similiar age, driven at a similiar pace. Just that the auto box would let you burble along at 800 rpm doing 40 . Had a 3.0 manual as well for a while. Either way that engine produces loads of low down torque...

Im doing fine without a car for now, can use taxis and hire \ borrow cars from time to time, far cheaper than owning one.

had two hire companies ban me from hireing

i'm under 25 so that cuts out most of them, the others gave me pug 206's, with the seat as far back and as low as possible, when i sneeze i bash my head on the beam above the windscreen, they didn't take kindly to me commenting that the car was dangerous for me to drive since in a crash i'm gonna smash my head on the windscreen / roof and then get hit by the air bag

similar thing happens in a focus if i'm near enough to reach controls other than pedals and steering wheel

secretsam

Random Vince wrote:

at the moment i'm looking at getting a scimitar GTE ...

Oh, yes yes yes cool get an early one the SE5? Before they got bigger, top car, would love one 8)

markpbeaumont

SecretSam wrote:

Just a quick note to the driver of that oh-so-pious hybrid this morning: regardless of whether a car stops to let you in, bikes don't, hence my somewhat fierce look of anger as you tried to cut me in two.

I used to have that attitude until I crashed at 20mph into the side of a BMW X5 (it turned across me after a car flashed it to make the move) and fractured my shoulder. Now, if I see a car has stopped to allow another to turn across my path, I brake hard - even if I'm in a bike lane or on the outside of the stopping car.

You will get hurt, unfortunate consequence of riding instead of driving..!

Random Vince

SecretSam wrote:

Random Vince wrote:

at the moment i'm looking at getting a scimitar GTE ...

Oh, yes yes yes cool get an early one the SE5? Before they got bigger, top car, would love one 8)

yup, thats the plan