6p off diesel and petrol for next 3 months.....

[theclaud]

The difference between you and me is that you only went there to 'put them to right'. You don't own a car, you've never run one. You admit you were deliberately trolling for no other reason, and regarded each and every one of the people there as knobs so no room for negotiation on moot points on your part was there!

Me on the other hand have been riding cycles for years, have had some nice ones, and some crap ones, and have a genuine interest in cycling, and am working my way around to getting another nice one which I want to get on and ride.

Likewise, I have not been without a motorcycle since I was 17, but some of them (Honda 250RSA) languished for years because they weren't that nice to ride - meaning I was actually off the road for about 5 years when my kids were little

In the last 5 years I've put hard cash down on a Marin Fairfax (£600), and a Giant OCR1 (£750) - not including the other kit like SPDs, shoes, clothes, lights, etc and done a few thousand miles on them..
Why am I barely riding my hardtail MTB for now (which I've owned for 10 years)- because it is hateful in the same way which the Honda was, and I am happy to wait untilI can get another nice roadie.
The Giant got nicked last year, and was a total loss financially for me which means I have to earn the money again to replace it.

If you had dependents of your own, and maintaining other commitments to give them a reasonable quality of life (as I do), you would understand why with the best will in the world, I just can't snap my fingers and make these things happen.

We see things differently because I have an interest in more than one discipline. I am NOT all for the cycles, in the way I am not all for the motorcycles, in the way I'm not all for the Horses or 4x4's

Does that level of diversity make me small minded or open minded as you by comparison only can appear to see the world from a singular viewpoint Claudine.....

I like to think there are quite a few .

You're doing that bad psychic thing of yours again, which leads you to get your facts wrong about everything all the time. It isn't true that I've never owned a car, and you know nothing whatever about who might depend on me, financially or otherwise. Luckily I happen not to care about your funny little fantasy world in which I went to public school with people called Petronella and did dawn til dusk classes in practical man-hating - that stuff is about you, not me, and you're the only one who doesn't know it. I'm talking about the function of "Linford" on Cyclechat, and nothing else. I hate to break your heart, but to me you are just so much text.

You don't have to provide me with lists of bicycles you have owned - my contention is not that you never ride bicycles, but that you don't like cyclists, in much the same way that you don't like feminists, and that the millions of pixels that constitute your oeuvre here are about nothing much more than your obsession with them. There's at least one member here who doesn't own or ride bicycles but manages to participate whole-heartedly in the life of the forum - it's not about your credentials but about what you are actually doing here. There was a purpose of sorts in winding up Safespeeders - they are the especially stupid and self-centred end of a stupid and self-centered ideology to which I am explicitly opposed. You might say I was sizing up the enemy, although that only takes about two minutes over there, then one gets bored and segues into mocking the halfwitted, at which point it is time to get out and do something more useful.

Anyway, if Linford has a purpose in an online cycling community other than throwing virtual tacks on the road, then I'm all ears, but the evidence all suggests not. Luckily theclaud is a robustly argumentative sort and will happily take whatever bait is offered in the confidence that she'll make off with it and leave the incompetent and empty-hooked fisherman looking like a numpty - if she were the more sensitive type she might regard the baiting and fantasy stuff as a bit creepy and weird, and report you to some authority or other...

 

[mangaman]

We have already established that anecdotes are far more exciting than statistics.

No we haven't

if I wanted boring, I'd ask a statisician...come on in srw, your time is up

Anyway, talking of anecdotes, recollection of such things actually demonstrates an interaction with the real world, as oposed to manipulating datasets in a darkened room.

Are you able to recall any anecdotes of classmates with posh names, as I'm genuinely interested

As you're genuinely interested - all your anecdotes blur into a haze of suburbian excitement at big shops and nasty ring-roads, children's horses, boring jobs, various daughters, occasional outrage about foreigners and yob culture.

It's almost as if you are describing the most boring, Mr Pooterish life possible - but in a slightly annoying and smug way.

 

[Fab Foodie]

There's at least one member here who doesn't own or ride bicycles but manages to participate whole-heartedly in the life of the forum

Burn the heretic ....

 

[Linford]

Stalker alert

This is old knowledge and far pre dates your membership here.

Luckily, a stalker with a poor memory.

Back in the mid 80's, before I trained as an engineer, I worked in the Texaco garage in York Rd between Bedminster and Temple Meads. You did mention that you lived on the back of that area many moons ago in a thread which was probably on what is now Bike Radar, and probably also about commuting distances

 

[Linford]

I like to think there are quite a few .

You're doing that bad psychic thing of yours again, which leads you to get your facts wrong about everything all the time. It isn't true that I've never owned a car, and you know nothing whatever about who might depend on me, financially or otherwise. Luckily I happen not to care about your funny little fantasy world in which I went to public school with people called Petronella and did dawn til dusk classes in practical man-hating - that stuff is about you, not me, and you're the only one who doesn't know it. I'm talking about the function of "Linford" on Cyclechat, and nothing else. I hate to break your heart, but to me you are just so much text.

You don't have to provide me with lists of bicycles you have owned - my contention is not that you never ride bicycles, but that you don't like cyclists, in much the same way that you don't like feminists, and that the millions of pixels that constitute your oeuvre here are about nothing much more than your obsession with them. There's at least one member here who doesn't own or ride bicycles but manages to participate whole-heartedly in the life of the forum - it's not about your credentials but about what you are actually doing here. There was a purpose of sorts in winding up Safespeeders - they are the especially stupid and self-centred end of a stupid and self-centered ideology to which I am explicitly opposed. You might say I was sizing up the enemy, although that only takes about two minutes over there, then one gets bored and segues into mocking the halfwitted, at which point it is time to get out and do something more useful.

Anyway, if Linford has a purpose in an online cycling community other than throwing virtual tacks on the road, then I'm all ears, but the evidence all suggests not. Luckily theclaud is a robustly argumentative sort and will happily take whatever bait is offered in the confidence that she'll make off with it and leave the incompetent and empty-hooked fisherman looking like a numpty - if she were the more sensitive type she might regard the baiting and fantasy stuff as a bit creepy and weird, and report you to some authority or other...

The way I see my debates/arguments with you is actually testament to the equality which you so demand others to give you.

You argue with me like any other bloke would (Cunobelin, User482, Adrian, Etc), and so you get treated in exactly the same way. I make no concessions to your gender, as if I were to do this, you would accuse me of sexism, so give the stalking, creepy fantasy thing a rest because that would only ever exist in your head....

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Where, Daisybank downhill ?

I much prefer riding roadies if I am honest. The HT is cheap and nasty if totally honest and so not good for any distance at even moderate speeds at all.

My road bikes always were, and only ever will be, a means to an end. I need to remember that more often than I do. And buy a full-boinger.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I already do Park and Ride, it would've been park and cycle with a folder, but they wanted so much money to just park I would've never recouped the cost of a decent folder even after a year of doing this. As it is, I spend over 3 hours a day commuting, there's no way I'm going to extend that to 4+ hours by using public transport. As has already been pointed out, choosing often involves stumping up a lot of cash, I'm not in a position to splash huge amounts of cash on the latest Toyota Prius or Honda Insight. Moving house is not an option as my last few jobs have all been fixed term contract, why would anyone go through all the upheaval and expense of moving for another few months of work?

Ok I get some of the choices are unpalatable. What I was thinking was that if all the drivers who complain about how much tax they pay for the privilege of commuting by car drove around in say, a Fiat 500 Twin Air or Citroen C1 type vehicles (60mpg, zero cost group A VED, dirt cheap to insure) then they'd have more bunce in their wallet. Yet the whingers and whiners hardly ever seem to drive such models of car. And that is what hacks me off. I used to run a Rover V8 P6 and then a Range Rover. Complaining to the Rover Car Company that both did less than 15 to the gallon would be a bit dumb.

I've recently done a whole stack of back of envelope calculations over what to do if the lovely Helen's bangernomics SAAB 93 failed its MoT expensively* and she got a new job 20+ miles from home like the last one. (Market for excellent A level History teachers is a narrow one) and worked out we could lease a C1 or similar and the savings in petrol alone vs the 2.3 litre SAAB at 25mpg would pretty much pay the lease costs each month.

So I'm not sure it is about stumping up a wad of cash but spending the cash you already spend more effectively.

*It didn't, but I'm keeping hold of the envelope in case a distant job materialises.

 

[Linford]

My road bikes always were, and only ever will be, a means to an end. I need to remember that more often than I do. And buy a full-boinger.

I can probably scrounge my mates cannondale full sus downhill bike, but whether I've got the bottle to use it properly in anger is questionable as some of the 'drops' there are just that . Let me know by PM if you really are up for this as it is a good local course.

I prefer rides out on a roadie, but not the greatest fan of club rides. I rode out with the Chelt CTC once, but felt that ego's were being hung out by the regulars and a lot of bravado and showing off was displayed. I don't feel that ego's have any place on public roads .

 

[Smurfy]

Ok I get some of the choices are unpalatable. What I was thinking was that if all the drivers who complain about how much tax they pay for the privilege of commuting by car drove around in say, a Fiat 500 Twin Air or Citroen C1 type vehicles (60mpg, zero cost group A VED, dirt cheap to insure) then they'd have more bunce in their wallet. Yet the whingers and whiners hardly ever seem to drive such models of car. And that is what hacks me off. I used to run a Rover V8 P6 and then a Range Rover. Complaining to the Rover Car Company that both did less than 15 to the gallon would be a bit dumb.

I've recently done a whole stack of back of envelope calculations over what to do if the lovely Helen's bangernomics SAAB 93 failed its MoT expensively* and she got a new job 20+ miles from home like the last one. (Market for excellent A level History teachers is a narrow one) and worked out we could lease a C1 or similar and the savings in petrol alone vs the 2.3 litre SAAB at 25mpg would pretty much pay the lease costs each month.

So I'm not sure it is about stumping up a wad of cash but spending the cash you already spend more effectively.

*It didn't, but I'm keeping hold of the envelope in case a distant job materialises.

I'd love it if someone gave me a modern, highly efficient car to drive to work, with no VED to pay. As it is, I drive at ~60mph on motorways to save fuel. I get around 10 miles per litre, which is reasonably good, considering my car is over 25 years old. The only way I can afford to keep it running is by doing all the maintenance myself, no one else has worked on my car for the 8+ years I've had it.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I'd love it if someone gave me a modern, highly efficient car to drive to work, with no VED to pay. As it is, I drive at ~60mph on motorways to save fuel. I get around 10 miles per litre, which is reasonably good, considering my car is over 25 years old. The only way I can afford to keep it running is by doing all the maintenance myself, no one else has worked on my car for the 8+ years I've had it.

So we both subscribe to bangernomics then! No one is going to give either of us modern fuel efficient cars. But the economics about getting hold of one are not as cut'n'dried as I need a wad of cash.

Someone gets around 45mpg. If they did the same mileage in a car giving 65mpg how much a month would they save? Would the savings (plus savings on VED and insurance) enable them to pay the contract hire costs on a modern fuel efficient car?

The most recent of my Tory boy friends, a lovely guy but his mind is made up, to go off on one down the pub over the issue of the amount of fuel duty he pays drives a tuned, chipped, souped up Prelude ffs. Hardly a sensible starting point for a debate on the costs of motoring.

 

[Smurfy]

So we both subscribe to bangernomics then! No one is going to give either of us modern fuel efficient cars. But the economics about getting hold of one are not as cut'n'dried as I need a wad of cash.

Someone gets around 45mpg. If they did the same mileage in a car giving 65mpg how much a month would they save? Would the savings (plus savings on VED and insurance) enable them to pay the contract hire costs on a modern fuel efficient car?

The most recent of my Tory boy friends, a lovely guy but his mind is made up, to go off on one down the pub over the issue of the amount of fuel duty he pays drives a tuned, chipped, souped up Prelude ffs. Hardly a sensible starting point for a debate on the costs of motoring.

I've done plenty of fuel use calculations in my time. I had a large Excel spreadsheet into which I entered details from my fuel receipts (all of which have the mileage since last fill-up written on the back). I'd consider buying something slightly more fuel efficient, but I'm on fixed term contracts, so I can't be sure of being able to pay back the money I'd need to borrow. Contract hire isn't really my thing, it's better for me to save money by owning a car and doing all my own maintenance.

I used to cycle to work everyday, and very cheap and convenient it was too. Unfortunately cycling and public transport are not very realistic or practical for my current job.

 

[Linford]

I've done plenty of fuel use calculations in my time. I had a large Excel spreadsheet into which I entered details from my fuel receipts (all of which have the mileage since last fill-up written on the back). I'd consider buying something slightly more fuel efficient, but I'm on fixed term contracts, so I can't be sure of being able to pay back the money I'd need to borrow. Contract hire isn't really my thing, it's better for me to save money by owning a car and doing all my own maintenance.

I used to cycle to work everyday, and very cheap and convenient it was too. Unfortunately cycling and public transport are not very realistic or practical for my current job.

<User482>
Personal circumstances give no justifiable reason to not sell the car/house/kids/etc to facilitate cycle commuting on a daily basis to a job which pays to support the aforesaid...
</User482>

 

[User482]

I've done plenty of fuel use calculations in my time.

You must be a riot at parties.

 

[User482]

<User482>
Personal circumstances give no justifiable reason to not sell the car/house/kids/etc to facilitate cycle commuting on a daily basis to a job which pays to support the aforesaid...
</User482>

Why you wish to be publicly wrong about everything is something of a mystery.

 

[Smurfy]

You must be a riot at parties.

Now you're just being mean

Any intelligent person who was spending ~80GBP per week on fuel and P&R would investigate whether there was a better way of arranging their transport and finances.