Cars are in decline.

[Arch]

You stay fit and healthy for longer, so therefore you a) can work longer and b) impose less strain on services.

A quick look at the obits in the CTC mag show that a great many cyclists stay fit to the end, and then either drop on a ride, or after a short illness - and a walk round the York Rally shows a great many very active elderly folk.

 

[Adasta]

then...drop on a ride

Wow. Not a bad way to go but certainly "awkward" for the rest of the club riders, no?

 

[MacB]

Wow. Not a bad way to go but certainly "awkward" for the rest of the club riders, no?

learn to bunny hop?

 

[Adasta]

learn to bunny hop?

 

[downfader]

A quick look at the obits in the CTC mag show that a great many cyclists stay fit to the end, and then either drop on a ride, or after a short illness - and a walk round the York Rally shows a great many very active elderly folk.

I've only read of two that dropped on a ride. They had suffered a short illness before setting off...

Still, the longer you stay active and keep the mind working and challenged, the less chance of ending up a dribbling mess in your latter years.

 

[dodgy]

Fuel costs are the real killer, it was literally costing me no less than £70 per week,

I can drive 4 passengers and luggage on a round trip of 100 miles for about £10 in fuel. That's £2 per person in fuel alone. How much would that cost on the train or on a coach, and how much additional inconvenience?


I think fuel is still too cheap for many people.

 

[Hilldodger]

Fuel costs are the real killer, it was literally costing me no less than £70 per week, insurance is £80 per month which in my opinion is just ridiculously high anyway considering 6years NCB.

The government have forced motor costs through the roof.

Bloody hell, what are you driving?

 

[downfader]

One of my workmates, an 18 year old girl who passed first time got quoted something like £1300 for 6 months insurance. Another is 24 and she's just been quoted about £1200 for 12 months. It does seem a lot, I can understand the inexperience angle. I told both to try out for advanced driving courses and ask their insurer if they do a black-box monitoring system to lower the costs (was a lad on the BBC who uses a curfew system, if he drives after 9pm he has to pay a premium to the insurer, if he goes over the speed limit or has an accident, etc, done with GPS)

 

[515mm]

I can drive 4 passengers and luggage on a round trip of 100 miles for about £10 in fuel. That's £2 per person in fuel alone. How much would that cost on the train or on a coach, and how much additional inconvenience?


I think fuel is still too cheap for many people.

At the risk of teaching Grand Mama.......

You also need to consider the cost of:

a) buying the car in the first place - did you save the cash to buy it or get a loan or lease it?

b) insuring it

c) servicing it

d) V.E.D

e) depreciation in the value of it

f) cost of parking it

Even an economical small car will cost £200 per month before one turns the key if you have to lease/hire purchase/take out a loan to buy one.

That's a lot of bus tickets and taxi fares. Oh, if you want to add the cost of gym membership to stay fit............!

Which is why I sold my car. (Mrs515 has her own)

 

[Hilldodger]

Not if you buy a classic car.

 

[515mm]

Not if you buy a classic car.

to dodge the VED

That'll save you 15 quid a month. If you can do your own servicing, 'cos an old -sorry- classic car is simpler to work on that's another tenner.

Which might just cover the extra fuel cost of a less efficient engine.

Not convinced yet!

 

[dodgy]

I'm not talking about the additional costs, I was talking about fuel alone.

There's too many variables when you talk about depreciation, loan costs etc (some will drive an old banger, some will have a Ferrari). Fuel is the constant factor, and it's too cheap.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I got rid of my car last year after 10 years of trouble free motoring.
I kept every receipt for every penny spent on it, I did love it, but commuting by bike was its death as it was no longer needed.

In 2001 it was 14,500 to buy.
At the end of its life I had spent £14,200 on repairs, tyres, insurance, tax etc etc.

I had done 189,000 miles in it. The above costs don't take into account how much petrol I must had put in

Shocking really

 

[515mm]

Oh, there is the depreciation - or lack of, rather.

So, you've got the ready cash to buy a 20(?) year-old motor in decent nick outright and the skills/time/inclination to keep it running reliably.

That's a vanishingly small demographic (unfortunately) these days.

How much better for all concerned if we kept our cars running for 40 years rather than the three years that we do now?

 

[Hilldodger]

I'm not talking about the additional costs, I was talking about fuel alone.

There's too many variables when you talk about depreciation, loan costs etc (some will drive an old banger, some will have a Ferrari). Fuel is the constant factor, and it's too cheap.

Bikes are far too cheap also. It's hardly worth selling a new bike with the tiny margins dealers get.