Cycling does impact on the environment...

[GrasB]

I think I may have done the maths wrong but from 20mph I'd have to travel 440 meters absolutely flat out in Lotus (WOT @ peek power, which is impossible to sustain) to use 1L of fuel.

 

[gambatte]

I think I may have done the maths wrong but from 20mph I'd have to travel 440 meters absolutely flat out in Lotus (WOT @ peek power, which is impossible to sustain) to use 1L of fuel.

Is that with your eyes nearly closed?

 

[green1]

In which gear, at what speed?

In any gear. It's a wankel and has better sealing at higher rpm.

 

[Davywalnuts]

Next, he will be wanting no traffic lights, pedestrian crossings or any speed restrictions control as they will also help to push up his MPG..

Maybe he is a top bod who works for the TFL and invented this traffic smoothing gibberish??

 

[gambatte]

Wankels still a comparative rarity though?
Speed question: 3000 rpm appropriately used in 3rd compared to 3000 rpm appropriately used in 4th? Which'll use more fuel?

 

[400bhp]

The biggest assumption he makes is that it is better for the environment to have 10 cars travelling at 40 mph rather than have no cars at all.

 

[Kiwiavenger]

well, I can only speak for myself - but during my commute I only hold up traffic when it itself holds me up and I essentially become part of the traffic queue.

Still, if we all cycled to work his comments/thoughts would be mute. Also, this argument (if true) should also be applied to badly parked cars, pedestrians, crossings, traffic lights, other slow car drivers, buses and bus stops, road works etc...

me as well! maybee he's trying to use the argument to get more dedicated, segregated cycle lanes for the country though!!!

 

[green1]

Wankels still a comparative rarity though?
Speed question: 3000 rpm appropriately used in 3rd compared to 3000 rpm appropriately used in 4th? Which'll use more fuel?

~23 MPG doing about 27 mph in 3rd, ~25MPG doing about 36 mph in 4th

 

[gambatte]

~23 MPG doing about 27 mph in 3rd, ~25MPG doing about 36 mph in 4th

Used appropriately it only does 23-25mpg?
Jeez. I see why you ride a bike!

 

[Ian Cooper]

Braking wastes no fuel - and on some hybrids, it transfers power to the electrical engine. It's the acceleration after passing that's eating up all the fuel. The cyclist isn't forcing him to accelerate, after all. If letting cars go by is wasting their fuel, maybe this is another reason to take primary position more often - keep the cagers green by preventing them from accelerating.

The idea that a cyclist CAUSES a car to waste fuel is ludicrous. I think the car's driver has something to do with it. Last I checked, the driver has full control over his brakes, accelerator and gearbox.

 

[green1]

Used appropriately it only does 23-25mpg?
Jeez. I see why you ride a bike!

Very rarely get above 19mpg out of it. You can easily get it down to single figure MPG on mountain roads. Wouldn't swap it for anything though, best car i've ever driven.

 

[TheJDog]

Depends on the engine, my car is more fuel efficient at 3000 rpm than it is at 2000.

The engine might be more efficient at producing power or torque at 3000rpm than 2000rpm, but that doesn't translate to your car being more fuel efficient (in any gear) at 3000 than 2000.

 

[green1]

The engine might be more efficient at producing power or torque at 3000rpm than 2000rpm, but that doesn't translate to your car being more fuel efficient (in any gear) at 3000 than 2000.

It does in a engine that use centripetal forces to help sealing, and hence less leakage as the rpm increases.

 

[gambatte]

Bit off track and academic though as wankels, which are lucky to get 20mpg are unlikely to be the a significant number of the eight vehicles referred to in the OPs quote?

 

[Beebo]

Fnaar will be along soon with a witty comment if we all keep saying wankel

As already pointed out, car drivers have to brake and accelerate for a number of things, most of which are traffic related such as bends in the road, traffic lights, roundabouts, junctions, other cars slowing down etc etc etc cyclists are the least of their worries when it comes to fuel consumption.