matticus
Guru
ISn't it?
Why kms?
- Thread starter Cerdic
- Start date
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We learned both Metric and Imperial and Metric is much simpler for measurements.
I used to work with a bloke who'd mix both.He'd say something like 1metre,2 foot,4 inches and 5 little sticks(mm)
All Steel we make at work is sold in metric nowadays.We had to have special stuff made for USA orders as they still want it in inches and feet.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I certainly don't. I associate km with things like "diet", "low calorie" and "reduced fat", things no thrusting go-getter would ever consider.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Something that does bother me is people mixing their units. I have even seen cycling magazines doing it e.g. "A hilly 50 mile bike route with 1,750 metres of climbing"...
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
That might be an age thing. Im in my 50s and can work interchangeably in either because I was taught both in school. I can do rough, but pretty close, conversions, from one to another with barely any thought.
Thats why I don't understand it when people complain imperial measurements are difficult. They're only difficult if youve not been taught them - after all, you'd find speaking Spanish difficult if youd never been taught it and lived with it, so a commentator blaming the system for a lack of their own knowledge and education is a bit daft. I know bugger all about molecular biology, but the failing there is mine and not the subject matter.
All joking asaide, as a practical matter I'm completely happy and comfortable using either and have no preference. Being English by birth and Scottish by the grace of God I would always say imperial, but in reality if I awoke tomorrow to find one or the other had disappeared from the face of the Earth it would cause me little angst.
matticus
Guru
I would say elevations in metres are much more available now. In the EU they rule, and a Google map shows them.
And OS maps.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
But that doesn't persuade them to do the distances in km!
matticus
Guru
Why would they? Road signs are still in miles!But that doesn't persuade them to do the distances in km!
;-)
- Location
- Inside my skull
Wait till they hit a junction with no sign posts. Whoa, there by dragons, I’m staying put.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I'm going to take a look on Streetview to see if 2 road signs that I saw on a ride were still in place when the Streetview car went along there. I'll be back to explain later...
PS I got really tired on a long ride and a pair of those 'indispensable road signs' indicated that I was getting further away from my destination as I actually got closer to it... It completely did my head in! I just checked and they have now fixed the mistake. I think they'd probably inadvertently swapped them when they were first erected.
Last edited:
Ridgeway
Veteran
- Location
- Lausanne, Switzerland
My guess is those that insist on using imperial units for their cycling achievements in the UK still buy bikes measured in centimetres and wheels/tyres measured in millimetres They also set their torque values in Newton metres and drink from bottles filled by the millilitre.
UK roads will be updated one day with both measurements, it will be half a step into the future
They also set their torque values in Newton metres and drink from bottles filled by the millilitre.UK roads will be updated one day with both measurements, it will be half a step into the future
