More economical driving and riding

P recently started a new job and had two offers on the table - one for 5
minutes away from where I work in Southampton and one 60 minutes drive
on the other side of Bournemouth. The further away one paid a lot more
but when you start totting up the costs of running another car for
15,000 miles a year it's a bit of an eye opener. So for that and other
reasons she went for the Southampton job.

I don't think I'm driving much slower, though.

 

Have you thought about getting a bicycle?

 

Or just a plain petrol one. V does about 15 miles a day and it costs her
next to ****-all to fuel her scooter.

Even using the KTM works out about a third of the cost of commuting by
tube. For fuel, anyway.

 

I made that mistake when I took this job. I worked out how much it'd
cost me to do the commute, added that to the salary I was on and
negotiated that during the interview.

Forgot about the tax, mind.

 

It's made a difference to my commuting. If I'm to commute to my base
office in Worcester daily for a month, it'll cost nearly 400 quid a
month now.

So I'm working from home a minimum of 3 days a week and using the
train or bike on the other days. The car will only really get used in
a work related manner if it's a journey that can be expensed.

In terms of pleasure use of the car, well it's a 1.8 Ford Focus, so it
doesn't exactly get driven for pleasure, but I can't see my use of it
changing for holiday trips and the like. But the cost of the fuel
will be factored in.

For using the GSXR for pleasure? I don't give a toss how much that
costs.

 

<applause>

 

Isn't that the point of Bendy Buses? Polite folks in the front cabin and
wogs in the rear compartment.

 

Tell me about it. when we were based in Tunbridge Wells, my commute
was 40 miles each way, and in winter I mostly used the car. I was
putting 16k miles on it every year. That was (then) a tenner's worth
of fuel a day, plus other running costs. All out of taxed income.

 

I figured this out for my commute.

M27 J1 to J5 is 11 miles, give or take.

At 90mph, 7m20s
At 70mph, 8m50s

I reckon the car does about 5 mpg better, which saves about 0.15 litres,
or about 20 pence at todays prices.

So it costs me 20 pence to save 1.5 minutes. Over a year, 100 quid.

Is it worth 100 quid a year not to be bored for 15 minutes a day? I
think yes.

 

Indeed. The little 50cc Chinese scoot reliably achieved around 130mpg
which is not bad when you consider that the throttle will usually be
either at idle or flat out.
The Majesty is good for around 70mpg ridden with moderate aggression which
is roughly the same as the GS500 pootling in a gentlemanly fashion.

Riding or driving like a cnut will obviously use more fuel, the 400/4
just cries out to be thrashed and drinks accordingly.

 

OK, I take it back, the anti-oracle has spoken and accordingly an
electric scooter is the only option.

 

Electric bicycle more like. No tax or insurance and potentially a bit more
fun.
Have a look at this new Gruber conversion, cool as **** as it works through
the usual Shimano gear system. 200w though <snort>
http://electricmountainbikes.blogspot.com/2008/11/gruber-assist.html
Obviously one needs at least 500w and 20+mph

China seems to have gone e-bike crazy. Which can't be a bad thing.

 

I had a bicycle for a while. I have yet to find one strong enough to
bear me in comfort without the tyres popping off.

 

£60 to cover 50 miles a week , **** you either need a service or your
driving a tank

 

Has to be under 250W to be counted an electric bicycle in the UK, of
course: above that, it is a scooter and needs registration, license,
insurance, helmet, etc.

 

200W & 15mph according to
http://www.efficientenergysaving.co.uk/electricbike.html

 

I said NSL? Which is to say 60 mph A roads. Obviously one ignores any local
"restrictions".
But significant stretches of A road are perfectly safe at 60 as a *minimum*
and most of the rest 50.

Town is a different matter. I completely ignore the speed limit system,
since Gov backed by wankers like Brake took the gloves off. I observe the
road and drive at whatever speed seems safe and appropriate which might be
10 might be 80.

 

Well if so, someone should tell Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws#United_Kingdom

(it turns out the confusion is that you are allowed 250W on a tandem or
tricycle)

 

*Four* weeks, actually.

But yes, I drive a 1.8T Passat, and it likes when I have Rammstein or
Wagner on the stereo. I guess it could be deemed a Panzer... for very
large values of tank.

 

No you didn't. Here:

and then you mentioned NSL afterwards.

So again, why would it drive you crazy if somebody chooses to drive in
the manner TOG described?

WTF does 'safe' have to do with this conversation?

I'm pleased for you - what's your point?