I have a cunning plan...

[David Martin]

There has been a bit of a hoo-har at work about the reduction in car parking
places. Discussing this with some of those who commute by car, I often get
the response "I'd love to cycle but it's too far". Legitimate point but now
with an interesting twist.

How much do you pay in car park charges? 120 per year.
How much in fuel? far too much...

Why not park a bit further out of town and ride in on a folding bike? You'll
be quids in by the end of the year, get a nice refreshing ride in, and still
have teh car available to drive in if the weather is really ****. You'll
save the car parking charges, and the extra fuel cost which will add up to
about 15 quid a week.

Quite a lot over the course of a year, and you know you'll feel better for
it as well.

...d

 

[Tony Raven]

David Martin wrote:
> There has been a bit of a hoo-har at work about the reduction in car parking
> places. Discussing this with some of those who commute by car, I often get
> the response "I'd love to cycle but it's too far". Legitimate point but now
> with an interesting twist.
>
> How much do you pay in car park charges? 120 per year.
> How much in fuel? far too much...
>
> Why not park a bit further out of town and ride in on a folding bike? You'll
> be quids in by the end of the year, get a nice refreshing ride in, and still
> have teh car available to drive in if the weather is really ****. You'll
> save the car parking charges, and the extra fuel cost which will add up to
> about 15 quid a week.
>
> Quite a lot over the course of a year, and you know you'll feel better for
> it as well.
>

How about adding a Bike Buddy offer to it as well - "I know it may feel
uncomfortable cycling in in the traffic to start with, but tell you
what, I'll meet up and cycle in with you for the first few days until
you are used to it" Thus removing the last excuse. I also offer to
check people's bikes over for them.

Tony

 

[Simon Mason]

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>
> How about adding a Bike Buddy offer to it as well - "I know it may feel
> uncomfortable cycling in in the traffic to start with, but tell you what,
> I'll meet up and cycle in with you for the first few days until you are
> used to it" Thus removing the last excuse. I also offer to check
> people's bikes over for them.

All I did was walk in slim and fit in my cycling gear every day and the
penny dropped in some people's cases. A guy who lives near me said he was
cancelling his gym membership and biking to work everyday. He and his
colleague rode in yesterday and said it was wonderful.

They cycled along the Humber Foreshore, stopped for a bacon banjo half way
and took 75 minutes for the 12 miles. The big test for them is winter
though. The guy asked me if I ever was tempted to have half an hour extra in
bed and take the car when it was winter. Sure, I said, but it's the slippery
slope.

You say to yourself, it's too cold today, I'll drive in. Well, it's winter,
it will be cold the next day as well. So you've binned a whole season. Then
it'll be too windy, too wet, too hot and so on. I'm so glad I cycle through
the winter, being super fit now makes all that hard work worthwhile


--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

 

[elyob]

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> You say to yourself, it's too cold today, I'll drive in. Well, it's
> winter, it will be cold the next day as well. So you've binned a whole
> season. Then it'll be too windy, too wet, too hot and so on. I'm so glad I
> cycle through the winter, being super fit now makes all that hard work
> worthwhile

I like this time of year. There's loads of people dusting down their bikes,
and must feel dejected as I blast past them.

75 minutes for 12 miles, pah, that's not superfit

 

[Kibo]

In article <BE69F00C.CD35%[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> There has been a bit of a hoo-har at work about the reduction in car parking
> places. Discussing this with some of those who commute by car, I often get
> the response "I'd love to cycle but it's too far". Legitimate point but now
> with an interesting twist.
>
> How much do you pay in car park charges? 120 per year.
> How much in fuel? far too much...
>
> Why not park a bit further out of town and ride in on a folding bike? You'll
> be quids in by the end of the year, get a nice refreshing ride in, and still
> have teh car available to drive in if the weather is really ****. You'll
> save the car parking charges, and the extra fuel cost which will add up to
> about 15 quid a week.
>
> Quite a lot over the course of a year, and you know you'll feel better for
> it as well.

I'm thinking of doing this simply because the last 10 miles of my
journey takes nearly 45 minutes, and I still have a 10 minute walk.

The problem I have is that there's nowhere particularly safe to leave
the car, and I'd have to content with single and dual carriageways
around Gloucester and Cheltenham. Then there's no decent cycle parking
at work, nor showers, even though the company runs the "get a bike half-
price" thing - you know, Booost.

--
Hywel http://kibo.org.uk/
I do not eat quiche.

 

[Alan Braggins]

In article <BE69F00C.CD35%[email protected]>, David Martin wrote:
>There has been a bit of a hoo-har at work about the reduction in car parking
>places. Discussing this with some of those who commute by car, I often get
>the response "I'd love to cycle but it's too far". Legitimate point but now
>with an interesting twist.
>
>How much do you pay in car park charges? 120 per year.
>How much in fuel? far too much...
>
>Why not park a bit further out of town and ride in on a folding bike?

Because I have an estate car and the non-folding bike fits in it fine

(Actually I have been using a folder recently, which has the advantage
that it fits in the boot while I drop the children at school on the way,
but the non-folder needs the rear seats down. If I used the U+2 for
school more that wouldn't be a consideration.
On the other hand I'm considering a smaller folder that would fit more
easily in our other car, a Ford Ka. On the gripping hand we're considering
getting rid of one car - though recent experiance while one or the other
was off road was that while we could managewith one, it was a pain, and
having an only car off the road would be very difficult (and renting one
then, or buying a shiny new supposedly reliable car would rather offset
the potential savings (I was a bit annoyed at the Ka destroying its engine,
it was supposed to be too new for that sort of thing)).

When I had a (non-folding) trailer cycle too and had to get to nursery
school by 9am, it was also quicker into town. Now I'm generally later,
traffic has eased a bit, but the free parking spaces at work have all
gone more often.

 

[Simon Mason]

"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> >
> > You say to yourself, it's too cold today, I'll drive in. Well, it's
> > winter, it will be cold the next day as well. So you've binned a whole
> > season. Then it'll be too windy, too wet, too hot and so on. I'm so glad I
> > cycle through the winter, being super fit now makes all that hard work
> > worthwhile
>
> I like this time of year. There's loads of people dusting down their bikes,
> and must feel dejected as I blast past them.
>
> 75 minutes for 12 miles, pah, that's not superfit

That's the bloke who has just started, not me. I can do it in 40 minutes.

-

Simon M.

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <1111783375.c584dcf79e6cab11d516a4d348669d51@teranews>, Kibo
('[email protected]') wrote:

[scythe]

Isn't there some dreadful fate which awaits those who impersonate Kibo?

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
/-\ You have discovered a security flaw in a Microsoft product. You
|-| can report this issue to our security team. Would you like to
| | * Be completely ignored (default)?
| | * Receive a form email full of platitudes about how much we care?
\_/ * Spend hours helping us fix this problem for free?

 

[Doki]

Alan Braggins wrote:
> In article <BE69F00C.CD35%[email protected]>, David Martin
> wrote:
>> There has been a bit of a hoo-har at work about the reduction in car
>> parking places. Discussing this with some of those who commute by
>> car, I often get the response "I'd love to cycle but it's too far".
>> Legitimate point but now with an interesting twist.
>>
>> How much do you pay in car park charges? 120 per year.
>> How much in fuel? far too much...
>>
>> Why not park a bit further out of town and ride in on a folding bike?
>
> Because I have an estate car and the non-folding bike fits in it fine
>
>
> (Actually I have been using a folder recently, which has the advantage
> that it fits in the boot while I drop the children at school on the
> way, but the non-folder needs the rear seats down. If I used the U+2
> for school more that wouldn't be a consideration.
> On the other hand I'm considering a smaller folder that would fit more
> easily in our other car, a Ford Ka. On the gripping hand we're
> considering getting rid of one car - though recent experiance while
> one or the other was off road was that while we could managewith one,
> it was a pain, and having an only car off the road would be very
> difficult (and renting one then, or buying a shiny new supposedly
> reliable car would rather offset the potential savings (I was a bit
> annoyed at the Ka destroying its engine, it was supposed to be too
> new for that sort of thing)).

The Ka engine is based on one they used to put in the Anglia. It's meant to
break . And don't get me started on Fords...

 

[Tony Raven]

Doki wrote:
>
> The Ka engine is based on one they used to put in the Anglia. It's meant to
> break . And don't get me started on Fords...
>

Most of the car engines used today are based on old engines.

Tony

 

[Steve]

On Sun, 27 Mar 2005 02:53:54 +0100, Doki wrote:

[snip]
>
> The Ka engine is based on one they used to put in the Anglia. It's meant to
> break . And don't get me started on Fords...

I don't think the Ka uses a sidevalve engine!

That was then followed by the Kent engine which was all cast iron. Is that
what's in the Ka?

Unlikely.

steve

 

[B.G. Finlay IT Services]

Steve ([email protected]) wrote:
: That was then followed by the Kent engine which was all cast iron. Is that
: what's in the Ka?
: Unlikely.

The OHV Endura-E engine in the Ka is based on the Kent engine. More
recent Kas have Duratec(?) engines ... I'm not sure if that's just
another update of the same engine.

Back to the original topic ... if someone could could guarantee that
when I cycle to work on a sunny morning it'll not be pissing down when
it's time to go home I might consider doing it more often.

Blair.

 

[David Martin]

On 27/3/05 7:49 pm, in article [email protected], "B.G. Finlay
IT Services" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Steve ([email protected]) wrote:
> : That was then followed by the Kent engine which was all cast iron. Is that
> : what's in the Ka?
> : Unlikely.
>
> The OHV Endura-E engine in the Ka is based on the Kent engine. More
> recent Kas have Duratec(?) engines ... I'm not sure if that's just
> another update of the same engine.
>
> Back to the original topic ... if someone could could guarantee that
> when I cycle to work on a sunny morning it'll not be pissing down when
> it's time to go home I might consider doing it more often.

Working on the same site as you ;-) it has more often been pissing downint
he morning and sunny in the evening. In fact, IIRC it has only rained at
going home time (5-6) once or twice in the last month (and rained about
three times at going to work time (8-9).

Perception dear boy.. ANd if you want the actual figures, look at Prof
Bartons weather station data from the Perth Road..

...d

 

[Danny Colyer]

Tony Raven wrote:
> FWIW my weather check for what to take is the BBC Breakfast weather
> reports. That close to the day they are reasonably OK but the night
> before's forecast is usually pants. OTOH it only rains about 6-10 days
> in the year during a commute so the perception of weather is almost
> certainly worse than the weather.

I used to think that, until I started keeping a commuting weather log
for my 25 minute commute!

In the past 12 months I can see that I have made 424 commuting journeys
(2 a day, 212 days). I have been rained on on 75 of those journeys (I
was also snowed on 3 times and hailed on once).

Of those 75 rain showers, 35 were light enough that I would hardly have
noticed them if I hadn't been keeping a log. But that still leaves 40
journeys during 12 months of commuting when I've been rained on properly.

It doesn't put me off cycling, of course. I just make sure I have the
right clothes.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Alan Braggins]

In article <[email protected]>, B.G. Finlay IT Services wrote:
>Steve ([email protected]) wrote:
>: That was then followed by the Kent engine which was all cast iron. Is that
>: what's in the Ka?
>: Unlikely.
>
> The OHV Endura-E engine in the Ka is based on the Kent engine. More
>recent Kas have Duratec(?) engines ... I'm not sure if that's just
>another update of the same engine.

Basically same block, different head, says Google. (Mine's an older one.)


> Back to the original topic ... if someone could could guarantee that
>when I cycle to work on a sunny morning it'll not be pissing down when
>it's time to go home I might consider doing it more often.

Move to Cambridge, one of the driest places in the country.

 

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

On Sun, 27 Mar 2005 21:11:08 +0100, Danny Colyer
<[email protected]> wrote in message
<[email protected]>:

>In the past 12 months I can see that I have made 424 commuting journeys
>(2 a day, 212 days). I have been rained on on 75 of those journeys (I
>was also snowed on 3 times and hailed on once).
>Of those 75 rain showers, 35 were light enough that I would hardly have
>noticed them if I hadn't been keeping a log. But that still leaves 40
>journeys during 12 months of commuting when I've been rained on properly.

Amazing! I've always said that you'll only get properly wet on about
twenty days a year, and that seems to be right!


Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

 

[David Martin]

On 27/3/05 9:27 pm, in article [email protected],
"Alan Braggins" <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>, B.G. Finlay IT Services wrote:
>> Steve ([email protected]) wrote:
>> : That was then followed by the Kent engine which was all cast iron. Is that
>> : what's in the Ka?
>> : Unlikely.
>>
>> The OHV Endura-E engine in the Ka is based on the Kent engine. More
>> recent Kas have Duratec(?) engines ... I'm not sure if that's just
>> another update of the same engine.
>
> Basically same block, different head, says Google. (Mine's an older one.)
>
>
>> Back to the original topic ... if someone could could guarantee that
>> when I cycle to work on a sunny morning it'll not be pissing down when
>> it's time to go home I might consider doing it more often.
>
> Move to Cambridge, one of the driest places in the country.

Dundee is frequently amongst the driest cities in the UK, despite being in
Scotland. Drier than Cambridge in any case, and we don't have to worry about
sea levels rising with global warming ;-)

(My boss moved here from Cambridge a few years back.)

And in response to the inevitable questions, yes it is still one of the best
places in the UK to live. I can be in central London as fast from Dundee as
from Cambridge (OK, by plane rather than by train), house prices are much
cheaper, and there are more amenities, concommittent with Dundee being a
city and Cambridge being a University attatched to a large village. We also
have Real Hills (tm), quiet roads that are fantastic for cycling, Really Big
Hills a bit further away, and nice light evenings in the summer till after
pub chuck out time.

And the weather is better.

;-)

...d

 

[Tony Raven]

David Martin wrote:
>
> And in response to the inevitable questions, yes it is still one of the best
> places in the UK to live. I can be in central London as fast from Dundee as
> from Cambridge (OK, by plane rather than by train),

How do you do that? Its 50 mins to Kings Cross on the Cambridge Flyer
or 70 mins to Liverpool St in the heart of the "City". You'll spend
much more time than that checking in and getting into the city from the
airport.

Tony

 

[David Martin]

On 27/3/05 11:08 pm, in article [email protected], "Tony Raven"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> David Martin wrote:
>>
>> And in response to the inevitable questions, yes it is still one of the best
>> places in the UK to live. I can be in central London as fast from Dundee as
>> from Cambridge (OK, by plane rather than by train),
>
> How do you do that? Its 50 mins to Kings Cross on the Cambridge Flyer
> or 70 mins to Liverpool St in the heart of the "City". You'll spend
> much more time than that checking in and getting into the city from the
> airport.

I had a liberal definition of 'Cambridge' meaning Hinxton genome campus..
And travelling on a Sunday when most of the railway IME is replaced by a bus
service..

Otherwise you are mostly correct, though with carry on luggage the waiting
times in Dundee are not much more than that for a train in Cambridge..

I'll happily sacrifice the 40 minutes or so difference though for the
Highlands on my doorstep and better weather.. ;-)

...d

 

[Tony Raven]

David Martin wrote:
>
> I had a liberal definition of 'Cambridge' meaning Hinxton genome campus..
> And travelling on a Sunday when most of the railway IME is replaced by a bus
> service..
>
> Otherwise you are mostly correct, though with carry on luggage the waiting
> times in Dundee are not much more than that for a train in Cambridge..
>
> I'll happily sacrifice the 40 minutes or so difference though for the
> Highlands on my doorstep and better weather.. ;-)
>

If you can choose a day when the Cambridge trains are replaced by buses,
I'll choose one when the airports are socked in with weather in which
case you'll sacrifice a lot more than 40 mins ;-)

Tony