Why would anyone want to drive when they could bike?

Pip · Post by **Pip** » 13 Oct 2005, 18:11

'Why would anyone want to drive when they could bike?'

Simple one word answer - rain!

Lol, I know what you mean though, riding a bike is a good deal of fun, quite apart from the fact that it's eco friendly and healthy. But I do have one problem, though it's heresy on here to admit it, I love cars and enjoy driving a lot, so it's a bit of a tough choice for me!

fishertrop · Post by **fishertrop** » 13 Oct 2005, 18:44

Pip wrote:'Simple one word answer - rain!

Are you made of sugar?

If there is a real one word answer it's surely HEADWIND

Pip · Post by **Pip** » 13 Oct 2005, 20:09

Lol, true, but you'd have to admit its pretty miserable cycling in the rain! But yeah, headwind too! Or, if you live in Bristol, hills!

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 13 Oct 2005, 22:46

Good luck getting sympathy about Bristol's hills from fishertrop - Sheffield makes San Francisco look flat.

Pip · Post by **Pip** » 14 Oct 2005, 21:45

Very true!

peaky · Post by **peaky** » 29 Oct 2005, 22:56

fishertrop wrote:
Pip wrote:'Simple one word answer - rain!
Are you made of sugar?

If there is a real one word answer it's surely HEADWIND

Yea - I mean, you can only get so wet. But a headwind just wears you down, and down, and down....

JLefrere · Post by **JLefrere** » 29 Oct 2005, 23:18

I agree, wind has always been the problem for me. However, I've just bought a nice electric bike to replace my mountain bike, we'll see how it goes! Bargain at ?185 new.
If you're really serious about getting around fast on a bike though, you could get a recumbent and then add a full fairing. Or even better, add an electric motor to it as well! I haven't seen recumbents with motors but how hard can it be?

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 18 Nov 2005, 23:53

Why would anyone want to drive when they could bike?'
Zut Alors! if you have to ask, you dont get it...

best appreciated using broadband and headphones....

http://www.bsdunix.ch.nyud.net:8090/pub ... s20_04.mov

the ending is a cracker!

Bootstrapper · Post by **Bootstrapper** » 21 Nov 2005, 08:07

One of these is definitely on my shopping list:

Paul

oobers · Post by **oobers** » 12 Jan 2006, 18:38

I can seriously recommend the Currie Electro-Drive bike conversion - see www.electro-drive.co.uk although if I were to purchase again, I would go straight to one of the battery upgrades, probably NiMh for extra range and lower weight.

It has totally transformed my cyle to car ratio!

Main pluses for me:
Easy to fit, low maintenance(so far)
Not too heavy to cart around when the battery dies
Cheap and quick to charge
Takes all the sweat out of hills
Increases the scope of pubs available to me.

Ballard · Post by **Ballard** » 12 Jan 2006, 20:29

I do like the look of this:-

http://www.ec-bikes.co.uk/

If I get my house sold, and my new one bought, then I might treat myself.

Sam172 · Post by **Sam172** » 12 Jan 2006, 21:16

Bootstrapper wrote:One of these is definitely on my shopping list:

Paul

They look fantastic, but I must say that from the look of them, I'd feel very unsafe riding one. Then again, I feel unsafe riding a bike anywhere around here ?_?.

If you get one let us know how it handles

Post by **mikepepler** » 13 Jan 2006, 14:38

Sam172 wrote:
Bootstrapper wrote:One of these is definitely on my shopping list:
They look fantastic, but I must say that from the look of them, I'd feel very unsafe riding one. Then again, I feel unsafe riding a bike anywhere around here ?_?.

If you get one let us know how it handles

I've got a recumbent trike, that I bought second hand. It's about 8 years old, so is not as neat as the new designs, but it works well and cost me ?800 instead of ?1500-?2000. I figured I could upgrade to a new one if I want to later on.

I've not had much time to ride it yet because of the demands of my MSc, but the few times I've been out it's been great. Faster on the flat and downhill, a little slower uphill, much better brakes, and most of all it is so comfortable, like riding in an armchair! As for safety, you are wider than a bike and present a bigger-looking view to the car driver, which makes up for being a bit lower down. Cars can not fit past you within a lane, so they wait behind you until the other lane is clear, and pass on the other side of the road - much safer for you than when they squeeze past you on a bike! I know it sounds difficult to believe - I didn't until I rode one - but it's true.

Anyway, if you fancy a UK built one look here:
http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/
Standard models for ?1500
or a Catrike US import here:
http://www.trikesandstuff.co.uk/

I test rode two Catrikes - they are certainly better than my second-hand one, lighter than the ICE trikes, and great fun to ride. They start at ?1250, but once you add lights, rack, mudguard, etc. they start costing more...

One advantage I noticed for the ICE trikes though is that they have drum brakes rather than disc. Now to someone who ususally rides off-road, this would not make any sense - you'd go for discs every time. However, to the peak-oil-minded person, the advantage of drum brakes is they work for 20,000+ miles with no maintenance. They should work longer than that too, all you need to do is take them apart for a bit of a clean. While discs, on the other hand, need new pads every few thousand miles.

Pete_M · Post by **Pete_M** » 13 Jan 2006, 21:53

Mike,
Are the parts on the trikes standard mountain bike items eg bottom brackets, chains, break components? Just wondered how easy it is to get spares.

Pete M

RogerCO · Post by **RogerCO** » 13 Jan 2006, 23:42

Ballard wrote:I do like the look of this:-
http://www.ec-bikes.co.uk/

Never trust an online vendor who doesn't give an address. An 0800 number could be anywhere, what have they got to hide ? Why don't they want you to know where they are based ? Looks very dodgy - avoid.

PowerSwitch

Why would anyone want to drive when they could bike?

"Red light? What red light?"