I'm giving up riding.

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Maxsymuppet
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Re: I'm giving up riding.

Post by Maxsymuppet »

Steve_D wrote:It’s not just the price of the car though. There’s mot, insurance, maintenance and repairs. That could easily top £1,000 a year.
That's a point! Having not had a car for 21 years the insurance will be horrendous! Then there are the repairs. Which are very likely with a £500 car. But I suppose it's cheaper than chucking a bike down the road. Plus a few months off work (again) with a broken bone or two. Swings and roundabouts...

Maxsymuppet
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Re: I'm giving up riding.

Post by Maxsymuppet »

The Bern wrote:Bergie bloke, you popping up the Raven tomorrow bud ?
Sorry bud. I'm at work on the night, so I have to get a few things done then get some Zs. Would have liked to have gone. Maybe next time.

MrGrumpy
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Re: I'm giving up riding.

Post by MrGrumpy »

Regarding a car, I suppose its a case of doing the sums.....a sum for the car, plus a few hundred for insurance, plus petrol tax, repairs, tyres, servicing...maybe £700-£1000 total a year. The alternative is to then work out how many days a year (on average) you won't want to ride given the weather conditions (of course this will vary enormously given the variability of our weather) and work out how much going to work via taxi would cost. If the costs of getting a taxi when needed is less than annual running costs of a car, then you could treat yourself to a taxi when needed, saving yourself endless time compared to public transport, knowing you are doing the most sensible thing!

Maxsymuppet
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Re: I'm giving up riding.

Post by Maxsymuppet »

MrGrumpy wrote:Regarding a car, I suppose its a case of doing the sums.....a sum for the car, plus a few hundred for insurance, plus petrol tax, repairs, tyres, servicing...maybe £700-£1000 total a year. The alternative is to then work out how many days a year (on average) you won't want to ride given the weather conditions (of course this will vary enormously given the variability of our weather) and work out how much going to work via taxi would cost. If the costs of getting a taxi when needed is less than annual running costs of a car, then you could treat yourself to a taxi when needed, saving yourself endless time compared to public transport, knowing you are doing the most sensible thing!
Put like that I think the argument swings heavily in favour of not getting a car and carrying on with buses and taxis as I have so far. With the downside of having to get up an hour earlier for the bus. But... I haven't mentioned this before, but I work in security, so I often find myself rostered for Christmas and/or New Year, when there are no buses and taxis are either unobtainable or horrendously expensive. In which case if bad weather strikes during either of these periods I am up the proverbial creek without a paddle. So far luck has been on my side, but my luck may run out one year.

What I am thinking at the moment is at the start of winter take a look at my roster and if I am on either Christmas or New year get myself a cheap car till spring comes. Seems a little extreme but I can't see any other way round it.

Maxsymuppet
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Re: I'm giving up riding.

Post by Maxsymuppet »

Meldrew wrote:The main problem of riding in winter conditions to a shift job a long way from home like Burgman's is the pressure of getting there on time to relieve the off going shift. With shifts you're expected to be there on time whatever the weather, and if in the past you've came off, had broken bones and a long period of recovery, damaged both scooter and riding gear, the dread of it happening again when there's snow and ice on the roads is bound to get you down.

As I mentioned in an earlier post when you do come off in bad weather and hurt yourself you get little or no sympathy from non-riding work mates for even attempting to get to work on two wheels, 'well it's your own fault', 'you should yourself get a car' etc.
Got it exactly! With the vast majority of people never having had a bike they simply wouldn't appreciate the upsides and only think of the downsides. It's the country we live in. Things are rather different across the channel and beyond.

wozza
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Re: I'm giving up riding.

Post by wozza »

An interesting thread. I wish you well whatever you decide to do.
I do get where you are coming from regarding the weather - even summers have been pretty shitty for the last few years ( well hup norf anyway)...
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Maxsymuppet
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Re: I'm giving up riding.

Post by Maxsymuppet »

I've decided I need more time to think about it. Maybe it's because of the winter doldrums and being sick of buses and taxis.

I will see what sort of summer we get then weigh up my options. Balance the hassle of winter against the benefits of summer. In the meantime, as I have said, I will just muddle through this winter then see how it goes.

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Alanzzg
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Re: I'm giving up riding.

Post by Alanzzg »

All you need is just one nice day a ride to the raven for a breakfast or a ride to the cost for a ice cream and you will be glad you still have your bike
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Globs
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Re: I'm giving up riding.

Post by Globs »

If it's not too far you could also consider a bicycle, if it's a bit too far consider an electric assisted one.

MrGrumpy
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Re: I'm giving up riding.

Post by MrGrumpy »

Meldrew wrote:. Cycle tyres also have a very small contact patch and minimal tread, so when there's snow and ice about you can still get dumped on your arse.
...albeit at relatively slow speeds! When I was commuting I did consider an electric bike, as the journey was only 5 miles, and 99% of it could be along dedicated cycle tracks. But the journey would probably have taken 3 times longer than on the scoot, plus time to change clothes and have a shower (if your or your colleagues are fastidious), and probably even more uncomfortable in bad weather than a scoot! Plus luggage capacity on a pushbike is normally a bit limited, so it did not make sense, except at times of petrol crises!

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