Thinking of buying an EV?

[spudfan]

Thinking of buying an EV? This might be worth a look this coming Friday on Channel 4.

[DiveController]

This is just another example of large faceless deep pocketed multinational companies with an in-house legal department exploiting third world nations where environmental and worker protections are far poorer than in (some) developed nations.

These governments are (even more) corrupt than in developed nations, life expectancy is lower, occupational safety, medical access and medical treatments virtually non-existent. The multinational actually could do this well but that choice is dictated by economics and the prevailing regulations (none there).

Then there is the local gombeen ready to exploit their own countrymen (and women and children) to the same end while some in the first world experience some guilt about 'our' treatment of these nations.

Some time spent volunteering in an eastern African country for a few months a couple of decades ago instilled a deeper understanding of all this.

This is not a new phenomenon. Every empire, Roman, Spanish, British has done this through the millennia. Civilization has merely renamed things, multinational corporations etc.

The funny thing is that these undeveloped nations should be holding the first world nations to ransom for these lithium, cobalt and silver ores (et. al.)

Despite all this , I have ordered a hybrid vehicle to replace our aging 150K+ miles fossil engined vehicle as probably the lesser evil.

If I don't stop now the fireman will never get that head of steam up to pressure again ......

[GSR 800]

Biofuels are no better 

https://grain.org/article/entries/4653-land-grabbing-for-biofuels-must-stop

 

[DiveController]

The very real problem here is the unfettered world population explosion consuming all known mineral and natural resources but as nobody wants to go there (except the Chinese), I'm not going to either.

I'll let a certain Mr Smith explain

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by DiveController

[DJ Dangerous]

There is no magic bullet for preventing environmental damage.

The electricity for EV's still needs to be generated. It's cleaner and more efficient to generate it in one place, rather than have millions of tiny fossil fuel generators whizzing around the roads, but it's still not a finite solution.

A growing population, many of whom are not YET living in first world luxury, is the real worry.

Lifestyle changes are inevitable, further down the line - poorer living standards, less luxuries and higher prices for all.

Current global economic model is based on infinite population expansion, on a finite planet with finite resources. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that something has to give at some point.

 

[GSR 800]

13 hours ago, DiveController said:

This is just another example of large faceless deep pocketed multinational companies with an in-house legal department exploiting third world nations where environmental and worker protections are far poorer than in (some) developed nations.

These governments are (even more) corrupt than in developed nations, life expectancy is lower, occupational safety, medical access and medical treatments virtually non-existent. The multinational actually could do this well but that choice is dictated by economics and the prevailing regulations (none there).

Then there is the local gombeen ready to exploit their own countrymen (and women and children) to the same end while some in the first world experience some guilt about 'our' treatment of these nations.

Some time spent volunteering in an eastern African country for a few months a couple of decades ago instilled a deeper understanding of all this.

This is not a new phenomenon. Every empire, Roman, Spanish, British has done this through the millennia. Civilization has merely renamed things, multinational corporations etc.

The funny thing is that these undeveloped nations should be holding the first world nations to ransom for these lithium, cobalt and silver ores (et. al.)

Despite all this , I have ordered a hybrid vehicle to replace our aging 150K+ miles fossil engined vehicle as probably the lesser evil.

If I don't stop now the fireman will never get that head of steam up to pressure again ......

Generally poorer, notably in this case, african nations that have come out of the colonial era had little in the way of education of a proper civil service, democratic tradition and processes etc (likes of the Congo were dropped like a stone by Belgium with no preparation, there were plans for reform, education etc over 20 years along with more gradual handover but came to nought iirc). 

This, combined with foreign interference and the 'conflict trap', essentially increasing instability from every conflict a nation goes through, increased poverty leading to more conflict, more poverty, more instability and so on has made it exceptionally hard for many of these nations to develop. The Washington consensus made things a great deal worse for many nations, while the 'Asian Tigers' seemed to benefit, their starting circumstances were different. https://books.google.ie/books?hl=en&lr=&id=3PLqetBxiOEC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=the+conflict+trap&ots=PTS3AU9d5C&sig=5JMO-psklAkq8Kr9uZJ1lnjWwBY&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the conflict trap&f=false

As for corruption, having studied the case of the Congo I will give an example. A soldier is paid 8 dollars (the equivalent anyway) by the government to prevent illegal mining. He's paid 50 dollars to turn a blind eye. Comparitive buying power makes corruption very easy. It's also something many poorer nations struggle with when regarding development, ie they want to hire foreign experts (say an irish engineer or tech expert as an example.) It can be very expensive hiring such expertise, as they will expect a Western wage and western standard of living.

exploitation is a historic factor, one that continues to this day (if you look at the article i linked it relates to how significant landgrabs in nations such as Ghana and Sierra Leone to grow biofuel crops are at the detriment to the people, but especially the poorest people of those nations) but it is not an inevitability, I use the case of Botswana as my example for developing well following independence, and Rwanda in spite of the horrific genocide there has developed quite well, using drones for medical supplies to overcome infrastructure issues.

The question of sustainability is sustainability for who?

Edited October 26, 2021 by GSR 800

[Mike 84C]

I see every day here in rural Lincolnshire good farming land taken out of food production to be covered with solar farms or  grow maize for digesters to power small generation plants. These farmers get grants to do this. Meanwhile few new houses or warehouse complexes produced by the building boom have photovoltaic roofs from new and the feed in tariffs for producing electricity by domestic owners gets smaller.  Food security, joined up thinking its all a joke.

    I know of a very large poultry company, lots of very shallow roofs on large chicken sheds, not a photovoltaic panel in sight, but when grants were being handed out for biomass boilers to heat the sheds; gas out; biomass = wood pellets in!  All transported in huge walking floor trailers from at least north of Newcastle/Tyne or maybe the Borders.  I expect the trucks went back empty. Please tell me how green is that?  While I'm ranting! Lots of grain grown here = lots of straw, used to be used as deep litter in chicken sheds, now its burnt in a local power station, thousands of bales p.a. The chicken litter is now sawdust from guess where?! and the used litter is burnt in a power station, not locally but in Suffolk! at least 70/80 miles away.

  I feel rather strongly about these sort of things and this is from a man who made his living from trucks.

GSR 800, I rather like your comments about poorer nations whose leaders are prepared to sell out their poorer populations who will gain nothing except poverty.  I used to think it was just China that was pillaging Africa but the EU is at it as well. 

[skinner75]

USA is the #1 polluter, with Australia being the #1 if you take per capita into account. Yet it is always "oh, look at India & China polluting".

The West polluted like a good thing during the Industrial Revolution, to get where they are today. Now, the likes of Africa aren't 'allowed' to...

 

Also, the whole crypto-currency generation, and the power it draws, is total bullshit which should be shutdown/banned/criminalised. 

[GSR 800]

9 minutes ago, Mike 84C said:

GSR 800, I rather like your comments about poorer nations whose leaders are prepared to sell out their poorer populations who will gain nothing except poverty.  I used to think it was just China that was pillaging Africa but the EU is at it as well. 

It is not necessarily the leaders, often they may have every intention to try curtail illegal mining, corruption and the like, but it is exceptionally difficult if pirate miners can offer several times the wage to anyone the government hires to prevent said illegal mining. Of course there are plenty of corrupt officials, but it is effectively an unfair power dynamic between states and non state actors, and with weak, unstable governments, the vultures begin hovering. (In case it was misinterpreted, I generally mean 8 dollars paid by gov, 50 dollars paid by pirate miners. I'm sure theres cases of corrupt gov officials bribing down the line to shut up people but i digress)

civil wars and conflicts are disastrous not only for nations themselves but those around them, refugees arriving en masse putting significant stress on limited services and capacilities of developing nations.

It is not single nations at fault, nor single groups, it is a historic trend of developed states and non state actors exploiting undeveloped or developing states.Something of note in regards to biofuel is both India and China have put limits on domestic produce for fear of affecting food security, companies being encouraged to look abroad instead.

Now lads, all said and done we must mind the line we're threading towards politics

[Broithe]

The whole thing is a multi-faceted problem.

A significant factor in the 'industrialised' corruption is the way some nation's financial sectors facilitate it, whilst ringing their hands.

[Noel]

By way of balance this may be worth considering. Bare in mind that 'big oil' and legacy auto is not going down without one heck of a fight, and they have the financial resources to fund tactics to slow down or block transition. Big Tobacco tried back in 2002 to block governments around the world, but sense prevailed eventually, but not until hundreds of millions had been spent in carefully crafted misinformation campaigns delicately seeded through the media and arms length charitable research foundations producing bogus reports. The Hydrocarbon industry is vast, politically connected and the backbone of many economies. Only time will tell.

I was a former super sceptic, but took the plunge to BEV over two years ago. All I can relate is it just works and was a painless seamless transition with none of the mythical tales of woe happening. Aside from the climate benefits it costs €8/wk on electricity instead of €85/wk on diesel, we can get to Kenmare or Donegal from Dublin at 120kph in mid winter with the heating on a single charge with ease. Two year servicing cost was €89 (as no parts used), 50% off tolls, quiet and relaxing to drive, regenerative braking with one foot is so chill out. The monthly fuel savings can make a big dint in financing costs, and for 8 months a year the car is charged off Solar PV so not even using the grid (ie indirect fossil energy). Having said that the Irish grid is now one of the cleaner European grids averaging 45% wind, and heading for 70%. We don't have to go back to living in caves nor do without the lights on, we just need to make intelligent adjustments to how we consume energy and food. The good news is all the alternative tech already exists, is proven, and makes a compelling economic case. I'm optimistic about the future. Don't believe all the scare stores, but retain a healthy scepticism and do the research to fact check. BEVs are no milk floats, remember Ernie was the fastest milkman in the west (aka Benny Hill).

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by Noel
lexdysia

[skinner75]

I was reading an article on EV in the States. I can't remember which State it was, but the author of the article mentioned in his cost breakdown, that there was a yearly tax on the EV 'for not using petrol/diesel'!

The way it brokedown, was that it actually cost more to run the EV than the traditional 'ICE' car. That being said, he gave the cost of fuel as $2.80/gal - now, if you convert what we/most of Europe pay for fuel, it'd be around $7.50/gal - that would change the balance to the EVs favour!!

[WRENNEIRE]

Ordered a PHEV pre budget, just got a call that the price has gone up by €2500, might be sticking with the old bus for a tad longer 

[DiveController]

12 hours ago, skinner75 said:

I was reading an article on EV in the States. I can't remember which State it was, but the author of the article mentioned in his cost breakdown, that there was a yearly tax on the EV 'for not using petrol/diesel'!

The way it brokedown, was that it actually cost more to run the EV than the traditional 'ICE' car. That being said, he gave the cost of fuel as $2.80/gal - now, if you convert what we/most of Europe pay for fuel, it'd be around $7.50/gal - that would change the balance to the EVs favour!!

European petrol costs no more than in the US, Brent crude etc (and OPEC)  govern the price. Refining and transport may vary a little but the difference between US and European prices is purely taxation.

This begs the question what have all this billions of euros been spent on? Certainly not on railways in Ireland and certainly not on regional roads to alleviate traffic. Europe has made a lot more progress than the US and unfortunately, as a generalization, I don't see that changing with a partisan congress, divided democratic party, poor general level of education and an amoral fragmented and dysfunctional society. The US uses about four times as much energy capita than most other developed nations and consumes energy like a nation as large as China. The gas and oil lobby will ensure that does not change any time soon, back to corruption and deep pockets .....

[Mayner]

4 hours ago, DiveController said:

European petrol costs no more than in the US, Brent crude etc (and OPEC)  govern the price. Refining and transport may vary a little but the difference between US and European prices is purely taxation.

This begs the question what have all this billions of euros been spent on? Certainly not on railways in Ireland and certainly not on regional roads to alleviate traffic. Europe has made a lot more progress than the US and unfortunately, as a generalization, I don't see that changing with a partisan congress, divided democratic party, poor general level of education and an amoral fragmented and dysfunctional society. The US uses about four times as much energy capita than most other developed nations and consumes energy like a nation as large as China. The gas and oil lobby will ensure that does not change any time soon, back to corruption and deep pockets .....

Australia and New Zealand are not far behind the States in per capita energy use, the coal, gas and mining lobby has a similar influence on Australian politics while NZ tends to oscillate between Neo-Liberal and and more Interventionist (slightly left of center) economic policy. Like Ireland and the UK the elephant in the room in New Zealand is poor health and high home heating costs as a result of poorly insulated and ventilated homes.

The cost of owning a car or truck in Ireland tended to be higher than the UK as a result of high rates of taxation, most appears to go into the General Fund (health, welfare, education, public transport rather than being ring fenced for roading and traffic policing.

Ireland faces similar challenges though on a smaller scale to the United States, Australia and New Zealand with high per capita energy use for transportation and housing compared to countries with higher population densities in the Far East, the UK, Germany and the Benelux Countries where its economic to provide efficient public transportation and high density housing.

Ireland is likely to be faced with the twin challenges of establishing sufficient 'green" electricity generating capacity to power a changeover to EVs for personal transportation and the IT industry (incl Data Centers) essential for economic development while simultaneously getting the public to accept paying similar rates of excise duty for re-charging an EV as petrol or diesel.

Although NZ electricity generation is mainly renewable (hydro and wind) we are currently importing coal from Indonesia as our natural gas fields are unable to meet peak demand.

One of the more interesting changes in the United States during the past 15-20 years is the increased shift to Bio-Diesel and Ethanol refined from corn grown in the Mid Western grain belt. Some of the Bio-fuel companies have ties to agribusiness and food processing with strong links to agriculture rather than established oil and gas companies.

It will be interesting if businesses such as Glanbia and Kerry diversify into ethanol and bio diesel as an alternative to dairy and meat processing as livestock numbers are reduced in an attempt to control greenhouse emissions.

Personally I am unlikely to go for an EV, I recently replaced our 25 year old SUV with a slightly more modern low emission model after our last vehicle was written off in a collision. The current vehicle hopefully should last another 10-15 years till I pop my cloggs or am no longer fit to drive.

[Broithe]

Ireland is reasonably well-placed for wind energy - lots of empty space and wind - and much less reluctance about onshore wind than in the UK.

Currently running at 68% 'renewable' over the last 24 hours.

http://smartgriddashboard.eirgrid.com/#roi

Most of that 'renewable' will be wind.

It's also noticeable that there is a far higher proportion of solar-powered road signs in Ireland than in the UK, where most electrified signs are mains-powered, even new ones*.

There's lots of potential to wean off fossil fuels as technology changes.

There will always be the "it's not 100% reliable, therefore there's no point doing any of it" brigade, but we have the An-225 going over today - a hundred years ago, it was "all broomsticks and teacloths and you would never get me in one of them"...

 

* I was painting a fence for someone only a few years ago and there was a School Crossing sign nearby, mains powered, with flashing amber lights for the appropriate times of day. I was amazed to see that the timing was not automated, but a bloke drove round all the signs in a battered old Fiesta and turned them on and off individually - if he remembered...

This also involved stopping and blocking the traffic at each of the lights during the peak flow times of each day. I imagine that it still goes on like that - madness.

 

Technology steadily improves all the time - back in the 80s, a cordless tool was hardly worth the bother - these days, I rarely plug a mains one in, unless I'm doing something 'serious'.

[skinner75]

I read somewhere that, whatever about the Aussie govt not wanting to move to solar, there are 1000 domestic homes a day going solar. Makes sense really - with all the sun they get!

Good vid here from lad in NZ, fitting solar & hooking it up to his hot water tank. I love this guy's vids - great for rebuilding/getting stuff going:
https://youtu.be/r7g-27AXFEg

[Noel]

4 hours ago, skinner75 said:

I read somewhere that, whatever about the Aussie govt not wanting to move to solar, there are 1000 domestic homes a day going solar. Makes sense really - with all the sun they get!

Good vid here from lad in NZ, fitting solar & hooking it up to his hot water tank. I love this guy's vids - great for rebuilding/getting stuff going:
https://youtu.be/r7g-27AXFEg

Yes Solar PV even at 53ºN here in Ireland seems a no brainer, and for 6 months a year can be used to also charge a BEV.

[spudfan]

Anyone that says they are buying an EV to ensure a better future for their children would need to see the birth defects among the local children. Looking at it from the point of view as a parent it was sobering.

[minister_for_hardship]

35 minutes ago, spudfan said:

Anyone that says they are buying an EV to ensure a better future for their children would need to see the birth defects among the local children. Looking at it from the point of view as a parent it was sobering.

As long as it's out of sight, out of mind we in the west can pat ourselves on the back for our 'green' credentials.

Not buying an EV, keeping an 08 on the road until it reaches the end of its useful life. I dont believe in our consumerist throwaway society.

[Galteemore]

Now that’s true class, having an 08 for daily transport…in all seriousness, I totally get the throwaway thing. How much of our economy is predicated on buying more stuff….I always find trips to the local waste/recycling centre sobering as you realise how quickly consumer goods end up becoming yet more garbage….

Edited October 29, 2021 by Galteemore

[Georgeconna]

With you there, throwaway these days is unbelievable.  The Engine light came on the Bro in Law 171 Skoda, He can't be dealing with that so i getting a skoda k

Kodiac, you need something nice and big cause the neighbour across the road as something similar.

His missus has a an all electric Ionic and the battery went tits up 3 months back, Only getting a replacement now.

10 C dirty diesel focus for me, doing less driving is the key for me, WFH as much as possible, save fuel cost as much as possible. 

[Broithe]

There may be people who 'go EV' for 'green' reasons, whether they are true or not, but I suspect most people do it for essentially economic reasons.

'Liquid fuels' are likely to get steadily more expensive and, on the Big Island at least, 'clean air' zones are proliferating, making driving in the larger cities a steadily more complicated business, if you want to avoid a fine for being spotted by a camera and not paying the charge, if you even know there is one. There will only be more and more of this.

Older vehicles will be steadily charged more, by various means, whether we like it or not.

The pressure will steadily increase, though, for some people, the threshold may still be a long way away.

It's a matter of considering where you are in the whole scheme of things.

Less transport is a very significant thing, if you can do it. When I started work in the 70s, few people really needed to drive to work, most were within three miles - I know few now who don't need transport to get to their workplace and, in the UK, there is great pressure to end the 'work from home' fashion. It was always my mission statement that I was not going to 'pay money to go to work', but that would be seen as odd now.

 

As for the 'throw-away society', I live near The Tip when I'm on the Big Island and, when I go there, I almost need a blindfold, or I would be hurling myself into the skips on rescue missions. The sheer scale of what is flung away is startling.

When I had a proper job, I had a (completely unofficial) twice-daily skip visit - the stuff I rescued was remarkable - people would actually come to me and ask if I had rescued things that they now wanted again, sometimes just days later.

The maddest thing I ever came across was doing a few trade shows at G-Mex in Manchester. An old railway station with about two acres of floor. Twice a week it would be carpeted in two colours, stands and aisles. At the end of each use, after the weekend show or the mid-week show, it was all pulled up and skipped, and two new different colours went down for the next lay-out. I'm still using some of the grey carpet that I got from that skip - "Take it all!", is what I was told when I asked if I could have some.

[murphaph]

We've an 08 and the missus can't wait to get rid of it and get a new EV. It drives her bananas when I fix the latest problem for peanuts. Latest thing was passenger side drive shaft. She was sure that was the end of it with the noise the CV joint was making. Not at all...€40 and an hour later and it was replaced haha.

I'm actually in favour of an electric car as our next vehicle but I'm dead against scrapping a perfectly serviceable car before its time. Cars are genuinely much better made than 40 years ago. A 13 year old car when I was young was going to be in bits and likely battling corrosion. The bodies last much better nowadays.

It's different for people that have to pay a garage to do everything. There an older car can be uneconomical to keep roadworthy. 

[Broithe]

4 minutes ago, murphaph said:

We've an 08 and the missus can't wait to get rid of it and get a new EV. It drives her bananas when I fix the latest problem for peanuts. Latest thing was passenger side drive shaft. She was sure that was the end of it with the noise the CV joint was making. Not at all...€40 and an hour later and it was replaced haha.

I'm actually in favour of an electric car as our next vehicle but I'm dead against scrapping a perfectly serviceable car before its time. Cars are genuinely much better made than 40 years ago. A 13 year old car when I was young was going to be in bits and likely battling corrosion. The bodies last much better nowadays.

It's different for people that have to pay a garage to do everything. There an older car can be uneconomical to keep roadworthy. 

I'm essentially in the same position - mine is fourteen now, but running beautifully. In that time, it has had both front callipers stick, a pair of rear dampers and a ball-joint - plus three sidelight bulbs.

I don't do a lot of miles, in fact this car has only ever once gone over 250miles/400km in a 24 hour period once in all that time and it almost always ends up back at home, so an EV range would be generally OK for me. Plus, having had a motorbike in the days when most garages were shut at night and weekends, range anxiety is not a great fear for me.

 

[murphaph]

Lol my first bike was a GSX250 with "intermittently working electrics". I pushed that thing home several times

[minister_for_hardship]

I dont see the point of an electric bike for the short ish spins I do, none of the health benefits of a regular bike, plus a magnet for thieves. I haven't bought a brand new bike in years, free skip rescues and house clearances. If one gets robbed, it's not a big loss.

[Broithe]

5 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

I dont see the point of an electric bike for the short ish spins I do, none of the health benefits of a regular bike, plus a magnet for thieves. I haven't bought a brand new bike in years, free skip rescues and house clearances. If one gets robbed, it's not a big loss.

I've never had a new bike in my life - I've never really thought about that before, but all five have been second-hand in one form or another. Bikes are like comics when we were lads - you were given them, read them and moved them on, but you never knew who had actually originally bought them - somebody must have, I suppose...

I had the accidental foresight to pick up a nice bike on eBay and take it west just before the world imploded - it was a Godsend during the 5km exile period. I put some decent lights on and it's ridable in the depths of the night out in the sticks.

It did get 'tarmac tyres' and mudguards after that.

A 12V lithium battery - about 30 hours capacity - with a motorbike rear light with an LED bulb in , and two LED garden spotlights at the front - better lighting than my first Honda had...

I started with a challenge to cover every road in 5km radius, which was rather more of a challenge than I expected - it has subsequently expanded and further coverage is still ongoing.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1LUwCbC0VkyxJqZkfcmEG_f6lHH5bj-mb&fbclid=IwAR1IvxgwYNWi56lxVdxM88s43DYVcV8FRR9hDa3N1S3w__c15DjkutyUQ9c&ll=52.863334183977614%2C-7.596259200000006&z=11

It's much easier to look around on a pushbike - all the Ballybrophy (hugely important) "bridge surveys" were done by this means and I would never have noticed the 'concrete sleeper gate post' whilst driving.

Also, cycling a regular route back on the Big Island has revealed that the ascent of a hill was a good bit easier than it used to seem, after a summer of cycle trips out west.

 

[murphaph]

I've got a cheap Bahnhofsfahrrad as they say here. A railway station bike that is so crap it's unlikely to be nicked! I deliberately don't fix the squeaking bottom bracket as no thief would stay on it for more than 10 seconds if he did bother stealing it. I see too many reports on the town's Facebook page of expensive bikes being nicked to risk parking one at the station. Unfortunately it is the classic case of Berlin based thieves simply taking the train out to suburban stations and taking their pick. Most locks are completely useless. If they want your expensive bike, they will have it. 

 

[Broithe]

48 minutes ago, murphaph said:

I've got a cheap Bahnhofsfahrrad as they say here. A railway station bike that is so crap it's unlikely to be nicked! I deliberately don't fix the squeaking bottom bracket as no thief would stay on it for more than 10 seconds if he did bother stealing it. I see too many reports on the town's Facebook page of expensive bikes being nicked to risk parking one at the station. Unfortunately it is the classic case of Berlin based thieves simply taking the train out to suburban stations and taking their pick. Most locks are completely useless. If they want your expensive bike, they will have it. 

 

My bike on the Big Island is kept deliberately scruffy - and it weighs a ton. Bike theft is the main cultural activity in the town. I do use it to access the central area, as driving there is just too traumatic, but I have a technique of popping into a nearby, but out-of-sight, shop for a minute, then returning back past it. My theory is that, if I was going to steal a bike, it seems much safer to do so if you have actually seen the owner leave the scene, and you should then be reasonably safe from him returning unannounced for a while - and you know what he looks like, so you can spot him at a safe distance and escape. I'm fairly sure that I've saved my bike on at least two occasions by using this technique.

A friend had his, fairly decent, bike stolen by two lads who spent some time hacksawing through the lock on a Saturday afternoon, about a hundred yards from the police station. He went in to report it and they said they already knew, which surprised him. They actually gave him a copy of the CCTV footage for insurance purposes. You can hear the operative attempting to get someone to 'attend the scene', but he is stuck in traffic two miles away. The bike stand can be seen by standing in the middle of the road outside the police station door.

He had cycled across Australia on that bike.

He was alone, in the middle of the Outback, slogging up a long hill, when he became aware that a pick-up was trailing him, and not overtaking, as would have been easy, with nobody about. He became more and more alarmed at the possibilities that this might involve.

As he finally reached the top of the hill, the pick-up slowly appeared alongside him and the window rolled down - by this time, he was expecting to be shot and his body never discovered - but, the driver merely handed him a cold can and said "I think you'll need that, Mate!"

[Mike 84C]

Nice bike Jim, looks a lot like mine but mine weighs a ton and has not got the pedigree of yours.

Still running an 07 Skoda Octavia 163k miles and still does near 60 to the gallon.  Had two major breakdowns though, flywheel came loose on the crankshaft and the ECU went t--s up. But its a euro3 engine so will probably get taxed off the road soon. Only bought another car 'cos the swimbo did'nt want to carry on towing with the Skoda! I thought I might use it for a Viking funeral!

[CFD]

I am probably not going to join the line for an EV just yet....the newest car I own is 1982....this 1952 one is the one I use most.....

[Broithe]

18 hours ago, Mike 84C said:

Nice bike Jim, looks a lot like mine but mine weighs a ton and has not got the pedigree of yours.

That one's no lightweight - pretty much all-steel, but I don't find the weight a great problem, neither region that I frequent is hugely hilly and the 'robustness' outweighs (hah!) a few missing kg, I think.

The GB bike is even more of a 'tank', but it's done a lot of miles over the last 15 years.

I bought that off a local bike recycling (hah!) charity, after my original was stolen - from a back garden in the middle of the afternoon. That bike had done around 50,000 miles - I was doing a good 100 a week back then - 5,000+ a year - and I had it over a decade. I only drive about 7,000 a year (in normal times) - and only 2,000 this last year.

The success I've had with that bike led me to set up an auto-search on eBay for another - the silver one was on a few times over a year - 'collection only' and always ending when I was heading west - but nobody ever bid on it - then it eventually ended as I was heading back east - so it became mine.

A lot of decisions I've made over the last few years, because I thought "that'll be handy one day", have turned out to be of great benefit over the last 18 months.

 

Edited October 31, 2021 by Broithe