This post is covering my normal stuff while I am still on an enforced lay-off, I can see light at the end right now, so normal service should be back with us before too long now.
Before my enforced lay-off, I used to pride myself in looking after my bikes, see when I ride them, I put them though the ringer, I abuse them, I hurt them, I beat the crap outta them, so to make sure that they are able to keep on giving, I tend to make sure they get well looked after, or at least I thought I did !!!
Dirt, Crud and worse of all, RUST Spots on the chain !!!!!
I hung my head in shame when I noticed just how bad things had become, and set about putting things right.
An hour later
I’d put it right
and promised myself, it wont happen again, we will see !!!!
Set Up:
I have been on the Langster since the summer and really enjoy riding it, but I noticed about 4 weeks ago, that I felt too stretched out and that, was hurting my back, now as someone with 20k miles under his feet, I should have know better, but 2mins later with the saddle pushed forward and lowered a fraction, my back felt better and my average was still over 19mph, lesson number 2 learnt, the painful way.
Cost of bikes for lack of complexity vs vehicles
Why can I buy a 8 year old car, with air con, electric windows, remote central locking, electronic injectors etc etc etc for £250, yet the same £250 would get me a heavy, poor spec, crappy bike, I just cant for the life of me understand why the costs of bikes are so high for the level of complexity vs cars, I suspect this is one for another day and a full on debate.
Get used to the cost vs. value conundrum; it is the future of transportation. A motor vehicle that has lost any “sex” appeal it had when new is only worth its utilitarian value. 250£ may sound like a bargain, but once you buy the POS (American slang) you have to put petrol in it, to the tune of 1.40p per litre, buy insurance, pay taxes and title it, and then pay some mechanic to deal with it’s (expensive) complexities–because you have no hope of doing so yourself. In the not too distant future a used (new ones will not exist) motorized vehicle with an internal combustion engine will be worth only it’s scrap value.
A bicycle’s utilitarian value on the other hand is much higher. It will do virtually anything a motorized vehicle can do, you don’t have to insure it, put petrol in it (or even plug it into the wall overnight), you can work on it yourself (see the photos above!) and it will keep you healthy as you use it. In the meantime the (smart) bicycle component manufacturers will keep us drooling over electric shifting, hydraulic brakes, exotic frame materials, and aero wheels (speaking of “sexy”)! I can hear the cash register ringing as the prices go up!
In short, the future–and therefore the value–is not petrol or diesel-powered automobiles (get your head out of your @$$, Clarkson!) but in alternate and human-powered vehicles.
Pound for pound, bicycles will always have more value than anything motorized. Ironically, if we all rode bicycles to work and for play, our personal value per pound would go up as well!
Hi Gaz
You will not get an 8 year old car with aircon for £250, well aircon that works! Maybe £2500. The sort of car you’d get for £250 would be most likely 10 years + old and most likely not be perfect. So you’d have to spend quite a bit on it putting it right.
You would be shocked, I was, Daweoo Matiz, sure I know its not “Amazaing” but it has ALL the kit go for between £200 and £400
To Gaz and anyone thinking about buying a bike or a car…
Please think about the running costs – a car will drain your bank account and make you need the gym and a doctor, whereas a bike will cost very little to run whilst keeping you healthy and happy.
Simples
Cheers, Jonathan.
Hey Jon :0)
Hows it going ?
Of course the cost of a vehicle vs a bike is more than the headline figure BUT its something that needs looking into , you cant get an Ultegra Bike for less than £2k these days, its crazy
The health benefits ? Well I dont need to consider them :0)
and lets be honest, im never going to stop being a cyclist or someone that tells everyone he meets to cycle, I am going to question where the industry is going tho
All the best mate
Gaz