Comparing the cost of bikes and cars

I've just come across this interesting post:

http://marshallbrain.blogspot.com/2005/09/buying-electric-scooter.html

comparing the running costs of a car and an electric moped.

What the author says is extremely interesting and completely correct. The costs of running an electric powered bike or scooter, compared with a car, are really eye-popping. We reckon that our customers will save enough money to make their bike essentially free after only a few months.

What the writer of this blog doesn't mention is the incredible environmental benefits. An electric motor is about 70% efficient. Compare this to a petrol motor, which is about 30-40% efficient, and you only need to imagine how much money is wasted by gas guzzlers.

Plus, if you choose an all-green electricity supplier (such as Good Energy) you can have virtually zero effect on the environment! That includes cutting noise pollution as well as noxious gases. (As an asthma sufferer, I can tell you that the stuff that cars churn out is really no good.)

Dizzy pedestrians

There's a brilliant cycle path which goes from North Harrow tube to Rayners Lane tube and beyond. Well, mostly brilliant.... it has the usual inexplicable gaps like every other cycle path round here, and hugs lines of parked cars (in contravention of the Council's own highway code, but anyway...) As long as you don't get knocked down by a suddenly opening car door, it's so ace to have your own deliniated path away from the strange mercies and blind spots of speeding motorists.

That is, until a pedestrian decides they have right of way on your lovely green cycle path. I don't get it...? They amble along, seemingly blissfully unaware that cyclists can and will hurtle along at 20mph and can mangle you up worse than a car.

I was really enjoying whizzing along this lovely cycle path, when suddenly this girl pops out from between 2 cars, with her back to me, and starts walking along. I think - just a parp on my horn will do it. So I give it a parp. Nothing. By this time I'm braking really hard and going WOOOOOOHHHHHHHH! I think I must have just touched her calves with my wheel, and she turns round all shocked, and I realise she has an ipod on. She says "Oh, sorry, oh, I didn't see you there."

You're walking along a cycle path, lady! You should expect cycles to travel along said path!

Normally I am quite a mild-mannered, patient sort, but there is something about ipods that makes me want to pull the pretentious little white phones out of their owner's ears and give them a sound whipping. (Ahah! Don't you like my little double entendre there.)

Anyway, apart from that scary moment we had a lovely bike ride yesterday. We have an errant Synergie Ghibli (lovely little folding commuter mountain bike) and were trying to figure out what was wrong with her. We reckon it's a switch in the brake (as the brakes, thankfully, switch the motor off) which is too happy to turn on, and were trying to get it to behave. Now I think we just need to get a new microswitch and the problem will be solved.

I am an embarrassing cyclist...

OK, so until recently I hadn't ridden a bike since I was about 11. Working for an electric bike company has inspired me to start cycling to and from work. I am attempting to get fit but ease myself in gently.

However, I do get palpitations before I get on my bike cos I get so freaked out by the whole thing. I'm funny like that. I'm calm as you like when I get on a plane, but a simple bicycle... sends terror into my heart.

What a wuss.

It's probably fear of looking stupid, which is entirely with foundation, as the bicycle helmet my beloved bought for me the other day is actually made for a child and elongates my face enough to make me look like a have a phallic chimney instead of a head.

Hmmm, anyway, more embarrassment follows. I'm still finding it pretty hard to negotiate tight corners, and was wobbling and falling off a bit when this woman in her car parks up right next to me and says "Are you learning?"

Oh man so embarrassing. I wanted to fold up and stow myself away in my own pockets. I flap my mouth open and closed like a goldfish."Erm," I say.

She suddenly gets all excited. "I'm learning too! I've never met another adult who's learning to ride a bike!" I can't decide whether to be relieved or more embarrassed. Still, she was nice and friendly and very sweet, just not aware of her impact on a wobbly cyclist with dented self-esteem. And a face like a phallic chimney.

Gargh.