Bike v Car II
If Bike v Car was a movie then we could be on the brink of the sequel: “Bike v Car II”. After racking up the miles in the car this winter I am now getting back into the rhythms of commuting by bike. On both of the last two weeks I have cycled to work three times; however this week I only cycled home twice.
If Bike V Car was a movie then that last sentence would be read out in a dramatic voice in the trailer.
If Bike V Car was a movie it would unfortunately be rubbish.
Anyway, I needed a car because the one I’d been driving had to be returned to my mother-in-law who’d kindly lent it on a short-term basis. However, after just a couple of months of commuting by car my brain was almost warped enough to convince me into thinking I needed a brand new car on a suicidal finance deal. I’m ashamed to admit I even test-drove a sparkly, new thing before finally waking up and realising the devastating impact it could have on potential cycle purchases by being financed to the hilt.
A sensible chat one evening with Mrs BikeVCar about the pros and cons of new vs used cars was followed up the next morning by a clarifying cycle to work where I contemplated that a used car could allow the potential to still buy the new, handmade, steel frame bike I’d been dreaming of. And also, what was the point of buying a brand new car and then not driving it because I still preferred to cycle?
After much hunting for a used car (and then much haggling knowing that every hundred pounds saved was potentially an upgrade in bicycle groupset) I now have myself a decent, four year old estate car. Perfectly sized for transporting bikes! And despite my wife insisting on referring to it as a “station-wagon” I still think it has just a little bit of cool-factor.
Apparently this is called a station wagon in some parts of the world (the registration plate has been ‘scrambled’ following advice from my 12 year old brother about being “spotted by stalkers”)
The bike transporter
If I do now find a way of getting myself a new bike am I allowed to reset the BikeVCar table? BikeVCar II here we come …
Reset it!
We’ll see. Maybe a few months of good cycling will level the scores anyway…
good luck! We also had a fairly harsh winter across the pond but it looks to be breaking soon…
A station wagon by any other name would still be cool … !!! Oh, and can I call it Patty the Passat to go with Polly the Polo?
I think if I called it Patty it might growl at me
I’m with Steve brother, reset. Nice truck by the way. It’s only allowed to be called a wagon of your wife’s driving it. Call it sexist, I’m cool with that. Apologies to the Mrs.
I think I prefer truck. Good call
You missed a chance to get a Kangoo there. Great cars for putting two bikes in upright. Of course they are really vans and not cool at all but we love ours.
I did contemplate going the whole hog and getting a Transit van at one point. Enough room for a bike team!
I’m looking forward to BikevCar II
PS: I’m kinda jealous you have a car. All I have is a motorbike with which I can’t transport my pushbike or anything. Though I do love motorcycling and am not yet ready to swap it for a car.
With the weather you get most of the year I can understand the attraction of a motorbike
I don’t think you can reset the graph unless it’s intent is to display a specific bike vs a specific car.