Bruce wrote

On 12 Aug 2009 21:52:43 GMT, "Michael R N Dolbear"
wrote:

Note that train energy figures include Air Conditioning, the
standard
car figures exclude it.

Air conditioning is an interesting topic. It does use a small
additional amount of fuel, but in a car, that additional amount is
smaller than would be caused by the increased drag when the windows
are opened.

Even if that is true and relevant, the standard car figures have the
windows closed (as well as AirCon.excluded/ off).

--
Mike D

In article ,
"Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote:

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:05:51 +0100, Tom Barry
wrote:

So it is in everyone's interests that cars become much more frugal and
emit far less CO2, because people aren't going to give up the freedom
of travelling in their own private, secure and comfortable air
conditioned space.

...until it's too expensive. Actually, quite a lot of people in London
have managed to give it up, haven't they?

Quite a number have never taken it up in the first place. As I
understand it this is only really widespread in London, within the UK
at least.

Edinburgh? We have a car but walk and cycle a lot of the time.

Sam

In article ,
Roland Perry wrote:

In message op.uykf84moby8eno@sheepdog, at 21:23:18 on Wed, 12 Aug
2009, Colin McKenzie remarked:
A recent report says that it is worth spending up to £10,000 to turn
just one person into a regular cyclist.

A few years ago they spent about that much per cyclist [1] putting a
brand new shared cycle/foot path alongside one of the roads from
Cambridge to an adjoining village. Obviously, all the serious cyclists
refuse to use such a thing.

Depending on how it was constructed, that might be very understandable.

Sam

In message , at
15:57:14 on Fri, 14 Aug 2009, Sam Wilson remarked:
A recent report says that it is worth spending up to £10,000 to turn
just one person into a regular cyclist.

A few years ago they spent about that much per cyclist [1] putting a
brand new shared cycle/foot path alongside one of the roads from
Cambridge to an adjoining village. Obviously, all the serious cyclists
refuse to use such a thing.

Depending on how it was constructed, that might be very understandable.

I'm not suggesting the costs were out of proportion to the civil
engineering involved, but it seemed a huge investment to encourage a
handful of cyclists - who despise that sort of facility in the first
place.
--
Roland Perry

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:23:18 +0100, Colin McKenzie wrote

A recent report says that it is worth spending up to £10,000 to turn just
one person into a regular cyclist.

Gimme £10,000 and I'll become a regular cyclist!

In message , at 11:58:17
on Fri, 14 Aug 2009, David Cantrell remarked:

Yes yes, I know, a train can cover 70 miles a lot faster than a car can.

It *can* but doesn't, always. Remember my 22 mile (I think it was) trip
earlier this month that took effectively 2 hours. It all depends on how
often the trains are, and what the speed limit is on the track.
--
Roland Perry

"Michael R N Dolbear" wrote in news:01ca1c49$817ca3a0
$LocalHost@default:

Air conditioning is an interesting topic. It does use a small
additional amount of fuel, but in a car, that additional amount is
smaller than would be caused by the increased drag when the windows
are opened.

Even if that is true and relevant, the standard car figures have the
windows closed (as well as AirCon.excluded/ off).

I don't know the real answer either, but a car with aircon is carrying the
extra weight around all year, and there must also be a slight extra drag on
the engine all year as the belt to the aircon compressor is turning all the
time.

If the car stays in the UK, especially the more northern parts, I would
imagine that cost of that over 365 days is just as significant as the
additional fuel cost when the aircon is running for, say, 20 days in the
year.

Peter

--
Peter Campbell Smith ~ London ~ pjcs00 (a) gmail.com

Peter Campbell Smith gurgled happily,
sounding much like they were saying:

I don't know the real answer either, but a car with aircon is carrying
the extra weight around all year

Mebbe 10-15kg - or about 1% of the average car's kerb weight.

and there must also be a slight extra drag on the engine all year as
the belt to the aircon compressor is turning all the time.

Yes, but when the compressor's clutch is disengaged, it really is very
little extra load.

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at
15:57:14 on Fri, 14 Aug 2009, Sam Wilson remarked:
A recent report says that it is worth spending up to £10,000 to turn
just one person into a regular cyclist.

A few years ago they spent about that much per cyclist [1] putting a
brand new shared cycle/foot path alongside one of the roads from
Cambridge to an adjoining village. Obviously, all the serious cyclists
refuse to use such a thing.

Depending on how it was constructed, that might be very understandable.

I'm not suggesting the costs were out of proportion to the civil
engineering involved, but it seemed a huge investment to encourage a
handful of cyclists - who despise that sort of facility in the first place.

Was it installed in the last week of the financial year? Or does a
bigwig with a bike perhaps live there?

(which village, BTW?)
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

On Aug 14, 7:49 pm, Arthur Figgis wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at
15:57:14 on Fri, 14 Aug 2009, Sam Wilson remarked:
A recent report says that it is worth spending up to £10,000 to turn
just one person into a regular cyclist.

A few years ago they spent about that much per cyclist [1] putting a
brand new shared cycle/foot path alongside one of the roads from
Cambridge to an adjoining village. Obviously, all the serious cyclists
refuse to use such a thing.

Depending on how it was constructed, that might be very understandable..

I'm not suggesting the costs were out of proportion to the civil
engineering involved, but it seemed a huge investment to encourage a
handful of cyclists - who despise that sort of facility in the first place.

Was it installed in the last week of the financial year? Or does a
bigwig with a bike perhaps live there?

(which village, BTW?)
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

More likely to do with being seen to do something about providing a
safe route for kids to cycle to school (with coincidental benefit of
being able to cut back on school buses) and spending a budget
allocated for that purpose. Yes, probably done in a rush at the end of
the financial year.
So confident adult cyclists naturally choose not to use it, while
white man van thinks he can honk and intimidate and tell them to get
onto the bloody cycle track, my taxes paid for that and you beggers
don't bother using it....
Tim