I have a bike!!!!
Granted it is not new, it needs some TLC, a new front tyre and break, some tweaking and adjusting..but I don't care!!!
I had posted a wanted on my local freecycle along with some offered items, and the girl who wanted my stuff said she could try and get me a bike!
She volunteers for Aberdeen BeCyle ( http://becycle.wordpress.com/ )and a while back (BEFORE the dead car :P ) I had freecycled some redundant bikes to her. They had been left in our steading when we moved in and where in need of more repair that we were capable of performing. So she turned up on behalf of BeCycle and took all 4 of the on.
I guess it must be Karma then. She read of our wish to cut down on the car and sourced me one to keep :)
Some other news (Oy..24 hrs is a long time in blogland!)we have also found ourselves in possession of a landrover!
It was always on the cards that a Landrover would appear here again, to my mind they have the worst reputation among the "green" fraternity but is actually one of the most environmentally sound car choices in my humble opinion.
Lets have a look at some facts and figures.
1. A series Landrover is basically a large meccano set. Anyone with an owners manual could strip it down and put it back together again. 99% of repairers can be undertaken by the owner.
2. Series Landrover parts are stupidly easy to get hold off. There are companies all over the country (and the world!) who specialise in "pre-loved" parts. The ultimate in re-cycling!
3. Sensibly driven a well maintained series (diesel) will do @ 25 miles to the gallon...not earth shattering but when compared to a modern car.....
(2008 EPA Average All Cars - 21 MPG)
"The Environmental Protection Agency reported that the average performance of new, 2008 model cars and trucks was 20.8 miles per gallon in 2008." -- Boston Globe, 9/19/08
"Ford's Model T, which went 25 miles on a gallon of gasoline, was more fuel efficient than the current Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicle -- which manages just 16 miles per gallon." -- Detroit News, 6/4/03
Sobering thoughts.
The biggest thing I have for the Landrover though is the fact that they never stop. There are still series I's working day in day out as primary cars for their owners, cars that are as much as 60 years old!!
When you look at a new off the "shelf" car you know that in 1 year it will be worth half what you paid for it, within 2 years something major will have had to have been replaced, within 5 years the car is a bargain basement car and within 7 it is most likely in a junkyard. In that one cars life time its original owner could have been through 4 or 5 cars and why? Why is this obsolescence built in?? To keep the car industry in big bucks that's why.
So we have a car but we haven't given up on our goals. Also if I know Landrovers (and our budget) we will be mostly car-less anyway while husband spends free time "tinkering" under the bonnet..ah, Ce La Vie ;)
Anyway, I did have a "wow how do we do that then?" moment, all the bikes need at "mot", Eldest child's need new breaks (too many sliding sideways stops)and the gears checking over, middles needs a special chain, and mine needs all I said about at the beginning of this post. How to get them there *sigh*
20 miles away, no near train..... me thinks its time to buy a bike repair book ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment