CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

It's the Little Things

(12 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from splitshift

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  1. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    What seemingly insignificant cycling stuff cheers you?

    This morning I dropped the car off for its service. Bike was popped in the boot, reassembled, and parked inside the showroom (I've decided if you do these things with enough authority people don't actually bat an eyelid). Being a Mini I was in the BMW dealership out at Seafield and the place was crammed with suits talking about PEPs and ISAs and golf and all that stuff while they waited for the courtesy bus into town.

    I dropped off my keys (wasn't asked this time if I needed a space on the bus) and wandered out (to more than a few raised eyebrows from the suits) hopped on the bike and pedalled off into the sunshine, asfe in the knowledge that I wasn't having to share a bus with any tedious modern BMW types (he said, tarring them all with the same brush).

    And smile.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Arellcat
    Moderator

    With the overwhelmingly lovely weather all of a sudden, my mood has actually survived intact despite this morning's red Nissan Micra driver overtaking me, immediately signalling left and entering a side road, while I was doing about 25mph. I think I might have said a very rude word at the time.

    And smile.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    "tedious modern BMW types"

    So you prefer 'vintage BMW types' ?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    The old BMWs had character and panache. The modern machines just seem utterly geared towards that dull golfing set (you can get inserts for the boot for the 5 Series (and probably others) specifically for holding golf clubs...).

    Classic car people are entirely different... ;)

    You forget, I'm like Wurzel Gummidge - I've got a petrolhead as well...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. Smudge
    Member

    My mood survived the woman who almost chopped my front wheel off on slateford Road this morning* for two reasons, one the sunshine, and two... my Surly has the airzound fitted (cue evil chuckle B-))

    *In her haste to join the back of another queue so I could then overtake her again, twice ;-)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. wingpig
    Member

    How old is vintage? I'm sure I remember something from one of the information boards in Dachau mentioning something about a nearby BMW plant along with something about labour supplies.

    Someone tried to overtake me as I slowed to stop at the pedestrian crossing on Waverley Bridge this morning, then set off as soon as the pedestrian crossing the pedestrian crossing (which had since gone to flashing amber) was a millimetre clear of their intended course, revved unnecessarily highly considering the light ahead was red and swerved across me to get to the left-turn lane. I'd raised and flexed a fluorescent-yellow little finger before spotting that the driver was female.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. kaputnik
    Moderator

    My mood survived the numskull yesterday who undertook me out of the new fountainbridge / gardner's crescent junction. I was sitting in the right lane to go straight on into town (as if you sit left, you run into the stupid extended pavement projection that "protects" the taxi rank). As soon as the lights changed, boy racer behind zoomed out from behind me, cut across to the left then cut back across right infront of me.

    Fortunately as the weather was sunny he had a window down so he heard what I called him as he went passed. Decided he wanted a discussion about his driving "I don't see what your problem is mate", so I rode alongside, gave him a lecture about the standard of his driving, then left him in the traffic. Happened to notice that he was drinking from a bottle of juice all the time so was completing his driving maneouvres single handed.

    Bl**dy cyclists, eh?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. PS
    Member

    I got inadvertently petrol-heady last night (normally, I couldn't tell you what size engine my car has - I lost a lot of face with french friends last year when they asked and I hadn't a clue).

    A friend from work gave me a lift in his new BMW 3 series (confounding stereotypes he's a nice guy, and not a golfer ;-) ). It's a big car, but having mainly done city driving in it so far he's still getting nearly 50mpg. BMW claim it will do nearly 70mpg. And its CO2 emisssions are low enough that it would escape the congestion charge in London.

    With new cars like that, it's going to take even more of an increase in fuel charges to get any significant take-up of electric vehicles.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. Smudge
    Member

    Are these figures from the on-board computer or calculated from mileage and fuel used? He's doing astonishingly well if he's getting a genuine 50mpg round town.
    That said swmbo's ageing Xsara turbodiesel (lovely engine) gets a proper 45mpg running about town and does 60mpg+ on a run.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. alibali
    Member

    The old BMWs had character and panache

    Good point. Time to get my '02 (Tii) back on the road....

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. PS
    Member

    Are these figures from the on-board computer or calculated from mileage and fuel used? He's doing astonishingly well if he's getting a genuine 50mpg round town.

    To be fair, his commute does involve 15-20 miles of A-road before hits Edinburgh, and he sensibly times his commute to avoid rush hour queues, so probably not entirely representative of in-town rush hour traffic.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. splitshift
    Member

    another bmwubblyou story. My comute to work takes me through the Falkirk football clubs stadium car park area.So I am riding along on the road, sharp left turn,i keep going, hugging the kerb cause some prat in a 3 series convertible is up my chuff, i turn and give the evil stare, so he slowly edges past and then indicates left, to cut me up, I assume the position, ie fingers over levers and right foot prepped ready for panel beating and shout like a banshee. looks round and shakes his head, drives right onto the right hand lane, mounts kerb and parks at entrance. Out he gets sporting footballers hair, spiv suit and flicks ciggy into the gutter !We own that stadium apparently, not the best excample for our youth !To the guy in the cement mixer who slowed down on the round about and waved me out.... cheers big guy !

    Posted 13 years ago #

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