Cycling is not environmentally friendly...
Discussion
OK, so the person on the bike isn't burning any fossil-fuel, isn't going fast enough to burn much rubber off their tyres, and most* of the cyclists don't weigh enough to cause any noticable wear to the road surface but...
On a busy A-Road this afternoon, that has lots of twists and turns and a 50mph limit with long stretches of double-white lines, I was struck by how often we - and every other vehicle on the road - got stuck behind one or more bikes bumbling along at 5-20mph, then when we got a chance to overtake we'd scoot past leaving plenty of room but only to go round the next corner and come up behind the next cyclist/group/family and repeat the process.
If all the fuel we wasted and all the extra CO2 we produced got added to the figures for the bike, I'm guessing they would actually sit in a fairly high VED-band.
On a busy A-Road this afternoon, that has lots of twists and turns and a 50mph limit with long stretches of double-white lines, I was struck by how often we - and every other vehicle on the road - got stuck behind one or more bikes bumbling along at 5-20mph, then when we got a chance to overtake we'd scoot past leaving plenty of room but only to go round the next corner and come up behind the next cyclist/group/family and repeat the process.
If all the fuel we wasted and all the extra CO2 we produced got added to the figures for the bike, I'm guessing they would actually sit in a fairly high VED-band.
- Some of them really should avoid Lycra, though!
I'm a Sunday rider (amongst other days) & yes, as with everything we obviously contribute to greenhouse gasses due to holding up traffic.
But in reality it's only one day a week & if some of us bike rather than drive to work I'm sure it'll be offset, amongst the other big schemes in life.
But in reality it's only one day a week & if some of us bike rather than drive to work I'm sure it'll be offset, amongst the other big schemes in life.
Greenhouse gases? No, sorry, I'm trolling; CO2 is "plant food" and a human shouldn't emit any other 'pollutant' by dint of cycling alone (one will 'pump' regardless if one had beans or sprouts the night before 
) 
.
If we were serious about CO2 emissions from exercise, we'd ban such as the London Marathon . But such events aren't taxed on Carbon emissions, which kinda shows where the truth lies 
.
Also read in the Mail on Sunday today (I know, I know
) that there's been no rise in temperature since 1997. Funny, that - but one for one of the "climate change" threads .
Original Post isn't quite taking the bigger picture in .
) .If we were serious about CO2 emissions from exercise, we'd ban such as the London Marathon
. But such events aren't taxed on Carbon emissions, which kinda shows where the truth lies .Also read in the Mail on Sunday today (I know, I know
) that there's been no rise in temperature since 1997. Funny, that - but one for one of the "climate change" threads .Original Post isn't quite taking the bigger picture in
.I've been thinking the same thing as the op. But it is still the cars that are polluting, not the cyclists. It does seem like a lack of joined up thinking on the part of the cycle lobby... They may not emit, yet they cause emissions to be made, and for what good? Surely we would be better off without them. It's hardly a good way to travel any distance, slow, dangerous, annoys others. As cyclists have full rights on the road it would be good to see them once in a while pull over and let cars go by, like we are all expected to do if a queue forms behind us.
If you were also cycling there would have been no issue.
Are you going to suggest the police shouldn't exist, because it means your murders take longer to plan and therefore you have less time to work and contribute to the economy?
Think you're going out of your way to find another thing to hate about cyclists.
Are you going to suggest the police shouldn't exist, because it means your murders take longer to plan and therefore you have less time to work and contribute to the economy?
Think you're going out of your way to find another thing to hate about cyclists.
HertsBiker said:
I've been thinking the same thing as the op. But it is still the cars that are polluting, not the cyclists. It does seem like a lack of joined up thinking on the part of the cycle lobby... They may not emit, yet they cause emissions to be made, and for what good? Surely we would be better off without them. It's hardly a good way to travel any distance, slow, dangerous, annoys others. As cyclists have full rights on the road it would be good to see them once in a while pull over and let cars go by, like we are all expected to do if a queue forms behind us.
I think you need to look at some of the health and well being issues that we in the UK suffer from, particularly our children, compared to other European countries where cycling is the norm. Aren't we officially the fattest country in Europe now?Not only is it a norm elsewhere but cycles work perfectly well as transport too. No reason they can't here either, but it won't happen until we get governments who are not ruled by big business.
Anyway, on the subject of emissions, does anyone want to talk to me about car factories?
HertsBiker said:
Surely we would be better off without them. It's hardly a good way to travel any distance, slow, dangerous, annoys others. As cyclists have full rights on the road it would be good to see them once in a while pull over and let cars go by, like we are all expected to do if a queue forms behind us.
Just in case you haven't seen these : Rush hour in Holland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotat...Rush hour in England: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq_ce0D9eMQ
Some English drivers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Fyj2GMxgo
You'll notice that they are fat and stupid. This is what driving can do to you. Notice that in the video of Holland there are no fat people and no shouting.
Gaz. said:
Off-roading. I commuted by bike for a few years & as a lad it was my primary transport I but cannot fathom why people cycle 'for fun' on a busy road.
Hm, also can not understand why someone would enjoy driving a car on such a road. And all those p§%"(s in SUVs would be better placed off-roading than cyclists, IMO.heebeegeetee said:
I think you need to look at some of the health and well being issues that we in the UK suffer from, particularly our children, compared to other European countries where cycling is the norm. Aren't we officially the fattest country in Europe now?
Not only is it a norm elsewhere but cycles work perfectly well as transport too. No reason they can't here either, but it won't happen until we get governments who are not ruled by big business.
Anyway, on the subject of emissions, does anyone want to talk to me about car factories?
To make a city like London bike friendly then you would either need to knock down half the buildings or you would need to ban cars from half the roadsNot only is it a norm elsewhere but cycles work perfectly well as transport too. No reason they can't here either, but it won't happen until we get governments who are not ruled by big business.
Anyway, on the subject of emissions, does anyone want to talk to me about car factories?
Both of which would get my vote
But that wouldn't be popular on here as everyone is the centre of the universe
MysteryLemon said:
Anyone saying that cycling on the road is not enjoyable obviously has never got off their arse and given it a go. Busy roads aren't fun, no, but it's still enjoyable commuting by bike rather than sitting in traffic in a car.
Ooh, I didn't enjoy it. I tried it for about 2 days, did not like the way that the incompetent British motorist interacted with me, so climbed back into my car and rejoined everyone else in choking the roads up.It's the same reason why I won't motorcycle too. Not prepared to have my life ended by some muppet.
Really did enjoy mountain biking a few years back though.
HertsBiker said:
I've been thinking the same thing as the op. But it is still the cars that are polluting, not the cyclists. It does seem like a lack of joined up thinking on the part of the cycle lobby... They may not emit, yet they cause emissions to be made, and for what good? Surely we would be better off without them. It's hardly a good way to travel any distance, slow, dangerous, annoys others. As cyclists have full rights on the road it would be good to see them once in a while pull over and let cars go by, like we are all expected to do if a queue forms behind us.
Riiiiiiight, because slower cars always pull over to let quicker ones through eh?And tell me, when I cycle to work and get held up by cars getting in my way, do you also expect them to pull over and let me through?
oyster said:
HertsBiker said:
I've been thinking the same thing as the op. But it is still the cars that are polluting, not the cyclists. It does seem like a lack of joined up thinking on the part of the cycle lobby... They may not emit, yet they cause emissions to be made, and for what good? Surely we would be better off without them. It's hardly a good way to travel any distance, slow, dangerous, annoys others. As cyclists have full rights on the road it would be good to see them once in a while pull over and let cars go by, like we are all expected to do if a queue forms behind us.
Riiiiiiight, because slower cars always pull over to let quicker ones through eh?And tell me, when I cycle to work and get held up by cars getting in my way, do you also expect them to pull over and let me through?
I quite often see cyclists pull over to let cars past, wave cars past when they have better visibility, etc.; I can't remember the last time I saw a slow driver do the same. robinessex said:
Did read an analysis on the internet that 4 people cycling produce more CO2 than 4 people in a KA. See if I can find it.
Obviously four people sat on their arse in a Ka will produce less CO2 than four people doing exercise on bikes. If it includes the car's emissions too I'd be impressed but not hugely surprised.A lot of it comes down to where the carbon comes from, though. I'll admit I don't fully understand the chemistry, but I'm sure I heard somewhere that 'burning' Wheatabix inside a cyclist is a lot greener than burning hydrocarbons inside a combustion engine.
If you could fuel them on the same thing, however, I'm relatively confident a combustion engine could be made more efficient than a human being - at least once you've divided it by four passengers.
Edited by MrFrodo on Monday 15th October 12:12
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