That name was the last vestige of an old self that I no longer identify with. I asked for it to be changed because when I looked at the name, I saw a lot of letters that added up to something that is utterly meaningless to me.

Cool, I didn't know we can change our names. That's pretty sweet. Is it in the user control panel or do we have to ask an administrator?

amen to this! I do go outside, though.

edit: I do live really close to a train station though and really try and use it as much as possible. 45 minutes from home to Sydney city isn't too bad - I'd struggle to do it that quickly in the car a lot of the time.

yes, I have a car - but at least it is a four cylinder one - not too bad considering the two children that are most often in the back...

Awesome!

Whatcha ridin'? Softail, Springer, Superglide, Wide Glide, Shovelead, Panhead? The Sturgis rally is August 4th thru the 10th this year. You headin' up?

Living in a city with a horrible public transportation system (Columbus, OH), it is difficult to see things so simply. Here, the city is not organized in a way that is conducive to public transport, and the bus system is generally useless for me based on my current location and my regular destinations.

I made sure to live close enough to campus that I walk to class every day. I never drive to campus; if it's dark in the morning when I go to the gym, I ride one of the campus buses (the only reliable public transportation in the city!). I use my car (a Matrix, with pretty good gas mileage) for groceries, shopping, and traveling. As much as I'd like to say I can get groceries on my bike, I would literally have to go grocery shopping every day to be able to get by, which is not exactly an efficient use of my time or money.

I understand your concerns about the availability and efficiency of public transportation, and share them, but don't ever intend to live in a city where getting around that way is possible. I am not a city girl; I fully intend to live in a "country" setting where I will sometimes NEED a truck that gets 10 mpg to pull a horse trailer; the key is in limiting trips in frequency and distance. For the regular trips back and forth (I lived 10 miles from my high school, so had to drive every day [riding a bike on a busy, full-of-fast-semis state route at 6:30 in the morning in the dark is NOT safe, no matter how experienced you are]) a fuel efficient vehicle is a necessary choice for me.

Or you could always buy a diesel and convert it to run on vegetable oil. ;D

;) Good point! I hope that by the time I'm buying another truck and trailer that something more efficient is available and reliable. Driving a diesel in the winter in Ohio is generally just a bad idea, warming it up is a pain in the rear.. that's why I didn't get a TDI when I owned a VW Jetta.

You know this is only viable because only a handful of people are doing it. Long run biodiesel is not going to work beyond a novelty.

motobecane.

Doesn't even have to be biodiesel. It just takes a kit, some elbow grease and a few trips to McD's for vegetable oil, but most of all, it takes commitment, even if among only a handful of people. That may be what is lacking in the population at large, which would make it unsustainable as a widespread solution, but it can still be done.

Fingers crossed!

Hey, a fellow Columbian :thumbsup: .

I drive a 71 Beetle. I have ~ 6x less hp than you and was getting around 25 mpg. With the new engine/dizzy/carb though I'm hoping to get better mileage, but the hp will stay the same :grumpy: .

Hope no more. Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, and Toyota are all planning Diesel 1/2 ton P/U's introductions for the 2009/10 model year (Toyo for 2010/11). The big 3 already have 1 Ton diesels out there, just pick your poison depending on which brand you like best. Also driving a diesel, even in Columbus winters, isn't that bad. Modern diesel engines (especially the Duramax V8's found in Chevy's) are clean, reliable, fuel efficient, and unless you really want them to don't sound too different than your standerd OHV engines. The problematic cold starts are a thing of the past :thumbsup: .

With all that said, get a Chevy. Their new Diesel V8 is a thing a beauty and amazement.

My cruiser gets better gas mileage than a Prius, too.

While it sets off car alarms and scares children.

I traded the minivan for the 40mpg commuter. But public transit is just not going to happen out here in the 'burbs.

I am, however, rooting for the higher gas prices to change people's behavior in the only way any of them understand...through the wallet.