Fuel costs and driving to the ride

Unrelated to driving to go biking, but just got on a ferry to the Hebrides and it was deserted. Chatting to one of the deck hands and he was saying the cost of fuel is putting a lot of people off (in his opinion) on making long journeys such as this. I can see his point as already spent £140 on fuel.

I'm wondering how it might affect routes like NC500, especially in thirsty vehicles like campers and supercars... ?

Yes, more on local riding - instead of driving a 70 mile round trip costing £12 I'm riding from the door.

I'm still doing bigger trips, did 700 miles on a Snowdon trip in May and will be doing over 1000 miles in 2 weeks up to Scotland soon.

I'm not using the car for work apart from the odd day (once or twice a month) and not really using it for local MTB either much, so I can sort of justify the longer trips. Just checked and I've done 1600 miles since November. 700 of those were on that one trip in May!

Definitely having me think twice.
Quite a lot to fill up my Hiace van now.
If I've not got a lift share I won't go usually now.
Do something local instead. 😐

I’ve been doing this for 10 years, when the electric car isn’t available for use.

I rarely drive to ride so it's made no difference to me.

FWIW Aviemore was chokka for a couple of weeks and again over the jubilee weekend so there are still loads of folk driving around all over the country. It'll be interesting to see if things return to pre-Covid levels now that international travel has opened up again.

I’m wondering how it might affect routes like NC500, especially in thirsty vehicles like campers and supercars… ?

That's a very good point! 😃

just got on a ferry to the Hebrides and it was deserted.

Well, they must have decided to go to Mull because Tobermory has been mobbed all week.

Nearest riding worth doing is a 100 mile round trip. It's worth every penny!

Tbh even if it was an electric car I'd still think twice about driving to ride.

Time spent driving is time that could be riding.

Occasionally a planned trip or event but not on a regular basis.

I’m fortunate to have a lot of riding from the front door, yet I’m still going 45 mins into Wales tomorrow to ride. So no, my consideration isn’t the cost of fuel, it’s more related to the fact that I really dislike driving these days 🙂

In Galloway and the site is surprisingly empty for June.
OK it's windy but reasonably warm.

100 mile round trip costs about £6 more in something that does 40 to the gallon. £1.85 litre vs £1.35 a while back
People drop more than that on a pint or a couple of coffees.

Even without the cost of fuel I long ago decided regular long drives to ride were a bad idea on an environmental basis.

I still do the odd long weekend away somewhere the other end of the country. But not the regular driving 20miles just to ride the same places week after week. Makes little difference in reality, Swinley is about 15miles each way, 70min to jump on the bike and ride there, Vs 25min drive, plus the packing etc, there's what 10minutes in it after all that? And it's an easy chilled ride through the agricultural college and Gorrick.

I’m wondering how it might affect routes like NC500, especially in thirsty vehicles like campers and supercars… ?

If you're the kind of person that can afford a supercar or camper in the first place, you're probably not going to be too fussed about your 1000 mile roadtrip costing you an extra £75!

Bollocks to driving to ride.
Just getting to work (80 mile round trip) is costing me a fortune.

About a quarter of my income is now spent on petrol alone.

Luckily we live in Burnley, the local riding is amazing.

If you’re the kind of person that can afford a supercar or camper in the first place, you’re probably not going to be too fussed about your 1000 mile roadtrip costing you an extra £75!

A huge % of campers/supercars etc on that route are hired.
Inverness is quite the centre for hiring out "unique" vehicles for the NC500.

Particularly for campers with diesel heaters as well, it's going to add a significant chunk of cash to run it.

Particularly for campers with diesel heaters as well, it’s going to add a significant chunk of cash to run it.

I'm sure the 50 or so ml an hour that they sup will bankrupt the users....

Nopes, tomorrow I'm off to North Wales, next weekend is FoD, weekend after is Surrey hills and the one after that is Rogate.
This is what keeps me sane.

I'd rather be poor and riding than richer and at home

Most of my riding is from the door but I’ve barely surfed this year (45min drive, 80mile round trip)

The rise in fuel prices has motivated me to commute on my bike again. It's done me a favour as middle aged spread was happening quite quickly. I'm still amazed at the people who sit in their cars with the engine running whilst they smoke or wait for their kids to come out of school. I was hoping the rise in price would make people a bit more cost aware and consequentially a bit more environmentally friendly. Apparently not.

I'm doing a lot less but it's more to do with Covid than petrol prices. During lockdown I found more great stuff locally and ways to link it up that I've really gone off the idea of spending 1-2 hour round-trip in car just to ride my bike. I still do it but only occasionally.

I somehow spent nearly £200 on fuel last month. Don't use the van for commuting but had a couple of events if signed up for.

Making an effort this month to keep it more local.

From the door 90% of the time.
If going to a trail centre or race then will take transport.

However, when i go to the local town for shopping or elsewhere, i find the roads are busier than before petrol got really expensive! Its like everyone is trying to use it before it runs out no matter the cost? Also the local stations diesel run dry much more often (i have petrol cars).

People drop more than that

Drop? Are you Tim Westwood?

I ride to work and the shops, hardly use the car for anything else, so have no qualms about using it to go to rides... although the ebike means I don't have to. There's nothing from my doorstep, so the eeb can fill the gap. Further afield I'll take the car.

We moved 250 miles up to Scotland so we didn't have to drive to get to really good riding.
We had some ok trails on our doorstep back in the midlands but just got totally pissed off with being told we shouldn't be riding on trails that walkers shouldn't have been walking on either.
We've now got one car between the pair of us and it hardly gets used.
I also gave up a job that involved driving around 1100 miles a week.
I do less than that in six months now so the fuel increase hasn't really bothered me.

My old rule was that the length of the ride had to be at least the same as the time taken to do the return journey.
The ratio has changed so I need more riding time than driving time, which has ruled out a few places.
In truth, the travel was always a reason why I rose Road more than MTB, and now run more than both.

I'm thinking more about it now, but also wishing I wasn't as I've got a lot of driving for the next 3 weekends - level 2 coaching course, 10 under and then a weekend of both days on MTB leadership course...I may sleep in car for last one to save the double journey.

Cost of fuel is making me realise how much I am driving for rides - I post up rides for the club and pick different places to keep interest and variety...some regulars (small number) but I suspect others pick the closer ones to them, but as organiser I'm at them all...

I need a rethink I think!

Meeting a mate for a road ride Sunday, usually do a couple of hours in the Peak - was going to suggest that he comes down to me (Manchester to Derby) as he's struggling with his fitness at the moment, but can't justify making him do all the driving due to the fuel cost, so meeting in the middle.

As usual stw smugness factory is working well.

100 mile round trip costs about £6 more in something that does 40 to the gallon. £1.85 litre vs £1.35 a while back
People drop more than that on a pint or a couple of coffees

It's good point. It's not that much unless it's a long road trip. It's all the extra else where that makes a difference.

Try and ride locally but hemmed in by topography and busy roads so, despite decent local riding, I handed in a month's notice today - and I'm moving to Calderdale, where I can hopefully go back to being car free.

Sort of. Drive a bit slower, cruise a bit more, not done as many trail centres as I usually would.

Recent South Wales trip was extortionately expensive for what it is.

Not doing anything different, I'm fortunate enough - which is good as there's no MTB rides from the city.

The extra few £ is a small proportion of my outgoings, while good riding is a huge proportion of what I look forward to, enjoy, and enjoy thinking back about.

I'd cut down long before fuel prices went up, partly because the time spent on a motorway eats into the actual riding/enjoyment, but mostly because I can't really spare a whole day/weekend for riding very often these days like I could in my yoof...

Of course when I do get the time now it's more of a treat, rather than yet another weekend pissing petrol away to go ride in some woods...

If cycling is costing you too much in petrol, then explore the options for riding more locally from your doorstep.

Nope

In the grand scheme of things it’s buttons. If I drive 100 miles as a round trip it’ll cost me less than a tenner more than it did a few years ago

Would be different if I was paying that extra every day, but a couple of times a month doesn’t even register

Not thought about it. I've gone from doing 25k miles a year pre pandemic to a couple of thousand thanks to now being based permanently at home. Lucky position I know and for that I'm grateful.

I find the deep worry over fuel costs interesting when compared to how much people spend on depreciation/buying and maintenance costs.

Are you Tim Westwood?

He's not going to admit to being a middle-class sex pest, is he?

I find the deep worry over fuel costs interesting when compared to how much people spend on depreciation/buying and maintenance costs.

Yes, you need to factor in the monthly’s. After turning down an electric car lease at work for 12 months due to costs exaggerated by demand and a long wait, Mrs K is desperate to not be driving our old euro 4 banger. Yet, it costs us the extra fuel prices only above £250 contribution to he electric lease or £350 for a 4yo second hand euro 6 replacement to play bangernomics. Seeing as we are doing 4000 miles a year in it, it’s a no brainer.

A 4yr old car isn’t bangernomics.

I find the deep worry over fuel costs interesting when compared to how much people spend on depreciation/buying and maintenance costs.

Didn't want to be that guy as it usually is me. But this.

A 4yr old car isn’t bangernomics.

Nope, but a 14yo one might be.

I tend not to do alot of driving now - can't stand it. I do still go to the odd trail centres, but it's only when we arrange it with mates, and usually within 100 miles a few times a year.

I've been back on the road bike more last two years (following a broken spine 6 years ag du to a driver) but I'm selective. road is really good for fitness. MTB has been local circuits, fun with mates, and also back commuting off road two days a week on my old mtb.

We bought a 10 year old Aygo last winter as a backup for son and daughter to use, but we've been using it for local trips and commuting when I'm not on the bike (recent knee injury) - it uses significantly less fuel than our cars in town. My car is 20 years old and still does the bike hauling with the 4 bike roof rack.

I find the deep worry over fuel costs interesting when compared to how much people spend on depreciation/buying and maintenance costs.

It’s extra cost including that though. They’ve already accepted those costs.

Lots of secondhand camper vans appearing now covid is over and fuel prices are up.

I find the deep worry over fuel costs interesting when compared to how much people spend on depreciation/buying and maintenance costs.

Both our cars have done all their depreciation.
Maintenance costs are reduced by DIY on the driveway.

In our case it doesn't effect us much as we don't do many miles in personal cars. If I want to drive to ride I still do

Many of the folks down our street do rely heavily on their cars, also run older cars and carry out their own maintenance. It's not unheard of to be unexpectedly helping with tools/extra pair of hands.
Large fuel increases will be hurting.

definitely. we live in north manchester/lancashire and have plenty of riding form the door, but this time of year we would usually be shooting up to the south lakes once a week to ride grisedale or chapel; or down ladybower or llangollen? anywhere within an hour or so on a Friday afternoon - those little trips probably cost 40 or 50 quid in fuel at the moment!

Extra petrol costs? Trivial. If they are up 40p a litre? £1.50 a gallon. At 10k miles a year I use 20 gallons a month. So an extra £30 a month.

What I'm feeling is the extra £80 a month for gas and electricity along with the further increase in October. Plus higher fuel costs.

Yes it all adds up but an extra £30 a month won't stop me driving though I have slowed down a touch on long trips.

Roughly a 50p rise since last June. But yeah household bills will be the killer.
That'll tie up a lot of free cash that might otherwise be spent on fun stuff.

Yep. Nearer 50p a litre since this time last year - about a 40% increase.
An extra £2.25 a gallon, or £45/month for the example used above (20gal/month) - an extra fuel bill of £540 per year doesn't seem very trivial to me (and I use more than £20gal/month).

Definitely noticing more cars sitting at 60-65 on the commute, which is what I generally do. I have to leave a bit earlier than necessary to avoid the traffic, so makes no difference to my working day to drive a little slower.

A little bit, I sacked off a drive to North Wales a few weeks ago, that said 3 of us went to Cwmcarn this morning, I'd love to say we shared a car, but we we separately in a Golf R, an Audi RS6 and a Discovery.

At 10k miles a year I use 20 gallons a month. So an extra £30 a month.

What I’m feeling is the extra £80 a month for gas and electricity along with the further increase in October. Plus higher fuel costs.

I'm up £40 a week on the family food shop.

All these things worry me more than petrol costs

I’d love to say we shared a car, but we we separately in a Golf R, an Audi RS6 and a Discovery.

Have you no shame 😉
I bet the RS6 spent twice as much as the others 😀

I’d love to say we shared a car, but we we separately in a Golf R, an Audi RS6 and a Discovery.

Obviously I don’t know folks individual finances, but surely anyone who’s driving round in one of those cars isn’t going to be feeling the pinch of rising fuel costs to go cycling!

Have you no shame 😉
I bet the RS6 spent twice as much as the others 😀

He tells me it’s quite frugal with cylinder deactivation and 8 gears, as much as 25mpg on a run!

My Golf is the ‘best’ 40mpg with a bike on the roof if I drive in a Christian manner.

Usually ride from the door but during summer I'll drive to different places. Have no issues paying £30/£40 for a round trip when I spend thousands on bike stuff.