wahoonc

Anybody seen THIS yet? 8% of total US Production. Around 2.6% of total US supply. Anyone wanna bet how long before we see $5 a gallon?

Aaron

Zinn-X

This is only going to make large people in SUVs more crazy and rude to us cyclists

wahoonc

I think the rudeness comes with the vehicle...

Aaron

trackhub

You're probably right, although I suspect that the new class of Ultra-rich, who drive the most largest and most expensive models, won't even care.

I'd be more concerned about the price of heating oil, food, and other things that everyone needs.

dobber

Less then half a percentage of the current global consumption and hardly an issue in a world with continually rising stockpiles. Of course the markets will take the opportunity to over play it and drive prices higher. And the A&S crowd will clap hands and dance about.

DataJunkie

...and prices will never come down while shafting everyone next winter with heating prices.
yay

$200 to heat my itty bitty house. There is only so much weather proofing I can do.... my attic is already massive insulation.

WalterMitty

I think this is terrific! Once gas gets to $5.00/gal the slumbering masses will head to the streets with pitchforks and torches!

Maybe then our congresscritters will take a break from living the high life and produce a cogent energy policy that will solve a variety of social and economic problems.

chipcom 

More like $10 a gallon before that happens.

Yeah, that'll happen and we'll all live happily ever after.

Portis

We won't see $5 per gallon gas. That would inflame the masses. The goal is to slowly raise the price as to where people will slowly quit complaining about it. So far it has worked.

Bikepacker67

What planet do you live on?

Richard Cranium

There's no aspect about the end of the petroleum age that will benefit the cycling community. Suffice to say, that the current quality of life for most of us, will not be sustainable without a shifting a significant portion of any disposable income to necessities.

Whatever, savings cycle-commuting could save you will be lost to the increased expenditures in nearly every other of life's endeavors. Perhaps, the only aspect of cycling afforded each of us - in spite of the onset of Peak Oil, is our good health. Enjoy it while you are able............

larue

I am a cyclist and I also own a suv. A 2006 Rav4 that happens to get 30 mpg to be exact. And I'm definitely not rude to other cyclist.

Generalizations are for fools.

Monoborracho

+1

I think it is comical so many people think they know all about the oil business, that there is a conspiracy out there (gotta blame someone) and that the government can fix the problems with some mythical energy policy (it was called rationing during WWII).

Further, even if we don't own a car, we are all dependent on oil for fuel to move and heat everything.

I just laugh and shake my head.

Bikepacker67

Not to mention that for every 1 calorie of food we produce, we use 10 calories of petroleum.
Hope most of you have green thumbs.

DataJunkie

That would explain why my grandparents, the most polite people on the planet, drive a highlander.
Not to mention my coworkers that drive SUVs are also quite friendly. The two other avid cyclists at my work are also nice people and own SUVs. So,......

larue

+2

Why is it people blame all things related to oil on cars?
Do they not realize that unless you are purchasing only locally grown food that your food is transported via truck?
Is everyone here using green energy? I doubt it.
There are a lot of factors we need to look at in order to reduce our dependence on oil.

People need to wake up!

caligurl

me, too! we actually were "forced" to buy an SUV because some JACK@SS tried to steal our bike off othe hitch rack..... rather than loose $10,000 work of bikes (2... mine and his) or rather than not travel to organized rides... which we like to do... we did the next best thing... bought a vehicle that will transport us and our 2 bikes and hold them safely if/when we need to stop on the way to/from a ride!)

and as for being rude to cyclists... ya.... ok... whatever.... I RIDE, TOO! why would i be rude to other riders on the road????

Treespeed

The most obvious solution is to simply tax gasoline. The whole taxing engine displacement is a ridiculous hair splitting farce. Where as with a gas tax the more you use, the more you pay, very simple.

The tax should go into research for alternative fuels, etc. Why shouldn't the people wasting our children's energy resources help to find and implement a replacement. We've known about peak oil for 30 years and in that time all we've done is squandered our children's energy future. It may be your right to commute alone in a 6,000lb truck, but you should have to pay for the priveledge.

chipcom 

Most folks don't consider that things like tires, chain lubes, etc. are made from petroleum. Anyone who thinks that riding a bicycle is going to be their saving grace when things get really bad are in for a rude shock if (when) it happens. Of course I have enough tires to last me for about 20 years of riding.

Blue Order

I have to disagree with your blanket statement. There may be aspects of the transition to something else that will be difficult, but we will transition. And that's the key. As petroleum becomes progressively more expensive, more people will search for alternatives. And the market will provide those alternatives. Some will buy more smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles. Some will buy smaller, alternative-fueled vehicles. Some will transition to public transit. Some will take up bicycling. All of these choices will result in fewer behemoths crowding the roads, which will make the roads safer for everybody, including cyclists. And as more people take up bicycling as a reasonable transportation alternative, we'll see more and more bicycle-friendly policies and conditions.

Treespeed

Yeah, but not as much of a shock as someone who commutes 40 or 50 miles every day by car which is not unheard of here in Los Angeles. And it may not be pretty, but you can lube your chain with veggie oil. And I imagine if I take care of it my steel framed Surly will probably last another 50 years.

chipcom 

Until I moved earlier this year my total one-way commute WAS 45 miles (now it's more like 20). It ain't just in LA that people have long commutes.

So where do you figure on buying your veggie oil? Gonna have to make it yourself - think lard. Tires are an obvious challenge, but things like bearings are also gonna be a problem. I figure most of us are gonna get where we want to go either on foot or pulled by a critter, if things go that far south in our lifetime.

Blue Order

It won't happen like that. As oil becomes more scarce, its price will rise. Some people will see that there's money to be made by offering alternatives, and other people will see that there's money to be saved by buying alternatives. Society will transition to other sources of fuel, and alternative modes of transportation. Life will go on.

And oil will still be available as a lubricant. It just won't be as cheap as we're used to, because we burned up the enormous supplies of lubricant we had....

And our descendants will look back and think we were idiots.

Treespeed

While I can see things going pretty far south in my lifetime just because somethings require a lot of energy doen't mean they still won't be done. Alcoa processes aluminum in Eastern Washington using hydro power, and I imagine you could do similar industrial work with solar, wind, or nuclear power. Of course if petro power disappeared tomorrow we'd be screwed, instead it will be a transition as the oil that's left in the ground gets more expensive to pump and harder to find.

I would imagine that we will always have bicycles, they were here before cars and haven't changed all that much since then. Though maybe we'd have a forum where we complained about having to share the road with horses and their crap, and carbon fiber buggy companies?

And as far as veggie oil I would imagine things would have gone well past far south if I can't buy some veggie oil for my bike. I would imagine if that came to pass then I would be growing my own food and
trying to figure out how to get water here in Los Angeles.

Treespeed

Imagine having to explain to our grandchildren the BS we wasted their energy future on. All this time we could have been using what is essentially free energy to build a sustainable alternative energy infrastructure and transportation system. Instead we've just farted away their future on vanity and religious violence.