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New BSO long-term test!

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New BSO long-term test!

Old 02-20-14, 08:51 AM
  #426  
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Originally Posted by acidfast7
Thanks for updating ... how about a recent photo
Does a couple of weeks old count?

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Old 02-20-14, 09:20 AM
  #427  
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Originally Posted by bigbenaugust
Does a couple of weeks old count?

sweet, nice ride!
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Old 02-20-14, 09:33 AM
  #428  
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Originally Posted by acidfast7
yeah ... i find most things expensive compared to Germany ... except food ...

the pubs are quite good ...

i think keeping my transportation costs around zero is a good thing

it is interesting as emotionally I think £4.50 isn't so much but $7.50 is a huge amount.
when I was for 6 months in England last year, I found the same thing. A lot of things where more expensive than US (Chicago) or Germany (well, maybe except Munich).
The high price for BSOs in England, reminded me of differences in car prices between Europe and the US. It's shocking to see the difference for some models. e.g Subaru Forester base model in the US: $22000 - Uk: £25,500 ($42000). Not sure if the base models are the same, but how different can they be. And I realize the UK price does include sales tax already.
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Old 02-20-14, 09:59 AM
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Originally Posted by JPprivate
when I was for 6 months in England last year, I found the same thing. A lot of things where more expensive than US (Chicago) or Germany (well, maybe except Munich).
The high price for BSOs in England, reminded me of differences in car prices between Europe and the US. It's shocking to see the difference for some models. e.g Subaru Forester base model in the US: $22000 - Uk: £25,500 ($42000). Not sure if the base models are the same, but how different can they be. And I realize the UK price does include sales tax already.
Yeah, it's kind of crazy, but that's the way it goes.

House prices are quite expensive here, at it's kind of cheap where I am!
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Old 02-20-14, 11:40 AM
  #430  
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Originally Posted by acidfast7
sweet, nice ride!
it has certainly done the job, rain, sleet, or snow.
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Old 02-20-14, 03:19 PM
  #431  
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stats:

912km/566mi
£421/$700 total
£0.46/km
€0.56/km
$1.24/mi

goal is to catch up to the ratios of bigbenaugust:

8093km/5029mi
£267/$446
3.3p/km
4.0c/km
8.8¢/mi

and of Slaninar:

12700km/7891mi
£703/€849/$1160
5.5p/km
6.7c/km
14.7¢/mi

photos:



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Old 02-20-14, 07:58 PM
  #432  
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Originally Posted by acidfast7
That seat looks really uncomfortable.

But, who am I to criticize?
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Old 02-20-14, 11:59 PM
  #433  
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Originally Posted by scroca
That seat looks really uncomfortable.

But, who am I to criticize?
My back, neck, shoulders, and wrists hurt just looking at the height difference from the seat to hand position in the drops. But for some cyclists I suppose pain IS gain, even when commuting. To each their own, eh?
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Old 02-21-14, 02:26 AM
  #434  
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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
My back, neck, shoulders, and wrists hurt just looking at the height difference from the seat to hand position in the drops. But for some cyclists I suppose pain IS gain, even when commuting. To each their own, eh?
It's only 9k each way or around 20 min. No need for pain

Also, I think that angle is misleading as it's not that uncofortae to ride with.

I think this was intended to be a joke about the lock being on the seat
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Old 02-21-14, 10:01 AM
  #435  
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Originally Posted by acidfast7
....I think this was intended to be a joke about the lock being on the seat
Right you are.

On a more serious note, I don't understand how your total cost seems to fluctuate. I know it went up after you bought the fenders, but how can it vary? For example, in January, it varied from $648 to $651 and then down to $645. Are you adjusting for the exchange rate?
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Old 02-21-14, 10:38 AM
  #436  
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Fuel costs - beer is expensive in the UK!
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Old 02-21-14, 10:56 AM
  #437  
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Originally Posted by scroca
Right you are.

On a more serious note, I don't understand how your total cost seems to fluctuate. I know it went up after you bought the fenders, but how can it vary? For example, in January, it varied from $648 to $651 and then down to $645. Are you adjusting for the exchange rate?
Yes! I paid for stuff in GBP ... so I use the current GBP:USD when I calculate to make it more accessible to the non-GBP users.

I'm open to other ideas ... just seemed to be the easiest way to do it initially ...

Last edited by acidfast7; 02-21-14 at 11:00 AM.
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Old 02-21-14, 10:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Slaninar
Fuel costs - beer is expensive in the UK!
Ja! Bier ist in Deutschland billiger als in England. Aber Dänemark ist viel teurer. Vier Weihnachtsbiere und eine kleine Pommes war 400 DKK oder 53 EUR.

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Old 02-21-14, 11:06 AM
  #439  
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I'd go bankrupt in one weekend time in Denmark!


Czech republic is the promised land!
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Old 02-21-14, 11:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Slaninar
I'd go bankrupt in one weekend time in Denmark!


Czech republic is the promised land!
I agree, but sadly I've never been.

I usually tend to go to Hungary and Romania and usually drink schnapps!
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Old 02-21-14, 11:20 AM
  #441  
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Originally Posted by acidfast7
great ride again.

stats:

254km/157mi
£395/$617
£1.57/km
€1.87/km
$3.92/mi
Above is the first post I see where you specified the actual cost and gave the equivalent USD. For the sake of argument, assuming that the exchange rate was the same that day as it was on the day of the actual purchase, then the cost to you was $617. I don't see how that changes. The day you bought the bike you paid what you paid.

It seems to me that only the km/miles change after that, except for additional purchases. And aside from additional purchases, once you've logged a certain number of miles, the $/mi can't go up. Right?

Of course it's your show and you can post what you like. I just think it makes the figures inaccurate the way you are doing it.
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Old 02-21-14, 11:52 AM
  #442  
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Originally Posted by scroca
Above is the first post I see where you specified the actual cost and gave the equivalent USD. For the sake of argument, assuming that the exchange rate was the same that day as it was on the day of the actual purchase, then the cost to you was $617. I don't see how that changes. The day you bought the bike you paid what you paid.

It seems to me that only the km/miles change after that, except for additional purchases. And aside from additional purchases, once you've logged a certain number of miles, the $/mi can't go up. Right?

Of course it's your show and you can post what you like. I just think it makes the figures inaccurate the way you are doing it.
Hi!

That's cool, I never thought about that way. I was just being lazy and always doing a fresh conversion. I'll have to go back and lock the values in place on my date of purchase and just keep the values that way.

Also, thanks for responding ... my point is to do a long-term thread with input from others ... so, I'll rectify this deficiency when I update tonight and I'll lock the other values in at their first exchange rate that I had!

Sorry for any inconvenience!
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Old 02-21-14, 12:43 PM
  #443  
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Originally Posted by acidfast7
It's only 9k each way or around 20 min. No need for pain

Also, I think that angle is misleading as it's not that uncofortae to ride with.

I think this was intended to be a joke about the lock being on the seat
I agree no need for pain, no matter how long the commute. Don't you think a less severe riding posture would be more comfortable? What is the real gain for such a contortionist setup?

Your most recent posted photograph looks just like the "misleading" one as far as the height differential between seat and handlebars.

BTW, in the most recent photo the chain appears to be really slack; any particular reason?
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Old 02-21-14, 01:24 PM
  #444  
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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
I agree no need for pain, no matter how long the commute. Don't you think a less severe riding posture would be more comfortable? What is the real gain for such a contortionist setup?

Your most recent posted photograph looks just like the "misleading" one as far as the height differential between seat and handlebars.

BTW, in the most recent photo the chain appears to be really slack; any particular reason?
For one, I have strong headwinds in this part of England. Today, they were 40mph. I don't really use the drops but wouldn't mind having some hoods.

I think it's fun as I always ride the straightbar MTB or a city bike when I travel to Germany/Denmark (usually for 10 days/month) ... so this is some different type of fun to try out.

It is really slack which is due to my laziness. I don't think it's possible for the rear wheel to move because of the tugs on there ... so I assume what you are seeing is 940km of chain stretch ... I do tend to mash with one gear, plus England is super wet and the chain is not high quality.

This is unwrapped with a properly adjusted new chain ...



Seems like quite fast wear to me!
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Old 02-21-14, 01:53 PM
  #445  
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Applying the 2014 Scroca Rules now, which make quite good sense I might add:

Cost of the bike from Mangobikes on 5 SEP 2013 (exchange rate on 5 SEP 2013: 1 GBP = 1.55 USD)

299 GBP = 466 USD

Cost of front/rear Knog lights and Kryptonite U-lock on 3 OCT 2013 (exchange rate on 3 OCT 2013: 1 GBP = 1.61 USD)

92.53 GBP = 148 USD

Cost of Sigma 1009 cycloputer on 9 SEP 2013 (exchange rate on 9 SEP 2013: 1 GBP = 1.57 USD)

25.93 GBP = 40.71 USD

Cost of Crud Roadracer MK II on 19 NOV 2013 (exchange rate on 19 NOV 2013: 1 GBP = 1.61 USD)

22.85 GBP GBP = 36.78 USD

Total at time of purchase:

466+148+40.71+36.78 = 691.49 USD

This is the current value as assessed by the 2014 Scroca Rules and will be employed in all future calculations.

edit: Values for other participants will be left as is unless they desired to change their values.

Last edited by acidfast7; 02-21-14 at 02:04 PM.
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Old 02-21-14, 02:03 PM
  #446  
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You going to add all the time you write about it, onto the cost of that cheap bike?
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Old 02-21-14, 02:12 PM
  #447  
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stats:

931km/578mi
£440/$691 total
£0.46/km
€0.56/km
$1.19/mi

goal is to catch up to the ratios of bigbenaugust:

8093km/5029mi
£267/$446
3.3p/km
4.0c/km
8.8¢/mi

and of Slaninar:

12700km/7891mi
£703/€849/$1160
5.5p/km
6.7c/km
14.7¢/mi

photos:



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Old 02-21-14, 02:21 PM
  #448  
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
You going to add all the time you write about it, onto the cost of that cheap bike?
I spend a huge amount of time in front of the computer doing work.

It's a Friday night here, but I'm going to Skype with a potential PhD student in the US (UPenn) from Saudi about joining my research in England, after her workday is over.

Also, I Skype a lot to China.

So, I usually talk with people from Cali (-8h) to China (+8h) in a single day.

BF is quite nice.

As is cycling ... as soon as I walk anywhere with wireless ... I usually hear my mobile phones and iPod beeping with emails/messages from around the world (it does not sleep!) that need attention.

However, my movie just finished downloading (thanks England 20/1 service for £15/mo) and I'm going to cook a steak and chill out for a little while!

The time on BF is an easy distraction (I probably write between 20 and 200 pages/week in multiple languages), so this is free of charge!
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Old 02-24-14, 05:31 PM
  #449  
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stats:

950km/590mi
£440/$691 total
£0.46/km
€0.56/km
$1.17/mi

goal is to catch up to the ratios of bigbenaugust:

8093km/5029mi
£267/$446
3.3p/km
4.0c/km
8.8¢/mi

and of Slaninar:

12700km/7891mi
£703/€849/$1160
5.5p/km
6.7c/km
14.7¢/mi

photos:



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Old 02-24-14, 06:10 PM
  #450  
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I will try and remember to get my figures together tomorrow, should be fun to play along with a serious advantage
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