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Friday 5 June 2015

Bike maintenance, and a new car?

Regular readers of this blog know that bike maintenance isn't a chore, it's a joy.

Today, I replaced the right hand pedal on my main bike, because the old one had fallen apart, and was now held together with duct tape. While doing this mainenance, I also replaced one of the handlebar ends, which had become loose and was in a bad state, and I also adjusted the gears - this time, the front set, which I rarely use (because with an electric bike you rarely need very low gears), but which I think I would find useful - so I got them working. I also rearranged the controls on the handlebar, so that changing gear would be easier.

The car, on the other hand, isn't a joy. I drive a Landrover Freelander II, which is now about nine years old, and very battered and scraped. I don't mind that, but recently there's been a lot of sound coming from the car, and I'm wondering if it's the automatic transmission.

It's done a lot of miles; 180,000 I think. And it's been pretty reliable, apart from a tendency to overheat in traffic jams. I'm thinking that a new transmission (if that's what's needed) will cost a lot more than the value of the car plus new transmission, in which case, I might be about to get a new car.

I do like that car. The turning circle is really good, and I can get all my caching stuff, plus the bike, into the back. My caching stuff goes in baskets that are 74cm high, 90 cm wide, 45 cm deep. The space where my bike goes is 80 cm high, and it just fits. Maybe I'll get another Freelander? No, I won't. They've stopped making them. The older I get, the more this happens to me - things that I want to replace on a like-for-like basis, can't be replaced because they've been obsoleted.

Instead, there's the Discovery Sport. That costs £34k. The thing I don't know is whether that will take my caching stuff and bike. The turning circle is 11.6 meters, compared with 11.4 for my Freelander. The rear area is 78 cm high, 132 m wide for 1700 litres total. And it can wade in 60 cm water. But you only get 37 mpg (their figures) and 0-60 is 8.8 seconds. Electric seat is £420.

The Disco 4 turning circle is 11.45. The SE starts at £42k, and I'm sure it will take all my caching stuff and bike. That's without satnav (which I never use, because I prefer to use my Tomtom). If you fold down all the seats (as I would), you get a space 103 cm high by 124 cm wide for a total of 2560 litres. It can wade in 70 cm. You only get 53 mpg (their figures) and 0-60 is 8.4 seconds. Electric seat is £815, power fold mirrors are £215.

Actually, what I really want is a self driving electric car with a 500 mile range. But I don't think there is one.

But there is a hybrid 4x4; the Mitsubishi. With 32 miles of electric range. Which sounds to me like it's designed for mostly short trips, whereas I do mosly long trips.

So it's looking like a Disco Sport SE; it's cheaper, faster, and a lot more economical. Unless it's too small inside, in which case it's the Disco 4 SE..

1 comment:

  1. look at the isuzu d max. ours is averaging 38mpg and it's got a boot so big you can have parties in it!

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