hybrid cars ? - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

08-24-2004, 05:54 PM

How does everyone feel about the hybrid smog machines ? On one hand they are
clean quiet & help reduce our
dependence on foreign oil but one of the 5 senses is hearing and the Toyota
Prius can go over 40 MPH on battery
power alone, yea there is still the wind and tire noise but not much more
than a pack of riders make when they pass
(don't ask how I know this)

Rob Fruth - Houston, Tx
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

1981 Raleigh for errands & fun ____ __o
1997 Trek 2300 for real fun ! ____ _ \ | _)
2000 Civic hatchback (_)/ (_)

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08-24-2004, 06:04 PM

>Subject: hybrid cars ?
>From: "Rob F. in Houston" [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>Date: 8/24/2004 8:54 PM US Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <DjSWc.5113$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].prodigy.com>
>
>How does everyone feel about the hybrid smog machines ? On one hand they are
>clean quiet & help reduce our
>dependence on foreign oil but one of the 5 senses is hearing and the Toyota
>Prius can go over 40 MPH on battery
>power alone, yea there is still the wind and tire noise but not much more
>than a pack of riders make when they pass
>(don't ask how I know this)
>
>
> Rob Fruth - Houston

Ask yourself this:
How much does it cost for me to saeve money? Calculated payback against a
similar car like a camry is like 10 years.
If you want to pioneer all this with your hard earned cash, go ahead.

08-24-2004, 06:04 PM

>Subject: hybrid cars ?
>From: "Rob F. in Houston" [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>Date: 8/24/2004 8:54 PM US Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <DjSWc.5113$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].prodigy.com>
>
>How does everyone feel about the hybrid smog machines ? On one hand they are
>clean quiet & help reduce our
>dependence on foreign oil but one of the 5 senses is hearing and the Toyota
>Prius can go over 40 MPH on battery
>power alone, yea there is still the wind and tire noise but not much more
>than a pack of riders make when they pass
>(don't ask how I know this)
>
>
> Rob Fruth - Houston

Ask yourself this:
How much does it cost for me to saeve money? Calculated payback against a
similar car like a camry is like 10 years.
If you want to pioneer all this with your hard earned cash, go ahead.

08-24-2004, 06:04 PM

>Subject: hybrid cars ?
>From: "Rob F. in Houston" [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>Date: 8/24/2004 8:54 PM US Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <DjSWc.5113$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].prodigy.com>
>
>How does everyone feel about the hybrid smog machines ? On one hand they are
>clean quiet & help reduce our
>dependence on foreign oil but one of the 5 senses is hearing and the Toyota
>Prius can go over 40 MPH on battery
>power alone, yea there is still the wind and tire noise but not much more
>than a pack of riders make when they pass
>(don't ask how I know this)
>
>
> Rob Fruth - Houston

Ask yourself this:
How much does it cost for me to saeve money? Calculated payback against a
similar car like a camry is like 10 years.
If you want to pioneer all this with your hard earned cash, go ahead.

08-24-2004, 06:04 PM

>Subject: hybrid cars ?
>From: "Rob F. in Houston" [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>Date: 8/24/2004 8:54 PM US Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <DjSWc.5113$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].prodigy.com>
>
>How does everyone feel about the hybrid smog machines ? On one hand they are
>clean quiet & help reduce our
>dependence on foreign oil but one of the 5 senses is hearing and the Toyota
>Prius can go over 40 MPH on battery
>power alone, yea there is still the wind and tire noise but not much more
>than a pack of riders make when they pass
>(don't ask how I know this)
>
>
> Rob Fruth - Houston

Ask yourself this:
How much does it cost for me to saeve money? Calculated payback against a
similar car like a camry is like 10 years.
If you want to pioneer all this with your hard earned cash, go ahead.

08-24-2004, 06:11 PM

"Rob F. in Houston" <no_spam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news

jSWc.5113$2P7.3877@newssvr23.news.prodigy.co m...
> How does everyone feel about the hybrid smog machines ? On one hand they
> are
> clean quiet & help reduce our
> dependence on foreign oil but one of the 5 senses is hearing and the
> Toyota
> Prius can go over 40 MPH on battery
> power alone, yea there is still the wind and tire noise but not much more
> than a pack of riders make when they pass
> (don't ask how I know this)

I think that hearing is important, but that *relying* on hearing for
situational awareness while riding in traffic is an invitation to disaster.
That's why I wear a mirror, why I ride so as to minimize the chances that a
driver will be surprised by my presence, and why I work hard to keep my
attention focused on what I'm doing.

As you say, hybrid cars are cleaner and quieter and more efficient than
other motor vehicles. But they're still cars, and they let their owners feel
virtuous while continuing to perpetuate a resource-intensive culture that's
hostile to human-powered transportation of all kinds. So I'm, at best,
indifferent to them.

But I haven't been able to free myself of car ownership entirely -- we're
down from two cars to one, and that one is used only half as much as in the
past, but we still need it -- so next time I have to buy one I expect to
look closely at hybrid-electric vehicles.

RichC

08-24-2004, 06:11 PM

"Rob F. in Houston" <no_spam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news

jSWc.5113$2P7.3877@newssvr23.news.prodigy.co m...
> How does everyone feel about the hybrid smog machines ? On one hand they
> are
> clean quiet & help reduce our
> dependence on foreign oil but one of the 5 senses is hearing and the
> Toyota
> Prius can go over 40 MPH on battery
> power alone, yea there is still the wind and tire noise but not much more
> than a pack of riders make when they pass
> (don't ask how I know this)

I think that hearing is important, but that *relying* on hearing for
situational awareness while riding in traffic is an invitation to disaster.
That's why I wear a mirror, why I ride so as to minimize the chances that a
driver will be surprised by my presence, and why I work hard to keep my
attention focused on what I'm doing.

As you say, hybrid cars are cleaner and quieter and more efficient than
other motor vehicles. But they're still cars, and they let their owners feel
virtuous while continuing to perpetuate a resource-intensive culture that's
hostile to human-powered transportation of all kinds. So I'm, at best,
indifferent to them.

But I haven't been able to free myself of car ownership entirely -- we're
down from two cars to one, and that one is used only half as much as in the
past, but we still need it -- so next time I have to buy one I expect to
look closely at hybrid-electric vehicles.

RichC

08-24-2004, 06:11 PM

"Rob F. in Houston" <no_spam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news

jSWc.5113$2P7.3877@newssvr23.news.prodigy.co m...
> How does everyone feel about the hybrid smog machines ? On one hand they
> are
> clean quiet & help reduce our
> dependence on foreign oil but one of the 5 senses is hearing and the
> Toyota
> Prius can go over 40 MPH on battery
> power alone, yea there is still the wind and tire noise but not much more
> than a pack of riders make when they pass
> (don't ask how I know this)

I think that hearing is important, but that *relying* on hearing for
situational awareness while riding in traffic is an invitation to disaster.
That's why I wear a mirror, why I ride so as to minimize the chances that a
driver will be surprised by my presence, and why I work hard to keep my
attention focused on what I'm doing.

As you say, hybrid cars are cleaner and quieter and more efficient than
other motor vehicles. But they're still cars, and they let their owners feel
virtuous while continuing to perpetuate a resource-intensive culture that's
hostile to human-powered transportation of all kinds. So I'm, at best,
indifferent to them.

But I haven't been able to free myself of car ownership entirely -- we're
down from two cars to one, and that one is used only half as much as in the
past, but we still need it -- so next time I have to buy one I expect to
look closely at hybrid-electric vehicles.

RichC

08-24-2004, 06:11 PM

"Rob F. in Houston" <no_spam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news

jSWc.5113$2P7.3877@newssvr23.news.prodigy.co m...
> How does everyone feel about the hybrid smog machines ? On one hand they
> are
> clean quiet & help reduce our
> dependence on foreign oil but one of the 5 senses is hearing and the
> Toyota
> Prius can go over 40 MPH on battery
> power alone, yea there is still the wind and tire noise but not much more
> than a pack of riders make when they pass
> (don't ask how I know this)

I think that hearing is important, but that *relying* on hearing for
situational awareness while riding in traffic is an invitation to disaster.
That's why I wear a mirror, why I ride so as to minimize the chances that a
driver will be surprised by my presence, and why I work hard to keep my
attention focused on what I'm doing.

As you say, hybrid cars are cleaner and quieter and more efficient than
other motor vehicles. But they're still cars, and they let their owners feel
virtuous while continuing to perpetuate a resource-intensive culture that's
hostile to human-powered transportation of all kinds. So I'm, at best,
indifferent to them.

But I haven't been able to free myself of car ownership entirely -- we're
down from two cars to one, and that one is used only half as much as in the
past, but we still need it -- so next time I have to buy one I expect to
look closely at hybrid-electric vehicles.

RichC

08-24-2004, 06:23 PM

FX for saving money ya can't beat a bicycle ! (Rich I tend to agree with
you although I'm not a mirror person ((yet)))

--
Rob Fruth - Houston, Tx
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

1981 Raleigh for errands & fun ____ __o
1997 Trek 2300 for real fun ! ____ _ \ | _)
2000 Civic hatchback (_)/ (_)

"Fx199" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com...
: >Subject: hybrid cars ?
: >From: "Rob F. in Houston" [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
: >Date: 8/24/2004 8:54 PM US Eastern Standard Time
: >Message-id: <DjSWc.5113$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].prodigy.com>
: >
: >How does everyone feel about the hybrid smog machines ? On one hand they
are
: >clean quiet & help reduce our
: >dependence on foreign oil but one of the 5 senses is hearing and the
Toyota
: >Prius can go over 40 MPH on battery
: >power alone, yea there is still the wind and tire noise but not much more
: >than a pack of riders make when they pass
: >(don't ask how I know this)
: >
: >
: > Rob Fruth - Houston
:
: Ask yourself this:
: How much does it cost for me to saeve money? Calculated payback against a
: similar car like a camry is like 10 years.
: If you want to pioneer all this with your hard earned cash, go ahead.

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system ([Only registered and activated users can see links. ].
Version: 6.0.742 / Virus Database: 495 - Release Date: 8/19/2004