… don’t worry, I’m not advocating licensing for cyclists (insert rant of your choice in the comments about red-light jumping, pavement-cycling, unlit lycra-clad scofflaws, preferably via your iPhone as you weave through rush-hour traffic). No, this is via the ever-inventive Karl at Do The Right Thing who has sent me my very own bike-to-work licence (actually mine is a Bike-to-the-papershop licence) complete with space for endorsing every time I actually manage to make it down to the papershop this year. Obviously, I keep all my bike miles on a spreadsheet as well, but it did strike me that it would be good to record how many of my bike trips are actual car-replacing errands. I found over Christmas that, despite the sunshine and the nice bike path, my appetite for just going out for a bike ride was quite low; what I really wanted to do was use the bike to go and do something – whether it be book shopping or lunch or just getting a cup of coffee down town. Now that we’re back and a tank of diesel costs HOW MUCH? I reckon keeping track of the number of times I save us going somewhere in the car could have a benefit. Our car is pretty efficient but in fuel alone each 11 mile round trip to the papershop costs something like 90p. Throw in a few trips to Bigtown, the village, emergency bacon runs and the like and we’re talking significant savings. Quantifiable savings. The sort of savings that make having that ‘you know how I’ve always wanted a Brompton/Dutch bike/bakfiets…’ conversation go a little easier.
You never know, it might work.
Posted by disgruntled 
