shawThings.net : a collection of shaw things ...

After getting my L's, we bought a moped about four or so months ago. We practised diligently in the back streets. And now we ride pretty much anywhere. And it's great fun.

On the cost side of things it's definitely cheaper than a second car (we've sold ours) or public transport. It costs less than $10 to fill the tank (just 7 litres) which covers more than week of riding to and from work. Rego and insurance are much cheaper too. But you do need gear, eg. jacket ($150), helmet ($200) and so on.

Riding in most conditions is pretty good. But riding in the rain really sucked until I got some wet weather pants. You really do get soaked, even in light rain. But the jacket, pants and helmet now prevent all that.

Parking and manoeuvrability are a dream. You can go anywhere, park just about anywhere - a big advantage over a car, even a small one.

Riding is supposed to be quicker than driving, but I don't think this is the case. For a start, most people don't allow for the set-up and set-down times. Unlike a car, where you grab your keys, get in and go, a bike requires a lot more. You have to wear the right gear, which may involve changing; you have to locate your jacket, helmet, gloves, etc. and put them on; if you have any gear, you have to spend time packing it into small spaces, rather than just tossing it on the back seat; and if you use a bike-lock you must undo it. You can easily spend several minutes before you've even moved.

Actual riding is not a lot faster than driving - traffic and traffic lights still play as much a part as when driving. It's true that there are times when you can sneak past a lot of traffic, especially when it's stationary. But there aren't many opportunities for this. (Not to mention you may choose not to do this for safety reasons or because some of it's illegal.) And finally, when you reach your destination, you have to unpack and lock up. And possibly change your clothes again. I reckon in most cases any gains made while riding are lost in the set-up / set-down times.

Safety is the big issue when riding. Many people are incredulous that we've decided to ride. And there's no doubt riding is less safe than a car. After all, with all the skill in the world, if you have an accident you're probably going to be worse of than if you were in a car. That said, you can do a lot to minimise your chance of an accident - the rider training focused on this. And having driven for twenty years, I've avoided a lot of potential situations simply through experience. So much so, I wonder if if shouldn't be mandatory to drive for several years before you ride.

Overall, riding in Sydney has been great. It's enjoyable, inexpensive and to date, I've only had one near miss - probably about the same as driving.