Yet another new guy

[personx]

Hello All
I’m from the hills of central Virginia, I just found you all the other day and have been reading older posts. Trying to play catch up. I had to laugh at myself because when I first found you I thought that I might be a little odd as I ride my bicycle most of the time and drive my little Isuzu pickup just maybe once a month. It is fifteen years old and has only 60,000 miles on it and I’d bet that in the last three years I’ve only added less than a thousand miles to it. But I see that we have much in common. I have been very lucky to live close enough to be able to ride my bike (one hour commute w/showers available) but that may be coming to an end the first of April with the job I’m doing ending. Out here in the sticks there is not much to go for so I might be commuting into town (60 mi round trip mostly hwy.). So I’m looking at modding my truck for some better FE. I used to be into airplanes and have read much over the years about their aerodynamics but from reading your stuff and going to some of the links I’m finding that it’s really two different worlds, makes me fill in need of much re-education. I have lots of questions but will save those for another time.

-mike-

[SVOboy]

Sweet deal on the bikiing! Glad to have you around.

Would it be at all plausible for you to pick up another car for that long of a commute? It would prolly pay for itself in gas savings pretty quickly if you didn't go wild with an expensive car. Just something to keep in mind!

Welcome to the site.

[metroschultz]

Greeting and Salutations,
I too live in the wonderful Commonwealth, {"the gubmint treats us common so's they can git wealthy"}
Glad to see you, lots to ingest here. And yes it is nice to know were not alone out here.
There are lotsa Metro's around here for sale CHEAP.
SVO's gotta point in, perhaps, finding a vehicle just for the commute.
Don't stay up too late trying to read it all in one night.S.

[Lazarus]

Welcome to the site. Here's a thread on aero-modding a pickup.

[personx]

Yes I have been thinking of a commuter car in the future. That was one of my questions I was going to ask. What people recommend, I notice that the vx is one that seems to be held in high regards, and is the metros? I’m in the Charlottesville area and have been scanning crageslist lately and have not seen a single metro? Plenty of civics and many others I have no ideal what they are. I guess I’ve been hiding in these hills too much. Anyway that would be down the road for me and I don’t think I could do without a pickup living here in the country. It’s paid for and could use some improvements, so I figure that is the place for me to start.

Yeah I stayed up pretty late the other night reading stuff but Saturday was a sleep in day.

[SVOboy]

I would poke around for a civic vx, crx hf, or metro, as there's pretty much the easiest things to get an not have to fiddle with, . Saturns are also good cars (and sometimes cheaper), so don't forget about them.

[personx]

the thing that sucks mostly about this truck is that it's a carb version so no fast feedback for fuel useage

[MetroMPG]

So is the job situation still going to force you off your bike and into a car in another week?

[personx]

So is the job situation still going to force you off your bike and into a car in another week?

It's looking like I'll still be riding the bike, the place that I worked before my present gig has been calling me wanting me back... please! they say. So I'll be riding for some time to come. This gives me some breathing room to take a more measured approach to modding my truck. The first thing on my list is making a mpg meter, which I'm working on now.

[MetroMPG]

Congrats on staying on the bike. That's the best way to get around. I've only put maybe 30 km on mine thus far in '08, but I'm looking forward to getting back into it once the snow FINALLY goes.