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ja1484
Apr 8, 2008, 12:15 AM
Post #26 of 84
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crysent wrote: ja1484 wrote: crysent wrote: I think you missed the entire point of my post. It really wasn't to compare the price of gas around the world and the distances others must drive to get to their local climbing spots, the point of the post is I was looking for creative idea's to go cheap on gas mostly just for climbing. Obviously if I lived 3 hours away from my local climbing spot I wouldn't be considering a scooter. If you need creative "idea's" to go cheap on gas, you need mental help. The concept is pretty easy: Use less per person. Unfortunatly I dont think the concept is that simple.
Unfortunately, it very much is. You can pick your implementation. For example, you might look into a PTFTW.
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Tree_wrangler
Apr 8, 2008, 12:15 AM
Post #27 of 84
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In reply to: Unfortunatly I dont think the concept is that simple.
No, the concept is precisely that simple, nothing more to it.
But, that's the way good concepts are. They're always simple, and they don't take into account the variables of life.
Therefore, implementing the concept is what is not inherently simple.
I hear you too. I'm not complaining about the cost of gas, it makes me much more conscious about where I go, and I have a semi-solution for you.
Forget about dashing out to the crag and back daily. Find some good people to split gas, (or don't), and make a point of spending the night at the crag for a couple of days. Drive the car. Park it. Climb and camp....the longer you stay, the better for your climbing fix/gallon.
You'll end up liking the experience more anyhow.
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ajkclay
Apr 8, 2008, 2:10 AM
Post #28 of 84
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chossmonkey wrote: crysent wrote: So you have a full occupation and the extra 35 minutes does not even out? I think at 3.50ish a gallon It's ok to complain. Its been $4-5 a gallon in Canada and going up.
Lucky you... down here it's $5.20 US dollars per gallon - and we produce most of our own!
The thing is that due to the extremely poor public transport and sheer size of distances that we Australians need to travel on a regular basis they can charge it and know we have to pay.
If that's not profiteering I don't know what is. And the damned government watchdogs say nothing about it.
A$$holes all around.
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angry
Apr 8, 2008, 3:34 AM
Post #29 of 84
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Registered: Jul 22, 2003
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Crysent.
It really IS that simple. Consume less.
We can't have it all. You have to make sacrifices.
Where I am in my life, it is worth it to me to sacrifice a bit of time to get where I'm going cheaper. The local crags are 15-30 minutes by car. I'm quite happy to wake up earlier or stay later and drive 20-45 minutes on the bike for the same thing.
Work is 18 miles. I can do it in 35 on the bike, 20 by car. Considering 3-5 workdays a week, it's very worth it to me.
My sacrifice was time.
Prior to the motorcycle I made other sacrifices. No more driving to the rocks on free days to explore, I seldom go way out to just rope solo, many of my trips are overnight, my long trips are a minimum of 3 days now. If I'm hungry at night, I scrounge instead of jumping in the car to go buy something. I paid $2000 for a 20 year vehicle instead of $20,000 for a new one. I accept the rust and look at driving as an overall cost, not just gas.
Look at old motorcycles. Prior to mine I had never repaired anything more than a bicycle and I figured out how to overhaul the thing. Again, that was time I was willing to sacrifice for the goal. Also, no new fuel was burned and no new polutants were added for the 70's motorcycle. The polutants released to create this bike are already out, in that way, it is far more environmentally friendly than a new bike (a 20 year old suburban has a smaller eco footprint than a prius for the same reason, look it up).
No need to get pissy when people give you the right answer.
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Carnage
Apr 8, 2008, 4:14 AM
Post #30 of 84
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my friend has a small buel motorcycle that gets around 70 mpg. its a single cylinder. not much umpf to it but he says it goes 70 safely. he paid about 1.5k for it too. i been looking into getting something similar.
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hopperhopper
Apr 8, 2008, 4:50 AM
Post #31 of 84
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kaputt wrote: I heard that Astro Vans get good gas mileage and can be found at a reasonable price. I'm going to look into it.
Ha! I used to do construction/remodeling for a guy whose other job is to distribute beef jerky to convenience stores around east Texas (he makes bank, don't laugh). 3 days out of the week he drives all day to stores; different routes each day. During his 20 or so years of doing it he has gone through three Ford Astro vans. A white one, a red one, and a brown.
White - 1,000,000+ miles
Red - 600,000+ miles
Brown - 450,000+ miles and counting
Of course he rebuilt the transmissions a couple times, but omg.
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crysent
Apr 8, 2008, 12:21 PM
Post #32 of 84
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hah, I don't post here often, mostly just read the posts. Really in the OP I was just looking for some idea's on cheap rides for the purpose of climbing only, scooters and etc that would be good for that sole purpose, almost immediately the op was sidetracked to me mostly being called retarded and told how to save gas in general, Pretty harsh community on Rock climbing.com these days haha..lots of ego's here I guess.
anyways "Quit bitching" I think one of the first responses I got, that's your typical G.W. Bush answer to the problem, I didn't think in my fairly short OP I came off as nagging and bitching.
Then I got 3 or 4 posts telling me to use less, which exactly what I was trying to do in my first post.
Thank you for those of you that actually stuck to the OP and gave some useful advice on different automobiles out there with good gas mileage, again Im not looking for something to drive really outside of the climbing area. I figure a cheap scooter maybe, perhaps the one mentioned earlier, I've also looked into a Dual purpose, maybe 400CC dirt bike, those look like they get good mileage too. Has anyone actually tried a 250cc motorcycle like the 250 ninja, rebel, or Suzuki Virgo? I hear they are mostly 70-90 MPG, the ninja gets good reviews as does the rebel
In response to the people that said I should consider myself lucky to live so close to my local climbing area, I live in Iowa, It's not like Red Rocks is just down the street, or Yosemite, it's freaking Iowa, there are absolutely no gyms either, so it's either take the drive or don't climb.
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dlintz
Apr 8, 2008, 12:37 PM
Post #33 of 84
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Registered: Sep 9, 2002
Posts: 1982
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Iowa? At least your state actually has a route database. Try living in Nebraska 
A dual-sport bike might be a good option for you.
d.
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on_belay_hombre
Apr 8, 2008, 12:53 PM
Post #34 of 84
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I had the 250cc Kawasaki sherpa (dual purpose) in High school. This was a really fun bike and could do about 65 on the highway decently well. It's great in the woods too. decent gas mileage (70 mpg?). I dont think they make them anymore but you might be able to find a used one.
http://www.epinions.com/...awasaki_Super_Sherpa
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robbovius
Apr 8, 2008, 1:06 PM
Post #35 of 84
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Carnage wrote: my friend has a small buel motorcycle that gets around 70 mpg. its a single cylinder. not much umpf to it but he says it goes 70 safely. he paid about 1.5k for it too. i been looking into getting something similar.
He must have a Buell Blast,
500cc single, small, light, and intended for beginners. it's got plenty of juice for anybody being realistic about the kind of speed they need. I've sat on them, and they are remarkably smaller and lower than the usual standard motorbike of similar displacement (kawi ninja500, suz GS500 to name two)
here's a page with some reviews...
http://www.epinions.com/...ews/2002_Buell_Blast
Crysent, there's alot of options depending on how much discomfort you're willing to embrace ;-)
(This post was edited by robbovius on Apr 8, 2008, 1:42 PM)
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granite_grrl
Apr 8, 2008, 2:15 PM
Post #36 of 84
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Registered: Oct 25, 2002
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hopperhopper wrote: kaputt wrote: I heard that Astro Vans get good gas mileage and can be found at a reasonable price. I'm going to look into it. Ha! I used to do construction/remodeling for a guy whose other job is to distribute beef jerky to convenience stores around east Texas (he makes bank, don't laugh). 3 days out of the week he drives all day to stores; different routes each day. During his 20 or so years of doing it he has gone through three Ford Astro vans. A white one, a red one, and a brown. White - 1,000,000+ miles Red - 600,000+ miles Brown - 450,000+ miles and counting Of course he rebuilt the transmissions a couple times, but omg.
Astros aren't Ford, they were Chevy. And they have been discontinued since 2005....but we are invited to look at the new Uplander  .
http://www.chevrolet.com/uplander/
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vpm
Apr 8, 2008, 2:30 PM
Post #37 of 84
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Registered: Dec 14, 2007
Posts: 8
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$8.30 per gallon so you all can quit bitching.
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j_ung
Apr 8, 2008, 2:33 PM
Post #38 of 84
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Registered: Nov 21, 2003
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I have thousands of world-class routes within a 30 minute drive and I can ride my bike to the closest area in about 20 minutes. And that doesn't include the bouldering areas.
Eat your hearts out!
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dynosore
Apr 8, 2008, 2:58 PM
Post #39 of 84
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Registered: Jul 29, 2004
Posts: 1768
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crysent wrote: Gas! I live about 40 mins from the crags and the gas is just killing me. Was wondering who else is REALLY feeling this and it's really playing a role in how much they get to climb and what they are doing about it? I've really been thinking lately about buying a 150CC scooter or small motorcycle (250 cc range) just to travel between the crags and back after class and on the weekends. Anyone else out there just getting killed in this area? (I'm a super broke college student)
Climbers must be the cheapest/poorest lot ever. So, worst case, you drive 40 minutes each way, at 60mph the whole time and get 20 mpg. You'll use 4 gallons of gas a day. At 3.50 a gallon that's a whopping 14 dollars. What other hobby can you do for 14 bucks a day? Try owning a boat, or small plane, or racing cars, cripe, most scrapbookers will use at least 14 bucks worth of material in a day
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crysent
Apr 8, 2008, 3:11 PM
Post #40 of 84
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Registered: Feb 20, 2005
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dynosore wrote: crysent wrote: Gas! I live about 40 mins from the crags and the gas is just killing me. Was wondering who else is REALLY feeling this and it's really playing a role in how much they get to climb and what they are doing about it? I've really been thinking lately about buying a 150CC scooter or small motorcycle (250 cc range) just to travel between the crags and back after class and on the weekends. Anyone else out there just getting killed in this area? (I'm a super broke college student) Climbers must be the cheapest/poorest lot ever. So, worst case, you drive 40 minutes each way, at 60mph the whole time and get 20 mpg. You'll use 4 gallons of gas a day. At 3.50 a gallon that's a whopping 14 dollars. What other hobby can you do for 14 bucks a day? Try owning a boat, or small plane, or racing cars, cripe, most scrapbookers will use at least 14 bucks worth of material in a day
14 bucks a day? that is a lot..I don't know how much your making, thats a lot of money in my opinion just to spend on gas to climb, you must be making a lot more then me to think 14 a day is not much just for the cost of driving to one place and back. On top of that, that's with current gas price, gas here goes up 14 cents, then down 2, then up 10, then down 1, then up 20 and down 5...
scrap bookers will use AT LEAST 14 bucks a day? no I dont think so...my girlfriend does a lot of scrap booking . She is a medical assistant so not exactly loaded, she spends far from 14 a day on scrapbooking or I'm fairly certain she would give it up.
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crysent
Apr 8, 2008, 3:16 PM
Post #41 of 84
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Registered: Feb 20, 2005
Posts: 17
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vpm wrote: $8.30 per gallon so you all can quit bitching.
ok, you win...that's horrible..where do you live? Japan?
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happiegrrrl
Apr 8, 2008, 3:24 PM
Post #42 of 84
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Registered: Mar 25, 2004
Posts: 4660
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How long does it take to bicyle to your crag? If $14/day is $$(and it is understandable that it is; everyone has different budgets), then a bicyle might be a good option.
No gas cost, at least. Add a few paniers and you can easily haul your gear.
There was a guy at Camp Slime last year who would bike from the Poughkeepsie station to the cliffs in such a manner - with a huge rack and a decent camping set-up, in no way minimal. It's 20 miles each way, through some hills. he had....a nice body, too, which is also a perk from biking!
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kachoong
Apr 8, 2008, 3:40 PM
Post #44 of 84
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Registered: Jan 23, 2004
Posts: 15304
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granite_grrl wrote: hopperhopper wrote: kaputt wrote: I heard that Astro Vans get good gas mileage and can be found at a reasonable price. I'm going to look into it. Ha! I used to do construction/remodeling for a guy whose other job is to distribute beef jerky to convenience stores around east Texas (he makes bank, don't laugh). 3 days out of the week he drives all day to stores; different routes each day. During his 20 or so years of doing it he has gone through three Ford Astro vans. A white one, a red one, and a brown. White - 1,000,000+ miles Red - 600,000+ miles Brown - 450,000+ miles and counting Of course he rebuilt the transmissions a couple times, but omg. Astros aren't Ford, they were Chevy. And they have been discontinued since 2005....but we are invited to look at the new Uplander . http://www.chevrolet.com/uplander/
At least it's good to know White vehicles last longer.
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dynosore
Apr 8, 2008, 3:50 PM
Post #45 of 84
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Registered: Jul 29, 2004
Posts: 1768
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Regardless what you make, if climbing is really your passion, you can cut out something and scrounge 14 bucks once or twice a week, even with a minimum wage college campus type job. Pretty soon, you'll graduate, and then you'll have way more $$ and way less time to climb 
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joeforte
Apr 8, 2008, 3:56 PM
Post #46 of 84
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Registered: May 9, 2005
Posts: 1093
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I don't have much to brag about my firm athletic ass, but I DO drive a XR250 dual sport motor cycle. My girlfriend drives an NX250 dual sport. Mine gets 65mpg, her 75mpg. They were both under $1000 used.
There are many great dual sports to be had out there for around a grand or so. Search: klr250, NX250, XR250 XL250, TW200, ect...
With a dual sport bike, you can get off the road and camp where ever you want. It's very nice to have offroad capability as a climber ya know? With a dual sport, you don't even need a road or a trail even. As long as your handlebars fit between the trees, you're good to go!
I think everyone capable of driving one, should own a motorcycle/dualsport. One nice days, you can leave your car at home and save a ton on gas. I have an hour commute to and from work every day. My truck costs $15 a day, my bike costs $4 a day. My bike saves me $55 a week in gas! And on top of it all, it's way better for the environment.
Consider a small motorcycle man, and if you have any questions about them, PM me.
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austin.timm
Apr 8, 2008, 4:19 PM
Post #47 of 84
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Registered: May 17, 2007
Posts: 96
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Yeah dude,
I'm a poor college climber too and to make matters worse the alternator in my old 4Runner went out... Soooo, I hitch hike. Where do you go to school?
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kyote321
Apr 8, 2008, 7:34 PM
Post #50 of 84
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Registered: Apr 24, 2005
Posts: 636
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ha! 40 minutes, that is funny.
i have a scoooter and use it for local errands. i can't see how to use a scooter for the crag. i could carry it and gear, but where is the partner? i could go bouldering, but no pad.
it is important to lookat one's total consumption. by scooting locally, which is way fun btw, and i get 100mpg, i can afford to to in with my hommies on trips on the weekends.
the biggest adjsutment that the american climber will have to make is compromising with others. case in point: last weekend we were a group of three. i tried hard to convince another friend to go, albiet early, he balked, slept in. no one got as much climbing as they wanted with three, and he called me at the crag and bitched about the price of gas and didn't want to drive the hour to get there.
in the grand sceme of most people's lives, until gas gets to 5 a gallon, the price will just be something to bitch about without making a real change.
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