Well . I just worked out my first tank from my Swift (metro clone).
Using many good FE techniques to save gas I still have only managed 36 mpg.
Most of my driving is short trips and the car rarely gets warmed up.
Considering this I am quite pleased with the result.
36 is Yuck , but in my neck of the woods ime sure everyone else is getting way worse than that.
This summer I drove 1.9 miles to work everyday. I got 25-26mpg. I rode my bike like 2 days. I was always too tired to ride my bike up a 250ft (vertical) hill at 7am.
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2008 EPA adjusted:
Distance traveled by bicycle in 2007= 1,830ish miles
Average commute speed=25mph (yes, that's in a car)
I've put more miles on my bicycle during this (current) tank than any other. Mainly because the temperatures are dropping and I'm trying to avoid short trips. I'm also working on a record tank.
Kick: you needed an electric bike. Bike to work, coast/pedal home. You still working there?
I am not working there now (school is more important and taking up my time). But I might work there during the winter break. An electric bike would work good.
Biking works good (if I wasn't sleepy).
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2008 EPA adjusted:
Distance traveled by bicycle in 2007= 1,830ish miles
Average commute speed=25mph (yes, that's in a car)
I hear you. It's easy for me to pontificate about when other people should bike, when I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to be somewhere at 7 AM in the last 6 months.