[Closed] Miles Per Gallon?

I also see the advantage of using both.

Which is?

I'm about to fit my 1 1/8" headset to my 56cm road bike with 26.0 bars

Stupid, isn't it?

Despite adding a litre to Drac's offer you're still taking less than 16 pints.

I'll top up by about 120ml for him.

Which is?

Err both are very much still used.

It doesn't actually matter. As long as the unit used either side is consistent, it is all good. This is a relative measurement. As long as everyone uses the same, the comparisons still work. We could use 'lamp posts per bucketfull' as long as we had a common distance between lamp posts and the same size bucket.

That's the problem though isn't it? We don't all use the same, and it creates some issues. It seems very much a conflict between the old and curmudgeonly and the young and global-looking. 😉

They need a slap as it takes very little to work out or find out. Even smart phones can do it for you if your really lazy

It seems very much a conflict between the old and curmudgeonly and the young and global-looking

Which is why it's a good idea to understand both, use which ever you want day to day but knowing the other helps.

If we turn our cars to metric then how are those that can't convert going to cope if they know they have 80km left on a tank but want to know if they can make to they fuel station that the sign says is 50 miles away. Suppose they could post on here or ring their Dad.

so now I need to slap my kids and buy them a smart phone ....when you publishing your good parenting guide

God no, they buy their own smart phone or they get a slap. At 16 they should be out working anyway.

bit of a chopper hey woody!!

I'm old enough to have ridden one of these when they first came out 8)
[img] [/img]

was a jibe at the name!! i couldn't help it

If we turn our cars to metric then how are those that can't convert going to cope if they know they have 80km left on a tank but want to know if they can make to they fuel station that the sign says is 50 miles away.

Change the road signs? I know it costs money, but it's not like we're in a recession or anything is it?

good point and the [lead]party in charge are so pro Europe they would love to. Perhaps big society could do it as well

Change the road signs? I know it costs money, but it's not like we're in a recession or anything is it?

True yeah should only cost a few £ for some stickers or we could use tippex and black marker. It's not like we'll even need to move them we'll just have 403m instead of 1/2 mile.

If it makes oneoneone and his Dad happy lets do it.

as i said it doesn't bother me at all. it was just a question of "why do they still use MPG as petrol is bought and sold in the Litre"

thats all

I'm 47 and was ONLY taught metric when I was in school in the 70's. Imperial weights and measures have not been taught for years. Yes I have picked up the imperial system (well apart from Chains, Fathoms, Furlongs and can never remember how many yards are in a mile) but it is a dying system. When in Europe I have no problems in becoming metric.

The only real user of imperial measures in the US. However that does not help us because US pints are only 16 fl oz, hence their gallons are not the same as ours - which also messes with mpg!!

There will be a time - and probably in my lifetime - that the only item sold in a imperial measure will be a pint (beer & milk). (Note: Pubs sell wine and spirits in metric measures!)

I suspect the Daily Torygraph / Mail will be deeply upset about "losing our cultural heritage" - but for the vast majority of the people of the UK it will have sod all impact.

I love imperial, when I was a kid (I am 30 now) I used to pore over weights and measures, I know them all. I think the UK has to keep something that identifies it as an independant country, we are changing to a very homogenous state in Global terms and it's saddening. I will be teaching my kids imperial.

Keep imperial, don't allow shopkeepers to be fined stupid amounts of money for not showing things in metric, get this PC EU-led drive stopped and keep what makes Britain British. Where is the uniqueness going? Ok, most of the semi-professional IT/accountancy city geeks on this forum will disagree but they have been taught the global way, not the British way, and should get back to their Quashquais for the weekend trail centre jaunts.

IMPERIAL ALL THE WAY BABY!

oneoneoneone

There is no such thing as "just a question" on STW......it'll turn into a political debate in a few minutes 😆

My price for installing an unlit 600mm dia road sign on a post would be approx £150-200 - for a lit sign approx £450. Removal of old sign around £50

Add in the cost of electrical connections/trenching/cabling if a private supply, or £400 a pop for electricity board connections and you can be the best part of a grand for renewing 1no lit road sign.

Simply changing a speed limit terminal sign plate only on existing post would be upwards of £50 per single unit.

It would cost hundreds of millions to change the whole of the UK.

I'm 47 and was ONLY taught metric when I was in school in the 70's. Imperial weights and measures have not been taught for years.

I'm 38 and as I say we only used metric for units of length. Weight was was still pounds and ounces, volume was varied between the imperial and metric.

as i said it doesn't bother me at all. it was just a question of "why do they still use MPG as petrol is bought and sold in the Litre"

The answer is there.

Stainypants - Member

my mazda 6 measured it in litres per 100km and I never managed to change it it did my head in on the other hand if it had actually told me the mpg i'd have probably had a heart attack (it was around 20mpg).

Nick

My price for installing an unlit 600mm dia road sign on a post would be approx £150-200 - for a lit sign approx £450.

Can you do me a 1' 11.5" for the same price?

My Mazda 6 ('53 plate) used to measure in l/100km

The road sign changing costs are a good enough reason not to change.

It is however a bit bizarre that we still have this mixed units system.

Can I have 4.2 m length of 4 by 2 please!

tiggs121 - Member

It is however a bit bizarre that we still have this mixed units system.

Can I have 4.2 m length of 4 by 2 please!

Like this?

http://www.building-supplies-online.co.uk/cls-timber-50x100-4x2-24m-treated-3064-p.asp

PMSL @ that and the fact your dad says he didn't know. At 24 , aren't you a bit old to be asking your dad lots of questions? I bet he's dreading the birds and bees talk

Quite remarkable that you can use the internet and yet have the inability to google a conversion.

Classic STW. Someone asks a perfectly reasonable question, ie, Why do we talk about a cars economy or lack of in MPG? And they get belittling smart-arse answers lacking any humorous content.

Fuel economy in litres/100kilometres makes perfect sense. Not only because fuel is actually sold in litres, but because it would allow us to have certain conversations about cars with "foreigners".

The road sign issue only exists because there was a deliberate decision many years ago to keep imperial signs. Resolving the problem need not be costly. It could be achieved by simply insisting that all new signs have kilometres written in small red numerals in a corner as well as miles ....... for example.

Over a period of a few decades all British road signs would show kilometres and new ones could start phasing out imperial. Of course it would no longer make Britain [i]different[/i] and [i]special[/i], even though it would actually make British road signs useful to "foreigners", so expect small-minded British Daily Mail type half-wits, not to allow it to ever happen.

I've seen lot of road signs now using strange values - e.g. [i]Bends for 428 yards[/i] whereas before it might have said [i]bends for 1/4 mile[/i]. I did wonder of this was to enable easier conversion in the future.

And they get belittling smart-arse answers lacking any humorous content.

so expect small-minded British Daily Mail type half-wits, not to allow it to ever happen.

😆

Oh - and while we're at it, could we also change the side of the road we drive/cycle on to bring that into European standard too?

I realise that this will be costly and time-consuming, so I reckon we should split the conversion by having North-bound vehicles change one weekend and South-bound the following weekend.

Classic ernie, absolutely classic 😆

In my experience the metric system makes scientific calculations easier (but you have to watch the decimal point) whilst imperial units are often an easier real world size to use - and improve your ability to do mental arithmetic!

Litres/100km is a silly unit. Km/l would be much more useful and would convert easily to MPG.

You'll be expecting us to measure penis size in cm next.

CM? Now your just bragging.

😆

You see Drac, the "humorous content" of my post was not lost on you

.....makes all the difference dont cha ya know

Golf course holes are mostly still in Yards, some courses do refer to both metric & imperial.

Building trade is still a bit dodgy, as plywood & MDF are sold in imperial size sheets (8'x4') & plasterboard is sold in metric size sheets (2400x 1200), doors are sold in both imperial & metric sizes, I also remember you could buy plasterboard that was 8ft x 1200mm.

Will I need to re-badge my bike as a 736.6mm'er...

Imperial measurements have poetry. Metric has no soul.
12 inch in a foot
3 feet in a yard
5 1/2 yards in a rod / perch / pole
22 yards or 4 rods in a chain
10 chains in a furlong
8 furlongs in a mile

Or
16 drachams in an ounce
16 ounces ina pound.
14 pounds in a stone
2 stone in a quarter
8 stone ( 4 quarters) in a hundredweight
20 hundredweight one ton

Then for dry volume
2 gallons = one peck
4 pecks = 1 bushel

You know it makes sense.

Metric is boring

I've seen lot of road signs now using strange values - e.g. Bends for 428 yards whereas before it might have said bends for 1/4 mile. I did wonder of this was to enable easier conversion in the future.

What happened was that a few local councils who thought they knew better started putting up signs in metres, folk spotted it and pointed out that this was illegal and made them switch back. It's cheaper to replace the sign rather than put a new pole up as well a few dozen yards away so you get an odd number where metres have been converted to yards.

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR - Member

My Mazda 6 ('53 plate) used to measure in l/100km

Are you absolutely sure, or was it an import?

Mine is a 56 plate and as per my previous post reads litres/100 miles

Not 100%, so could be wrong - thought it was though.

I've found the real sickener is working out miles per £££ mini cab style. I'm spending around 50p a mile at the mo.