Longest ride

[Nigelnaturist]

By the way, the metric system is not a European measurement but a Universal one, used throughout the world.

Not entirely.

 

[andrew_s]

Apart from the USA and GB.

Here, it would be easy to change, apart from the stick-in-the-mud brigade (mostly elderly). Everyone under the age of about 60 has been well grounded in the use of metric units.
Miles are constantly reinforced by road signs, but many other imperial units are well on the way out, Do you have any idea how big a bikepacking saddlebag with a volume of 850 cubic inches is without converting to metric? (See also weights in ounces etc)
I do note that distances have been omitted from replacement signposts on the minor road network for some years. I reckon this is stealth preparation, to reduce the re-signage costs of an eventual switch-over to km.

I prefer to use metric for cycling.
30 km/h is significantly easier than 20 mph

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Apart from the USA and GB.

Here, it would be easy to change, apart from the stick-in-the-mud brigade (mostly elderly). Everyone under the age of about 60 has been well grounded in the use of metric units.
Miles are constantly reinforced by road signs, but many other imperial units are well on the way out, Do you have any idea how big a bikepacking saddlebag with a volume of 850 cubic inches is without converting to metric? (See also weights in ounces etc)
I do note that distances have been omitted from replacement signposts on the minor road network for some years. I reckon this is stealth preparation, to reduce the re-signage costs of an eventual switch-over to km.

I prefer to use metric for cycling.
30 km/h is significantly easier than 20 mph

As someone who is well under 60, I refuse to go metric.

 

[Dogtrousers]

From a cycling point of view being bilingual in miles and km gives you loads of milestones to tick off on your way to your longest ride (see - still on topic): 25k then 50k, then 50 miles, then 100k, then 75 miles (about 120k), then 100 miles and so on. I quite like miles. All the rest of the imperial units are pretty pointless, though. I never use them.

 

[Mo1959]

Here, it would be easy to change, apart from the stick-in-the-mud brigade (mostly elderly). Everyone under the age of about 60 has been well grounded in the use of metric units.

I am 57 and still don't like metric. Strictly miles for me and I still convert my petrol price to gallons. I can even remember all the old pounds, shillings and pennies

 

[Aravis]

I can't really explain it, but I don't think the will is there to change from miles to kilometres in the UK. I'm not sure it would serve any useful purpose either.

As for other imperial measures, for whatever reason I think we're pretty glued to our horsepower and acres. I expect there are others. If there's any rationale to this, I wonder whether imperial is sometimes better for visualisation, whilst metric scores heavily when precision and calculation is required.

When cycling across France, I always appreciated the roadside kilometre posts passing more frequently than mileposts would have done, a real psychological boost on a long day. But I will firmly resist devaluation. Rides will always be measured in miles.

 

[RegG]

It would be a waste of money to convert all the road signs etc to metric - the money would be better spent on repairing the appalling roads we have in many parts of the country.

 

[GuyBoden]

All the rest of the imperial units are pretty pointless, though. I never use them.

Historically, I believe one of the reasons that the imperial systems evolved was because the amounts/numbers were more easily dividable, so goods could be more easily shared. This was an advantage when dividing your goods for sharing or sales.

Imperial 12, can be divide by, 1, 12, 2, 6, 4, 3.
Metric 10, can only be divided by 1, 10, 2, 5.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Historically, I believe one of the reasons that the imperial systems evolved was because the amounts/numbers were more easily dividable, so goods could be more easily shared. This was an advantage when dividing your goods for sharing or sales.

Imperial 12, can be divide by, 1, 12, 2, 6, 4, 3.
Metric 10, can only be divided by 1, 10, 2, 5.

Where do you get the idea that imperial is a duodecimal system? Check the number of ounces in a pound (16), the number of pounds in a stone(14) or the number of fl oz in a pint (20 or 16), the number of lb in a hundredweight (112 or 100) or the number of yards in a mile (1,760).

And further consider, now that we are all familiar with decimal fractions, what is the point of having lots of integral divisors?

We'd have been much better off if we'd adopted a base 12 numbering system way back when, but we didn't due to our fingers. The Babylonians gave us base 60 (for degrees, minutes etc) which is cool, and I'll stick with that.

Edit: Desperate attempt to stay on topic. If you enter one of the cyclechat monthly challenges, you will not only have a motivation to ride longer distances but, as there are 12 months in a year, you will be able to divide your rides into groups of 2,3,4 and 6.

 

[Vantage]

Everyone under the age of about 60 has been well grounded in the use of metric units.

Dunno about that. I'm 40 and was brought up with feet and inches.
I've no issues with metrics but when on the road, I can far more easily relate to miles and miles per hour. I prefer to weigh the bike in pounds too.
Although the way things are going I'll be using tons as a measurement before long.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Apart from the USA and GB.

30 km/h is significantly easier than 20 mph

They use different units to us i.e. 7 pints to a gallon.
Yea about 2mph, but then 20mph is 32Kph which is just as difficult as 20mph.

 

[GuyBoden]

Imperial simplified,

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7x-RGfd0Yk

 

[Dogtrousers]

@GuyBoden Can't watch it right now, but I really like Matt Parker, so I'll watch later.

 

[rivers]

I learned both. I can happily use both, even convert easily between the 2. Except for temperature. That's not an easy conversion.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I learned both. I can happily use both, even convert easily between the 2. Except for temperature. That's not an easy conversion.

A rough one for that C to F double and add 30, likewise F to C minus 30 and half not accurate but close enough. 10C = 50F 0C obvious is 30F answer is as we all know 32F. it starts to go off a little after 20C