60MPH

[Junkman]

Today I drove 50 fucking miles on the bloody M6.

First I had to drive a pathetic 60 because speed limit a dismal 60.

Then I had to drive an even more pathetic 50 because speed limit a dismal 50.

Then I had to drive a pathetic 60 because despite a pathetic speed limit of only 70 godforsaken OMGMPH, people were dawdling around at 60 next to each other.

Why can't those cabbages just stay home and wait until they are eaten by some fucking woodworms?

[Jim Bell]

Today I drove 50 fucking miles on the bloody M6.

First I had to drive a pathetic 60 because speed limit a dismal 60.

Then I had to drive an even more pathetic 50 because speed limit a dismal 50.

Then I had to drive a pathetic 60 because despite a pathetic speed limit of only 70 godforsaken OMGMPH, people were dawdling around at 60 next to each other.

Why can't those cabbages just stay home and wait until they are eaten by some fucking woodworms?

Sounds relaxing.

[yes oui si]

I'm still dailying That Purple Golf (put around 4.5k on it!).

At 60, it does 45mpg.
At 70, it does 39mpg.
At 80, it does 34mpg.

When ragging the fuck out of it down a favourite road, it does about 12mpg.

[Eddie Honda]

Today I drove 50 fucking miles on the bloody M6.

You should know better. NEVER drive on a Sunday. Because Sunday drivers.

[yes oui si]

I do get annoyed by the 50mph brigade though, they mean the HGVs have to block the other lanes going past them. 60mph is a decent minimum I think.

Pro tip:

 

If an HGV is struggling to overtake a dawdler, swing out to the right hand lane, overtake them both, pull back in front of the dawdler and slow down until the HGV can pass you both.

 

HGV gets out the middle lane and the dawdler hopefully gets the message when you immediately overtake the HGV, slot back in front of it and fuck off up the road.

 

You should know better. NEVER drive on a Sunday. Because Sunday drivers.

We took her Corsa D (I know... I KNOW.) to the Metrocentre and back (about forty miles each way of lanes then the A1), sat happily at a speed which passed most things. The only issues were the asthmatic 1.2 pulling up the hill towards Alnwick on the way home where it goes back to dual carriageway and people not knowing how to deal with the change to 50mph with average speed cameras when you cross the Tyne.

 

The answer: barge past at 70 safe in the knowledge that you're exiting before the cameras will get you.

[vulgalour]

Some cars do feel happier at certain speeds, and not always the ones you expect.

 

Unhappy at any speed

Ledbury Maestro (1300)

 

Happy at 55mph

VW Polo Mk2 (1043)

 

Happy at 60mph

Rover Maestro (1600 auto)

Austin Princess (1700)

Citroen Xantia (1900 turbo)

Vauxhall Corsa (1200)

Rover 414 (1400)

 

Happy at 70mph and above

Citroen BX (1900)

Lexus LS400 (5000 auto)

Rover 216 (1600 auto)

 

 

These are the cars I can remember attempting to find a comfortable speed on the motorway with.  I'm sure there's others, I just can't bring them to mind right now.

[Zelandeth]

Forgot to mention earlier, the Lada is one that's far, far happier at 70 than 60. It feels like you're pushing it faster than it really likes at 60 based on engine note and vibration through the drivetrain etc...yet that all smooths out above about 65 and she'll then bowl along quite happily - only downside of the gearing is that there is quite a bit of exhaust and engine noise. It *feels* happier though if that makes any sense.

[PhilA]

Yeah, you might find it's happy at 75. Aren't quite a lot of Russian roads 120km/h?

 

Phil

[Cheggers]

 

 

Pro tip:

 

If an HGV is struggling to overtake a dawdler, swing out to the right hand lane, overtake them both, pull back in front of the dawdler and slow down until the HGV can pass you both.

 

HGV gets out the middle lane and the dawdler hopefully gets the message when you immediately overtake the HGV, slot back in front of it and fuck off up the road.

So you swing from lane 1 to lane 3, then back to lane 1 to deliberately slow someone down who's driving perfectly legally in the correct lane, so they get some sort of message?

 

Or am I missing something?

[sierraman]

The Mondeo just sits nice at about 75mph. It’ll run all day and night at that. Designed for the monotony of a life driving curtain samples up and down the M4 corridor you see.

[sierraman]

 

So you swing from lane 1 to lane 3, then back to lane 1 to deliberately slow someone down who's driving perfectly legally in the correct lane, so they get some sort of message?

 

Or am I missing something?

Or he runs into the back of you while on a long distance phone call to Bulgaria after he’s been driving 14 hours.

[Cheggers]

Or he runs into the back of you while on a long distance phone call to Bulgaria after he’s been driving 14 hours.

I'm confused (it doesn't take much). Who does?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

My W203 is fantastic for this. Sat at 60mph, cruise control set, auto gearbox, hardly any road or engine noise. Very relaxing. Get a decent podcast or whatever on the stereo and relax.

 

It'll even show an indicated 49mpg on the trip computer which isn't shabby for a petrol.

 

Overtakes mean a wee bit more forward planning as the cars on the right are usually 20mph+ faster than you. If you time it right and have a bit of clear air you can crawl round the car in front without having to change speed at all. Miss the boat and it's either flex the right foot and blast past at 80 which is clearly cheating, or take your defeat on the chin and sit at 50 until another gap appears.

 

I have motorcycles for going fast, sitting at bigMPH on a motorway is just as boring as 60mph and you'll maybe only shave ten or twenty minutes off so a waste of time.

 

Urban dual carriageway - pick a car that passes you at 600mph and chart it's progress, 9 times out of 10 you'll catch up at some point anyway especially as the traffic starts to back up. In fact on a few roads round these parts, at crucial points it's actually marginally quicker to be in the slow lane, which infuriates the red faced non local who blasted past earlier, and whom you are now slowly crawling past.

 

Even better if they then force in behind you, an inch off the bumper just at the point the outside lane opens up, but they can't get back out again until enough cars flash past to yet again jam the outside lane, at which point they've moved back and you are going quicker in the slow lane again....

 

God I need to get a life

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[yes oui si]

So you swing from lane 1 to lane 3, then back to lane 1 to deliberately slow someone down who's driving perfectly legally in the correct lane, so they get some sort of message?

 

Or am I missing something?

 

Doing 50 on a motorway is dangerous. The police can and will pull people over for a polite chat.

 

If you can't drive on the road without impeding the flow of traffic then you should be on a different road.

 

Such people are usually driving with both hands at the top of the wheel and leaning forward in their seat.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

60... OH! I see it's a speed... I thought it was a marker to hit the gas.

 

Terrible speed, almost as bad as 70. Great for getting caught up with caravans, lorries, giffers, those that don't often do the motorway because the uzband has had a few too many round the in laws and those that should really not be having a license.

 

I see it, it moves in heards down the highway. The 60mph heards of assorted metal boxes all randomly getting caught up in each other's way. Fuck that. Best to bust through all that crap as quick as possible and leave it all behind to cause it's own Carnage. All my cars are trained* to sit at 80-85. (Unit of speed left out for legal reasons)

[Cheggers]

Doing 50 on a motorway is dangerous. The police can and will pull people over for a polite chat.

 

If you can't drive on the road without impeding the flow of traffic then you should be on a different road.

 

Such people are usually driving with both hands at the top of the wheel and leaning forward in their seat.

If you say so...life's too short.

[Guest Hooli]

Doing 50 on a motorway is dangerous. The police can and will pull people over for a polite chat.

 

If you can't drive on the road without impeding the flow of traffic then you should be on a different road.

 

Such people are usually driving with both hands at the top of the wheel and leaning forward in their seat.

 

I refer to it as driving like a hamster.

 

If you've ever watched a hamster eat a digestive biscuit you'll understand, they even have the same look of fear in their eyes.

[Marm Toastsmith]

My W203 is fantastic for this. Sat at 60mph, cruise control set, auto gearbox, hardly any road or engine noise. Very relaxing. Get a decent podcast or whatever on the stereo and relax.

 

Lovely.

 

My W202 seemed to want to go faster though. It really liked 90 plus, which was like the jump to light speed really where everything else slowed down. But then it was a big 5cyl turbodiesel manual, no cruise. 

 

Seems from the comments above that it's fairly spec specific (and slightly random) as to what car likes what speed. 

 

Ending soon, this looks a cheap pleasant way to spend 60.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-C180-CLASSIC-AUTO-BARGAIN-NO-RESERVE-Excellent-engine-smooth-drive/233090028383

 

At 60, it does 45mpg.

At 80, it does 34mpg.

 

When you think about it, the fuel use is far more significant than the time saved. And I'd rather spend more time driving my car and less at work earning money to pay for fuel! I like driving. I hate working.

 

Keeping a constant 80 is a challenge/impossible anyway, and constant speed changes mean even less economy. Plus wear and tear on the car... Caning it feels faster, but you never really get there all that much quicker.

 

I'm making it a belated new year's resolution. In fact I'm thinking about making it a crusade. It's win win really.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Lovely.

 

My W202 seemed to want to go faster though. It really liked 90 plus, which was like the jump to light speed really where everything else slowed down. But then it was a big 5cyl turbodiesel manual, no cruise.

 

Seems from the comments above that it's fairly spec specific (and slightly random) as to what car likes what speed.

 

Ending soon, this looks a cheap pleasant way to spend 60.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-C180-CLASSIC-AUTO-BARGAIN-NO-RESERVE-Excellent-engine-smooth-drive/233090028383

 

 

When you think about it, the fuel use is far more significant than the time saved. And I'd rather spend more time driving my car and less at work earning money to pay for fuel! I like driving. I hate working.

 

Keeping a constant 80 is a challenge/impossible anyway, and constant speed changes mean even less economy. Plus wear and tear on the car... Caning it feels faster, but you never really get there all that much quicker.

 

I'm making it a belated new year's resolution. In fact I'm thinking about making it a crusade. It's win win really.

Agreed on the MPG - when its business mileage and I'm claiming back 45p/mile I'd rather do it as cheaply as possible

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[sierraman]

I'm confused (it doesn't take much). Who does?

The trucker.

[Cheggers]

I clearly live in some weird parallel universe where other people seem to drive OK most of the time. In 30+ years and probably 800,000 miles I don't recall ever feeling the need to slow someone down for driving too slowly and I've certainly never seen a Bulgarian cold caller run into the back of anyone.

 

I'm either tolerant, lucky or maybe both.

[Guest Hooli]

You're in a TT, you never look at what's happening on the road anyway

[sierraman]

I clearly live in some weird parallel universe where other people seem to drive OK most of the time. In 30+ years and probably 800,000 miles I don't recall ever feeling the need to slow someone down for driving too slowly and I've certainly never seen a Bulgarian cold caller run into the back of anyone.

 

I'm either tolerant, lucky or maybe both.

I don’t know where you’ve been but foreign plated trucks colliding with cars on the inside is quite common.

[vulgalour]

common*

 

The worst HGV drivers I can remember encountering have been Eddie Stobart natives and a couple of Polish plated trucks.  I've also encountered shitloads of perfectly fine foreign wagons with a whole variety of different countries of origin.

 

Slow drivers can be avoided much easier than super fast ones because at least you see them and your car has these things called brakes that allow you to avoid them.  The super fast ones that are lane changing without indication and generally being a menace at speeds well in excess of the permitted 70mph are the real problem because you simply don't have time to react to their bad driving.

 

It's very easy to get caught up in dashcam mentality and start flinging assertions about the quality of HGV driving, and hamster driving.  Yes, these things happen, but they're only notable by their comparative rarity.  Think about it, how often do you reflect on the dozens of drivers you pass, and that pass you, entirely without incident?  They far outweigh the danger drivers.

 

We don't care about all this anyway, we want to know which cars are happy at 60mph, an entirely sensible and often economical speed to trundle long distance down the motorway.

[Sheefag]

Both of my LS430s were much faster than my V70T5, the boot took the same amount of crates and with the cruise set to 60, would attain 34mpg.

[yes oui si]

 

When you think about it, the fuel use is far more significant than the time saved. And I'd rather spend more time driving my car and less at work earning money to pay for fuel! I like driving. I hate working.

 

Keeping a constant 80 is a challenge/impossible anyway, and constant speed changes mean even less economy.

 

Up here you can regularly sit at 80-90 for 50+ miles at a time.

[RRT22R]

The speed at which I'm most relaxed is 8.

[Eddie Honda]

Doing 50 on a motorway is dangerous. The police can and will pull people over for a polite chat.

They'd be busy with all the trolley dollies (Those slow supermarket lorries with non-agency steering wheel attendants)

 

3/4 of our fleet are restricted to a miserable* 85km/h. Helps when going long distance not to be lumbered with one of these as you stand a good chance of running out of hours. It's all very well saying "it only takes 20 minutes longer" if you have the luxury of free time, but for those working on a tachograph, they might not.

[egg]

The Mondeo just sits nice at about 75mph. It’ll run all day and night at that. Designed for the monotony of a life driving curtain samples up and down the M4 corridor you see.

 

My 1.6 prefers 60. But I can't tell you the revs I'm doing *swells with base pride*

 

70 is fine though.

[forddeliveryboy]

Today I drove 50 fucking miles on the bloody M6.

First I had to drive a pathetic 60...

Then...

Then...

Why can't those cabbages just stay home?

Man is slowly being turned into cabbages, slave to the microchip. We're not using them intelligently, instead we're increasingly relying exclusively on satnav. Having little or no idea of where you are switches off a lot of the intelligent bits of brain, so motorways are used regardless of the alternative. As well as satnav, we're also controlled by the nationwide computer network which automatically issue fines/sanctions when average speed exceeds ever lower limits, while dangerous vehicles and driving continue unhindered.

 

Nobody will programme satnav to pick out unclassified roads with junctions mainly in their favour, the roads which once were the highway. They usually sort the fastest way, ignoring perfectly-engineered A roads and pour the masses down slip roads onto wide strips of tarmac which require nothing more capable than a Mk3 Golf, roads which even when near empty in the middle of the night are increasingly limited to the speed you struggled to achieve in a 425cc 2cv, into a headwind.

 

 

Last Friday I travelled from Thirsk to Crook, Co. Durham and back. OsmAnd (which works very well, as satnavs go) drew a dog leg route which involved too many slow and awkward miles once off the A19 (dual carriageway) so for the return leg I took the roads people would have chosen 80 years ago, down the A68 past Darlington, the A167 to Northallerton then on to Thirsk on the A168. Wide, well-surfaced roads were quieter than a motorway at 3am, it was a properly relaxing and enjoyable journey.

 

The only others on the roads were locals and people travelling within the area, rather than vehicles aggressively accessing the North-East from all over the nation. It felt like a canal boat holiday, especially as I passed over the clogged A19 (the avoided dual carriageway), except the journey took 55 minutes instead of an hour and ten on the 'fast' route.

 

 

If I'm heading to the SW in the daytime, instead of enduring M1 and M42 I'll use the A1 to Newark, then the quiet A46 to Leicester, beyond which I use the Roman roads through Stow-on-the-Wold and then to wherever I'm heading for. Journey times are reliable and stress is low, it adds about 40 minutes to a near empty M-way trip and uses about the same amount of fuel.