Up swing to high fuel costs.

[Frosty]

Try planting "amaranth" if it's allowed down under. It's a grain that's not only edible but produces a lot of high quality oil per acre. It grows FAST, requires little cultivation or water and is exceptionally hardy.

Using corn for fuel is pretty dumb, unless your constituents grow corn that is.

Frosty

[jayco]

This is the kind of clothesline that is typical around here. Just two 'T's made from 1&1/2 in. pipe.

I didn't make these, but rather , I found them in a scrap pile.......free for the hauling.

By the way, a lot of us decorate the back yard with cows..

[jayco]

As far as horses making a comeback as source of transportation, I think the U.S. is ill equipped to make that change any time soon.
Not enough folks who know how to handle a riding horse or a team and wagon........no place to hitch 'em when you get to town........no livery stables like once existed here.

But here's a thought........I remember my dad (he was in England during the 'Blitz' during WW2.) telling of how EVERYONE rode bycicles over there.
Of course it was wartime and there were fuel shortages , I'm sure,
but he said riding a bike was the preferred way to get around.

If one were near a college town or some other bike friendly place, it would be a good time to establish a 'bike shop.
I think a lot more folks will be using them.........just a thought.

James

[Frosty]

Horses are way more expensive than GasoMobiles even at double or triple todays fuel prices.

They're also heavy polluters. During the days of horse drawn transport, towns and cities had to keep permanent manure collectors on staff 24/7. NY City employed thousands and disposed of many tons of horse manure a day. All of it hand collected from the streets, stables and such cleaned and hauled their own or paid for city pickup.

Can you imagine trying to feed hundreds of thousands maybe millions of horses, just for NYC say. How many semi loads of hay and grain would it take daily? Trainloads dedicated solely to horse feed I'm sure. Same to dispose of the manure. Compost on the level of hundreds or thousands of tons? Yeah, right. How about water? Know how much water a horse drinks a day?

Believe it or not when the internal combustion engine became popular it was more expensive to own, feed and maintain than today and it was FAR more economical and ecologically friendly than horse power.

It's a fun fantasy though.

(Me and Banjo cir. 67-69)

Frosty

[civilwarblacksmith]

I don't think I could find a fat enough bike seat to be comfortable these days to turn to using them. They all want to fit ya like a thong. Looks painful.

[jayco]

Civilwarblacksmith, that's kinda what I was thinking.
My grandson wants me to ride HIS bike, and the seat just kills me.

So what about making a COMFORTABLE seat........a real cargo rack.......Maybe add shocks!

Bikes today are designed for kids and racing........why not make 'em for the adult population as well!

[Dan OHare]

Originally Posted by Frosty

A typo I know but oh so appropriate.

Frosty

Are you sure that was a typo?

[Viggen]

Around here, we are seeing a noticeable increase in the number of folks who use a bike if they live within a few miles of work - even with the heat. And a lot more motorcycles are being drug out and used during the week, not just on one weekend a month for the Harley joy ride.

Like jayco mentions, there is an unfamiliarity with bikes and how to ride by a lot of folks plus the manufacturers will address a market only if they see opportunity. There are very good bikes around but they are not cheap and they are not kids toys, and can not be bought at W-mart, or K-mart, or a discount store. A real and useful bike costs real money and there are a lot of choices today as opposed to decades past.

As for opportunity for a Blacksmithing as it relates to the oil costs, I don't know. But something that may happen is a swing toward charcoal or coal by folks who use propane. Anybody know sources of inexpensive charcoal? - neighbors in cities might not like us making our own.

[welder19]

I think if I lived in area with public transportation then that is what I would turn to, however for a lot of us that just isn't an option, nor is riding a bike, even if it weren't for my back, I have a 15 mi ride one way to work, maybe 15-20 yrs ago but not today. I do however drive the wife's car more now insted of my truck.

welder19

[Finnr]

The only horse drawn work I get here is from the local Amish who have a shortage of smiths in this area. The horsey set has several farriers that deal with hooves, something I won't deal with.
Finnr