Moved Into The Garage
Posted 19 June 2025 - 09:51 AM
Wheels and tyre diameters are generally measured and indicated in inches.
Not sure why but for a short time in the late 1980's BL fitted the Austin Metro with metric size wheels and tyres 160/65 x 315....but eventually went back to the inch diameter sizes.
Edited by mab01uk, 19 June 2025 - 09:51 AM.
One Carb Or Two?
Posted 19 June 2025 - 10:03 AM
I think we can blame the French for that.
Mini Mad
Posted 19 June 2025 - 10:53 AM
Yes, PoolGuy, I think in the late 60s or early 70s Michelin tried to change the system of wheel sizes to metric diameters. Some of the run-flat-tyres were thus constructed in metric sizes but did not get the support from other manufacturers, and in fact, the ordinary users of vehicles do not care if a wheel is 12" or 315mm but main object is they are more than less round in shape.
On the other hand we have to blame the French (Michelin again) to having introduced the belted tyres that are much better than the diagonal we had so far. And, actually, I do not blame them but give them a big Thank You for that!
Speeding Along Now
Posted 20 June 2025 - 12:59 PM
Wheels and tyre diameters are generally measured and indicated in inches.
But everybody must admit that calculating in metric sizes is much easier.
I like that tyres combine metric and proper measurements just to confuse the hard of thinking.
As for metric being easier, only if you're a youngster, I'll stick with proper English measurements thank you.
There is zero doubt that metric is easier to understand. Children learn to count in tens on their fingers and the metric system just extends it without any further understanding needed.
Most people won't be able to work out how many yards are in 13 miles within 2 seconds in their heads but will be able to do the same with meters and KM.
Edited by Frisco, 20 June 2025 - 01:00 PM.
Up Into Fourth
Posted 20 June 2025 - 02:16 PM
Wheels and tyre diameters are generally measured and indicated in inches.
But everybody must admit that calculating in metric sizes is much easier.
I like that tyres combine metric and proper measurements just to confuse the hard of thinking.
As for metric being easier, only if you're a youngster, I'll stick with proper English measurements thank you.
There is zero doubt that metric is easier to understand. Children learn to count in tens on their fingers and the metric system just extends it without any further understanding needed.
Most people won't be able to work out how many yards are in 13 miles within 2 seconds in their heads but will be able to do the same with meters and KM.
Speeding Along Now
Posted 20 June 2025 - 02:27 PM
I get you, I do the same with mpg and mph.
When you explain it to kids it becomes very obvious which is easier to understand once you're not biased by what you learned previously.
Up Into Fourth
Posted 20 June 2025 - 03:48 PM
decimalisation was about money as well though of course, 100 pennies to a pound makes a lot more sense than 147.3 farthings to a thingamybob and there's 12 of them in a doodlewhatsit.. I swear people have tried to explain old money to me a few times now and I just glaze over after 2 seconds
Moved Into The Garage
Posted 20 June 2025 - 04:06 PM
decimalisation was about money as well though of course, 100 pennies to a pound makes a lot more sense than 147.3 farthings to a thingamybob and there's 12 of them in a doodlewhatsit.. I swear people have tried to explain old money to me a few times now and I just glaze over after 2 seconds
I can still remember this series of films below on the TV back in the day and the theme tune! 
"Decimal Five was a series of five-minute-long public information films, shown regularly during the early evening prime-time slot on BBC1 in the run up to Britain's D-Day or Decimalisation Day (Monday 15th February 1971) - the official day on which the UK's new decimal currency was introduced."
Needless to say during the changeover it was also used as an opportunity for prices to be increased or at least 'rounded up' while everyone was confused....
Edited by mab01uk, 20 June 2025 - 04:13 PM.
Mini Mad
Posted 20 June 2025 - 04:36 PM
Needless to say during the changeover it was also used as an opportunity for prices to be increased or at least 'rounded up' while everyone was confused....
...same here with the introduction of the Euro although we here were on the easy side as 1 € was only a little less than 2 DM. While prices was generally calculated quite rightly, it was the public services that simply changed DM for €. Parking meters were the same numbers but now in €. Same for applying a new Identity Card. Same number but now in €, etc. It was said that the authorities stopped increasing the fees some time before the changeover, so that the inflation was now corrected with the €. I think that they did not believe it themselves.
Up Into Fourth
Posted 20 June 2025 - 06:09 PM
decimalisation was about money as well though of course, 100 pennies to a pound makes a lot more sense than 147.3 farthings to a thingamybob and there's 12 of them in a doodlewhatsit.. I swear people have tried to explain old money to me a few times now and I just glaze over after 2 seconds
It doesn't matter whether you call it 5 pence or a shilling, governments counterfeit them and then compensate themselves to our disadvantage by taxing the devaluation as a capital gain.
Never trust the government.
Moved Into The Garage
Posted 20 June 2025 - 07:41 PM
It only took me around 35 years to 'picture' in my head what 8 litres to 100 km meant. I know what 30 mpg was (and still do), and now I find for trip planning, litres per 100 km is quicker to work out and I can almost 'see' it.
Uncle Cooperman, Voted Mr TMF 2011
Posted 21 June 2025 - 09:20 PM
One Carb Or Two?
Posted 21 June 2025 - 11:46 PM
Up Into Fourth
Posted 22 June 2025 - 05:57 AM
I used to work for a US company and the MD once asked me, referring to the length of a piece of equipment, "what is 14 meters plus 5 foot". I replied "that's easy, its 14m 5ft."
Was that the moment, that triggered the "Used to work for them" ?
Up Into Fourth
Posted 22 June 2025 - 06:06 AM
The Concorde, being an Anglo-French project had the fuselage, including the droop nose, dimensioned in Imperial and wings were in metric.
The fuselage was designed in Bristol, the droop nose in Cambridge, hence Imperial, and the wings were designed in France, hence Metric.
Still, it did fly very well.
And its 50,000 litre fuel tanks, were loaded with Lbs of fuel.
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