Originally Posted by Smallwheels

I've never asked a prospective employer what they meant by reliable transportation. I just put the words together and they do apply to my bicycles.

It is true that my bicycles break down way more often than any car I've ever owned. I get a flat tire at least once every two weeks. I just replaced my rear brake arms because those damn springs keep breaking on the V brakes. I just replaced the rear derailleur too. The shifter cable for it needs to be replaced right now. Though these problems don't cost anywhere near the amount a single car repair would cost, they do niggle at me on a weekly basis. The bicycles take up time to repair.

I can change a rear flat tire in less than a twenty minutes without a quick release wheel. Bicycle tires cost so much more than car tires though. A cheap car tire can last forty-thousand miles or more. A quality bicycle tire like a Schwalbe might last five thousand miles for a $50.00 price tag.

Cars are cheaper to operate when measured by the mile but they have an enormous up front cost. They're worth it for the people who must travel many thousands of miles per year. I've owned two quality recumbents. I calculated the miles I put on each of them and how much I spent per mile on their usage. It was nearly $2.00 per mile. My Dahon Smooth Hound has cost me about $1.97 per mile so far. That number drops with time but I don't use that one daily. Even if I did it wouldn't be very many miles out and back. It'll take a long time for that dollar per mile figure to come down. Thousand dollar bicycles are probably luxury purchases compared to $350.00 useful bicycles that can do the same thing more or less. Actually I think that bicycles in that range are more durable than the light weight ones. The parts are sturdier.