Originally Posted by
mesasone
Cycling may in fact be more expensive per mile, but if you look at the total cost of ownership it's significantly lower - the average car free cyclist probably doesn't rack up 15,000 miles a year on their bike. Per mile is kind of an odd unit of measurement because you still have to own the car regardless of whether you drive 10 miles or 10,000. Of course the less you drive the lower your fuel and maintenance costs will be, but your fixed costs via car payment, insurance, registration, etc do not decrease.
At times bike ownership can get a little pricey. But I ride $200 used bikes that usually don't require more than about $100 a year for maintenence. Parts like tires, lube, brake pads and tubes might run a couple hundred dollars. The extra food I eat to fuel the engine is probably another couple hundred. So let's say at most $700 a year. YMMV.
I think the biggest variable in car costs is the number of people being transported. If you almost always have four or five passengers, cars are probably the cheapest way to go. But this multiple occupancy situation situation is rare in most countries. Typically there are only one or two people per car, so it's a pretty expensive way to travel.