Not so simple....

[quintessence22]

Choosing the bike over the car does not always lead to a simpler low maintenance/less stressful life.

Here's proof:
Attributed directly to biking, I have now ripped a shirt, broken a ring, ripped my 8 month old backpack straps (which I thought was high enough quality; apparently not), lost a toque while riding, lost liner gloves, nearly lost my cellphone, ripped a million pant legs (even when using a pant clip), edit: ripped open the ankle tops of my shoe, and broken a helmet. I have to replace that backpack soon...

This doesn't include the damage I've done to myself, which is pretty extensive as of late.... I think I've lost a little blood every day or two for the last two weeks.

These costs also excludes bicycle maintenance and breaking parts on my bike, which I haven't really inventoried yet.

Admittedly, I do a lot of urban assault/freeride.

So tell me, what kind of maintenance costs do you guys experience over the course of year? Specifically equipment related to cycling...

[jamesdenver]

New brakes, cassette, cables, oil, all of these general maintenence things would cost a total of under $100 on the high side, and many folks here do it themselves.

Since you mentioned car, if I had new brake job on car, new transmission, oil change, I'm sure it'd be at least $2,000 or more.

Sorry for your misfortune. In three years of bike commuting I've fallen once, on some ice approaching a spot sign. Luckily it was a quiet 4-say stop and the ice actually helped, as it didn't scuff up me of my bike (just slid to a stop).

I wear shorts when commuting, and jeans if commuting around town, haven't ripped any though, nor have I ripped any shirts.

I'd say ease up on hopping curbs, relax and go with the flow. My biggest problem is the velcro on my rack trunk wearing out.

[Don Johnson]

My biggest problem is the velcro on my rack trunk wearing out.

In may instances, dry-cleaning shops have seamstresses they refer work to that can fix/replace things like this for just a few dollars...if that much.

[swwhite]

In my first full year, 2002, I rode exactly 100 days, at the price of gas then saved almost exactly 100 dollars, and spent exactly 100 dollars in bike repair. Since then I the price of gas has gone up, I have ridden more, but I have had to upgrade my clothing, lighting, and carrying capacity a bit, plus a new chain every year and a new cassette every two years. So I estimate that I still break even in savings in gasoline against expenditures for equipment.

BUT, I think that the biggest savings is in the postponement of car repairs. Whenever the car breaks down, it's 200-500 dollars to fix it. For a while my spouse was laid off, and we lived in terror of the unexpected car repair. To me, having a car is "simpler" only of one can really afford to operate and maintain it and not sacrifice elsewhere.

[quintessence22]

Yeah, I'm noticing the savings I make from not insuring my car are being nibbled away by equipment for cycling. I take it your car is still insured, swwhite. You could cancel it for a couple months to make a larger savings. A few months should do it. Just as long as you consider your state's rules for "years of continuous insurance", so that it doesn't affect your premiums when you reinitiate insurance.

How many jackets do you have? and how many do you replace per year due to wear? Do you have a set of outer layer pants for wet weather?

[Roody]

I have clothes dedicated to cycling, much of which I buy at thrift stores and discount stores. For example, in the winter I have a pair or two of black pants that I only wear when I'm riding, that cost 3 bucks each. If they rip, who cares? I throw them out and buy a new pair. Black hides stains better, but if they get too stained, guess what? I throw them out and buy new ones. Same thing with black shorts in the summer. I wear spandex cycling shorts every time I ride, about $40 for a pair that lasts a whole year.

I have athletic shirts, fleeces, jackets, rain jackets, heavy jacket, etc. These are more expensive than the pants, but less likely to get ripped or stained, so they last a few seasons if I'm careful. I mostly like bright colors for these, so I show up better in traffic. My sister just got me a cool lightweight rain jacket for my birthday, bright red. She knows how to shop! (The carrot cake she made me was good too!):)

Injuries can be expensive. I had a fall in August 2004 that ended up costing about $15,000. That's not a typo--15K. :( Luckily I have good insurance that paid every penny, and my disability insurance covered time off work.

Bike parts. My bike's getting older, things are starting to go, after 3 years of no expenses except routine stuff like chains, tubes, tires, brake pads, cables and lube. Maybe $60-80 a year? But last summer I needed new front hub, bottom bracket, pedals and rear brake. That was probably a couple hundred? A lot more than the $100 I paid for the bike! :D

So no, bikes are not always simple or cheap. But I bet everybody is going to tell you they're a hell of a lot simpler than cars! Like the $200 I spent on my bike last summer, I could have bought two nice pre-owned bikes or even three. But I love my bike, so I didn't want to do that.

[Az B]

Admittedly, I do a lot of urban assault/freeride.



Have you considered taking up tennis? :D

I bought some new (used) wheels for my 25 year old commuter. $100. And a new chain and some tires. The tires were on sale for $13. Oh yeah, I finally got around to buying one of those dorky looking safety vests. That was $12.

Az

[thelung]

If you are really loosing blood "every day or two" just from riding your bike you are doing something seriously wrong.

[attercoppe]

Attributed directly to biking, I have...ripped...broken...ripped...lost...

This doesn't include the damage I've done to myself, which is pretty extensive as of late.... I think I've lost a little blood every day or two for the last two weeks.

These costs also excludes bicycle maintenance and breaking parts on my bike, which I haven't really inventoried yet.

Admittedly, I do a lot of urban assault/freeride.

Just think what you would have done to a car (and yourself) if you drove like you ride, and how much that would cost to fix!

I doubt most utility cyclists and commuters have the problems you do.

[gwd]

Sometimes a car driver will put something on the hood or roof of a car and drive off to lose it, or get a long piece of clothing caught in the door. I've never heard of a car person claiming that that kind of brain fart should be counted as a cost of car ownership while this poster represents a lost cell phone as a cost of bike transportation. Why do you car free people go along with that kind of skewed accounting?

[Roody]

You know, it's pretty funny. On the roadie forum they brag about how much money they spend on their bikes. Here we boast just as loud about how little we spend. :D

[becnal]

Losing and ripping stuff has nothing to do with a bike free lifestyle. That simply means that you need to keep your mind on what you are doing. Perhaps some zen meditation classes would help. :)

[joesmohello]

Bike riding has nearly ruined all of my pants. I just can't seem to keep them away from dirt and chain grease. I've thought about changing my pants when I ride but that sounds like such a PITA if I'm making a few stops. DO I wear my crappy pants around town or risk staining another pair of nice pants?

[chicbicyclist]

How about a chainguard.....

[chephy]

Or rolling up your pant leg...

[Bike_UK]

My bike cost me £101 (about $180) four years ago. It has had a few sets of tyres, brake pads, a new headset and bottom bracket, new saddle, chains, cassette; so it's probably cost me the same again in parts in that time. My motorcycle (the only type of vehicle i've ever owned, but now sold) insurance in that first year cost me £925 (about $1665).
When this bike is no longer worth fixing, in another year i reckon, it will have cost me maybe $600, so yes much cheaper and simpler as i know any damage i can fix myself also. The motorcycle cost me upto its sale last month approx $11780 + gas! (Now i am going to have a sit down - that's the first time i've worked out how much i had spent on it. OW!)

[becnal]

Bike riding has nearly ruined all of my pants. I just can't seem to keep them away from dirt and chain grease. I've thought about changing my pants when I ride but that sounds like such a PITA if I'm making a few stops. DO I wear my crappy pants around town or risk staining another pair of nice pants?

To quote the warden in "The Green Mile", "How many years did you spend pissing on the seat until somebody told you to lift it up?!?!"

Roll up yer pant leg fer cryin' out loud! :rolleyes:

[DataJunkie]

You are supposed to lift it up?
No wonder my wife is mad.

I put between 150 and 200 miles on my bike a week. In the last month I had a wheel trued once and replaced a cyclocomputer mounting bracket. All at a cost of $12. I still have every piece of clothing I had when I started riding a year ago.
Ride in the street. It's less stressful on your bike.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

You are supposed to lift it up?
No wonder my wife is mad.

You want to see her mad? Forget to put it down.

[DataJunkie]

Ack! Isn't that the truth. :)

[joesmohello]

I do either roll my pant legs up or use a velcro strap but my pants still get dirty. If I just left them they'ed be shredded too.

[swwhite]

How many jackets do you have? and how many do you replace per year due to wear? Do you have a set of outer layer pants for wet weather?

I have a fleece jacket, a very heavy army-surplus wool sweater, a big denim shirt, a sleeveless yellow windbreaker vest, an unlined parka shell, and a moderately-insulated parka, plus leather gloves with wool liners and extreme-cold-weather mittens.

On the bottom I have unlined over-pants, heavy wool pants, long underwear, and I ride in hiking boots (insulated and uninsulated-waterproof) with cotton socks, or wool socks, or really thick wool socks.

Then I have a rain suit if needed.

I mix and match the above items depending on the temperature, and guided by my mere four years of experience. I did not have all that stuff when I started, but I accumulated it over a couple years and now I consider that my clothing is complete. Things are holding up and I see no more clothing purchases coming up. I am not car-free, but only trying to reduce car use by hitting the major area of use, commuting. So my bike riding is just a fifteen-mile round trip, on the average (over a calendar year) of three days a week. I am not too hard on equipment.

[Machka]

During the 6 years I was commuting by bicycle in Winnipeg ...... my maintenance consisted of oiling the chain. Also, once in that 6 years I had the bicycle tuned up during which time they replaced the chain. That's it.

I did not rip any clothing. I did not rip my backpack. I did not lose any clothing or other objects. I did not break my helmet. I did not injure myself in any way.

During those 6 years I wore the cycling gear I bought for my other cycling adventures (racing, randonneuring, and touring) and it is the same cycling gear I am wearing now ... jackets and jerseys don't wear out very quickly. I do replace my shorts every two years, but then in two years my shorts will have seen 10,000 kms. I have also replaced one pair of gloves since I started cycling seriously 16 years ago ... I figure that's not bad. Somewhere in that time I did purchase a couple new pair of cycling shoes, but they weren't expensive and should last me several more years. The one pair has already seen over 20,000 kms and is still going.

If you take care of your things, and if you ride sensibly, like a vehicle of the road, obeying all the traffic laws and riding predictably and carefully, etc., your cycling gear (and you) can last a very long time.

[urban rider]

I also buy my cycling clothes at the thrift stores, as a matter of fact on New Year's day all of the Salvation Army storeas have clothes 50% off. I don't worry about the jacket that gets ripped because I paid two dollars for it. If I brought one of those "under armour" shirts I would never work out because I would be afraid of rips and sweat.
As for repair, well I have a good friend who is a master at repairing bikes. I plan to take some classes in bike repairs next year. Yes, riding my bike is a whole lot cheaper than driving. The cost of a fill-up in my car is 50 dollars, everytime it goes to the shop it is at least two hundred dollars. I rather ride my bike(s). The benefits outweighs the negatives.



Gas, the price of a can of beans.

[twochins]

i ride a mtn bike everywhere here in town...honestly, i don't crash that much anymore, but i hop curbs and bunnyhop stuff as much as anyone...yeah, for jerking around town, wearing some jeans is really a good idea to save your legs from scratches when you do fall...i but most clothes second hand, it doesn't matter then what happens to them

if your urban FR you need to be running a bashguard in place of the 42T chainring...most flat territory you can handle routinely with the 32T ring. the bashguard with deflect the right pant leg and you won't get it caught in your rings anymore...two years running for me, don't have to bother with velcro or anything

you can go like 2500 miles with a drivetrain, i've done it...that could be several years or just one...when you take it this far, you have to replace everything, chainrings, chain, cassette, that's like $50 if your thrifty, but if you value every stroke more like $75 to $100

brake pads...your prolly running disc, these things can really last a while and they are real cheap, like $10, you change them just bbecasue they are cheap, not becaue they were completely worn out..same kind of thing with tires...you get bored with a pair before they really get balded out...with sales you can get your favorite tire pretty cheap...i never use any tire that's more than $20..

[wheel]

Sounds like your hard on equipment. "Admittedly, I do a lot of urban assault/freeride."
Does this have anything to do with carless cycling err comutting?

"Choosing the bike over the car does not always lead to a simpler low maintenance/less stressful life."
How long have you been carless?
I think it is well documented how low maintenance a fixie is.
I also think it well documented how cycling reduces stress.
depends on how hard you want to make it.

Myself I would say when I commute or err plain old ride my bicycle; my clothes don't rip, my backpack does not break, my bike keeps on going, and if I want less stress I just take the longer way home.

[littledog]

In my first full year, 2002, I rode exactly 100 days, at the price of gas then saved almost exactly 100 dollars, and spent exactly 100 dollars in bike repair. Since then I the price of gas has gone up, I have ridden more, but I have had to upgrade my clothing, lighting, and carrying capacity a bit, plus a new chain every year and a new cassette every two years. So I estimate that I still break even in savings in gasoline against expenditures for equipment.

BUT, I think that the biggest savings is in the postponement of car repairs. Whenever the car breaks down, it's 200-500 dollars to fix it. For a while my spouse was laid off, and we lived in terror of the unexpected car repair. To me, having a car is "simpler" only of one can really afford to operate and maintain it and not sacrifice elsewhere.

You hit the nail right on the head with the last paragraph for me. Also when I had a car I would cruise to the local bookstore and other places and buy junk that I really don't need or want. I think that was to fill a hole in my life. That hole has now been filled by bicycle riding. I could still order all that junk over the internet but I don't. Well,not as much anyways. It all goes to the bike shop now.:) That is much better than it going to the car culture as far as I am concerned. So in that way bicycling has made my life more simple as well.:D

[dynodonn]

Since I've always maintained and repaired my personal and my family's vehicles over the years, the bicycle has always been simpler when it comes to the maintenance department. With todays motor vehicles becoming more and more complex and requiring expensive diagnostic tools and training to repair them, the bicycle has virtually remained unchanged and requiring only basic maintenance skills. My total bicycle expenditure for the year is far, far less than my SUV if driven the same number of miles this year(over 3500 bicycle miles). The bicycle has made me to debate/prioritze if the trip I'm planning is really necessary, whereas the SUV I just got in and drove without giving it much thought. That process alone saved me fuel, vehicle maintenance expenditures, and buying something that I probably didn't really need in the first place.

[bragi]

Choosing the bike over the car does not always lead to a simpler low maintenance/less stressful life.

Here's proof:
Attributed directly to biking, I have now ripped a shirt, broken a ring, ripped my 8 month old backpack straps (which I thought was high enough quality; apparently not), lost a toque while riding, lost liner gloves, nearly lost my cellphone, ripped a million pant legs (even when using a pant clip), edit: ripped open the ankle tops of my shoe, and broken a helmet. I have to replace that backpack soon...

This doesn't include the damage I've done to myself, which is pretty extensive as of late.... I think I've lost a little blood every day or two for the last two weeks.

These costs also excludes bicycle maintenance and breaking parts on my bike, which I haven't really inventoried yet.

Admittedly, I do a lot of urban assault/freeride.

So tell me, what kind of maintenance costs do you guys experience over the course of year? Specifically equipment related to cycling...

Dude, what are doing, engaging in mortal combat with garbage trucks? I just get on my bike, and ride it as fast as I can while still following traffic laws and so far, I've only had to replace brakes, tires, and batteries for the light. A year of cycling will probably cost me less than a month of driving a car...

[tsl]

Admittedly, I do a lot of urban assault/freeride.

Well that's it right there.

It's like saying that skating to work is isn't as cheap or simple because of all your hockey injuries and equipment.

You're confusing sport with transport.

[Platy]

I have too many bikes and I spend too much on them. I could cut back if I had to because most of the expenses are optional tweaks and accessories. Fortunately it all goes to support some very fine local and internet bike shops and their mechanics.

[CommuterRun]

For me, financially, riding a bke is much cheaper than taking the car.

However, time is a much bigger factor with a bike. Not just the time actually spent in transit, the car being much faster, but the preparation time to get ready to ride. It just takes longer to neatly pack everything in my panniers, or in my pack (to go on the trailer) if I have too much to fit in the panniers. Then attach the trailer to the bike. Than it does to carry an armload of stuff out to the car, throw it in, kiss the wife goodbye, and leave.

The other thing is, when I get where I'm going I can lock the car and not have to worry about things walking off if I don't take it all with me. Handy for doing multiple tasks at different locations.

However, I prefer to ride one of my bikes for several reasons, not the least of which is: riding is fun, driving is not.