Jonny49

Hello commuters. I am a teacher and I am currently doing a project with my grade four students to compare cycle commuting to commuting by car. I am looking for ideas on the stats. Basically what kind of statistics should I put in the project. This is what I came up with so far. Any ideas of things I could add in either category would be most appreciated. BTW I am also looking to find out how much CO2 my car puts out. Thanks.

Cycle commuting stats

Commuter bicycle………………………………...1977 Schwinn LeTour II
Bicycle purchase cost……………………………..0.00, (given to me)
Bicycle maintenance and equipment purchase…...25.00 per month (estimate)
Round trip………………………………………...40 KM per day
Number of days cycled per week………………...3
Savings in gasoline………………………………150.00 per month
Hours of cardio vascular exercise per day………2
Carbon dioxide emissions……………………….virtually nil
Stress level of daily commute ………… ……….medium

Driving Stats

Vehicle make and model…………………………1991 Dodge Spirit
Engine type……………………………………….3.0 liter V6
Mileage…………………………………………...212 000 km
Purchase cost……………………………………..$1000.00
Stress level of daily commute…………………….High
Cost per month in gas and vehicle maintenance…$200.00
Cost of gas………………………………………..1.25 per liter (April 25, 2008)
Hours of cardio vascular exercise per day………..0
Carbon dioxide emissions………………….

JustBrowsing

Make sure you include those fun recurring hidden costs, like insurance.

JeffS

Insurance only disappears if you sell the car, and in some states, turn in the license.

Depreciation maybe?

riddei

This CO2 calculator is in Miles driven, but you may find one in kilometers (or just convert yourself). You can plug your year, make, and model...

Good project for the kids.

bigwies

Cost of Parking? In some cities this can really add up. I save $10/day in just parking every time I ride my bike to work. You could also try and compare the costs of public transit vs. car vs. bike.

My $0.02

HOV

Don't forget the cost of cycling gear - clothing, safety gear, etc.

Also, I'd stay away from qualitative measurements like stress level. Make sure the categories are the same across both platforms.

How about a metric of energy required per unit distance? Calculate how many watts are required to move a 180# bicycle-person combo one kilometer vs. a 5,000# car-person combo the same distance. Then you can translate that watt figure into a calorie figure for food (it takes a man 2000 calories to bike to work), and a calorie figure (probably have to convert to joules first) for gasoline (100,000 calories for a car to go that same distance).

st0ut

Gasoline has about 7.75 thousand Calories per liter.
a 2007 town and contry mini van out puts .455kg co2 per KM.
Human in hard effort 0.33 - 0.38m^3 per Hour
assume 15 mile 24.14 KM cummute one way
MiniVan:
7.6KMpL
3.17 Liters per one way commute
24.56 thousand calories
10KG of CO2

Bicyclist:
21 cal per KM
504 Calories
.33 KG CO2(assuming 24 KPH)

This is the REAL killer TIME

Assume no light no traffic
Mini van 15 mins
Bike one hour


These are all averages and you individual stats may and will vary.





https://health.howstuffworks.com/calorie1.htm
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/co...ons-d_691.html
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/question527.htm

Mr_H

I agree with HOV, stay away from 'Stress Level' and stuff. Also, maybe just 'Cost of Gas' instead of Gas savings for the bike, and cost of gas for the car. Keep things the same throughout.

I'd also recommend 'commute time'. (My car takes 20 minutes to commute to work, bike 30-35). The difference can be eye opening.

littlewaywelt

edmunds.com and several other sources break down the cost of ownership to the mile.
google carbon calculator to compute your car's carbon output.
I'd probably break it down into two groups, quantifiable and non-quantifiable.

Q
cost
-maintenance
-fuel
-purchase
-depreciation
-insurance
-parking
carbon out put
Number of each on the road
Avg commute distance

Non-Q
health
stress
danger / likelihood of injury

alpinist

Here's a cut and paste from Seattle's government DOT website. Might not all be what you're looking for, but some ideas there...

Bicycle Facts and Statistics

Estimated number of cyclists in the U.S. who bicycled to work at least once a week last year: 3.2 million

Percentage increase since 1985: 100

Estimated number of participants during Bike to Work Day (2004) in King County: 10,000+

Number of times cyclists put their bikes on Metro buses every year: 300,000+

Number of times cyclists forgot to take their bicycles off the bus: 353

Number of free Seattle Bicycling Guide Maps distributed in 2004 and 2005: 50,000+

Number of cyclists biking to/from the downtown central business district between 6:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Sept. 20, 2000: 1,737

Percentage increase since 1992: 57%

Number of cyclists at the Seattle Ferry Terminal: 295

Number of downtown bike commuters who are female: 467

Percentage increase since since 2000: 28%
Number of bicyclists wearing a helmet in 1992: 71%
Number of bicyclists wearing a helmet in 2000: 82%

Number of bicyclists wearing a helmet in 2007: 89%

Calories burned by a 130-pound cyclist pedaling 14 miles in an hour: 402

Calories burned by a 180-pound cyclist pedaling 14 miles in an hour: 540

Ratio of street to bike trail in Seattle: 45:1

Miles of shared use paths in Seattle: 32

Miles of striped bike lanes in Seattle: 24

Miles of signed bike routes in Seattle: 90 (number out of date - signed route system being updated and revised)

Time to drive from University District to Pike Place Market in light traffic: 15 minutes

Driving time during rush hour: 35 minutes

Cycling time, moderate pace: 30 minutes

Time to park car: 5 - 25 minutes

Time to park and lock bike: 1 minute

Cost to purchase and install one bike parking rack: $150

Number of bikes which can be parked in one car parking space in a paved lot: 6 - 20

Number of bicycle racks on public sidewalks in Seattle: 2,300

Estimated cost of constructing one parking space in a paved lot: $2,200

Estimated cost of constructing one parking space in a garage: $12,500

Estimated construction of Park and Ride Costs: $17,000 per stall for surface lots, and $25,000 per stall for structured parking (per King County Transit Planning)

Number of miles cycled yearly by average bike commuter: 1,992

JustBrowsing

Good point. As someone who's been car-free for a few years, though, let me tell you what a difference it makes!

climbhoser

My insurance disappeared when I didn't renew it...I don't know exactly what you mean with that comment...

insurance and REGISTRATION are both big costs. What about brake services? If you don't do that every year you bust the whole deal and spend like $500 on 'em. Oil changes are pretty regular, and steep, not to mention other fluid changes (like diff and tranny fluid).

Tires go out every few years, cost a ton to replace, carwashes, general upkeep and maintenance, wiper blades, broken lights, flat tires, busted belts, etc...

It adds up huge.

The argument I would make, after really impressing upon them how fast you can get nickel and dimed out of everything with a car, is that for that amount of money you could rent a car as often as you really need to and ride your bike for general commuting purposes.

When I have to move I rent a U-haul...less than $50 for the day, and I get EVERYTHING in there and I'm set. Done, I just spent less than you did for the year, and got the same use out of what I did.

shuttoj

Some very nice responses here. St0ut, you has mad engineering skills!

OP does not mention what subject is being taught, but my orderly logical side wants to see identical measurements for car and bike, separated into quantifiable and non-quantifiable as littlewaywelt suggests. I think cost per KM would be especially telling. I can't think of any other statistics to include beyond those already mentioned. Now if only there were a cost per mile calculator for bicycles...

Any chance we'll get to see some or all of the final materials that are presented to the class?

hunyak

Best commute time to work by bike: 36 minutes

Car commute during highway construction last year: 44 minutes.

referee54

I, too, am a teacher, but I teach HS British Lit and do at all think like a scientist (funny, though, as my middle brother has a PhD. in biology). Anyway, how 'bout footpounds of torque for the vehicle vs. footpounds of torque for the bike?

I drive a ford F-150 4X4, as we heat our house with firewood, and I have a trailer and three chainswas---I commute on my bike whever possible---I can't though on days that I have to umpire.

Tim C.

st0ut

I dont know if ANY of you caought it but the BBC has a show called "Top Gear". Resently the did a Race across London.
Good Road bike Specialized something i missed it, A Mercedes Benz SUV, a Speed boat and the tubes / busses.

Very funney show the Car came in last Public transport in 3rd. Then the boat and the bike won.
Note that the reporter that did the story was complaing that sinnce he was on TV he had to stop for all the lights.

lolzorz

You needn't forgot the cost of the extra food you will have to eat since you are biking 40km. I have found that I really don't save any money because if I commute and then go off and ride my road bike too, I have to eat so darn much that if anything I spend more on food. If I could totally ditch the car (which I won't) and 86 insurance than I would be saving money.

condiment

And just to counter the whole "green" argument: With increased food consumption comes increased METHANE emissions. Methane is also a greenhouse gas and some would argue it is more potent than CO2, even.

lolzorz

Anyone who replaces their brakes every year is using them way too much. And why don't you wash your own car. It is virtually free to do once you get a bucket and a rag, which you probably have lying around. And you do a better job than the best car-wash any day. Oil changes are cheap. You buy the oil (not too spendy), you buy a filter, you drain the old oil, and put in the new oil. No big deal. Just last week I got some 76 oil (conoco phillips) for 76 cent a quart because they had a sale. I got like 30 quarts. Not bad at all in my opinion. Where maintenance gets you is in the labor. But I can do it all myself so all I really have to buy is parts, fluids, etc. Which are pretty cheap.

mattm

Here's the London race where the bicycle wins.

What about the production/waste impact of cars vs bicycles? Such as the general longevity of a bicycle vs a car, and the waste produced by their use & manufacturing process. Factories need lots of energy to run, and one car probably consumes more energy to be created/assembled than a bicycle.

There is a negative environmental impact in the manufacturing of steel, carbon fiber, rubber, kevlar, etc. Then there's the waste factor - tires thrown away, batteries, etc. As usual, the bike wins.

Jonny49

Hey thanks for all the replies. I got some great ideas to use in our project and some things I had not thought of before. The project is for science. It is actually part of a bigger project that we will be showing to the public n June. The main whole class project is a lunchrrom waste awareness campaign. So I have kids sorting garbage at lunch time and recording data. So far we are finding out that prepackaged foods are making up most of our waste. But surprise surprise a lot of kids throw away half their lunch. That really bugs me. Besides the cycling project we are doing other mini projects on water consumption, a home garbage audit, composting, 2 surveys, etc. It is going well so far and the kids are pumped about it.

alpinist

Jonny49 - What city are you in?

MrCjolsen

I think a good comparison, and one 4th graders can really wrap their heads around is time. Have them ask their parents how many miles they drive to work, and how long it takes them, on average.

Then have them report those numbers to you and get the average time and distance for the class. Then turn that into an average speed. Compare that to the average speed on a bike. Then see how much time is really saved by driving.

Another good comparitor is that between how long it takes them to get home on the school bus vs. on a bicycle or if their parents drive them.

Jonny49

Yes, I like that idea. Most of my parents drive cars to work. BTW I am in Calgary, Alberta.

alpinist

Here:

City of Calgary Transporation Planning: Cycling Introduction

...Other Resources

City of Calgary - Commuter Cyclist Survey 2000