HiYoSilver

I didn't want to ask about this to non-commuters, thus in this forum. Still fighting to help others see the benefits of cycle commuting. Been thinking about this approach. What do you think? Please check poll.


Drive
in to work: 17 min
return: 15 min
total: 32 min

cycle
in to work: 23 min
return: 20 min
total: 43 min

Difference
in to work: 6 min
return: 5 min
total: 11 min

Dollar savings
per mile $1.00
per day $10

per minute: $0.91
Hourly pay for cycle commuting: $54.55

Mind probing questions:

Have you ever considered being paid for commuting instead of paying to commute?

How would you like to earn $50/hr to commute?

Could you use an extra $50 a week for smart commuting?

ItsJustMe

I've given up caring how people get to work, but personally I don't give a damn about saving money. What I get is time efficiency. Yes, it takes me an extra 40 minutes a day to do my commute, but it displaces 45 minutes of workout, so for the same 40 minutes I'd be spending anyway, I'm getting 80 minutes of cardio.

mlts22 

I really have a bike hostile commute. No bus runs in the area, and biking 13-16 miles through a city core each way on heavily trafficked roads make it pretty infeasible.

Hopefully, once I get out of college and find a job, I can find a place closer to where I live, so I can just bike there, rather than burn 8-10 bucks of gas each day round trip.

uke

Leave others alone. The best way you can be a cycling advocate is by riding, and not getting killed.

FredOak

That sounds like a better argument for someone to convince their SO to let them get a bike.

chipcom 

Kewl, so you're gonna pay me 50 bucks an hour to do what I am already doing?
Can I get back pay...to 1973?

evblazer

It costs me much more in time and $$ to commute by bike.
It also allows me to get the only exercise I'm allowed to get and that I happen to enjoy, of course maybe I just convince myself I like it.

By your system so far this year I've saved $10k+. I don't think I could convince anyone that they could save that much.

kila kila kila

From which orifice did you pull this $1 per mile figure?

evblazer

Don't question that.. I'm going to try and use that number to convince my wife I can buy a really nice bike.

JR97

Exactly. No one likes having their comfort zone challenged. Especially in a Tom Hopkins sales technique kind of way even though the numbers might be legit. Just being one of only two bike commuters at my company gets enough conversation going to at least spark an excuse of interest. The majority of the people at my company drive at least 15-20 miles and up to 50-60 miles. Some people think anything over 2-3 miles is hardcore. But on the flips side, I think there must be a contest to see who's got the newest nicest car. I"ve always lost that one. went from an 89 Chevy s-10 blazer with peeling pain to a 92 Dodge Dakota with peeling paint.

Big M

After spending $488 on a new Raleigh to commute, I'd have to commute every day for 5 months or 3 days/week for 8 months to break even. (based on $4/gal gas, 28mpg from my car, and a 14 mile highway commute).

So, it's not a money decision. I do this because it's fun. And I have no time to work out anymore, so extending my commute from 35 min to 50 min is a worthwhile investment for some much needed cardio.

Eventually, it'll save me $$$ at the pump. But if that's someone's main motivation to bike commute, I don't expect them to stick with it. The payoff is just too small.

danadear

What do you drive to work? A 747? $1 per mile? Really?

modernjess

Your figures, while they may have specific merit, it is obvious that they do not apply universally.

So ultimately it rings hollow.

Nothing ruins a great product faster than a dishonest sales pitch. Even if it is perceived dishonesty.

bikinpolitico

I think it's important to get people thinking about what a money pit owning a car is so I think you are on the right path. You dump 20% or more of your income on something that depreciates 20% in value the day you drive it off the lot. The average car owner spends $7000 a year on a car. If you took that same money and invested it conservatively with a 5% return, you'd have over $100,000 at the end of 10 years.

I think is more people figured out a way to get to work that didn't involve a car they could probably live without one. The key is talking about other options than just biking. Bus, train, walking, carpool are viable options as well.

cooker

The actual calculations on cost savings from bike commuting are complex and involve value judgements and guesswork. How much is fitness worth? Would you use a gym if didn't bike? Would you own one less car, or would you leave a car unused in your driveway? Would you call a cab if it was late and you had a flat? Will your employer subsidize you? Will they penalize you? Will you need to shower and do you have access to one? HOw far is your commute. What MPG does your car have? How much stuff do you ferry back and forth every day?

The cost savings are going to vary hugely depending on these kinds of factors.

kwrides

If you have to cleanup/change after the ride in and before/after the ride home, it gets significantly longer.

Ex - I shower before I leave for work. I would do this if I drove, so I won't count the time. I put on my cycling clothes, pack my work clothes, and hit the road. This is an extra 5 minutes minimum. I ride 60 minutes. I lock up, walk to the office, clean up, get dressed for work. 15 more minutes. At the end of the day, 15 more minutes to change back to bike stuff, pack my clothes, walk to the bike, unlock. 60 minutes ride home. 10 minute shower. That makes my commuting total 2:45. My driving total would be 1:20. So, commuting takes me 1:25 longer than driving or more than double.

I would have exercised for an hour in the morning, so really it's only 25mins more, but I'm guessing most of your co-workers don't exercise an hour a day, so you can't really factor this in to the base statement.

deez

messiah on a bike.

littlewaywelt

By getting rid of my car and riding my bike I save about 13k a year.
Anytime someone has questioned me about commuting and I mentioned it they were shocked. Most ppl never compute total car cost for commuting, ownership, parking, maintenance, gas, insurance, etc.

In the end the only thing that can occasionally trump ppl's laziness is their desire to save money.

lil brown bat

Since the calculations are all based on things that change with each individual, car, commute, work situation, etc., I don't see how you can produce numbers that are generally valid.

BroadSTPhilly

Neh. I answered questionable. Most people would not ride their bike 50 miles a week for fifty dollars. And that is without challenging your assumptions

Big M

For years, this is how I'd do it:

Shop for a car in solid mechanical condition for $1500. One time cost.

Then, annually, I'd pay:
$20/yr for registration
$45/yr inspection
$600/yr insurance
$2400/yr gas
$500/yr repairs/maintenance (at most...I do my own work, and take care of my cars well)

That's approx. $3000 - $3500 per year. For the record, I drive 15,000 - 17,000 miles per year.
And for that, I could commute, haul copious bounties home from the market, move furniture without having to rent ($$$) a U-Haul, travel 300 miles to visit family, go on long distance road trips, fishing trips, and on top of all that, I bought cars that I loved to drive. I belong to a car club and we regularly have autocross events which are lots of fun.

That is more than worth the cost in my opinion.
Currently, I'm driving a 1999 Miata which I did kinda splurge on, but that's a pure luxury expenditure on my part. It's low miles, gets great fuel economy, and kicks ass at the autocross, so that was worth it, too.

Point is, I'm a car enthusiast. My life involves long distance travel and hauling stuff that would be impractical on bike. And sometimes, I have to travel around for work to visit clients or get projects done. A car is indeed a necessity for me. And, for better or worse, most people in modern society have needs similar to mine.

So we are not at all swayed by any numbers showing how much you can save by living car-free because those numbers disregard how cars may indeed be a necessity.

mondaycurse

$1/mile? Tolls, I assume.

My bike(s) don't really save me much money. I have a car that's really reliable, high mpg, and paid for, so my only cost is (cheap) insurance and ~12 cents a mile for gas. However, I have an expensive road bike and an expensive mountain bike that I put countless miles on anyways, so I might as well use them.

cooker

That seems way too extreme. Can you elaborate?

CACycling

As others have said, If I was cycle commuting to save money, I'd drive. Very few would ever be convinced to start riding because of the numbers. Helping the environment and/or getting exercise are far better arguments IMHO.

Pig_Chaser

I liked your argument very much, untill i started doing my own calculations. I think you'd have to be driving an M1 Abrams to get to that $1/Mile mark. I came up with more like 0.28/mile and that's for my gas guzzling '88 chev C10. My commute therefore pays me 4.85/hour, well below minimum wage.