Originally Posted by
jsdavis
This is very dependent on the land. In an urban environment, biking 14 miles each way can easily take 2 hours. Driving costs more, but it also means saving as much as 90 minutes each way. In my neck of the "woods," I'm running into a traffic light or stop sign at least every 500 ft.
When I have to do my 8 mi commute, that easily consumes 50 minutes each way. My 3 mi commute takes about 20 minutes each way.
Think of it this way. A few years ago I tallied up the most expensive parts of my life, over my entire adult life up to that point. Rent was #1, but the car was a close second. Nothing else came anywhere close.
So now you say that a bike takes two hours to get to and from school every day. Subtract 30 minutes for time you would be driving instead, that leaves 1.5 hours. IRS says cars cost 51 cents per mile so we're looking at $14.28 per day. So you need to make $9.51/hr or more to make the car worth it in terms of time, assuming you don't get any exercise. But say you exercise the minimum that doctors recommend, 30 minutes 5 times a week. If you cycle for exercise that means the car is not worth it unless you make $14.28 per hour or more. The more you exercise, the more that number goes up. 5 hours of exercise a week? You need to make $28.56 or more per hour then. I think it's fair to say the average student doesn't make $14/hr.
This doesn't even factor in the benefits you get later in life by avoiding gigantic medical bills by being generally healthier.
So by bicycle commuting you can actually save time by working less because you no longer have to pay for a car.