One thing I haven't seen mentioned is how N+1 factors into this. I have 1 car but 5 bikes (working on a 6th
). If I add up ALL my bike-related purchases and divide by the total miles ridden, it would probably not be cheaper than my car. Cycling sure is a lot more fun than driving, though, and in the end, that's what's really important to me. Besides, bikes are cheap compared to, say, boats, or classic cars. Heck, even golf or skiing are probably more expensive on an hourly basis.