Originally Posted by Steely Dan

that is a sweeping generalization, perhaps it's true IN YOUR SITUATION, but not everyone shares your situation.



for me, my bike-centric lifestyle allows me to forgo the costs of car ownership altogether. were i to own a car and use it to commute, i would:

A) Need to acquire one. let's say i find a used car for $5,000, so let's say ~$415/month spread out over the first year of ownership.

B) Register it with city and state. that breaks down to $15/month

C) Insure myself as a driver, liability only (state law). we can estimate that at about $100/month

D) Obtain a parking spot in my condo building. that goes for $250/month

E) Obtain a parking spot at my office. that goes for $80/month

F) Purchase gasoline for 30 miles/day of commuting, 20 days/month. that comes to about $85/month (600 miles/25mpg = 25 gallons x $3.50 = ~$85)


that comes to $945/month for my first year of hypothetical car commuting, and $530/month for subsequent years, provided that the car never requires any maintenance (for a used car, LOL!). maybe you're stupid loaded, but $945/month is not chump change to me, that's real money. hell, $530/month is very real money to me too.

so for some situations, the benefits of cycling can have something to do with how much money one saves.