I have a Surly Crosscheck, a rear rack (I forget who made it), a pair of axiom panniers, a brooks saddle, a cygolite mitycross and hotshot, and a topeak frame pump. All that combined, without even considering new tubes/tires/cables/tape/etc or the cycling specific clothes I have bought, probably ran me around 1700-1750 pretax. At 3.60 a gallon and 20 mpg in the city, I have to put in around 10,000 miles of commuting to break even on gas alone. Add in the tubes/etc, the jackets, socks, shorts, and other clothes I have specifically bought for commuting (I'm leaving out the chamois and jerseys I bought to ride my trek), and I'm probably up another couple thousand miles worth of 'break even.'


Clearly, I am not in this to save money.