My bike and gear cost easily more than $2,500. [BTW, I was mostly bargan hunting] I live in Japan and save about $220 a month on train fare. Yes.. it sucks when you have a flat or your $50 Schwalbe sidewall fails.. but that is nothing compared to the cost of maintaining a car in Japan. I drive my car 10x as less than I do my bike.. but it cost 10x as more to maintain. With bike commuting I get some exercise.. free time to think and it sure beats crowded trains and buses. Also, I used my bike on a three day tour of the country side and only spent $100.