Originally Posted by
Riveting
If your bike commute is longer than your driving commute, then how are you saving 3 hours a week? Like you, I also commute about 1.5 hours a day instead of 30 minutes driving, but it does take about an extra hour of my "free time" per day to commute by bike, as opposed to driving. But I was going to spend that hour in the gym anyways, so I'd rather spend that hour on the road, with the wind in my face, than in the gym breathing in other people's evaporated sweat. I believe the savings of bike commuting to be about the standard mileage compensation of $0.55 per mile, or about $10 a day for a 20 mile RT commute or about $1,500 per year (for an 8 month commuting season, in New England). And that $1,500 in savings is the amount that I've convinced my wife to let me spend on biking gear each year, since that's the break even point.
Sometimes I will encounter a cyclist who "needs" to cycle, as opposed to doing it by choice, like me, and I've never considered for a moment that they would be offended. The same way I'm not offended by someone who has possessions that are better than mine, I'm jealous maybe, but never offended.
Your reasons and rationale for bike commuting are good and fooling your wife is OK too, but don't fool yourself about how much money you are saving. The "standard mileage compensation" of 55¢ per mile is based on fixed costs of insurance, registration, taxes, and depreciation, as well as the variable costs of gasoline and "wear and tear" maintenance. The car costs almost as much sitting in your garage as being driven to work. The only significant money you are really saving is gas and parking fees (which in some cases is a big savings.) The only way you can save the big $$'s from using a bike to commute is when you own one less automobile because of your bike use.