It's true that equipping yourself for cycling can get expensive. I admit it is for me because I'm not very rational with my bike spending. I love spending money on cycling, and I dislike spending it on cars. So I go a bit crazy. Not as crazy as before, but it does happen.

Years ago, when I lived and worked in the suburbs, I had a job that was 10 miles away, and it was slightly hilly. I drove every day. And I wondered how I could get exercise with my busy schedule. At the time I was not doing anything for exercise. Then I realized that I could replace my 30 minute drive (it was on local streets and roads) with a 60 minute bike ride. For a half-hour time cost, I could get a 60 minute workout. Comparing that with going to a gym, that's a big time savings. I couldn't cycle to work every day, but I was glad for the days when I could, especially since it was a nice, scenic route without much scary traffic.

I noticed I had to eat more than before, so the savings from fuel was less than I thought it would be, but that's OK.

The government lets you deduct 67 cents per mile. (This is 2024.) This is based on much more than fuel costs. It's more expensive to drive than we usually realize. I read an analysis this, and it turns out to be pretty accurate. Some people think that fuel is the only cost that is linearly proportional to distance traveled, but they're wrong. Repairs, tires, and car replacement are pretty much linear also. So every mile you don't drive is another 67 cents saved.

Plus there is the impact on the environment and safety. Every time you turn the key, you implicitly say, "I might injure or kill someone today."