I honestly believe that you have misread my intentions. My one and only bike was free - a castoff from our church that a priest left behind when he moved to a new assignment. My wife's one and only bike (my backup) was from the curb, as were my two sons' bikes. My daughter's bike was handed down to her by my older son. I consider myself the opposite of turning cycling into an expensive undertaking.

I do have to reliably commute 19 miles each way to work every day in all conditions - hurricanes, floods, snow, 15F-90F, etc. I broke a seat post and bought a new one for $20. I wore out a derailleur and bought a new one for $15. I broke a cable and bought a new one. I broke a spoke and bought a new one. I go out of my way to ride a dirt cheap bike and maintain it myself. I tried to be realistic about my expenses so others might know an example of what is actually involved with full-time commuting.