Originally Posted by pedex
my current workbike cost me $100, Ive spent another $200 or so over the last 3 years on it keeping it going and Ive put about 45,000 miles on it in that time
Just 200 bucks maintenance for 45K miles? What are your riding conditions, and what kind of tires do you use? Also, what type of transmission do you have? Cassettes, chains, shifters, bearings, rims, brakes, gloves, helmets, etc all wear out with use/abuse. Even durable components like seats and pedals have a lifespan. Plus, running decent lights costs something because neither the bulbs don't last forever even if they last a long time)
If I didn't have to pay for showers and lockers, didn't do organized rides, got rid of all my bikes except one, and eliminated the fluff, I could probably bring it down to about $300/yr for tires, tubes, and all the parts and occasional clothing items needed to keep going. But not much lower.
Originally Posted by DCCommuter
I contend that the marginal (not average) per-mile cost of operating a bicycle is generally more than operating an automobile......What makes driving expensive are the fixed costs -- depreciation, financing and insurance.....
I'm with you on both points. However, my 13 year old truck has about 57K miles on it. Haven't paid a dime on it for years, I have cheap liability insurance, and it's fully depreciated. If I take good care of it, I'll be able to get many more years out of it. I try to drive it a couple times a month.
However, I ride because I like to. I guess what surprised me is that I don't consider myself extravagant. Having said that, I've gotten to that stage where I'm willing to get better stuff. When you've ridden long enough, you know what makes a difference to you and what doesn't.