Originally Posted by
adlai
I bike commute, and I have to say that it is not cheaper than taking a car. Here's why.
1. There's a fair bit of maintenance to do on the bicycle. Over the past two years I've had to replace an entire rear derailleur after it ate a spoke on my rear wheel, change out the chain, replace the tires, change at least a dozen flats, spend about 3 hrs adjusting the front derailleur (and no, the LBS people didn't do it right). I'd say that the costs of maintinence and various upgrades over the past year or two has amounted to about 500
Wait, what? Over the past year OR two? Is it one year, or two? This is important information.
3 hours? 3? I can't wrap my head around this statement at all. I could tune my entire bike, and give my car a tune up, oil change, and brake job in 3 hours.
Originally Posted by
adlai
2. True, car expenses include things like yearly registration, paying for parking, gasoline, replacing broken parts, etc. However, by and far car maintinence is, mile-for-mile, cheaper. Tires are a great example. The last flat tire I got in a car was entirely my fault and a result of a flagrant misjudgement. I regularly get flats in bicycles, both road and mountain, while doing on regular pavement. Otherwise, a low-end tire will take you 40k miles, and a set will cost maybe $500. With bicycles, you're buying a new pair of gatorskins at $80 every 4k miles. Cheaper tires last shorter.
Mile-for-mile a car is always more expensive. This data has been crunched for decades. Comparing car tires to bike tires is ridiculous. If they made bike tires like car tires, you'd have 25 pounds of steel-belted crap hanging off your ride. This is like comparing a diesel engine to a solid-fuel rocket. And how many miles a year do you put on your bike? Even if you rode 4k a year, that's only $80 (according to your math) for bike tires. For my car, that's roughly 2 tanks of gasoline, and with today's gas price (2.54), I'd only get 592 miles out of it. If I only drove my car 592 miles a month, at that same price, that's 7104 miles a year, at a total cost of $960
Originally Posted by
adlai
3. there are other costs not accounted for. An obvious ones of course are the greater mobility of the car allowing you more freedom in getting to jobs
How is this "obvious"? What is this "more freedom" you are referring to? Freedom is based on perception, nothing more. What is more mobile than a bike?
Originally Posted by
adlai
... and the fact that cars are safer than bicycles due to safety regs which will ensure that you're okay should you ever be hit.
Ensured? So, if I get hit by a semi-truck while driving my car, "safety regs" will ensure that I'll be OK? Interesting.
BTW: I was the victim of a hit-and-run while riding my bike in Atlanta and had 22 stitches put in my leg, a cracked helmet, etc. Bell replaced my helmet for free, the LBS fixed my bike for free, and I paid a minimal hospital bill. On the other hand, at one time I had a truck that someone (no insurance) backed into. $1600 later, the bumper was fixed. The lawyer and court costs were too high for me, so I ate the money.
Originally Posted by
adlai
With a bicycle, mile-for-mile, you're at a greatly increased risk of death compared to a car, in general it takes you longer to get to places, you're breathing in toxic fumes from the vehicles on the road.
More people are killed in vehicle-related deaths (USA) than bicycle deaths every year. What's so bad about it taking longer? Practicing patience tends to make people more even-keeled, especially when exercising. I'm not touching the "toxic fume" topic. There are enough studies to prove this statement wrong.
Originally Posted by
adlai
Now of course, I love bicycles and commuting in them so that's what I choose, but economically, at best it's a wash in terms of cost savings.
I think you should wash some of these statements. This doesn't promote bicycle commuting, or alternative transportation by telling people it will cost them more. I may be the only ***hole here, but you are
dead wrong in your cost comparisons. I've spent the better part of the last year riding my bike and using public transportation ($64 a month),
and can state AS FACT that it's more cost-effective than driving -> period. I'll post my personal yearly car costs if you'd like.
Personally, I'm healthier and happier because of riding. That's cheaper than doctor visits, gym memberships, & therapy.
And yes, I had nothing else to do this morning than respond to this post.
