Originally Posted by
Cyclebum
...Bike touring is inherently high dollars/mile since most go only about 50 miles/day vs 500 in a car. It cost at least $250 to cover the mileage on a bike that you cover in one day in a car. Generally, bike touring is not a cheap way to see the world.
HUH? Are you out of your mind? The costs of bike touring are almost zero, especially if you wild camp like I do. My only 'expenses' are food, lodging, and repairs.
(1) food shouldn't be counted as a cost of touring because you have to eat, anyway. And I eat better, healthier food when I am touring than when I stay at home (though the 'variety' suffers).
(2) Lodging shouldn't count because you have to pay rent (or the mortgage/opportunity cost of housing) , while on the road I wild camp about 80% of the time, even in the eastern US.
(3) there is the cost of bike maintenance and repairs. I'll give ya that.
Many years ago I knew my landlord well and he had zillions of apartments everywhere. So I would move out of my apartment entirely for the summers I was touring (I had month by month lease); and geta new apartment (or often the same one!) when i got back. Turned out it was
cheaper to tour during the summer than it was to live at home!
roughstuff