commuting > save fuel > buy bikes > I'm falling behind
 

I just calculated the amount I saved by cyclo-commuting for a year.

Then I calculated the amount I spent on cycling.

I've just discovered commuting by car is waaaaaayyyy cheaper.

I'm enjoying every moment of it! :D

You must have some nice bikes :)

Ray

There's definately a startup cost for biking. For commuting, once you have the needed gear (that works for your style of biking) those costs will taper off.

I figure by the time im done buying...it'll be time to start replacing :)

Unless you can eliminate a car altogether, or parking is real expensive, you won't save anything. Do it cause you enjoy it.

Don't forget about the extra food and beverages to fuel the engine.

What, a few tires a year, some brake pads, a couple chains maybe, batteries and lots of lube, what's the big deal?

Is it the costs of a hidden carbon fiber addiction?

I look at it as ..

-its my mode of transportation to/from work
-its my hobby
-its my exercise

I can easily justify any of my purchases thru the above :)

My problem is my 'other' hobbies are more so. My skydiving gear is even more expensive...

not again

just the savings on the health club alone pays for the bike and stuff

well ahead ... unless you bought a custom made race bike

True on both counts. I started biking to avoid a third car when my kids started needing to drive places. Now I wonder why I didn't start bike commuting years ago. Way to much fun.

Edit: Well, it is hard to get over the gas expense. Even if you can't avoid another car, think of not filling up every couple weeks.

In my case, I chose between a 2nd car, and a bike. My wife commutes in our car.

Car costs based on $300 payment, $100 ins and $80 gas per month. (based on our first car)
Bike costs based on $1000 bike plus $100/mo for clothes, repairs and upgrades, and an extra burrito per day.

I broke even around month 2.

http://www.wulfheir.com/pics/carbike.jpg

My commute would take 1 gallon of gas, $2.30. Bicycling takes ~1000 calories. That means an extra meal and that is certainly more expensive than gas. ;)

Wulfheir how do you figure that stuff out. I just do it because a car would suck all the money out of me. I guess Im finding now the more i get into cycling the more im beginning to spend.

Arwell at least i have leg muscles now

yes but think of the good your doing environmentally...it all balances out in the end haha

steve

In all seriousness, unless you buy a new titanium bike every couple months, bike commuting and/or being "car-free" is much, much cheaper. Not only gas, but tires, oil changes, alignments, etcetera adds up to one expensive machine to keep running. Usually, when I spend money on bike stuff, it's because I want to, not have to, and chains, chainrings, cassettes and some new wheels every so often is way less than even the average liability insurance payment. With cars, when something busts, you need to spend a good deal of money right then, or you're screwed. Bikes are a little nicer in that regard, especially if you have several.

How about time saved?
Car commute + health club session vs bike commute.

How about a "piece of mind" comparison?
Car commute + troops sent to oil producing countries vs bike commute.

For me, driving is WAY more expensive than riding.
Since I've been off the bike (shoulder surgery) I find that along with gas expenses, there is the morning stop for something to drink and snack on (to ease the stress of traffic) while driving to work. :eek:
Now for some reason my pants are getting a little snug. :o Should I also figure in the cost of new pants until I can ride again? ;)

extra years tacked on to the end of your life (hopefully) = priceless....

that said, for me (i still have my car; for weekends) the only difference really is taking the bus (4 bucks round trip) or riding. i bet i come out about even.... maybe even save a little, but not much. i don't care.

I'm going to work by bus anyway so I won't save any gas or car payments. I will save 70$/month for the bus pass.

Counting extra food, tubes, tires and maintenance I probably won't save a single thing. And then there's the starting cost of buying a bike and clothing.

In the end I expect it will be worth it. I'll get back in shape while having fun and that is worth more than any gym fees.

I certainly spent more the first year on the bike than I saved on the car. My car usage is really cheap. I can't count getting rid of the car because that's not going to happen, so no savings on insurance. I drive cars until they fall apart, and my car's been paid off for years and should last many more years, so no payments to count off. I don't pay for parking anywhere, so no savings there. There are no busses here, so no chance of a savings there. I change my own oil and do my own repairs on both the car and the bike. I only need to change the oil about once a year, so that's about $10/year. I did do the 100K mile "replace everything" service a couple of years ago on my car; that was about $75; one belt, a stack of filters, and a set of brake pads (the rotors still look like new).

I bought a $300 bike, but probably spent another $800 or more on equipment; even though I'm a total cheapskate and hate spending money: $100 rain jacket (WELL worth it), about $130 on poly layers (mainly I use these in the winter), $75 for rack and fenders, $60 to upgrade to SPD pedals and shoes, $25 helmet, $300 on lighting (HID, rear strobe, cateye taillight and LED backup headlight), $50 on parts to rebuild the crappy rear wheel the bike came with, mirrors, helmet cover, and a bunch of other random little things.

So the first year, the bike was definitely more expensive. I would have only spent another $700 or so on the car if I drove it every day. And the first year, I didn't even cycle half the days, so I spent much more by cycling.

Still, I'm not doing this for monetary savings, never was and it doesn't even count into my thoughts. I'm kind of baffled when people ask me if I'm saving a lot of money by cycling. I usually say "beats me, I'm not doing this to save money. I'd be cycling even if gas and cars were free." Actually I'd be doing it ESPECIALLY in that case, since then the pollution would be even worse from other people driving.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't start driving if it suddenly became cheaper. I started biking for different reasons, but can easily quantify the economic relief. I still bike because I love it.

I agree that you don't save a lot unless you can get by without a car of you have to pay for parking. I saved a little over $200 in gas money last year. Yet, I bought over $100 worth gear. I could have kept that to perhaps $40 if I was conservative. Net savings for my average 1400 miles/yr: $100 to 160.

I wouldn't count extra food in any of this. I partly do this to lose weight--I tend to be a creature of habit and eat the same, ride or no ride. Sure, I gulf it down more quickly when I cycle, but I keep the quantities more or less consistent. I have a constant battle keeping my weight in check. My goal is to fit into 34" pants, and I have a tough time doing that. My gut doesn't go away, but cycling helps. If nothing else, I'm not gaining weight.

Also, commuting gives you a purpose to your excersize. I will quit sometimes when I'm on a stationary bike. Yet I never quit when I commute!

So there is some $$ savings, along with weight control, excersize, and satisfaction in finishing your workout! There is a lot to say about that.

The fact is when everything is considered it costs something like $5K-$7K per year to own and operate a car. If you ditch a car and do the bike thing instead, you're likely saving a few grand.

I have a distinct sense of Deja Vu reading this thread.

My 30+ mile commute car vs bike\mass transit comparison (simplified)
Car:
$300 payment
$100+ gas each month
Bike:
$50 misc gear or repairs each month
$50-$100 mass transit cost each month. It decreases in summer. More rides straight to and from work.

There is no point in expounding upon this further for my situation.