Well said!

I really look forward to replacing things on my bikes. I'm especially fussy about pedals, grips, and the aforementioned tires.

I'm with the OP, in thinking that their expenditure estimate is low. I tried the low ball route, definitely not worth it in the comfort, dependability, and safety aspect, especially when adding in the factor of a daily commute grind full of cantankerous motorists.

I don't commute by bike to save money.

I do save money, but that's not the point.

I agree with the OP's basic premise that there may be hidden costs. But think of all the money I save on blood pressure medicine from getting stuck in traffic in a cage.

And the Gov will give you 7.5k in tax breaks for buying a hybrid car. Why not split the bill for my bike. If I could buy a 2k bike for 1k I would totally do it. You would see everyone riding carbon. Oh what a wonderful world that would be.

Lemme go down that list for myself:

Bike: a good road bike so you're commute doesn't take too long - $800 - I've been riding a $300 hybrid for 24000 miles so far. Spending $800 might shave 2 minutes a day off my commute. Not worth it to me.
Helmet: $50 - I paid $35 for my current helmet, end of year sale (Bell Metro, an $80 helmet)
Panniers: $140 - I paid $30, Nashbar, on sale. Very durable, years on them so far.
Seat Pack: $20 - don't have one. My repair stuff is in a Jif peanut butter jar (waterproof) in a bottle cage.
Patch kit + tube: $20 - Tube is $5. Patch kit is $3.50 at Harbor Freight and contains about 30 patches.
Clothes (1 set): $100 - For this I got 3 or 4 sets. Bike short $20 each on eBay, still fine after 4 years, and 4 AlertShirts. If you include winter clothes, add another $120 or so for multiple rain pants, etc.
Winter Gloves: $30 - yes, for 4 or 5 pair. The really warm ones are blaze orange hunting gloves, $7/pair. The others vary in weight from fleece to windproof/waterproof, and were all < $10/pair from Kohls. None are bike specific.
Jacket: $120 - I paid $99 for a J&G.
Headlights (250lumen x2) : $220 - Magicshine, $80, 500 lumen
Blinkies (x3): $75 - Magicshine, $30 (attaches to above battery pack) plus a couple of others from DealExtreme, $4 each, total $40.
Balaclava: $20 - $4 at walmart for the balaclava, I think $6 for another can't remember where. $12 for the neoprene face mask for when it's < -10*F out.
Repair/Maintanence: $??? - Probably on the order of $50/year for new tires and brake pads.

Overall it looks like you just walked into a bike shop and said "I need this stuff." You paid the "it says 'bicycle' on it so pay me 4x as much" tax in some cases, and "name brand" tax in others. There's nothing wrong with buying Ortlieb panniers, but I sure don't need them to commute with.

FWIW I have finally hit the end of stuff accumulation, now I am just replacing consumables. So it really does get better. And after years of splurging and upgrading and replacing and whatever I still haven't hit the cost of a hypothetical $5k car plus feeding/maintaining/insuring it from the time I started geeking out on bikes (vs just plain riding them which went on a lot longer).

What's the goal of the exercise, to just itemize all costs?
You have to buy clothes anyway, right? Why include this in commuting expenses? E.g. I use some of my ski gear for riding in the winter and now that's it's warmer, I regularly ride in jeans and t-shirt.
For someone starting at nil, older model mountain bikes make great commuters, you can find these for $100 - 200. Fenders, lights, and a couple spare tubes and away you go (under $500).
Can I deduct the health benefits of cycling as well (priceless)?

eBay and deal hunting cuts down on a lot of that.

I got an under the seat bag for $8 with shipping on eBay.

I bought a new rear rack to replace my metal one of five years that was chipped and beat up.

After taking it off I realized it was in fine shape, bought some spray paint for $2.50 and put in on my second bike which was lacking a rack.

For me, I'd say it's more like

Bike: I already had a suitable one, but I'd say $500 max for a flat-bar road hybrid commuter
Helmet: $30
Seat Pack: $10
Multi-tool: $15
Mini-pumps (2): $25
Patch Kit: $5
Jerseys (3): $90
Shorts (2): $70 (just 2 pairs, but you'll want to wash them all the time anyway)
Gloves: $20 (being generous here)
Spare tubes (5): $20 (you'll use them eventually)
Safety (bright orange) long-sleeved jersey: $30?
Safety (bright orange) fleece vest: $30?
Trouser protector thingies that go around your ankle: $5 (though I got several for free)
Basic light set + batteries: $30. I don't commute in the dark much though.

Depending on how often I ride, I'd factor in ~$100/year for maintenance.

I try to avoid buying bike stuff that is labelled as bike stuff because it really is overpriced.

I don't ride when it's really cold, and I just layer my regular winter gear on top of my cycling stuff. I just use a regular backpack if I have stuff I need to carry that doesn't fit in my jersey pockets (which is rare). I also use some ski gear if necessary (face mask, for example). I'll wear polyester track pants with jeans if I need more insulation. Generally, activewear/fitness wear is very similar to cycling gear anyway.

The thing is, I had most of the stuff already from recreational riding. It's like saying the true cost of commuting by car includes buying the car that most people already have.

For driving, it costs me $11/day to park, plus say, $3 in gas. $14/day not taking into account other mileage expenses. If I park at the train station and ride the metro, it's $11.90 + gas, slower than cycling and arguably more stressful than driving. For say, 20 working days in a month, that's $280/month for driving, which easily covers running costs for cycling, and more.

I also feel like you could almost subtract the cost of a gym membership, depending on how much you ride and how much other exercise you normally do. My commute is the best time to get myself some exercise.

Figure 2: Time required for ten mile round-trip commute by car or bike, incorporating cost of vehicle ownership and hourly take-home wage


https://www.humantransport.org/bicycl...cyclinguse.htm

What does a reasonably reliable new car cost? Of course you don't need to get a new one, you can get used. Same is true of a bike. In fact I bet most adults already have one.

What the OP is saying is true though, if you're starting with nothing and not savvy enough to get a decent used bike/accessories then there's a sizable up front investment if you go the bike shop route. I'd also add that the tires on a low-end road bike often have little to no flat protection so you might as well factor in the price of new tires.

Now, you don't really NEED a road bike for 10 to 20 miles. An inexpensive hybrid will work and would be easier to get fenders and a rack on anyway. You also don't need to spend $250 on lights. There are much less expensive options that maybe aren't as good but good enough to get by on.

I spent a fair amount on bike accessories and upgrades, but that's more because it's a hobby than because I really need it. If I were to limit myself to necessary expenses only I could probably get by this year with just another chain, or maybe two (one for each bike), brake pads, and some patches. I have all the clothes I need. I'd probably need some more ball bearings in the next 18 months to stay on top of maintenance. I'm sure there's things I'm not thinking of but probably nothing terribly expensive.

I rarely use lights in the summer. If you are a winter rider, they are a must. Might get by with just a blinkie in the summer.

While I think $220 is excessive for headlights, at least for urban commutes, I think these numbers need some context.

Car: $18,000 plus several thousand in interest.
Insurance: $75 per month.

I own much of the stuff the OP mentioned, though most of what I own is cheaper than his prices, but adequate for my needs. But let's ignore the cost of entry for a moment. Let's look at just the incremental daily costs associated with commuting:

In my own case, commuting by bicycle might actually ~cost~ me money, in some sense. If I drive from home to work, 100%, I bear the full cost of my commute, 36 miles RT, plus $15/day for parking (that's an average -- I can probably do better, but I know I can do worse). It would take me about 45-60 minutes in the morning, and 60-75 minutes in the afternoon, based on experience (before my unloved Toyota Prius was killed, I could have dropped 15 minutes from each of those figures by using the HOV lanes). The only real entertainment I can avail myself of while driving is NPR (or other radio, music, etc...)

If I take public transit without a bike or car, I can walk 25 minutes each way to/ from the station (since they eliminated the straightest route), the fare is $5/ each way, but that fare is subsidized 100% (at present) by my employer. They will not, however, subsidize parking at the station. Bike parking, if I'm willing to accept some risk, is free. $200/yr (or about $1 or less/ working day) gets me a secure bike locker, if one is available. I save about 15 minutes/trip (real world time) on getting to and from said transit station, and the time on transit is about 45 minutes each way, absent the frequent delays. I could also drive to the metro, pay $4.50/day for parking, at no real savings of time over biking. The best part about transit is that I can read, do crossword puzzle, or otherwise expand my mind while riding.

Cycling from home to work is ~20 miles each way, and at my real world speed, that's about 90-100 minutes each way, or over 3 hours each day riding. Avg. daily cost (not counting any equipment, clothing, gadgets, etc...)? Maintenance, including tires, tubes, brake pads, cables, chains, etc... isn't be free, but neither is it terribly costly. Certainly cheaper than comparable maintenance on the car(s). I'm guessing that I'd spend well under $200/year all told, even assuming I do none of the work myself. And heck -- I could even get a $20/month subsidy from my employer (you know, the one who presently gives me a ~$150-200 monthly subsidy to take transit?) which would probably cover the bulk of the necessary maintenance and such. One other down side? I can't read a book or do a crossword puzzle while riding (however, I do tend to arrive more alert and ready to face the day, and I certainly arrive home less stressed).

So in dollar terms, transit is ~my~ cheapest option (pretty much no matter how I figure it -- unless I drive the car to the station... but why would I do that?), with cycling a reasonably close second. Driving, esp. with gas over $4/gallon is a distant third, pretty much no matter what I spend on 'stuff', based solely on the parking cost. Oh -- it is worth noting: My employer does have a parking benefit, and who knows: Someday I might qualify for a space... at which point, I'll have to re-assess my priorities ;-)

However, all the numbers aside: the cost in terms of my waistline, fitness level and overall health if I don't ride is worth quite a bit to me. And, in reality, I don't do a single commute mode: I use a combination of methods -- almost never only one. So I don't do it for the money: I ride for me.

I don't refer to people who commute on bikes, but rather the bicycle at the store marketed as a commuter. as far as reaching 20+, it is not a necessity of commuters, I personally love hitting those speeds, but that is above and beyond commuting. For this reason I was referring to a commuter bike design optimized for comfort and non-competitive riding for business professionals.


honestly... you might still eat less than a significant number of Americans... even loading up for long rides... so the expense for you might go up relatively, but it might be less than America in general.... so realistically you need to eat more than an average person SHOULD, who is not as physically active as you... just a reflection on eating habits in America, not your post.

I also am done buying stuff, for the most part. All I'm really buying anymore (for a couple of years now) is tires and brake pads, and occasionally a piece of clothing to replace a worn-out one. I'd guess that my total expenditure on all bike stuff combined is probably in the range of $1200, almost all in the first 2 years. Only really about $100 a year now, for various things like new batteries, tires, brake pads, gloves, etc. It'd be less but studded tires are expen$ive.

When you live in the car oriented suburbia, costs are somewhat irrelevant because you are rarely operating the very margin of what you can afford, cycling long distances is a hobby, and often cheap compared to many other suburban hobbies like boating and ATVing for example.

For the low income urban dweller though, costs of biking are low due to shorter distances required,and since they often don't own a car they already own the outdoor clothing necessary for pedestrianism(walking ), hence the cost is just a cheap bike. (u can pick up a used clunker bike and a cheap lock for less than 100 in Netherlands and that's all most Dutch for example have, most Dutch do not own specific "cycling" clothes)

I don't think I've bought anything I really needed for commuting since my first year, except of course replacing things like tires and brake pads that wear out. I still upgrade things here and there. Most recently I got a new fork to convert my Kona Jake to use a front disc brake. I'm contemplating a lighting upgrade next fall. I've bought a couple of new bikes this year, but they aren't for commuting.

So obviously there's a big disconnect between the first year cost of commuting and the ongoing cost of commuting.

Taking a guess at ongoing annual costs:

Tires: $150
Brake pads: $20
Cables: $30
Bar tape: $10
Chain: $30

These may be a little high, but I'm not counting things like cloithes, cassettes and chainrings that eventually wear out but not every year. It's probably less than $250 a year on average. I could obviously bring it down if I wanted to use cheaper tires or deal with sloppy shifting for longer.

I totally agree with you. I spent $1700 on a bike and easily another $500 on quality gear -- not counting the great eVent waterproof rain gear I bought (I do live in western Washington state afterall) that pushed it another $300-$400.

But the good news is that it's all paid for and apart from maintenance and new tires and a new chain (both about 1000 miles)... it's beautiful.

Bikes that are marketed as 'commuter bikes' are just that...marketing. As of today, I have ridden 2886 days to work since 1/1/88. I rode back and forth to school and work for several years before that but I have no records (pre-bicycle computers). 59% of all those rides have been on mountain bikes and 41% have been on road bikes. Not a single trip has been done on anything that resembles the 'commuter bike' that is marketed today because they have only been marketed for a few years now. I suspect that most commuting cyclists who have been doing this for any length of time (in the US) haven't used a 'commuter bike' because they are a recent offering. I suspect that most commuting cyclist have a bike they commute on. They may even call it a 'commuter bike'. Some of them may even resemble the bikes that are being marketed as 'commuter bikes' but most of commuting cyclist are going to a bike of many, many different models, varieties and disciplines.

Hitting 20 mph may not be a necessity for you. As a 'business professional', I hit speeds far in excess of 20mph all the time while commuting. I can hit 20 mph in the first hundred yards on the way home from the lab and often hit in excess of 40 mph by the time I reach the access gate which is about 1/2 mile away. If the wind is blowing, I can exceed 40 mph without even trying and maintain 30+ mph for a significant portion of the ride home. And I don't compete. I just like to go fast.

And there are times when 20+ mph is a necessity on my commutes. Crossing intersections and keeping up with traffic before the road pinches down is one such place. If I jump on the pedals, I can be up to 30 mph before the first block and I can control the flow of traffic around me so that they don't squeeze me up against the curb.

Commuting, like all bicycling, depends on the rider...not on any set rules.

I think that there's a tendency to find more poverty in cities but I know plenty of suburbanites, especially in these times, that are most definitely operating at the margins of what they can afford. Combine the recession with high gas prices and I'd say some suburbanites have been hit pretty hard are and are looking for ways to keep costs down.

This topic comes up frequently but it seems to come up more often when gas prices are high. For a lot of suburbanites, commuting by bike isn't a practical option, but for many it is. What probably isn't is easy as it is in the city is getting rid of a car altogether. So the insurance costs are still going to be there, as well as some of the gas costs.

My opinion is that you could get by pretty cheap by going the bike route if you wanted to. You aren't going to end up with the "best" possible bike, "best" possible lighting, or "best" possible clothing but that's OK. When I first started commuting regularly I used a 10 year old MTB and work clothes. Then I upgraded to a 20 year old road bike and athletic clothes that I already had.

I would suggest you check the Walmart bikes, they hold up better and
had better tires.

That's your opinion, and not what I've learned from my experiences with Wally bikes.

In the end waaaaay much cheaper than driving =P

So what you are saying about my comment is that I am overbearing and presumptive about others' commuting styles and you are the typical norm by which others compare themselves to insure normality?

I think it was a joke ( hope more than think)