I'm saving about $100 in gas every month and spending about $300 every month on bike stuff. LOL.

Like most things..you just have to prioritize what you spend your money on.

I spent good money on a quality lock, pump/mini-pump, multi-tool. I learned how basic maintenance + how to change a flat.

Also, I'd recommend a quality bike after you've ridden a few cheap ones..It's very easy to spend <$100 on an 80's-early 90's mountain bike (in fact I bought one for $40 yesterday w/ rack+basket) and commute on that. Even if you spend another $100 for new tires/tubes + tune-up..that's a great commuting bike for under $200..Any quality accessories you get should be transferable to any future bikes..so the cost should be negligible over time.

If later it turns out you think you'd like to tour or do brevets or race..you can buy a nice quality bike specific to that..transfer most of the accessories..(even sell that mtb; although i'd keep it).

You can spend a fortune on most anything..for example: a flat can be fixed with a patch kit (<$1) or a new tube (<$5). If your tires are worn..i suspect that you've done enough riding to have "earned" a nice new pair of tires.

I bought one of those child seats for the bike..paid $110 for it...in hindsight i should have bought one used since they are plentiful and usually in very good condition--(at least here in nyc)..When my daughter had outgrown it...I took the opportunity to sell it + my first bike (used hybrid $140)..for about $160. Overall, i spent +$90..rode the hybrid +1500 miles, lost about 10#, my kid enjoyed countless rides to the park and beach AND..in the meantime I learned that I preferred being on a road bike. That seems like a steal for under $100.

I've had my last road bike for 2000+ miles. ($100 mid-80's vintage japanese bike) ..I've since bought a child seat..used $40..and my daughter and son will get plenty out of it.

If we're just talking about commuting only (as this is the Commuting Forum) I ride 16 mi. round-trip each day plus ride the Los Angeles Metro for 22 mi. each day (gets me over the dangerous parts of the city) at a cost of $3.00 per day (TAP card). If I drive my car, a 1st generation Honda Insight (65-70 mpg) it costs me about $3.00 in gas per day, so it's pretty even, daily expense wise.

Of course this doesn't figure in the other costs of owning the car (or bike) but since I am (in addition to bicycle commuting) a recreational cyclist, and since many of the rides I do start many miles from home, I also use the car to get to ride starts. So, big picture, I'm happy to have a car as well as my bike. It wouldn't be easy for me to give up the car since that would also mean giving up a lot of other cycling opportunities (mostly centuries and double-centuries).

The big benefits to me are the joy of cycling itself, keeping myself in better shape for longer rides and staying out of the horrible LA freeway traffic. The only downside is that my position on my commuting bike (DaHon folder) isn't as good as on my road (or mountain) bikes, but being able to fold it small is a wonderful benefit on the Metro train.

Rick / OCRR

i don't own a car, so if i don't ride my bike to work, my only other realistic alternative is to ride the train (i live 15 miles away from work so walking ain't a practical option). a round-trip train fare for my commute route is $7.80. so everyday that i ride instead of taking the train, that's nearly 8 bucks that stays in my wallet. day after day week after week, month after month, year after year, that 8 bucks/day adds up. if i bike commute 200 days a year (conservative), that's $1,600 saved.

now, bike crap, new tires, tubes, chains, cassettes etc. does cost money too, but it don't come close to totaling $1,600/year.

the above doesn't even get into the fact that my bicycle-centric lifestyle has allowed me to forgo the TREMENDOUS costs of car ownership altogether!

so yes, bike commuting absolutely saves me money, but as others have mentioned, money is not my prime motivator.

99% of the reason why i commute by bike is because it's SO! DAMN! FUN!

life is meant to be lived, and bike commuting helps me live.

Wow guys well thought answers!

From the answers I can see that the main point budget oriented is pushing it past the first year. To me, the difficult part is finding out if I really needed something or I bought it because it's cool. Of course, the bike I chose fits in the second category, but at the same time it covers the first. I read somewhere here in the forum that the perfect bike for you is the one that makes you want to ride everyday, as this one does.
So thank you for showing me that this is the right path, I love to hear this from seasoned riders (as I said, this is my first 'serious' season).

I think bicycle commuting is quite a bit cheaper for those who can go without (or reduce the number of) car ownership. For my wife and I, we need a second vehicle often enough that I keep it around which means I'm still paying maintenance and insurance, plus I had to buy the thing initially. Riding my bike to work reduces the amount of maintenance I do and gas for this vehicle, but it's still an expense. So for me the answer is "yes it is cheaper but not by as much as one would think."

When I first started commuting we owned three vehicles plus a motorcycle. I was able to give up one of the cars (against my wife's protests) so by eliminating that entire vehicle from our stable I saw a reduction of expenses at that time.

There are a lot of up-front costs when you start bike commuting -- a bike, helmet, cycling clothes, shoes, lights, racks, etc. However, you are saving money on gas and car maintenance costs on a daily basis. Over time, you should save a lot of money bike commuting, assuming you don't turn around and immediately spend those savings on more bike gear. Fortunately most bike equipment lasts a long time.

the real savings and value comes from an increased ability in self reliance, and reduced cost in money vs calories.

Hope you still find the time for the GIXXER on weekends!
Looks great!


Comparison isn't that straight forward for most people I know. You do need a car per household. One. So comparing price of car vs bike is no issue for me. There has to be a car. Car registration and maintenance are done even when small mileage is driven. Oil needs annual change, whether you drive 5 or 55 thousand kilomtetres.

Only real difference is petrol. Going to and from work by car costs some 50 euros per month for me. Doing the same thing by bike costs about less than 10 euros per month, while being healthy, fun at the same time.

The bottom line is I LOVE RIDING BICYCLE. Everything else is just rationalizating bollox.

but what if bike commuting allows a former two car household to become a one car household? there are SERIOUS stacks of cash that can be saved in that equation.

in my case, my fiance and i will be married next summer. going forward from there we will be a one car household because i will continue to commute by bike and she'll keep her car. if we intended to own and maintain separate automobiles for each of us, our budget planning would look very different.

Obviously you're not going to begin saving money the instant you start bicycle commuting. As you learned, there is a long process of buying all the right **** that you need for your ride. You really won't begin saving money until you dump your vehicle, as you're still making payments, insurance, maintenance.

It also helps if you have a longer commute, as you will save more on gas.

This is what my wife and I did a month ago. Although the insurance savings haven't been substantial ($160/6 months), the car we sold was the older one, and was in need of some maintenance very soon.

Absolutely. It took a while to get out of the driving mindset, but once I got in the zen state of mind on the bike, life's been good.

Yes, good point. In my country, one car has been a standard. One car, one house. Not many women drive and not many households have several cars. People always travel together (husband drives kids and wife to work/school, then himself). But if you put it that way, definitely: bike saves even more money.

My woman drives to work, while I commute by bike. If I didn't go by bike, I'd use a direct bus route (for some 45 euros per month) instead of getting another car.... I already have 3 bikes and 2 motorcycles. O

Or even trade vehicles less often. Cars depreciate and wear out with every mile you put on them.
I can't imagine not halving a pickup, but I have no problem keeping an old low mileage one around.

I highly doubt I've saved any money by commuting. I've spent a lot of money on bike stuff, and my driving costs are pretty low (car was cheap, paid off, doesn't require much maintenance) due to the short commute. Oh well, at least I enjoy it.

I also don't think I really save anything. I do it for the fun and the challenge. It's a 17 mile ride in one way. I get up at 5:30, and I'm rolling somewhere between 6am and 6:30, takes me 55 minutes to get to the office with stoplights, traffic, etc.

My alternative ride is my Suzuki V-Strom 650. Gets 50mpg, costs $200 a year to insure, tires last 10K miles, chains last 20K... it's probably about even with the bicycle.

What kills the savings is buying stuff. I enjoy gear that works well, so even though I have a nice "900 lumen" light, I'm still reeeaaally trying to resist getting the updated Philips Saferide light when it comes out for 2013. Stuff like that (nice Planet Bike winter gloves for $35 that work really well, PB toe covers, knee warmers, etc). That has slowed down a lot though once I buy something I'm satisfied with, so maybe that's just a bigger initial commuting cost. Cycling has always been my passion, I'm 31 now and I've been really cycling since I was 14, so it's not a fad for me. That's one way I justify it. At this point I don't care if it "costs" me a little more, too, because I arrive at the office energized, and I get home in a good mood 95% of the time. A big part of that is being slower than the rest of traffic... things that would get me fired up and angry on the motorcycle when others drive like idiots would always put a damper on my day. Now? If I get angry, I pedal harder for a bit, might swear a little... but it melts away. It's a great feeling, hard to put a price on that.

https://yehudamoon.com/20080204/

I think in most cases it's a resounding yes, but there are exceptions noted above.
If you have a relatively short commute, drive a paid-for beater with no repair issues, or a motorcycle, it seems the cost savings are about a wash with a reasonable amount of good riding gear. But these are hard costs.
For us older folks, the savings on health related issues are incalculable.

I posted into a similar thread about a year ago and no one followed my logic and I doubt anyone will this time but here goes.

I love bike riding and the pure joy and good that comes out of it. It IMHO is imposable to put a price on it as most do saying it saves a gym membership or bike cost vs car cost. I would have a bike commute or not and almost all people still need at least one car.

When you love something there is a bias to justify it. I live 18 miles from work and I could commute and sometimes do. Its 36 miles both way and I know some that alternate riding and driving the other direction. The number no one looks at is (Time) I’m not a fast rider and my car commute thru the city is 30 minutes each way 5 hours a week. Biking will add at least 1 hour each way or 10 hours a week x 52 or 520 hours a year. If I value my time at even $10 an hour that comes out to a big number also of $5200. So given say the opportunity to work overtime I should drive to work waste some gas save some time make 10 times more money than I spent and then use a little of that money on the weekend take me and my bike out of town on the weekend in the car and ride a beautiful path all day not dodging pot holes and cars in the dark. Take the rest of the money / time I made and put it away for the N+1.

Everyone can justify however they want but for me the benefits are not something I can put a price on.

We recently became a one car household... I went 5 years without a car and my wife has gone over 10.

The car gets used sparingly and cost me very little aside from registration and insurance, as such I have no car payments to make. We use it for long road trips and it is also dad's taxi although our primary mode of transportation is transit, walking and cycling.

Without a car I was riding 10,000 km a year which was similar to how much I drove... driving that far would cost me about $1000.00 for fuel with my current car and current fuel prices.

The benefits of cycling have little to do with how much money one saves.

that is a sweeping generalization. perhaps it's true IN YOUR SITUATION, but not everyone shares your situation.



for me, my bike-centric lifestyle allows me to forgo the costs of car ownership altogether. were i to own a car and use it to commute, i would:

A) Need to acquire one. let's say i find a used car for $5,000, so let's say ~$415/month spread out over the first year of ownership.

B) Register it with city and state. that breaks down to $15/month

C) Insure myself as a driver, liability only (state law). we can estimate that at about $100/month

D) Obtain a parking spot in my condo building. that goes for $250/month

E) Obtain a parking spot at my office. that goes for $80/month

F) Purchase gasoline for 30 miles/day of commuting, 20 days/month. that comes to about $85/month (600 miles/25mpg = 24 gallons x $3.50 = ~$85)


that comes to $945/month for my first year of hypothetical car commuting, and $530/month for subsequent years, provided that the car never requires any maintenance (for a used car, LOL!). maybe you're stupid loaded, but $945/month is not chump change to me, that's real money. hell, $530/month is very real money to me too.

so for some situations, the benefits of cycling can have something to do with how much money one saves.

Decent used Peugeot 106: 1400 euros.
Yearly service: about 100 euros.
Fuel: 50 euros/month.
Parking: free.
Registration and insurance: 150 euros/year


So for me it's about 70 euros per month, if you add car costs, per say 5 years, it's about 100 euros per month. My commute is about 11 km one way.


The last car my family used was a 1990 Yugo 55. It lasted until 2010. Then my mom bought a Fiat Punto 1.1. New. Cost 150 euros per month for 3 years + 2000 euros in advance cash. Should last my mom next 20 years probably. About 5000 kilometres per year.

In business we call that a cost avoidance. Following the logic say on fuel savings the greater the distance you live from work the more money one would save. So if you live too close to work you may have a harder time cost justifying. The solution is to move farther away from work to get a greater savings.

If a guy is saving say $1000 per month by commuting and not having a car. He likes his home his wife works near home and his kids love the school system there. His company offers him new job in the location the other side of town being a distance that is impractical to commute by bike but he could easily drive in his commuting time now. The new job pays $2000 more per month. Should he buy a car and bike ride when he gets home?

Yes everyone has their own method of calculating it. For those that are 100% car free. I haven’t seen any mention of if a few times a year you have to rent a car for a vacation or anything like that. How do you handle the emergency days. If you sprain an ankle or something, super bad weather? Where I live we can wake up to 4 feet of snow on the ground at any time now.

The health benefits have some financial value.

Living close to our jobs (enabling commuting by bike to be a viable option) has a cost. We could "save money" by living out in the exurbs, but time is money too, and sitting in traffic sucks. As it is we are able to stick to being a one car household and eliminate all of the associated expenses of a second vehicle.

We're home sooner and able to spend more time together. Being home soon also means more time available to cook a healthy dinner (which I do).

There are a lot of hidden benefits when you really look into it.

Yes, you can certainly spend a great deal of money on commuter gear but most of it isn't strictly necessary. I'm ok with the line being a little blurry between "want" and "need".