Five Years of Folding Commute!
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Five Years of Folding Commute!
Today is the 5 year anniversary! Feb 28, 2007 through Feb 28, 2012. I thought I'd post my stats:
795 round trips of Folding Bike + Amtrak commute (Center City Philadelphia to Malvern, PA)
6,758 MILES BIKED (8.5 miles / round trip)
270,300 Calories Burned (That’s 77 Pounds of Fat)
47.4 Vertical Miles climbed up Cedar Hollow Road (Paoli, PA) (315 ft hill in 1/2 mile)
42,135 Miles NOT driven
1,685 Gallons of Gas NOT burned (@25mpg)
Total Bike Expenses $1462
Bike cost per trip $1.84
Bike cost per mile $0.22
Approx. $4200 saved overall vs. driving (including bike costs, train tickets, car insurance savings, extra food costs, car driving avoiding savings etc.)
Bike #1: Downtube NS total overall expenses $696, lasted 422 round trips (3587 miles / 3 years) then the seatpost cracked.
Bike #2: Downtube 8H total expenses to date $766, 373 round trips (3170 miles / 2 years) and going strong.
795 round trips of Folding Bike + Amtrak commute (Center City Philadelphia to Malvern, PA)
6,758 MILES BIKED (8.5 miles / round trip)
270,300 Calories Burned (That’s 77 Pounds of Fat)
47.4 Vertical Miles climbed up Cedar Hollow Road (Paoli, PA) (315 ft hill in 1/2 mile)
42,135 Miles NOT driven
1,685 Gallons of Gas NOT burned (@25mpg)
Total Bike Expenses $1462
Bike cost per trip $1.84
Bike cost per mile $0.22
Approx. $4200 saved overall vs. driving (including bike costs, train tickets, car insurance savings, extra food costs, car driving avoiding savings etc.)
Bike #1: Downtube NS total overall expenses $696, lasted 422 round trips (3587 miles / 3 years) then the seatpost cracked.
Bike #2: Downtube 8H total expenses to date $766, 373 round trips (3170 miles / 2 years) and going strong.
#2
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Man that is so cool! I'm proud when I make it just a week. Here's to keeping it up.
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I don't but I guess I could take one. It's not very exciting.
Changes from stock:
42T front chainring for lower gearing
Planet bike fenders (ordered from the Xootr store) for fuller coverage.
Hub is newer XRF8[W] due to the original breaking in a crash 1 month into ownership.
Marathon tires
Changes from stock:
42T front chainring for lower gearing
Planet bike fenders (ordered from the Xootr store) for fuller coverage.
Hub is newer XRF8[W] due to the original breaking in a crash 1 month into ownership.
Marathon tires
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Good job!
On the financial side, if your calculations are correct and you save only $70/month over using a car it suggests that the bike-only lifestyle is not as cheap as some think. Yet another Freakonomics effect.
On the financial side, if your calculations are correct and you save only $70/month over using a car it suggests that the bike-only lifestyle is not as cheap as some think. Yet another Freakonomics effect.
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Did not mean to imply that I am car-free. I have a car, and I put 4,000 miles / year on it now, primarily weekend trips. I end up driving to work maybe once per month on average.
A large portion of the non-savings from commuting is the $9/day Amtrak ticket. I'm not in it for the money, I'm in it for the exercise, lack of stress, and predictability compared to the traffic nightmare that is I-76 outside of Philly.
A large portion of the non-savings from commuting is the $9/day Amtrak ticket. I'm not in it for the money, I'm in it for the exercise, lack of stress, and predictability compared to the traffic nightmare that is I-76 outside of Philly.
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Yes, I realized that. Biking is good for you. I wish I would bike as much. ;-)
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I know factually that I am saving $360 / year on my insurance based on driving <5000 miles 'pleasure only' versus 12000 miles including commuting.
#9
Part-time epistemologist
We enjoy a similar discount.
__________________
A narrative on bicycle driving.
A narrative on bicycle driving.
#10
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Congrats on making it 5 years! That's determination and commitment! Most of us could learn a thing or two from you...
When I'm commuting, I think of it in terms of efficiency as well. I work out nearly daily, and when I commute, I can get a 1hr 10 min workout in (that's round trip) at the cost of 40 minutes (it would take me 30 minutes RT to drive).
When I'm commuting, I think of it in terms of efficiency as well. I work out nearly daily, and when I commute, I can get a 1hr 10 min workout in (that's round trip) at the cost of 40 minutes (it would take me 30 minutes RT to drive).
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Congrats on making it 5 years! That's determination and commitment! Most of us could learn a thing or two from you...
When I'm commuting, I think of it in terms of efficiency as well. I work out nearly daily, and when I commute, I can get a 1hr 10 min workout in (that's round trip) at the cost of 40 minutes (it would take me 30 minutes RT to drive).
When I'm commuting, I think of it in terms of efficiency as well. I work out nearly daily, and when I commute, I can get a 1hr 10 min workout in (that's round trip) at the cost of 40 minutes (it would take me 30 minutes RT to drive).
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here's a neat bike to car cost/saving calculation:
https://secure40.securewebsession.co...tor/index.html
this may be true if you bike the whole stretch of your commute. in my case if i bike the whole 120 miles round trip, i will be saving almost $10,000 dollars. and i will have burned 1,032,610 calories a year. WOW. i wish i could bike 120 miles roundtrip......ha, ha, ha..
https://secure40.securewebsession.co...tor/index.html
this may be true if you bike the whole stretch of your commute. in my case if i bike the whole 120 miles round trip, i will be saving almost $10,000 dollars. and i will have burned 1,032,610 calories a year. WOW. i wish i could bike 120 miles roundtrip......ha, ha, ha..
Last edited by vmaniqui; 02-29-12 at 08:46 PM.
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can we put a dollar amount on being in good health because of daily cycling
the impact of cycling is beyond money
the impact of cycling is beyond money
#18
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Even without reducing the auto insurance, the reduction in depreciation on my car (fewer miles versus the purchase cost, plus gas) comes out to a good chunk -- I ride between 60 and 200 miles a week, but once I did some math I realized: wow, I should have bought a MUCH more expensive bike
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Even without reducing the auto insurance, the reduction in depreciation on my car (fewer miles versus the purchase cost, plus gas) comes out to a good chunk -- I ride between 60 and 200 miles a week, but once I did some math I realized: wow, I should have bought a MUCH more expensive bike