You'd better drive
#26
Jacob Lighter
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This sounds like pro-car propaganda. These kinds of articles are the reason people look at me like I'M the one doing something wrong when commuting on my bike and "getting in the way" of people with "real transportation".
#27
aka Phil Jungels
I can't believe they are talking about driving ONE MILE to work.......................................
#29
Prefers Cicero
#30
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https://www.nbcnews.com/business/us-a...igh-8C11118216
The average new car now gets a combined 24.9 mpg, which is a record. Five years ago it was 20.8 mpg. These numbers include a mixture of city and highway driving, so the city numbers are lower. Considering that the average age of the US fleet is a record 11.4 years old, the average mileage for US cars is even lower than that (haven't found that statistic yet). Even if everything else about the walking vs. driving analysis is correct (which probably isn't true), it is simply irrelevant in the real world. Unfortunately, there are probably thousands of readers who didn't look past the headline and the Hummer photo. They're now telling all their friends that walking is bad for the environment.
Edit: I just went back and looked at the comments. A small part of my faith in humanity has been restored.
Last edited by Spld cyclist; 11-08-13 at 06:44 PM.
#31
In the right lane
The author of the article has written previous "scholarly" articles on the price of popcorn in movie theaters and selling human organs to the highest bidder. I'm not impressed.
#33
Sophomoric Member
#34
Just a person on bike
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How fast (or slow) do you need to ride in order to consume 40 calories per mile? Unlike walking, I'd suspect your riding speed affects the calorie consumption due to the varying wind resistance.
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The value of your life doesn't change based on the way you travel. - Dawn Schellenberg (SDOT)
The value of your life doesn't change based on the way you travel. - Dawn Schellenberg (SDOT)
#35
Sophomoric Member
Wind resistance shouldn't make too much practical difference, considering that the range of speeds is fairly small in real world conditions. In stop-and-go city traffic, for example, I average 11 mph on a slow ride, and 14 mph on a fast ride. That 3 mph difference doesn't affect wind resistance very much.
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"Think Outside the Cage"
#42
Senior Member
I still think it's funny when people think biking to work is cheaper than driving.
My car is 30 mpg
My bike is 30 miles per 1200 calories
Assume 180 miles per week = 780 miles per month commute + leisure.
Gas for car = 28*3.65 = $102
Insurance for car = $50
$5000 car lasting 5 years with $2000 repairs = $117/month
Fuel for bike = 28*1200 = 33,600 calories * $8/1000 calories ~= $270
$1000 bike for 5 years with $2500 in tires/tubes/chains/repairs = $58/month
Car: $269/month
Bike: $328/month
And that's assuming you don't even own a car.
My car is 30 mpg
My bike is 30 miles per 1200 calories
Assume 180 miles per week = 780 miles per month commute + leisure.
Gas for car = 28*3.65 = $102
Insurance for car = $50
$5000 car lasting 5 years with $2000 repairs = $117/month
Fuel for bike = 28*1200 = 33,600 calories * $8/1000 calories ~= $270
$1000 bike for 5 years with $2500 in tires/tubes/chains/repairs = $58/month
Car: $269/month
Bike: $328/month
And that's assuming you don't even own a car.
#43
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Utility bicycling can be done quite inexpensively if one chooses to do so. But clearly one can also make bicycling very expensive on a per-mile basis, especially if it is approached as a hobby in addition to a means of basic transportation.
#44
Prefers Cicero
I still think it's funny when people think biking to work is cheaper than driving.
My car is 30 mpg
My bike is 30 miles per 1200 calories
Assume 180 miles per week = 780 miles per month commute + leisure.
Gas for car = 28*3.65 = $102
Insurance for car = $50
$5000 car lasting 5 years with $2000 repairs = $117/month
Fuel for bike = 28*1200 = 33,600 calories * $8/1000 calories ~= $270
$1000 bike for 5 years with $2500 in tires/tubes/chains/repairs = $58/month
Car: $269/month
Bike: $328/month
And that's assuming you don't even own a car.
My car is 30 mpg
My bike is 30 miles per 1200 calories
Assume 180 miles per week = 780 miles per month commute + leisure.
Gas for car = 28*3.65 = $102
Insurance for car = $50
$5000 car lasting 5 years with $2000 repairs = $117/month
Fuel for bike = 28*1200 = 33,600 calories * $8/1000 calories ~= $270
$1000 bike for 5 years with $2500 in tires/tubes/chains/repairs = $58/month
Car: $269/month
Bike: $328/month
And that's assuming you don't even own a car.
#45
Sophomoric Member
I still think it's funny when people think biking to work is cheaper than driving.
My car is 30 mpg
My bike is 30 miles per 1200 calories
Assume 180 miles per week = 780 miles per month commute + leisure.
Gas for car = 28*3.65 = $102
Insurance for car = $50
$5000 car lasting 5 years with $2000 repairs = $117/month
Fuel for bike = 28*1200 = 33,600 calories * $8/1000 calories ~= $270
$1000 bike for 5 years with $2500 in tires/tubes/chains/repairs = $58/month
Car: $269/month
Bike: $328/month
And that's assuming you don't even own a car.
My car is 30 mpg
My bike is 30 miles per 1200 calories
Assume 180 miles per week = 780 miles per month commute + leisure.
Gas for car = 28*3.65 = $102
Insurance for car = $50
$5000 car lasting 5 years with $2000 repairs = $117/month
Fuel for bike = 28*1200 = 33,600 calories * $8/1000 calories ~= $270
$1000 bike for 5 years with $2500 in tires/tubes/chains/repairs = $58/month
Car: $269/month
Bike: $328/month
And that's assuming you don't even own a car.
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"Think Outside the Cage"
#46
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To be honest, the calculation is rough and varies somewhat due to numerous factors. But speed doesn't have a big effect on per mile calorie consumption, in my estimation. If you ride faster, you will burn more calories per minute, but also ride fewer minutes per mile.
Wind resistance shouldn't make too much practical difference, considering that the range of speeds is fairly small in real world conditions. In stop-and-go city traffic, for example, I average 11 mph on a slow ride, and 14 mph on a fast ride. That 3 mph difference doesn't affect wind resistance very much.
Wind resistance shouldn't make too much practical difference, considering that the range of speeds is fairly small in real world conditions. In stop-and-go city traffic, for example, I average 11 mph on a slow ride, and 14 mph on a fast ride. That 3 mph difference doesn't affect wind resistance very much.
#47
Sophomoric Member
I think it's interesting that cycling takes roughly 40 calories per mile but it's 90 for walking. At the same time, you're going four or five times faster on the bike. It's an amazingly efficient machine...
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"Think Outside the Cage"
#48
Been Around Awhile
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Each F1 engine on the Saturn V rocket (it had 5) burned 3+ tons of fuel/second at liftoff and it wasn't going very fast or accelerating much for those first 10 seconds or so. It was all about the energy required getting that heavy load off the ground.
See this video for some Real fuel burning action:
This video shows that the Saturn V wasn't going very fast at 10 seconds even after 150 tons of fuel were burned; however once it got going, it was REALLY going.
Last edited by I-Like-To-Bike; 11-18-13 at 11:48 PM.
#49
Senior Member
Most commuting to work is less than 36 miles a day - probably half that - and presumably the car commuter is still going to do either leisure cycling or some other exercise, so you should only count the calories while actually commuting. Also you have bought a fairly expensive bike and a pretty cheap car. And I certainly don't spend $500/year on bike maintenance.
#50
Senior Member
Haha wow, are you angry about it? I haven't seen anyone point it out before, but I often see people state the opposite. It's just the facts. Worth the extra cost and all the exersice and fun? Yep. Cheaper? Not necessarily.