Cost of bike commuting
#26
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Location: Treasure Coast, FL
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I bicycle commute to work twice a week out of five days-- the rest I drive. I could commute four days a week, but there are varied reasons I only commute two. When I decided to take this on, I purchased a Trek 520 touring bike to use for both purposes, as well as Ortlieb panniers, Brooks saddle, an extra light, mountain bike pedals and shoes and a cycling rain jacket and pants. I'm married, so I felt the need to justify all of these purchases to my wife. So prior to making the purchases, I figured out how much I would save on gas, oil changes, wear and tear of the car and the projected extension of the life of the car. With all of my new bicycle purchases, I figured out that those purchases would pay for themselves within two years if I commuted three times a week or about three years if I commuted twice a week. I even factored in the cost of new bike tires and other maintenance bike parts. I've been doing it now for almost five years, and I'm so glad I do it.
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#27
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: Kips Bay, NY
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In midtown NYC, I prefer to not own a car for many reasons; so cycling competes with walking, buses, and trains/subway. If walking is out due to distance, I much prefer to opt out of public transport and ride a bike. Luckily we have Citibike ride share at something like 175 a year and I find that to be a great value as it avoids more expensive wear and tear, and parking issues on my bikes.
Comparatively, a round trip to work and back on the dumpy subway is 2.75x2= 5.50 a day; 5.5x20= 110 a month. Sometimes I cannot ride to work due to attire, weather, or laziness, but basically two months of commuting by Citibike pays itself off for a year.
Comparatively, a round trip to work and back on the dumpy subway is 2.75x2= 5.50 a day; 5.5x20= 110 a month. Sometimes I cannot ride to work due to attire, weather, or laziness, but basically two months of commuting by Citibike pays itself off for a year.
#28
Senior Member
There are some big savings from not driving to work and back, especially in the winter. Bike commuting allowed me to keep the same car for 33 years. There are also direct savings. Reserved parking in my building is over $5,000 per year; non-reserved (hunt for a spot) is $3,500. Cycling is also the easiest way to get to work, so laziness also favors the bike.
Last edited by PaulH; 08-22-20 at 01:59 PM.
#29
I commuted for 15 years. I needed to keep a car regardless, so the major costs of depreciation, regular maintenance and insurance was fixed.
All-in, the bike cost me more than driving on a per-mile basis, due to the cost of the extra food/calories burned. On an energy-equivalent basis, gas is cheaper than sushi, and the auto, as heavy as it is, is more efficient at converting hydrocarbon fuels into forward momentum.
Plus I was constantly spending money on bike bling and upgrades. The crossover point is when my company started charging like $6 per day for underground parking, whereas previously it was free. That was when riding became cheaper.
All-in, the bike cost me more than driving on a per-mile basis, due to the cost of the extra food/calories burned. On an energy-equivalent basis, gas is cheaper than sushi, and the auto, as heavy as it is, is more efficient at converting hydrocarbon fuels into forward momentum.
Plus I was constantly spending money on bike bling and upgrades. The crossover point is when my company started charging like $6 per day for underground parking, whereas previously it was free. That was when riding became cheaper.
#30
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Highlands Ranch, CO
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Bikes: '13 Diamondback Hybrid Commuter, '17 Spec Roubaix Di2, '17 Spec Camber 29'er, '19 CDale Topstone Gravel
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I recall this sort of question was asked several years ago here on BF, and I recall creating a spreadsheet that showed that MY cost per mile (at the time with maybe 20,000 combined miles on my 3 bikes) was something like $0.13 per mile, and that included miles from commuting as well as for recreation, and included savings such as no longer needing a gym membership, and the gasoline savings and lack of oil changes from commuting. But I need to revisit that spreadsheet since I picked up MTB, which involved an N+1, and some mtb specific tools and clothing, and some expensive repairs that come with the mtb crashes, and violent wear and tear.
#31
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Location: Alpharetta, GA
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So I'd say that your conclusion still has merit. One broken bone from a commuting accident will change that calculation though
#32
When I started commuting by bike and left my car at home, the savings on fuel and parking, covered the cost of the new bike in a year. Right now I do not even care for "the savings", because I ride better and more expensive bikes just for the joy of cycling. But if I had to justify what I spend on bikes, time savings is something that has a lot of value for me, I might be saving 1 hour of my day vs car commuting, plus 1 hour less at the gym doing some type of cardio. That is 2 extra hours a day I get to do something else.
#33
Senior Member
I'm spending way too much money on getting the bike out-fitted just the way I like. I've added a mid-drive eBike kit, which has made commuting regularly possible. I can do the 11mi in about 40min, which is only about 10min longer than the car took. I'm still debating if I want to upgrade the brakes to the new 4 piston Deore, my current hydraulics like to squeal.
So yes, I'm spending way too much money. On the other hand, it's MUCH MUCH MUCH cheaper than buying a second car would be, particularly since that car would be a Tesla.
So yes, I'm spending way too much money. On the other hand, it's MUCH MUCH MUCH cheaper than buying a second car would be, particularly since that car would be a Tesla.
#34
Member
I'm in NYC and so the comparison for me is also with transit. The difference is that you also need to factor in that you'll probably get a bike stolen every now and again if you're here. I'm averaging a bike every 4 years, and my bikes have generally cost around $400 or so. That, plus sometimes you just go through a period of a ton of flats. Between my wife and I, I think we must have spent over $100 on tubes over the last few months and that's with barely leaving the house!
#35
Bike commuting makes me happy and is a form of stress relieve during the pandemic. I also get to be maskless on my bike just to piss the fear mongers off. My commute is 14 miles each way and not having to gas up every 2 weeks or so has made the wife and pocketbook happier. With Winter coming up, I may not be able to bike commute as much depending on how bad it's going to be but I will do my best to stay on the trails.
#36
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpharetta, GA
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Ironically in those lower temps you'll likely wear a balaclava or other face covering and a mask would be to your advantage. As for the mask just put it on when you're off the bike and near other people. Hardly anyone cares if you have one while riding.
#37
Junior Member
Many years ago, when I was just starting my professional career, I lived close enough to work to walk there in half an hour. After walking to work and home for several months a pair of shoes needed new heels and soles. It cost $36.00. That weekend I went to a flea market, bought a black, large frame, woman's Raleigh equipped with Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub for $25. $10 got me two new tires and $6 a smaller rear cog. I rode the bike to work most days for the next two years. At that point I changed jobs and cycle commuting became impractical. I continued to ride the bike on occasional week ends. A couple of years later I felt flush enough to buy a real ten speed with front and rear derailleurs, drop bars and skinny tires. I sold the Raleigh for $50 --- a profit of $9.
I concluded from that experience that it was cheaper to commute by bike than walk, The same numbers certainly would not work today, but I wonder if my conclusion is still true,
I concluded from that experience that it was cheaper to commute by bike than walk, The same numbers certainly would not work today, but I wonder if my conclusion is still true,
Kudos to you for bike commuting very efficiently/cheaply.