How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
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How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby BriBri » Mon Mar 01, 2010 7:03 pm
it's just gone a year since I started riding to work and I decided to work out how much money I'd saved by doing so.
Commuting distance: 22km - 220 per week
Money I didn't spend this year:
Fuel: $2000 (35l per week at $1.20L - it's further to drive than to ride)
Parking: $350 (per year for parking permit)
Tyres: ~$200
Servicing: $400
+ given that I'd have to buy a car if I drove
Repayments: $5000 (~$100 per week)
Rego: $500
Insurance: $800
Total money I haven't spend: $2950 ($9250 if I bought a car)
Money I have spent:
Bike: $1100
Accessories: $200
Clothes: $100
Tyres, tubes etc: ~$100
Total spent : $1500
Total that I've saved: at least $1450 (or $7800)
Plus I now weigh 10 kg less than I did a year ago.
Makes flying passed a whole heap of drivers in a traffic jam even sweeter knowing that you can basically go on holidays for free compared to them.
So how much extra cash do you have in your pocket?
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby Max » Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:05 pm
I haven't been commuting long enough to make a full comparison. I'm using my Prolog cycling spreadsheet to record my expenses this year. Ask me next year how much I saved
In saying that, I have basically halved my fuel expenses. That saves me around $30 a week. Plus, I don't get road rage when I ride. So I guess you could say that if biking to work saved anything, it's my sanity.
Max
Cycling is sometimes like bobbing for apples in a bucket full of dicks. - SydGuy
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby twizzle » Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:15 pm
I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper if I only commuted.
...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby ve safari » Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:39 pm
For one to conquer oneself is the first and noblest of all victories!
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby FXST01 » Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:42 pm
So I use the ULP saving amount because it's more
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby rkelsen » Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:57 pm
Parking - $240/month (hospitals! )
Rego - $520/year
Insurance - $550/year
Servicing - $500/year (2 x $250)
Tyres - $1200 every 3 years
Washing - $25/month
So that's $773 per month that a car would cost me.
At this rate, I've spent less than 2 months' worth of driving on my bicycle ($1,365.00). I've been riding every day for the past 4 months, missing only about 10 days in that time (on which I PT'd it at approx $6/day).
So, in 4 months: Bike $1,365 + PT tickets $60 = $1,425
versus
$3,092 I would've spent if I were driving.
Long story short = $1,667 saved (so far!) by cycling (and 12kg lost!)
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby Mulger bill » Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:17 pm
+1 Infinity-1Max wrote:Plus, I don't get road rage when I ride. So I guess you could say that if biking to work saved anything, it's my sanity.
Max
It's not the financial cost of pouring smoke into the sky while travelling slowly that gets the bike outta the shed.
I hate driving in peak hour.
Shaun
London Boy 29/12/2011
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby casual_cyclist » Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:53 pm
I don't have time to drive, it would take too long. Even if I did, parking is more than $10 per day in the city, so waaaay to expensive.Mulger bill wrote:+1 Infinity-1Max wrote:Plus, I don't get road rage when I ride. So I guess you could say that if biking to work saved anything, it's my sanity.
Max
It's not the financial cost of pouring smoke into the sky while travelling slowly that gets the bike outta the shed.
I hate driving in peak hour.
Shaun
Train is $1400 or so a year. I could have saved that - tyres but decided I "needed" a new bike
It was less than $1,100 delivered though, so I am still ahead from that point of view. What value do you put on the enjoyment of riding?
Now, if only I had not bought those shiny new hubs, rims, tyres, derailleurs, wheels, rim tape...
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby rearviewmirror » Tue Mar 02, 2010 3:52 pm
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby Fletcher » Wed Mar 03, 2010 9:19 am
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby 318ute » Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:47 pm
Riding early morning has added benefits of getting to work wide awake, and as I leave home around 5.45am I have little traffic to worry about, which is a bonus as when I was driving in traffic I was a very angry most of the time.
I am reaching the point where I am thinking of selling off my car and relying on my wifes car if I need to drive somewhere, purely because my car costs $$ sitting in the driveway 5 days a week...
We don't even need to worry about the health benefits provided we don't have an accident.
Now it's not all beer and skittles, I started with one bike now have three and do see a forth forming in my mind, along with associated spare parts etc etc etc....
Merida 905, Giant Xtc2, Trek 3900
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby Cranky Jim » Sun Mar 07, 2010 11:28 pm
The RACV estimates that the cost of running a car over a 5 year - 75,000km period is at least $10k a year, at least $200 a week.
"The calculations include the cost of financing the vehicle, depreciation, scheduled services, registration, insurance, fuel, tyres, etc. The calculations are provided as a guide to the cost of owning and operating a vehicle over a five year, 75,000 km (15,000 km per year) period."
Depreciation is an often neglected factor in these discussions. A $38k Commodore Omega will be worth $10k in five years time. A $42k Ford Territory will be $14k and a $73 Toyota Landcruiser will be worth $32k.
The damn thing costs you money just sitting there.
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby 318ute » Mon Mar 08, 2010 8:30 am
I have not been game to sit and write down the true cost of a six cylinder motor car sitting in my driveway.
The figures from the RACV are much the same as the local RAA here in SA, and it's a little scary as you have noted, it explains where the $$ go..
My thought of selling the car comes from a fellow commuter I ride into work with and of course we chat, and he told me he sold his car off a few years ago and never looked back. (he has 5 bikes now)
Now my thoughts of selling the car are helped greatly knowing full well I would like a carbon roadie and a dual suspension mtb at some stage.
Merida 905, Giant Xtc2, Trek 3900
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby BrownOnionThighs » Thu Mar 11, 2010 6:07 am
So as far as cash goes that's ~ $12 per week (concession tickets, 4 days a week) * 48 weeks =~ $570 a year. (I still have a car for other stuff so I can't claim to be saving rego etc.)
My bike's just a cheapie which I keep running with the minimal maintenance so I'm easily coming out ahead financially.
For me, the real benefit is the avoidance of public transport and the exercise that I enjoy the most. My ride takes about 1 hr each day and doing the same by PT would take well over 2 1/2 hrs (that's trams in Melbourne). Also, if I wasn't riding I would be running or something for exercise so I reckon I'm saving the whole 2 1/2 hours per week. So I'm spending 480 hours = 20 whole days more with my family each year thanks to riding. Screw money, the time's a massive saving for me.
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby gdt » Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:58 pm
But then I consider that I've lost weight, and how much that would have cost in money and time at a gym.
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby sogood » Thu Mar 11, 2010 4:08 pm
Unless cycling takes no energy and commuters enjoys sweaty bodies, the cost of additional food/drinks, showers and laundries need to be included in the calculation. I am sure there'll still be a significant savings, but it's a question of what works for the individual.
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby casual_cyclist » Thu Mar 11, 2010 4:31 pm
>> cost of additional food/drinkssogood wrote:Inadequate analyses.
Unless cycling takes no energy and commuters enjoys sweaty bodies, the cost of additional food/drinks, showers and laundries need to be included in the calculation. I am sure there'll still be a significant savings, but it's a question of what works for the individual.
not relevant if you are trying to lose weight (I am)
>> showers
work pays for mine so from that point of view I am better off than showering at home
>> laundries
I do one load of cycling clothes per week so that is an extra cost
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby familyguy » Thu Mar 11, 2010 4:33 pm
It saves my sanity.sogood wrote:Inadequate analyses.
Caught a Sydney bus lately?sogood wrote:...and commuters enjoys sweaty bodies
Jim
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby BriBri » Thu Mar 11, 2010 6:04 pm
Last time I checked people who drive cars to work also eat, shower and wash their clothes.sogood wrote:Inadequate analyses.
Unless cycling takes no energy and commuters enjoys sweaty bodies, the cost of additional food/drinks, showers and laundries need to be included in the calculation. I am sure there'll still be a significant savings, but it's a question of what works for the individual.
there's also a few people around my work who work up more of a sweat walking from the carpark to the office and up the stairs I do on a 22k ride so I'm not bothered by it.
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby sogood » Thu Mar 11, 2010 6:12 pm
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby goneriding » Fri Mar 12, 2010 10:47 am
Last year when working in the City the train would have cost $1,240. I spent $50 on a tyre, ~$20 on batteries, $30 on new cleats, and $200-$300 on bike servicing. I saved around $800 and my sanity!
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby BriBri » Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:27 pm
I meant that I'm not bothered by the fact that riding makes me sweat. If that was an issue I'd never ride anywhere.sogood wrote:It has nothing to do with bothered or not, but it's a case of establishing a more valid comparison. Biased comparisons aren't convincing.
If anything the comparison is biased against the savings I make from riding.
I compared the cost of buying my bike outright to the payments on a car loan. Had I compared equal depreciation rates for the two, lets say 30% per year, the bike only cost me $330 ($770 less) where as a $20,000 car would cost $6000 ($1000 more).
The reason I didn't include foot, drinks, showers and laundry is that the cost of those is not relevant or insignificant. I eat the same amount of food now as I did when I drove to work and I still shower at home once a day the same as when I drove, so those two things cost me no more when I ride. I drink water when I ride which I get out of the tap at a cost of 0.088c/L, so the 5L a week that I drink costs me less than half a cent or 25c for the entire year. If I say that I do one extra load of washing each week for my riding clothes I use 60L of water (5.3c) and about 30c worth of laundry powder, which adds up to $18.35 a year. If I added the cost of a set of wiper blades and a magic tree air freshener to the cost of running a car that would pretty much negate that cost anyway.
Btw, I wasn't actually trying to convince anyone of anything, I was just sharing my experience of saving money by riding to work instead of driving.
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby Boognoss » Mon Mar 15, 2010 7:23 pm
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby bigfriendlyvegan » Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:50 pm
Still, I can't gripe. Walk to the bus stop in the morning: 2 mins. Delivered right in front of my building at work. Walk from the bus stop to home in the evening: 30 sec.
Why would anyone drive?
Savings: ~$8 a day PT costs.
David
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Re: How much is commuting on a bike saving you?
Postby slowflow » Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:25 pm
Started just September 09 & recon I have spent about $6000.
costing about 30 per week less for fuel, lost around 7 kg.
less than $1000 per kilo weight loss, compariable with a gym or diet program but something you can't cost.
Priceless.
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