Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
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Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby Rhubarb » Mon Jan 02, 2012 9:57 am
So I went on to the website to check the current price for me, Zone 4 from home to CBD, now $4.77 one way, ie $47.70 per week. But as much as that is, I also noticed the pricing for 2013 and 2014 is also listed there, with further 15% increases each year. In 2013 and 2014 my bus trip will cost $5.49 and $6.32 each way respectively. Wow !!!
Assuming you would make 470 trips per year (48 weeks work minus 5 public holidays), thats $2242, $2580 and $2970 each year for the next 3 years.
I paid $1700 for a very nice Malvern Star Oppy C5 (CF Road bike, 105 groupset) over 2 years ago and use this for my daily commuting, so I'm way ahead and don't need to upgrade as its still running very nicely after about 12000 kms.
But you could buy a new bike every year and still be ahead based on these public transport prices.
Or buy a new bike every 3 to 5 years and just pocket the savings !!!!
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby Rhubarb » Mon Jan 02, 2012 10:30 am
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby gururug » Mon Jan 02, 2012 11:45 am
Commuting every day, you'd have to add at least $500/$1000 in bike maintenance to your figure.
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby gdt » Mon Jan 02, 2012 12:15 pm
And then there's clothes. Summer and winter jacket, jersey, undershirt, knicks, leg warmers, summer and winter gloves, shoe covers, clear- and sun-glasses. I'm not saying you need it all, or all at once, but good clothes do get you on the bike to work on that -5C morning or that 45C afternoon.
I really wouldn't make an argument about running costs versus the bike. The real saving is in the reduced depreciation of your car or in time (you can just go, no waiting for the bus).
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby wombatK » Mon Jan 02, 2012 7:25 pm
for that time takes maybe around 40 minutes. That's an average travel speed on the train of 22.5 kph. Very beatable on a
bicycle.
Even more beatable if you include the time it takes to walk to/from the station, buy tickets etc.,. And we haven't even
factored in the health benefits and reduction in gym fees etc.,. due to your healthier transport mode.
Now you know why so many people in China commute by bicycle.
Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby lethoso » Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:03 am
Last year, riding ~15k each way every day I wore out one marathon and halfway wore out the other ($50 bucks on tyres), went through two chains ($40 bucks), a cluster ($50), set of brake pads ($30). A few other small sundries I've probably forgotten and that's about $200 in essentials. Could probably have improved the chain/cluster life significantly if I'd cleaned my bike once in a while.gdt wrote:More like $1000. Consider that if work is only 15Km away then that is two sets of tyres per year assuming you aren't unlucky with punctures (and I had ten in a matter of days last year). After a few years the expensive parts get a fair bit of wear and tear (eg, I'm up for new wheels this year, and when commuting you want reliability, so some low end wheel isn't going to cut it). Then after a decade you need to replace some really weird stuff (eg, the straps of my helmet were wearing through).
Clothes/helmets/shoes/etc. - shoes are looking a bit rough after 15,000k (two years worth of commuting) - (130 bucks, so $65/yr), helmet is getting a bit funky after a few years (hundred buck hat, so $50/yr), knicks - two sets have gotten pretty ratty over a few years, rest are holding up ok (probably spent about 70 bucks a pair, a pessimistic estimate is probably 1.5 pairs worth of wear a year, so another $100), jerseys - I have a whole bunch, probably spent about 40 bucks each, all are holding up ok, but we'll say a jersey a year in wear ($40). I ride to work in work socks, and probably trash 10 pairs a year ($30). So $275 on clothes - I'm really not very frugal in this regard.
Wear life on other components is probably harder to estimate as nothing's actually died yet, but I'd guess definitely no more than a couple of hundred bucks worth of wear a year based on how much they cost me.
There's also the cost of superfluous cycling crap I don't need but buy anyway, but that's not directly attributable to commuting, so I'll just conveniently ignore it
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby csy75 » Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:37 am
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby jasonc » Tue Jan 03, 2012 2:51 pm
BUT if I take away everything I bought, them I'm miles behind (look for my name in the money pits thread)
Definitely more incentive to ride.
When I do catch PT (at $9.54 per day - sheesh), I catch 2 buses. I beat the bus home easily. A workmate lived around the corner and I've beaten him home.
In terms of maintenance costs, at lot of my money pits costs is due to one-off purchases. e.g. bike tool kits, second set of wheels, work stand. If I can get back in the black, or close to this year, I'll be laughing. Though I will need another set of tyres, and tubes...and my shorts aren't looking too good.
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby wombatK » Tue Jan 03, 2012 4:20 pm
Getting 15000K out of two chains and one cassette is doing pretty well. All your expenses look reasonable over that distance, but they also look like DIY prices rather than what an LBS would charge. That's the thing about a bike simplicity: if you're not alethoso wrote: Last year, riding ~15k each way every day I wore out one marathon and halfway wore out the other ($50 bucks on tyres), went through two chains ($40 bucks), a cluster ($50), set of brake pads ($30). A few other small sundries I've probably forgotten and that's about $200 in essentials. Could probably have improved the chain/cluster life significantly if I'd cleaned my bike once in a while.
Clothes/helmets/shoes/etc. - shoes are looking a bit rough after 15,000k (two years worth of commuting) - (130 bucks, so $65/yr), helmet is getting a bit funky after a few years (hundred buck hat, so $50/yr), knicks - two sets have gotten pretty ratty over a few years, rest are holding up ok (probably spent about 70 bucks a pair, a pessimistic estimate is probably 1.5 pairs worth of wear a year, so another $100), jerseys - I have a whole bunch, probably spent about 40 bucks each, all are holding up ok, but we'll say a jersey a year in wear ($40). I ride to work in work socks, and probably trash 10 pairs a year ($30). So $275 on clothes - I'm really not very frugal in this regard.
Wear life on other components is probably harder to estimate as nothing's actually died yet, but I'd guess definitely no more than a couple of hundred bucks worth of wear a year based on how much they cost me.
There's also the cost of superfluous cycling crap I don't need but buy anyway, but that's not directly attributable to commuting, so I'll just conveniently ignore it
mechanical clutz you can take care of these common items yourself. Otherwise, you might have to double the prices you've quoted.
You haven't made any allowance for maintenance on the Bottom Bracket, Headset or Hubs, nor depreciation (10 to 15%) on the bike. Depending on the quality of bike you are using, it wouldn't be hard to get to $1000 even if you DIY on these items.
Nevertheless, you'd still be well ahead in comparison with the PT option, and even better off compared to car commuters.
Cheers
Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby lethoso » Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:48 pm
ah - I only got about 7,000k out of the chains (mixing different numbers around in the post so it was a little unclear, sorry), cassette was closer to 10,000k. You're right about doubling the cost if you're not DIYing though - which would make it much less of a bargain.wombatK wrote:Getting 15000K out of two chains and one cassette is doing pretty well. All your expenses look reasonable over that distance, but they also look like DIY prices rather than what an LBS would charge. That's the thing about a bike simplicity: if you're not a
mechanical clutz you can take care of these common items yourself. Otherwise, you might have to double the prices you've quoted.
You haven't made any allowance for maintenance on the Bottom Bracket, Headset or Hubs, nor depreciation (10 to 15%) on the bike. Depending on the quality of bike you are using, it wouldn't be hard to get to $1000 even if you DIY on these items.
Nevertheless, you'd still be well ahead in comparison with the PT option, and even better off compared to car commuters.
Cheers
Maintenance on other parts i hadn't quantified as nothing has worn out yet, but to give an indication - I spent about 500 bucks on everything that bolts onto the frame, the front wheel cost me another 20 bucks second hand, the rear was pinched from another of my bikes but would be ~100 bucks used. Even if everything else wears out after a few years (I really think most of it should last at least 3-5) it's still only a couple of hundred a year.
Depreciation is a fair point, probably a few hundred in the first year, decreasing thereafter.
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby Comedian » Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:26 pm
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby high_tea » Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:45 pm
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby Mulger bill » Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:43 am
How do you value your bike induced fitness?Comedian wrote:I only missed 21 days last year so roughly 1470 saved for me. Problem is I "invested" way more than that on bikes.
London Boy 29/12/2011
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby Comedian » Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:08 am
Absolutely... totally change my life - which is now divided into before and after cycling.Mulger bill wrote:How do you value your bike induced fitness?Comedian wrote:I only missed 21 days last year so roughly 1470 saved for me. Problem is I "invested" way more than that on bikes.
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Re: Public Transport Savings from Cycle Commuting
Postby Rhubarb » Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:06 am
The Brisbane cyclist formally known as "Big Steve" ?????Comedian wrote: Absolutely... totally change my life - which is now divided into before and after cycling.
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