Bike, car, SUV, these all pale in comparison to raising a kid. Having a CO2 producing kid leads to a loss of sleep, loss of disposable income, loss of free time to ride, burden on household transport, further load on the environment and the list goes on. I say drop the kid!Comedian wrote:You are all ignoring depreciation. It is by far and a way the biggest cost of car ownership for anyone that owns a newish car...
We've calculated that if we drop the second car that will be one kid through private school...
The Economics of Cycling...
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby sogood » Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:53 pm
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby JessicaAlba » Fri Oct 19, 2012 8:13 pm
You forgot "sudden gain of other people wanting to strangle your screaming brat"sogood wrote:Bike, car, SUV, these all pale in comparison to raising a kid. Having a CO2 producing kid leads to a loss of sleep, loss of disposable income, loss of free time to ride, burden on household transport, further load on the environment and the list goes on. I say drop the kid!Comedian wrote:You are all ignoring depreciation. It is by far and a way the biggest cost of car ownership for anyone that owns a newish car...
We've calculated that if we drop the second car that will be one kid through private school...
No I do not have kids. Yet...or maybe never....
Back on topic. I spend anywhere from $70 to $120 on fuel a week (or I did), plus rego etc, which I do still have to pay. At this point I reckon I am probably actually breaking even, but having the extra ready cash in my pocket each week, not being spent on fuel, is really a bonus. I find I am having a lot more fun with life now, going out more, spending money on dinners with the GF...even saving a decent amount each month.
Now I think on it, I reckon the "$8K average per person" is probably a bit of an over estimation, but the benifits are definitely there.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby eeksll » Fri Oct 19, 2012 11:45 pm
I calculate the same way. I was ahead for about 6 months then I bought another bike and upgraded some parts on the commuter. I think I need another year or 2 before I break even again. But thats ALL my riding costs e.g i dont commute on the roadie or the mtb. Don't know how to calculate the extra food ...jasonc wrote:I have the wonderful advantage of mine costing $9.54 per dayrkelsen wrote:Yeah, me too. It makes the goal a bit harder to reach, but I'm getting there.jasonc wrote:I calculate costs vs public transport.
For this year: so by the time i get home today, I haven't spent $1564.56 because I've ridden.... let's not talk about how much I've spent
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby jasonc » Sat Oct 20, 2012 6:57 am
lets not talk about extra food or vitamins or washingeeksll wrote: Don't know how to calculate the extra food ...
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby bychosis » Sat Oct 20, 2012 7:12 am
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby jasonc » Sat Oct 20, 2012 7:17 am
But I shower when I get home too. Will start using the pool now that summer is pretty much herebychosis wrote:I'll throw in saved on hot water at home, when riding to work that is where I shower.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby Kenzo » Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:00 am
$13.24 per day on the bus for me. Have saved over $1500 on bus fares on the days I have ridden to work. But I total it up against all bike expenses, including the non commuting ones like adding bling or new parts for my wife's bike.jasonc wrote:I have the wonderful advantage of mine costing $9.54 per dayrkelsen wrote:Yeah, me too. It makes the goal a bit harder to reach, but I'm getting there.jasonc wrote:I calculate costs vs public transport.
For this year: so by the time i get home today, I haven't spent $1564.56 because I've ridden.... let's not talk about how much I've spent
As for the depreciation of the car, unfortunately this cost will be incurred whether I cycle everyday or not. The car is used for more than just the journeys I am replacing by cycling.
Cycling costs me money, it doesn't save (me) money. Just like rockclimbing, gym and especially the swimming pool in the yard.
As a form of transport - costs wise I'm ahead ... and as a cyclist I am in the red. But it's a nice shade of red.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby Sydguy » Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:24 am
Based on usage your premium is adjusted, perhaps going forward they could offer additional no claim bonus or some such incentive to use your car less or just a rebate. I the cost of owning a vehicle was linked more clearly to kms driven then I suspect people would drive fewer kms or not invest in a car.
The flip side I guess is more admin for the mechanic/insurer, increasing your kms driven reduces the cost per km of the fixed costs.
Just trying to think of an economic solution to getting more cars off the roads!
JM
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby jasonc » Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:34 am
beautifully put KenzoKenzo wrote:as a cyclist I am in the red. But it's a nice shade of red.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby high_tea » Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:44 am
Same here. I don't expect to come out ahead, I expect the money I save on transport to (somewhat) offset the costs of my hobby. I cycle because it's really really good for my quality of life. Even if I didn't save a cent on transport, it'd still be money well spent.Kenzo wrote:$13.24 per day on the bus for me. Have saved over $1500 on bus fares on the days I have ridden to work. But I total it up against all bike expenses, including the non commuting ones like adding bling or new parts for my wife's bike.jasonc wrote:I have the wonderful advantage of mine costing $9.54 per dayrkelsen wrote: Yeah, me too. It makes the goal a bit harder to reach, but I'm getting there.
For this year: so by the time i get home today, I haven't spent $1564.56 because I've ridden.... let's not talk about how much I've spent
As for the depreciation of the car, unfortunately this cost will be incurred whether I cycle everyday or not. The car is used for more than just the journeys I am replacing by cycling.
Cycling costs me money, it doesn't save (me) money. Just like rockclimbing, gym and especially the swimming pool in the yard.
As a form of transport - costs wise I'm ahead ... and as a cyclist I am in the red. But it's a nice shade of red.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby Comedian » Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:53 am
But then the rot set in. Then I started to want MOAR. All of a sudden a 3k bike looked cheap. $1k for a set of wheels was nada. $220 for a pair of shorts - an investment.
As the "bike cult leader" or just simply the "Cult of Steve" as it's known around the office... when I'm asked about cyclings cost savings I shuffle my feet a little and change the subject to the time savings and increased fitness. I would say that amongst the people in the office my transformation from average middle aged fat IT dude to "athlete" has been far more persuasive than the economics.
This article by an respected economics blogger was written about the economics of cycling the other day. Now he's a colleague so maybe you can use that to put some context around his observations. He is a very strong advocate of cycling now though.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby Mulger bill » Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:54 am
London Boy 29/12/2011
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby jasonc » Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:55 am
Overall, I'm not. BUT it's now my hobby (much to my wife's disgust) but when I compare what I would have spent if I continued playing golf, I'm ahead. I agree with what comedian said, having just bought a new toy so I can go further/faster.
We are a one car family. We do have access to a car, but it's rarely used.I do more kms cycling that we do in the car. If I didn't use it for commuting, maybe we would have bought a second car. This would make my cycling expenses look cheap.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Sat Oct 20, 2012 12:00 pm
What social life?Xplora wrote:In fairness, this is probably money that you'd spend anyway with a burgeoning social life... 50 bucks a week is nothing considering most people spend that on a quiet Friday at the pub... Your coffee shop must love seeing youColinOldnCranky wrote: However also spend around $2,500 a year at my coffee stop that I would not otherwise do. But these are marginal when compared to private vehicle usage.
But if you are inviting me over...
Re the coffee shop, it's my daily stop. I am so much a boring creature of habit that the owner overrides my standard muffin with her own choice as often as not. After four years she has a pretty good read on my likes.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby skull » Sat Oct 20, 2012 2:19 pm
I have number 1, nearly 3 months old. My training has actually improved since his arrival.JessicaAlba wrote: No I do not have kids. Yet...or maybe never....
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby Comedian » Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:18 pm
OK, when can I drop them around?sogood wrote:Bike, car, SUV, these all pale in comparison to raising a kid. Having a CO2 producing kid leads to a loss of sleep, loss of disposable income, loss of free time to ride, burden on household transport, further load on the environment and the list goes on. I say drop the kid!Comedian wrote:You are all ignoring depreciation. It is by far and a way the biggest cost of car ownership for anyone that owns a newish car...
We've calculated that if we drop the second car that will be one kid through private school...
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby AKO » Sun Oct 21, 2012 11:25 am
I envy you people that can commute by bike and I now think of the wasted opportunities I had when I did live close to work.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby JessicaAlba » Sun Oct 21, 2012 11:40 am
Hang on, wait...your employer gave you money to buy bikes?? Right, how do I get on that ticket?!AKO wrote:...even when considering my employer has chipped in just over 2.5k for the 2 bikes I have purchased
Hearing you here! Even after a long Saturday morning ride, when I think I simply could not turn another pedal, by the afternoon thoughts of getting out again develop, just for a lap around the block...or maybe a short trip into town and back. All I think of at work all day, is the ride home...although that could be an extension of that signfying knock off/beer o'clock, lol.AKO wrote:It seems while I'm on the bike every moment is spent wondering why I put myself through the physical torture, and every moment off is spent thinking about my next ride
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby AKO » Sun Oct 21, 2012 11:50 am
Hang on, wait...your employer gave you money to buy bikes?? Right, how do I get on that ticket?!JessicaAlba wrote:AKO wrote:...even when considering my employer has chipped in just over 2.5k for the 2 bikes I have purchased
I work on an open cut coal mine and we get a few perks with the job. One of them is what my employer has dubbed "The Healthy Bodies Subsidy". $1500 per financial year for healthy activities. They payed $900 for my Malvern Star MTB in Februray, $215 for clipless pedals and shoes and recently I claimed this years full subsidy on my MS C5 roadie. Left me only $500 out of pocket.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby Nobody » Sun Oct 21, 2012 12:29 pm
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby sogood » Sun Oct 21, 2012 2:01 pm
In your dreams!Comedian wrote:OK, when can I drop them around?
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
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Re: The Economics of Cycling...
Postby KonaCommuter » Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:40 pm
Discussed on Brisbane Cyclist - http://www.brisbanecyclist.com/forum/to ... of-cycling" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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The Economics of Cycling...
Postby John Pitter » Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:38 pm
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