Cost per mile

[wafter]

Just a bit of fun with some fag-packet calculations

I got thinking last night about the cost per mile of the bikes I own / have owned; being defined as total equipment cost over the number of miles covered; the cost being adjusted if you like when the bike's used instead of another means of costly transport.

My old Giant cost me maybe £400 over its lifetime and covered around 6500 recreational miles for a cost of around 6p/mile (or maybe 5p when factoring in the cost of the bus pass I didn't buy during my final year of uni). My Boardman probably stands at about 36p/mile and my Genesis about £2.30/mile...

I generally use my bikes either for recreation or for trips that would otherwise have been done on foot, and rarely have I undertaken journeys on the bike instead of the car. However, having done a couple recently it feels good to have (so far) saved a whopping £10-15 in fuel!

I bet some of the hardened commuters are well into negative territory - how much is your ride costing (or saving) per mile?

 

[ColinJ]

I bet some of the hardened commuters are well into negative territory - how much is your ride costing (or saving) per mile?

@DCLane has an impressive saving displayed in the signature line below his posts! (You may not be able to see the signature on a mobile device browser in portrait mode, but you can if you rotate it to landscape mode.)

 

[wafter]

@DCLane has an impressive saving displayed in the signature line below his posts! (You may not be able to see the signature on a mobile device browser in portrait mode, but you can if you rotate it to landscape mode.)

Thanks - I have noticed that. An impressive achievement indeed and it must feel great that all the gear has probably paid for itself

Likewise I have another hobby where I indulged in a bit of wheeler-dealing that effectively paid for all the gear I still own - happy days

 

[vickster]

I’m sure I’m many thousands in the red from buying bikes and stuff
Do I care...
Not a jot
(Certainly not as in the red as I was when I went through a phase of changing my car about every 6 months )

 

[DCLane]

I bet some of the hardened commuters are well into negative territory - how much is your ride costing (or saving) per mile?

It's below but basically:

Amount spent 2011-2020 (total spend from purchases - sales): £11980
Commutes to work: 1169 @ a minimum of £10 saved: £11690
[It's probably far, far higher as I've petrol/insurance/maintenance/city centre parking but £10 makes it simple]

Balance: £290 in debt due to no commuting since March

But ... current value of bikes/parts/clothing/tools: £8925

Essentially I've got 11 bikes [some very decent], a load of wheels, a large parts stock, clothing and a full workshop for £290 😊

That's just the financial benefit. I'm also less stressed, although occasionally wet, and save time as it's quicker by bike. And physically slimmer.

 

[12boy]

DCLane obviously keeps great records and has a good point...The bike, even used, is still worth something. I bought my Brompton for $1200 and with chains, brake pads, tires, saddle, ergons, extra wheels and parts maybe another $600. Might have ridden it 15000 miles and it is still worth something in the right market. Cheap date. My surly steamroller was maybe $1000 with similar mileage over the many years I've had it. What is hard to put a value on financially is my health, both physical and mental, that was improved by riding a bike to work 90% of the time plus recreationally.​

 

[slowmotion]

The last time I did the calculation, based on about 4000 miles per year, I reckoned it cost about 10p per mile to run the bike, excluding the capital cost of the bike, depreciation etc. I included all the stuff that wears out: clothing ( budget, in my case), tyres, chains, mechs, insurance etc etc. That's the costs, but the benefits are priceless.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The Raleigh MTB, I've been riding most lately, cost me £15. I then fitted a new pair of cheapo pedals, another £5, and rode it for about 500 miles like that. Then I replaced the front tyre with one of a pair of Schwalbes I bought used for £4, so an extra £2 for the tyre. Total spend so far has been £22, and I've done just over 600 miles, so 3.6p/mile! I've got other bikes with cheaper running costs than this one too.