Cycle versus car - false economy?

[Petrichorwheels]

Factoring in food costs for cycling seems a bit odd.
On days I don't cycle I still eat . So I can't see the logic

agree - I'd only factor in food for long long rides.

I also quite often make cross country functional trips by train/bike combo - can be exceptionally cheap compared to a car drive the whole way for maybe 200 to 250 miles. Using the bike allows me to juggle the trip/work my way through the train co's best marketing efforts and avoid train changes and screw ups. Not too hard to make the trip for £10 to £20.

 

[cyberknight]

I do think there should be a penalty on those who commute, maybe a lead water bottle whilst on club runs / mates rides.. 10 miles each way is more riding than I get in each week.🤣🤣🤣

Don't get me started on my mate the builder who wins races.....🤣🤣🤣
.

but your legs are not as fresh as others especially the desk jockeys who zwift, try being on your feet lifting steel car parts all shift up to 12 hours and commuting and come back to me

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good evening,

I don't see how you can exclude food costs given the thread title and that Cycling at commute speed typically consumes 30-40 kc/mile. So rounding 38 miles to 40 gives 1,200 to 1,600 Calories per day in "normal speak".

That's 6-8kc/week, I know that some say cycling allows them to eat cake and drink champagne all week, but the problem is that it is hard to acquire this energy from junk energy sources day in, day out. Boredom sets in, how many jelly babbles or jellied fruits can you eat? Added to which alcohol can cause food to move through the digestive system with many of the digestive processes suspended to allow the removal of the alcohol.

There are also the protein and trace nutrients requirements that can't be satisfied from a Creme Egg diet.

Given that my commutes are generally run at a relaxed pace, around 50% fat and 50% glycogen, if I am not careful it is usually Thursday/Friday morning when glycogen depletion sets in, last night's commute plus 12 hours rest and no food after dinner plus the ride in is just enough.

Bye

Ian

 

[cyberknight]

extra slice of bread and filling in my sarnie box

 

[Mike_P]

Re food surely the cycling costs should be the extra consumed over what what would have consumed when not cycling

 

[presta]

On days I don't cycle I still eat

Suppose I drive my car 90 miles every other day, and 10 miles on the days in between. If I put 50 miles worth of petrol in it each day, does that prove the car will travel 90 miles on the same amount of petrol as it uses for 10 miles?

Suppose I drive my car 100 miles without stopping to put any petrol in it at all, does that prove it hasn't used any?

Assuming you've guessed that the correct answers are no, and no, why would you apply that kind of reasoning to the fuel that runs your own body?

 

[presta]

agree - I'd only factor in food for long long rides.

I also quite often make cross country functional trips by train/bike combo - can be exceptionally cheap compared to a car drive the whole way for maybe 200 to 250 miles. Using the bike allows me to juggle the trip/work my way through the train co's best marketing efforts and avoid train changes and screw ups. Not too hard to make the trip for £10 to £20.

So a single 100 mile ride uses energy, but a hundred one mile rides don't? Try the same logic with your car, and see how long it takes before you run out of petrol.

 

[presta]

Re food surely the cycling costs should be the extra consumed over what what would have consumed when not cycling

Yes, exactly, but what seems to mislead most people is that you could use 2500kcals on a rest day, and 2900kcals on a day when you cycle, but consume 2700kcals both days, and end up thinking that cycling uses no energy.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

agree - I'd only factor in food for long long rides.

So a single 100 mile ride uses energy, but a hundred one mile rides don't? Try the same logic with your car, and see how long it takes before you run out of petrol.

False logic there. If you need extra food to ride one mile I would seriously examine your diet/seek urgent medical advice.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It’s been shown through science that those who exercise don’t burn more calories over 24 hours unless a particularly long ride (measured in multiple hours). Yes more calories are burned during the exercise (cycling) but the body is more efficient and burns less calories during the rest of the day compared to a sedentary individual.

In summary you can’t just look at calories burned during exercise, and assume more food is eaten, that’s too simplistic.

 

[yello]

I've enjoyed this thread, thank you to all and to the OP particularly.

It's been a perspective I've not considered until now!

 

[mustang1]

Today I needed to go to the bank, go shopping, make a social call, pick up packages from two locations. I could have used the bike for the bank but I would have got wet in the rain along with spending more time cleaning up after the ride.

I could not have picked any packages up because they're too big for the bike but suppose I had a cargo bike? Well I would still have got wet and so would my packages, and one of the packages was fragile. So no go there.

And the social visit? Yeah I suppose that could have been do-able, but I'd be a tad sweaty, would need to take the bike into their house (luckily straight into the garden, but still) and then make a mess on their floor with my wet clothes (or I could have waited for the rain to stop which it did a little later on).

Yesterday I had to run a few urgent errands and I could have used the bike, but instead of spending 1h40m on the bike, I got things done in 1 hour using the car.

Yes, the car is more expensive to use, but it's overall cheaper for me because I can get other things done (time is money and all that). The bike is far more enjoyable but usually when the weather is good and it's just easier to keep the bike for leisure.

Commuting is a different matter though when compared to using London Underground but both have their advantages. I still prefer the bike in this case.

EDIT: having said that, if I could do those things by bike, I'd certainly be fitter.