Cycle versus car - false economy?

[vickster]

I agree unless doing serious miles!

I reckon doing a century requires 1000cals!

And the rest, even if kms

 

[Jameshow]

And the rest, even if kms

Sorry I was thinking over and above my usual 2000cal per day diet??

So 3000.

Which if as I'm not doing other stuff might be 1500-2000cal spent on cycling??

 

[ColinJ]

Sorry I was thinking over and above my usual 2000cal per day diet??

So 3000.

As a smaller person (than me!) that might be true, but I reckon on more like 4,000-4,500 for me if lots of hills are involved.

 

[alex_cycles]

I agree unless doing serious miles!

I reckon doing a century requires 1000cals!

Based on actual power meter data (not a BS guesstimate from a watch) of the centuries I've done in the last year and a bit, for a 67kg male it's been more like 2500-3500 depending on speed and elevation gain (and conditions). The Uffington ride felt the "easiest" of the lot. Perfect conditions and the least elevation. That's reflected in the energy expenditure...

 

[Jameshow]

Based on actual power meter data (not a BS guesstimate from a watch) of the centuries I've done in the last year and a bit, for a 67kg male it's been more like 2500-3500 depending on speed and elevation gain (and conditions). The Uffington ride felt the "easiest" of the lot. Perfect conditions and the least elevation. That's reflected in the energy expenditure...

View attachment 670352

You speeds are quite high, were you in groups.

If your riding slower the power might reduce by a 1/3 if reduced by 3mph???

 

[alex_cycles]

You speeds are quite high, were you in groups.

Climby ton with Rory was just two of us on a very hilly route
The others were all groups. The fast one "not ride London" was a group of 14.
I've only done one solo ton (15.1mph), but that was before I had a power meter. So no useful data from that one.

If your riding slower the power might reduce by a 1/3 if reduced by 3mph???

I can only show you the data I've got. You may well be right. I think it'd be closer to 1/4 though, from 15 to 12.
Still quite a lot over 1000 Calories though. And 15mph is about as slow as I would want to ride unless it was very hilly and then you'd be burning calories climbing instead.

Obviously rider weight will play an enormous part in this.

 

[mustang1]

This could skew the analysis completely. The cyclist may have to budget for a completely new set of clothing in smaller sizes!

I know of at least one cycle clothing brand that allows you to swap garments as you lose weight.

 

[Mike_P]

Bikes only ever need two new tyres. My car has just walloped me for three, rear pair wearing down and a damaged side wall on a front. Yesterday the ebike had a clear advantage with a short vertically U shaped ride to work and back, 1.68 miles each way, 177ft climbed going 148ft on the return. If I had driven there was very little chance of getting a space at the office and would have had to go a further 3/4 mile to park and walk back (more sane to walk from home if it wasn't as hilly - carting a heavy rucksack by foot up a steep hill is not that much fun)

 

[si_c]

Based on actual power meter data (not a BS guesstimate from a watch) of the centuries I've done in the last year and a bit, for a 67kg male it's been more like 2500-3500 depending on speed and elevation gain (and conditions). The Uffington ride felt the "easiest" of the lot. Perfect conditions and the least elevation. That's reflected in the energy expenditure...

View attachment 670352

That makes sense to me, my power meter tends to give me around 55cals per mile when out, for a 100ish kg male.

For longer rides that drops to around 45 per mile (over 100mi). Most of my rides are solo.

 

[Oldhippy]

No brainer really, one cycle all year round for all travel will always be cheaper than running a car or motorbike.

 

[gzoom]

No brainer really, one cycle all year round for all travel will always be cheaper than running a car or motorbike.

Not having car would mean not been able to go shopping after work, wasting time with public transport, not able to do the school pickup/drop off, and in my case falling off the bike every 3 months leading to time off work .

For us life functions perfectly fine without a bike, but without a car, life become much harder.....no I have zero interest in transporting my family in a plastic tub whilst sharing the road with 3ton+, 2 meter wide lumps of metal!!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Not having car would mean not been able to go shopping after work

You can go shopping on your bike

 

[Jameshow]

No brainer really, one cycle all year round for all travel will always be cheaper than running a car or motorbike.

My mate commutes all year round on an old blue Ribble bike, has done so for many years, abdvisva Tigger's broom apart the frame must be the cheapest commuter bike possible. I swapped him the frame for a giant MTB bike.

 

[gbb]

I always thought, 50 miles in my car, about a gallon of petrol, then about £5 gallon.
I'd do my 50 mile circuits on the bike...and spend that and more on a cafe fry up, can of fizzy, Mars bar etc
I long since been realised, fuel is fuel, it all costs.

 

[gzoom]

You can go shopping on your bike

Do a weeks of shopping after school pick up? How do manage that on a bike?

My bike is a toy/hobby, it's an expense I can live without - and I might actually sell the eBike now, don't fancy £500/bill every 2 years for a battery I cannot even get hold off at present .

The car is a different matter, this morning I have school drop off, need to pick up a parcel on the way to work, than get some food shopping done after work, before getting to school for pick up......without a car it's simply impossible.

If am serious about reducing my overall monthly out goings, selling the pedal bike (and not spending any more ££ on bike stuff) is actually the most sensible thing to do for me. However I'm NOT sensible so the eBike will stay, and infact man maths tells me instead of getting another battery it's more 'sensible' to get another eBike .