Does Cycling To Work Save You Money?

[Ming the Merciless]

If I wanted to save money, I wouldn't have taken up busting a gut over ten miles of shitty cross country roads at god knows what time in the morning.

I would have simply cancelled my Netfilx or NowTV sports subscriptions and driven to work in my nice warm car.

Instead, I jump on my bike at 5.45am and hurtle along pitch black country lanes because it makes me feel good both physically and mentally. There's a cat in one of the villages I cycle though who sits and waits for me. That kind of thing doesn't happen when you are in a car.

Fact is though, everyone at work thinks I'm cycle commuting to save a few quid which couldn't be further from the truth. Hence this thread.

Can you answer the question rather than babble about Netflix 😂

 

[Lovacott]

I see what you did there.

Well spotted. Shame 99% of the others didn't spot it.

 

[Johnsco]

In my late 20s (a very long time ago) I used to use the bike for the daily commute from home in North Leeds to work in South Leeds.
Easy cycling .... No big hills .... No problems.
There was no real cost saving.
I didn't sell the car .... The distance was only 4 miles.
I've never felt so fit or mentally-alive in my life.

 

[Hicky]

I save in a number of ways, diesel and time. I save the diesel as I'm not dragging a large Volvo in and out of Mcr at slowish speeds and time as I'm both quicker by car(if I factor in walking from the car park to work) and I don't have to take away time from my family to do exercise which if I didn't I'd be a fat duffer and less happy mentally having always been fit.

 

[WesternBikingGirl]

Going to fire up the car for the first time since the 4 March today to get a load of groceries. Been biking on all my errands since then. Feels great. Saving money? Sure, but that's not the point.

 

[Lovacott]

Going to fire up the car for the first time since the 4 March today to get a load of groceries. Been biking on all my errands since then. Feels great. Saving money? Sure, but that's not the point.

I had to use my own car for some work stuff last week and I was reimbursed at the standard HMRC rate of 45 pence per mile. This rate is supposed to cover all costs like wear and tear, fuel and depreciation.

So you could say that every 20 miles cycled is £9.00 saved (if you take everything into account).