How much do you pay each year to commute by bike ?

[I like Skol]

OK, based on a typical 2.5kpa and including total bike write-off after 8 yrs we still only realise a real cost of around 10p/mile.

Of course, none of this figures in money saved on fuel, wear & tear or depreciation that would result from me driving at a pure fuel cost of 22p/mile before we even start to consider tyres, wear & tear, tax and insurance. Even with the most expensive bike available, cycling is still cheap.

 

[KneesUp]

OK, based on a typical 2.5kpa and including total bike write-off after 8 yrs we still only realise a real cost of around 10p/mile.

Of course, none of this figures in money saved on fuel, wear & tear or depreciation that would result from me driving at a pure fuel cost of 22p/mile before we even start to consider tyres, wear & tear, tax and insurance. Even with the most expensive bike available, cycling is still cheap.

Why would you include money saved on fuel etc. in calculating the cost per mile of the bike?

The bike costs £x per mile. The car costs £y per mile. The difference is £z.

AS you say, £x will always be less that £y - unless you are doing something very wrong with the bike. (Or - as 17 year old me did - using your mum's car and never filling it up)

 

[Nebulous]

I don't keep count - but not a lot. I've a very short commute. I change the chain once a year, pads on the mechanical discs a bit less often than that. Probably a set of lights once a year. I get some money back in expenses- though work use has dropped off recently - I'm covering bigger distances and often drive instead of cycling. My high-viz waterproof jacket came in a big bag of second-hand cycling clothes I got for £40.

I spend quite a bit on leisure cycling and the commuter is treated as the poor relative. It's components are often used as a make weight purchase to get me over a threshold to trigger a discount from a cycle shop.

 

[beany_bot]

Last year I bought a cassette and chain. I was £17.
That would have been one day on the train.

 

[Rosie 5678]

I'm new to commuting but before I started I was able to work out I spend£80 a month on fuel per month getting to work. I've not worked out how much I will save in terms of things for the car etc and I know I will have to buy some bits and pieces for my bike but I don't think that will be as much as the parts for the car

 

[Truth]

I try and work out what I save moneywise cycling in to work but can you put a price on health and fitness....

 

[Levo-Lon]

If i bike to work its 20 miles a day i dont drive my van. Van averages 50 mpg, i dont know what a gallon costs but id think its about £12 a week for a 100 miles..
As for cost, i just see it as beneficial to my health, i buy bikes and upgrade them.

Now if i was a cycle to the station or similar and had to lock my bike to a bike rack all the above would change.

Cheap function bike and nothing nice would be fitted to it.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Now if i was a cycle to the station or similar and had to lock my bike to a bike rack all the above would change.
Cheap function bike and nothing nice would be fitted to it.

I don't commute by bike, but cheap & functional has to be the recipe for any form of utility cycling in dodgy areas, unless you are prepared to take a big theft risk with valuable bikes and/or lug around a ton of super heavy duty locks with you. The biggest single cost for most riders is depreciation, if they buy their bikes new. My bikes are essentially already fully depreciated when purchased secondhand at 20+ years old, so the starting point is a very low nominal bike value and my only per-mile cost of cycling is replacing wear & tear items like tyres and brakes.
When I'm riding a hack machine that is running on tyres and tubes that have come off something I've pulled out of a bin, cycling probably does work out less per mile than walking in some cases.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I don't commute by bike, but cheap & functional has to be the recipe for any form of utility cycling in dodgy areas, unless you are prepared to take a big theft risk with valuable bikes and/or lug around a ton of super heavy duty locks with you. The biggest single cost for most riders is depreciation, if they buy their bikes new. My bikes are essentially already fully depreciated when purchased secondhand at 20+ years old, so the starting point is a very low nominal bike value and my only per-mile cost of cycling is replacing wear & tear items like tyres and brakes.
When I'm riding a hack machine that is running on tyres and tubes that have come off something I've pulled out of a bin, cycling probably does work out less per mile than walking in some cases.

Unless you pull shoes out the bin as well.

 

[straas]

Probably average:

£100 / year in parts
£50 / year in clothing etc
£180 / year for bike storage / showers / locker
had the bike 3 years at a buying cost of £400

So under £500 / year

Local transport would be £50/month so £600 / year

The £100 "saving" probably goes on cakes.

 

[Sixmile]

I have found my costs going down since I started cycling 'seriously' around 5 years ago. Once I hit my first winter I bought appropriate clothing (overshoes, thermals, gloves etc) and equipment (multiple lights, tools, mudguards etc) so I don't buy that kind of stuff as much now. I do however find it hard to overlook a bargain so have ended up with probably more gear, clothing and bikes than i should've been everything still has monetary value to some degree. If I was spending £100 a month on beers or whatever, there is recoup-able value there. I think last year I spent around £1300 on everything bike related i.e. new bikes, sportives, equipment, servicing, parts, clothing, insurance etc.

 

[Grievesy]

I found this awhile ago. sums it up roughly. I think it was based on a 5 mile each way commute.

 

[RoadRider400]

Bike second hand was £110
Lights about £40
Clothing and helmet about £125
2 backpacks and a tailbag £50
Locks £25
Tyres and tubes about £100

Thats three years total £450
So yearly average £150 to date.

However the commuting has made be catch 'the bug', so thats cost me an additional £350 on a second hand road bike then another £200 on various upgrades/new clothing.

Which brings the real life total to £800. Or £267 a year average.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My cycle clothing bought for commuting 16 years ago is still in use. The damned stuff just won't wear out!

 

[hatler]

3000 miles commuting pa. Consumables annual cost roughly : -

• 1 x tyre @ £25 = £25
• 2 x tubes @ £5 each = £10
• 2 x chain @ £15 = £30
• 1 x set of pads @ £10 = £10
• 1/2 cassette @ £30 = £15
• 1/2 chain ring @ £30 = £15
• 1/5 pair of jockey wheels @ £20 = £4
• 1/5 pair of pedals @ £30 = £6
• 2 inner cables @ £3 each = £6
• 2/5 wheel build @ £120 each = £48
• 2' of outer cable @ £1/ft = £2
• Bit of a bottle of lube, say £1
• 6 x patches say £1
• 1/8 bar tape @£20 = £2.50
• 1/8 set of mudguards @ £32 = £4

Total £179.50 which is approx 6p/mile
Cost by train approx £1400

One off costs (as in, I've only bought them the once in 11 years of owning the bike) (all figures are best guesses) : -

• Bike £2400 (including extras like pump, rack, mirror)
• Fancy Lumicycle LED light system £250
• Hope Vision 1 lamp £50
• Cateye rear light £20
• Ortlieb panniers £200

Total = £2920

Tools
Don't ask.

Clothing. Other than two pairs of MTB shorts and one pair of gloves I don't think I've thrown any of my cycling clothing away ever, so as yet it's not consumable !
Shoes £400
Shorts £300
Jerseys £500
Gloves £160
Clear specs £100
Waterproof jacket £120
Two pairs Ron Hill bottoms £70
Overtrousers £50
Two pairs overshoes £60

Total £1760