Obsessing about cost of cycling

[Lonestar]

No.

 

[gbb]

It used to occur to me that on a long ride, by the time I'd factored in fuel (food) it was cheaper to go by car

 

[gbb]

I also remember a guy at a former employers who commuted all weathers. To him a bike was just a tool. His chain was in a state, he'd asked me to just tweek the gears, I warned him of the consequences of not replacing the chain.....nah, don't worry he said, if I had to replace all the transmission once a year, I'd still save a fortune compared to getting the bus every day.

 

[si_c]

Just bought a new bike for commuting and general use. Headline price is £750, deduct 30% for cycle to work scheme, call it £550, I'll have paid that back in 5 months just from not having to get the train to work.

That's before I factor in leisure mileage, which of course is priceless.

 

[fossyant]

No because it doesn't save me money...

 

[si_c]

As a side note, considering the calorie costings above, my commute in is 13miles. According to strava I burnt 540 calories on the ride in today, considering a loaf of bread costs around £1.20 and contains around 1800 calories, the cost of my ride in was around 35p so 70p per day or £3.50 per week.

Now I'm making some (reasonable) assumptions here, namely that over the course of the year I will replace my chain twice (£15 each), my cassette once (£20), and my tyres (£80) once. Given that my daily train fare is £5.60 that equates to around a £950 a year saving, adjusting the working time for 5 weeks annual leave and bank holidays.

(((47 * 5) - 8 ) * 5.6) - (((47 * 5)-8) * 0.7) - 30 - 20 - 40 - 80

 

[classic33]

As a side note, considering the calorie costings above, my commute in is 13miles. According to strava I burnt 540 calories on the ride in today, considering a loaf of bread costs around £1.20 and contains around 1800 calories, the cost of my ride in was around 35p so 70p per day or £3.50 per week.

Now I'm making some (reasonable) assumptions here, namely that over the course of the year I will replace my chain twice (£15 each), my cassette once (£20), and my tyres (£80) once. Given that my daily train fare is £5.60 that equates to around a £950 a year saving, adjusting the working time for 5 weeks annual leave and bank holidays.

(((47 * 5) - 8 ) * 5.6) - (((47 * 5)-8) * 0.7) - 30 - 20 - 40 - 80

You at work?

 

[palinurus]

Whatever I spend on cycling is less than getting the bus (or the train followed by the bus), I could buy a new bike every time my transmission wears out and I'd still be quids in.

 

[palinurus]

if I had to replace all the transmission once a year, I'd still save a fortune compared to getting the bus every day.

I used that method for a while- it worked well for me. I'd have the cables and transmission replaced at the LBS at the end of about every other winter. I would fix small problems as they came up, which was pretty rare.

I gradually moved away from this and gave it up completely while I was in my cycling for sport phase.

 

[Acyclo]

I actually collected all the details for two years. Riding an entry level road bike (Triban 3), it costs me 3.4 pence per miles including depreciation of the bike over five years and including clothing repairs and renewals. I didn't include food.

 

[si_c]

You at work?

Erm. Yes. Why do you ask?

 

[classic33]

Erm. Yes. Why do you ask?

You seem to be putting to much thought into this, nowt else.

 

[si_c]

You seem to be putting to much thought into this, nowt else.

Haha, possibly, but once I'd seen the question asked, I had to know the answer. My daily life involves numerical analysis, so I find it offensive to my sensibilities to leave something so trivial unquantified.

 

[prawny]

Commuting has cost me more than the train over the last 12 month/9000 miles.

Train is cheap though, less than £80pm on my line, in that time I've bought a new bike (£400) clothes (£100s) Lights (maybe £200 in total) various bags (£100) 3 or 4 tyres (£100ish) New wheels (£150) 3 chains 3 cassettes millions of cables and a new helmet.

Also many large sausages.

I don't have to go to the gym though, so that's saved £180.

 

[Lonestar]

Oh yeah,I get free travel to work so really I don't need to cycle commute but the reason I do is because I dislike the tube.Plus my bikes are more reliable and I've only been late for work once in twenty years and that was only because I was trying out a new route and I firked up.(Got lost)