Given that my round trip is 28.5 miles, I
should be saving loads of money not using the car.... the reality is, I'm not sure I've even broken even yet!!
Since last July I've bought a bike, summer clothes, rack and pannier, tubes and tools, winter clothes, lights, tyres, brake pads etc..etc.. Oh, and I mustn't forget N+1 (s/h MTB), and the fact that I'm needing a new jacket, gloves and probably bib longs too...
Then there's maintenance. This week my rear end has been making that slightly gritty noise under braking that I know is chewing my rims. Given my commute conditions and route, my wheels always get filthy (especially at this time of year), and I'm wearing out my second set of pads pretty quickly it would seem – plus I don't seem to have a very pronounced groove in my rims that I'm sure used to be there (wear indicator?) so there's a good possibility I'll be in the market for a new set of rims in the not too distant future. Of course, wearing down rims after only 2000 miles is making me seriously think about a disc-equipped commuter