My wallet cried a little when I bought new bike, then I calculated the cost of alternative (car, public transport) and was surprised that even nicer bike is cheaper.
If I count only operating cost of car it will pay off in about 1 - 1.5 years. Public transport is at about 2 years.
Yes I know that I have some infrastructure, and other things that make it possible for me to use it everyday as car.
Also I stay fit and healthy when I don’t sit in a car - so this is another value that can’t be easily put in monetary perspective.
If you still own a car, and you don’t drive it to work, call your insurance and have them reclassify your car as “personal use”. It’ll save you on your insurance costs.
That’s interesting. I will follow up on this. I do occasionally drive to work when the weather or road conditions are atrocious. More so in the winter months. But it’s a sporadic thing now and the car is no longer my main mode of transport.
I did the same math when I bought my bike. How many times do I have to ride it to work to break even on this purchase? And as soon as I hit that threshold I never touched the thing again. Turns out I hate riding a bike.
It doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition. You can restrict your riding to only beautiful days when you’re feeling good and it’ll still make a difference.
That’s actually what I tried to do. But I live in Seattle. 9ish months of cold wet days means I’m in terrible shape when the beautiful summer comes around, then by the time I’m back in shape, it’s time to hibernate again.
Basically comes down to the fact that I don’t enjoy it. Every time I’m on a bike I just think “I could be in a car. I could be sitting in a comfy seat listening to music, going way faster than this, using zero effort.” I like diving, I don’t like biking.
Plus, the last thing I want to do after a 12-hour shift at a physical job is to bike several miles uphill to get home.
Plus, the last thing I want to do after a 12-hour shift at a physical job is to bike several miles uphill to get home.
That’s a fair point. My job is sedentary and cycling is my primary form of exercise. (That said, I do have an ebike so the workout is not mandatory. Don’t tell my dietician that…)
I guess what got me into the cycling option was having a good hard look at the map. I work in an industrial park with a railway running next to it, but that railway was decommissioned years ago, and it turns out that it had been converted into a public trail. Much of the time I was driving to work, I was not even aware of this. But I tried out the trail. Not only does it knock about a mile off the street route, but it replaces slow-rolling trucks with tree tunnels and, because it had been a railway, the grades are gentle and bike-friendly.
I no doubt lucked out there but what I’m trying to say is it’s worth checking where bikes can go and cars cannot, as it can be a better experience to take those routes if they exist?
My wallet cried a little when I bought new bike, then I calculated the cost of alternative (car, public transport) and was surprised that even nicer bike is cheaper.
If I count only operating cost of car it will pay off in about 1 - 1.5 years. Public transport is at about 2 years.
Yes I know that I have some infrastructure, and other things that make it possible for me to use it everyday as car.
Also I stay fit and healthy when I don’t sit in a car - so this is another value that can’t be easily put in monetary perspective.
If you still own a car, and you don’t drive it to work, call your insurance and have them reclassify your car as “personal use”. It’ll save you on your insurance costs.
That’s interesting. I will follow up on this. I do occasionally drive to work when the weather or road conditions are atrocious. More so in the winter months. But it’s a sporadic thing now and the car is no longer my main mode of transport.
Lol I don’t even have driving licence, I don’t need it.
I did the same math when I bought my bike. How many times do I have to ride it to work to break even on this purchase? And as soon as I hit that threshold I never touched the thing again. Turns out I hate riding a bike.
It doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition. You can restrict your riding to only beautiful days when you’re feeling good and it’ll still make a difference.
That’s actually what I tried to do. But I live in Seattle. 9ish months of cold wet days means I’m in terrible shape when the beautiful summer comes around, then by the time I’m back in shape, it’s time to hibernate again.
What was your issue with bikes? When I got used to it, it is no brainer to pick a bike and get to work.
Basically comes down to the fact that I don’t enjoy it. Every time I’m on a bike I just think “I could be in a car. I could be sitting in a comfy seat listening to music, going way faster than this, using zero effort.” I like diving, I don’t like biking.
Plus, the last thing I want to do after a 12-hour shift at a physical job is to bike several miles uphill to get home.
That’s a fair point. My job is sedentary and cycling is my primary form of exercise. (That said, I do have an ebike so the workout is not mandatory. Don’t tell my dietician that…)
I guess what got me into the cycling option was having a good hard look at the map. I work in an industrial park with a railway running next to it, but that railway was decommissioned years ago, and it turns out that it had been converted into a public trail. Much of the time I was driving to work, I was not even aware of this. But I tried out the trail. Not only does it knock about a mile off the street route, but it replaces slow-rolling trucks with tree tunnels and, because it had been a railway, the grades are gentle and bike-friendly.
I no doubt lucked out there but what I’m trying to say is it’s worth checking where bikes can go and cars cannot, as it can be a better experience to take those routes if they exist?
Ebike.