Cost of bicycle commuting

[us56456712]

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20...an-public-transport?ocid=ww.social.link.email

 

[peejus]

I can do it.. theoretically.
Problem is.. the trip in is all down hill..
The trip back. Is obviously all uphill...
And its a pretty bad drop...
Other than that?
....its only about five miles or so direct. But those five miles would require me to be in a lot better shape than I am.

The actual cost savings and parking is of no concern to me honestly.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Bicycle808]

Utter nonsense, seriously. The assumptions made in that article are beyond goofy. Comparing the cost of the bicycle itself to the cost of fare, of course, assumes that the public transit commuter doesn't own a bike at all. Imagine the psychological toll that might take on somebody. It also doesn't take into account the costs of potential physical health factors for either scenario, which admittedly have seriou pros and cons on either side. And the author's personal example, where it cost him an extra 11 pounds sterling to buy a single fare if he doesn't get the month-long pass, somehow he chalks that cost up to cycling? Totally daft. But, whatever.

I ride to work pretty often. For many years, I rode EVERY day to work. My needs and priorities change, and that's what determines my commute patterns. But, in my younger days when I didn't own a car and could take the train to Rutgers University, i knew that on days that i was flat broke, the answer was clear: I could bike in to class for $0.00, or I could take the train for $2.60. (Yes, some days, $2.60 was more than i could spare.... life as an undergrad....) Even on days that i took the train to class, i still had to ride my bike to the train station, anyway. I had to be multi-modal.

Nowadays, living and working in the suburbs, I'll either drive my truck to work, or bike to work. (My preference is to drive in on monday with a bike in the bed, and then ride home, leaving the truck at work for most of the week...) Public transportation exists between home and work, but only in the form of a bus. (Uck.) Between the walking to the stop, the waiting, the ride itself, and then the very long walk from the final stop to the workplace, it would take me well over an hour to use public transport to get from my home to my jobt. It would take me a little under an hour if i brought my bike along for the parts that i'd otherwise have to walk. It usually takes me 20 minutes to ride my bike to work-- 15minutes if i take a road bike. And, it costs me nothing. TBH, i don't even know what South Jersey bus fare costs, these days. But i know it ain't free....

So, for me, in the NJ suburbs, i can spend a few bucks and an extra couple of hours using the bus.... versus i can spend zero dollars and 40 minutes round trip riding my bike. (It takes me 10 to 15 minutes to drive in, depending on traffic and how lucky i get with red lights... and even with the cheaper gas and a 4 cyclinder truck, the gas expense does add up...)

 

[RustyGold]

During the last 20+ years the closest I have lived to work is around 27 miles. Spending 6hrs a day on a bike isn't going to happen . If I were a city-dweller, I would probably do it...mostly because I hate being crammed in small places with a bunch of people. When I lived in southern california, most of my commuting was on motorcycle because white-lining was legal .

Jason

 

[aceuh]

I live less than one mile away from where I work...

I rode a bike to work for years... There is not a bike path/lane or sidewalk between my home and workplace...

After 2 near misses in a month, I determined that the gas I was saving and the exercise I was getting wasn't worth the risk...

Now, I drive my car/truck every day.

 

[Bicycle808]

Oh, i ride 100% in the street on my commute. A few years back, my primary site had a lot of nice singletrack nearby, so i used to to take the long way in on an mtb or a klunker, from time to time.... but i stay off sidewalks (in my area, adults on the sidewalk get a ticket if the cops catch ya...it's illegal here) and paths. The most direct route to work includes a mile or two on a 4lane with a posted 45mph limit. sometimes, i take the backroads in, but only if i'm trying to pick something up from WaWa on the way in.

Here's a view of a slice of my commute from google maps. (For the record, the guy on the roadbike towards the left of the screen? That ain't me.)
https://www.google.com/maps/place/D...b76534!8m2!3d39.9165699!4d-75.0079746!6m1!1e1

 

[SSG]

Interesting article. $320 to $530 for repair costs every year seems a bit steep, but I suppose that includes bike shop labor for tune-ups. The hidden cost of cycling is potentially much higher due to the high risk of addiction. One bike turns into ten, as your paycheck is slowly whittled away by cream tires, obscure nos parts and odds and ends from ebay.

 

[Bicycle808]

Interesting article. $320 to $530 for repair costs every year seems a bit steep, but I suppose that includes bike shop labor for tune-ups. The hidden cost of cycling is potentially much higher due to the high risk of addiction. One bike turns into ten, as your paycheck is slowly whittled away by cream tires, obscure nos parts and odds and ends from ebay.

That risk is absolutely a reality, but to be fair, i'm gonna do that whether i ride to work or drive...

 

[A_Coatimundi]

I think that the author of the article is just having issues because she's biking in London

 

[Phil Fink]

Between home and work is an area so-bad, they had to change their name; not biking there. So, I've applied for a job 5-10 minutes from the house, but there's that international Airport thing in between. Some say the City should put a bike path on the 55-mph Highway that tunnels underneath the runways, but if it is suicide they want, why not put the bike path directly across the runway instead.
I figure, why not drive to/from work, the fastest way possible, and then with all the time saved, ride my bikes in the area where I live. I call it the "Bike 'em Where They Live" campaign.