How much do you save by riding a bike?

Beasty

As a bit of a counter to all those threads on how much we spend on bikes and related gear, I would be interested to hear how much people think they save by using a bike rather than other modes of transport.

This could be in comparison to motoring costs (fuel, maintenance, parking etc), public transport or other tangible benefits you get from cycling.

In my case, I commute 3-4 days a week. When I do not cycle, I drive a car to work. I reckon that over the course of a year cycling saves me getting on for €2,500 in fuel, maintenance and depreciation (which is another excuse to go out and spend more on bike gear:))

Peterx

i save at least 70 minutes each day by cycling.

tomasrojo

Quite a lot, since it means I've never had to own a car.

Probably saved me about 30-50k over the last decade.

lukester

I hope to save enough to buy a bike that costs more than my car.

Beasty

Peterx wrote: »

i save at least 70 minutes each day by cycling.

Which means you have nearly 5% more time to do other things - do this over an working lifetime, and it could be worth 2 years to you, in addition to the health benefits

Bambaata

I did buy a bike which cost more than my car :P


I commute on the bike about 3 days of the week and drive the other two. I mainly cycle to work so i have no excuse to get a training session ion after work. I live only 3km away so i probably don't save all that much but it has other benefits

silvo

I would have to take 4 buses a day to get to work... so about e1800 a year (wow, never realised it was that much).

*goes to CRC to look for new bike worth e1800*

Raam

In my case: I save nothing, feckin probikekit and crc... wiggle, prendas....

beans

Assuming a general week where I commute by Luas, take a bus-ride to visit my folks, and get one taxi home from town, I'd be saving around €55 / week.

I'm moving at the end of this week, so given the extra connections I'd have to make and reducing taxi-money as the nightlink is an option, i would be saving around €70 / week.

When you factor in the therapy and anger-management sessions I'd have to attend after standing on a bus to get to a tram 5 days a week, not to mention the gym I'd have to join to keep my heart healthy, you're getting into some serious money And then there's the time you'd lose commuting... cycling is so interwoven into the fabric of my life now, I can't imagine how things would be without it.

blorg

Beasty wrote: »

Which means you have nearly 5% more time to do other things - do this over an working lifetime, and it could be worth 2 years to you, in addition to the health benefits

What are these "other things" of which you speak?

Raam

blorg wrote: »

What are these "other things" of which you speak?

I think he means "cleaning his bike" and "thinking of other bikes"

ROK ON

Trees. Lots of them. Rainforest too.

Danbo!

Bike - Leave at 8am, home by 5.20pm. Cost of bike service negligble, very little on a "per day" scale. Bike was €700, so €2.69 per working day, assuming I only have the bike for 1 year, which I wont, more like 3 or 4.

Bus - Leave at 7am, home at 6-6.30pm. €1.80 each way. Usually end up stopping for coffee between bus stop and work, bout €3.50. Smokes*

Car - Leave at 7am, home at 6-6.30pm. €5.38 per working day for tax and insurance. Probably about €5 on petrol in traffic. Parking €16ish per day. Smokes*

*I smoke more when getting the bus or driving. Cycling gets me door to door and no waiting around so no smoking, so I suppose that saves me a few quid as well.

Lumen

Expensive bikes cured my expensive car habit.

At some point in the future I hope to learn to start living within my means. I feel that being obsessed with bikes has put me on the right path, much as methadone is one route out of heroin addiction.

seamus

Yeah 70 minutes/day sounds about right for me too. If I wasn't on the bike, I'd be driving half my commute to where there are more busses and then getting a bus.

So the yearly bus ticket would be €500. The route driving would be about 7km, so 14km/day or 3360km/year. My car gets about 19km per litre, so that's ~180 litres, which at today's prices is actually a hell of a lot less than I expected the car to cost
Though I would have to service it more often and such.

So yeah, I save no cash by cycling because I can't help buying crap. However, being able to leave the house on my terms, when I want and knowing that no matter what happens in the city - mass flooding, strikes, taxi protests, farmer's protests - my commute will never change by more than a couple of minutes, is absolutely priceless IMO.

tomasrojo

Stee wrote: »

Cost of bike service negligble, very little on a "per day" scale. Bike was €700, so €2.69 per working day, assuming I only have the bike for 1 year, which I wont, more like 3 or 4.

I worked out the cost of cycling in terms of parts and maintenance for me was about 3c per km.

Beasty

Lumen wrote: »

Expensive bikes cured my expensive car habit.

At some point in the future I hope to learn to start living within my means. I feel that being obsessed with bikes has put me on the right path, much as methadone is one route out of heroin addiction.

Just wondering what the next step down this particular path is - roller blades perhaps?

ROK ON

Lumen wrote: »

Expensive bikes cured my expensive car habit.

At some point in the future I hope to learn to start living within my means. I feel that being obsessed with bikes has put me on the right path, much as methadone is one route out of heroin addiction.

I live within my means. At the start of each month money/salary is divided up as follows (1) accomodation, (2) living expenses (3) family (4) sundries (5) bike.

Last year when I didnt have a bike category it was very difficult. Now it is much easier. There is bike money every month. It also means I dont feel guilty about spending it.

victorcarrera

In my scenario I don't think there is any monetary saving. I pay tax and insurance on a car and two motorcycles but leave them at home when I can.
Some time back I had an 40X2 Km commute which I cycled three times a week in summer. Leaving aside bike maintenance costs I found I was spending 5 Euro extra on a large lunch, which is about what I would have spent on diesel for the same trip. The greatest benefits are probably health and wellbeing, possibly time spent in traffic, for some gym time + fees and for competitive cyclists training time.

thebman

About a grand in bus fare a year but I only just started where I am for the past 4 days.

Its about a 20 minute commute with 10 minute walk to bus stop and 5 minutes on bus and 5 minute walk when I get off.

On a bike I think I'll do it in similar time but without having to wait for the bus to show up so eliminating that time and faster over the walking part but maybe slower than the bus on the rest of it although I'm sure I could match the bus speed in places especially if it had to stop between when I get on and off which it doesn't usually have to do.

Anyway the bike gear cost 70 euro (lock, lights, mudguards, gloves) and I have mountain bike already so I'll just pump the tyres up a bit more than I do for mountain biking and I should be ok. I know I could get a faster bike but no real interest in it to start with anyway.

If the weather turns awful I'll probably drive instead once I get my car back on the road so I'll always have the option. No traffic my way so that would be faster than cycling probably but not as healthy

Lumen

Beasty wrote: »

Just wondering what the next step down this particular path is - roller blades perhaps?

The footwear definitely looks to have potential.

tomasrojo

I think the real savings are to be made by not having a car, since purchase, tax and insurance are a major outlay.

If you can hire a car when you need it instead of owning one outright, the savings are very substantial. To be practical though, you have to find ways of getting the bike to do a lot of things most people do with a car.

Something like the Philly Car Share scheme would be very handy.
http://www.phillycarshare.org/
The car dealerships wouldn't like it though.

ednwireland

nothing spend spare money on bike bits

into work car <10 mins bike 10 mins

home car < 10 mins bike 20-30 depnding on route (all uphill)
so dont save nothing nowhere but i am a bit fitter

and my cayo is worth more than my car (98 primera)

now where's that order dor the look keo 2 ,max's

thebman

tomasrojo wrote: »

I think the real savings are to be made by not having a car, since purchase, tax and insurance are a major outlay.

If you can hire a car when you need it instead of owning one outright, the savings are very substantial. To be practical though, you have to find ways of getting the bike to do a lot of things most people do with a car.

Something like the Philly Car Share scheme would be very handy.
http://www.phillycarshare.org/
The car dealerships wouldn't like it though.

yeah I need my car to go mountain biking though and for going to my parents house in the middle of no place. I use it to go to the shops too since I don't want to cart shopping around with me.

Not having a car is very impractical for most people in Ireland.

SleepDoc

This weekend by cycling to the airport I will be saving about 35 euro in parking. And I get to lock up close to the terminal

Gavin

I'd save at least 500 or so euro on the cost of a yearly taxsaver bus ticket.
Save around 30 minutes in the morning, not having to get up and walk to the otherside of the city for a bus.
Save money on heating water as I shower in work. Around 1 euro to heat the tank I think - 5 euro a week - around 250 euro or so a year.. maybe.

I don't think my saving equals my expenditure.. Although I don't have a car, which would certainly cost more than my bike expenditure, even taking into account 3 bikes, clothing and maintenance.

DirkVoodoo

ROK ON wrote: »

Trees. Lots of them. Rainforest too.

I reckon my increase in food consumption (without an increase in body weight, argh!!) means that more rainforest is being chopped down to make way for grazing land for livestock.

Me and my beef guzzling form of transport, damn hippies trying to make me use a car instead.

thebman

SleepDoc wrote: »

This weekend by cycling to the airport I will be saving about 35 euro in parking. And I get to lock up close to the terminal

That sounds like you might end up walking when you get back :eek:

Hungrycol

I save nothing because I still pay Motor tax and insurance on my motorbike but I choose to cycle out of enjoyment.

Given that I commute to work in the city I also save my sanity (although lose this in embarrassment wearing lycra in the office lift).

Time wise nothing if on the motorbike and save about 2 hours if by bus.

rebel.ranter

victorcarrera wrote: »

In my scenario I don't think there is any monetary saving. I pay tax and insurance on a car and two motorcycles but leave them at home when I can.
.........The greatest benefits are probably health and wellbeing.....

Actually I was about to post a similar view.

I don't cycle to work as there are no facilities for showering. I would not work after a 20-30 minute cycle. I would seriously consider it though if facilities were made available. I would however still need to have two cars at home (for two of us). So there would only be fuel savings.
I hope that new renewed interest in cycling will save me on health costs later in life. I am also eating less as I am less bored. In addition to that I am consuming less alcohol (wouldn't dream of having a few pints on a Friday) as I like to keep a fresh head from my Saturday morning spin. So there is probably savings on cost of junk food & beer.
My bike cost me slightly more than a year's gym membership (in a decent gym with pool) but I will have it long after a year's gym memership is up. Plus I enjoy cycling, I hate gym workouts, swimming is OK though.

I'm really hoping I can get out at least once a week over the winter & I am already looking to find some sort of substitute excerise for the winter period....a turbo trainer, training wheel, tyre & cassette woudl be needed. Does that constitute a spend to save...

thebman

rebel.ranter wrote: »

Actually I was about to post a similar view.

I don't cycle to work as there are no facilities for showering. I would not work after a 20-30 minute cycle. I would seriously consider it though if facilities were made available. I would however still need to have two cars at home (for two of us). So there would only be fuel savings.
I hope that new renewed interest in cycling will save me on health costs later in life. I am also eating less as I am less bored. In addition to that I am consuming less alcohol (wouldn't dream of having a few pints on a Friday) as I like to keep a fresh head from my Saturday morning spin. So there is probably savings on cost of junk food & beer.
My bike cost me slightly more than a year's gym membership (in a decent gym with pool) but I will have it long after a year's gym memership is up. Plus I enjoy cycling, I hate gym workouts, swimming is OK though.

I'm really hoping I can get out at least once a week over the winter & I am already looking to find some sort of substitute excerise for the winter period....a turbo trainer, training wheel, tyre & cassette woudl be needed. Does that constitute a spend to save...

My bike cost about a years membership too I'd say (discounted gym though ) but I can't exercise in gyms all the time. It makes me feel ill if I spend more than an hour in them.

I prefer going for a long cycle and getting fresh air even if its raining/cold out. Makes the shower afterwards a reward I can look forward to

rflynnr

I suspect I could put a monetary value on the savings my bike(s) result in: we do own one car but we'd own two if it wasn't for the bikes. However, I've always regarded the key bike-related saving as time. Unless I'm travelling outside Dublin county, it's always faster to go places by bike.

And here's the thing: money is something I can always make more of, but time...?

tomasrojo

thebman wrote: »

yeah I need my car to go mountain biking though and for going to my parents house in the middle of no place. I use it to go to the shops too since I don't want to cart shopping around with me.

Not having a car is very impractical for most people in Ireland.

I appreciate that. But, for the first two, there's car hire (might be tricky if you needed it every weekend though, and end up being costly).

And for the shopping, why there's this, which I use:



I use that all the time. Use it for carrying my classical guitar around in its hard case too.

blorg

Also extends your life expectancy as does any aerobic exercise, more time there.

blorg

thebman wrote: »

yeah I need my car to go mountain biking though and for going to my parents house in the middle of no place. I use it to go to the shops too since I don't want to cart shopping around with me.

Not having a car is very impractical for most people in Ireland.

That is what other people with cars are there for, to give you a lift wherever you need to go with your bike. DUH

victorcarrera

blorg wrote: »

Also extends your life expectancy as does any aerobic exercise, more time there.

May be so.
But consider what my local pub comedian has to say on that.
He reckons that if I spend 10 hrs or more a week on the bike that that equates to the best part of one day a week or 1/7th of your waking lifetime given over to extending your life expectancy by at best he thinks 10 years. No gain.
I think he may have a point there.

tomasrojo

You're only awake ten hours a day?

thebman

tomasrojo wrote: »

You're only awake ten hours a day?

He needs to rest after the cycling

blorg wrote: »

That is what other people with cars are there for, to give you a lift wherever you need to go with your bike. DUH

It only works until the other guy has enough sense to tell you to fook off unfortunately :P

tomasrojo

thebman wrote: »

He needs to rest after the cycling

Or he's a domestic cat.

victorcarrera

tomasrojo wrote: »

You're only awake ten hours a day?

No, 10 hours on the bike results in many more hours before and after bike and body prep and cleaning etc. Not to mention bike related ebayiing and window shopping in CRC, Wiggle, browsing Boards etc.

c0rk3r

I used to work part time in Dun Laoghaire 3 nights a week or so during college. I lived in Glasnevin so this entailed me getting a bus into town then getting the dart to Dun laoghaire. The journey took me 1h 10minutes- 1h30minutes. Id have to listen to people on public transport which really gets you down. I had absolute knackers on the 40 going into town and then annoying wesley disco type southside teens on the dart. Im still not sure which i prefer. Both drove me mad

Until i started cycling out. It took me about 45mins and saved me in the region of 5-6euro a day on transport x 3 days = 850euro average. I saved on time, money and mental stability.

Havent looked back since

briano

For me it's €4 ish return on the train every day, Cycling is between half an hour and fifteen minutes quicker as well. I drove into work for the first time in months today as I needed the car. Nearly lost my mind sitting in traffic and not being able to nip up the bus lane.

Worked out that if I cycle to work 2/3 days a week for a year I'll have made back the cost of the commuter. Or, as I am starting to think, I will have made back the cost of another commuter

Blowfish

It's difficult to calculate the money saved for random trips/shopping etc. but even just taking commuting into account I've saved a fair bit.

12 years commuting by bike so far. The first 4 don't count as if I didn't cycle I would have had to walk instead as there was no bus/train. For the last 8 though, it's saved me a bus/train yearly ticket, currently running at about €1k each.

In the 8 years I've only had 3 bikes, the first a hand me down, the second cost about €200. Even taking into account the usual bits and pieces for maintenance, It's a hell of a lot saved, which is why I had no problem splashing out on a Cayo about 6 weeks ago.

Overall though I'd say it depends on how you look at it. As a form of transport it's one of the cheapest, but as a sport it's actually pretty expensive. Thankfully one offsets the other.

StudentC

My savings would be time more so than money.

When I got my bike I had a 17km commute, so it saved me those bus fares. Then I moved and had a 3 km commute, and now it's down to a shameful 1 km commute - it still saves time though!

Maybe it saves me a little bit on non-commuting travel - I cycle to friends' houses / into town / to do the shopping etc rather than driving or buses.

I use the car very little now but am still forking out for the tax/insurance/repairs etc. But the car stays because my other hobbies (caving/kayaking) are completely car dependent.

So for me - time rather than money really.

Ryaner

Money wise the bike saves me nothing. 5km commute each way is offset by the extra food I eat because of cycling. However cycling to work and showering is as quick as driving at the same time, and 10-20 minutes quicker if I go in anytime after 8am.

After driving for lunch today, there is a HUGE mental benefit of not having to stay in traffic.

tomasrojo

Ryaner wrote: »

Money wise the bike saves me nothing. 5km commute each way is offset by the extra food I eat because of cycling.

This is where two panniers come in handy. Bring in your accoutrements, plus two large lunchboxes stuffed with food from home.

I am perhaps the biggest skinflint I know.

Ryaner

tomasrojo wrote: »

This is where two panniers come in handy. Bring in your accoutrements, plus two large lunchboxes stuffed with food from home.

I am perhaps the biggest skinflint I know.

Cycling caused me to start eating 5-6 meals a day. And on the days when I am training, I can't carry enough in with me

velo.2010

By Cycling, I save the World, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race....

thebman

velo.2010 wrote: »

By Cycling, I save the World, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race....

Thanks I appreciate it my good man.

or alternatively:

Listen bud, I don't know who you think you are but I didn't fooking ask ya what ya did and I don't want a better fooking world. I'm happy with the one I have and as for Lisbon, vote fooking no!

:pac:

ED E

I get to get up when I like really, thats all the motivation I need.

rebel.ranter

blorg wrote: »

That is what other people with cars are there for, to give you a lift wherever you need to go with your bike. DUH

Oh, I forgot to mention that I am a serious petrol head which is probably at odds with the majority of posters on here. Hence no amount of cycling passion will push the motor car out of my life. I am not speed freak or anything just into the engineering & aesthetics. So giving up a car would be tough, the funny thing is that I don't do a lot of driving.