saving money............commuting ?

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

But if I drive home, then go out to train on the bike // compared to simply riding home with some spirited sections along the way ... it can come out about the same.

This is why I like to ride to/from work when it's not dark and rainy - by the time I get home I'm relaxed from my ride and got my training in - instead of walking in the door and having to bargain my way back out (because of honey-do list, or whatever).

[mt2u77]

Also factor in the cost of bike maintenance— chains, tires, tubes, drivetrain. Those are all wear items and 1000 dirty miles a month will chew them up pretty fast.

I commute 34 miles round trip (40 by car) and I estimate a $5 a day savings. I’m sure it’s less because I constantly buy and upgrade stuff on my bike just because, and eventually the same route/same bike gets boring so then you’ll get another bike to mix it up . . . but yeah, smiles are where it’s at!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[azrider]

Sorry.........but just another shout out to me Dave Scott Centurion. Best $80 I've ever spent. Hey, so if I've established that I'm saving $8 a day and I've commuted well over 10 times then that bike has already paid for itself and THEN some.

Seriously the best do-it-all bike i've ever had.

Trainer
Kiddo's transporter
Fast coffee rides

[azrider]

Originally Posted by Idris Icabod

One savings that you could benefit from is with your automobile insurance costs. I am with Progressive, they offer a discount based on driving habits*, miles driven/time of day... etc. When I did that programs, my costs dropped hundreds of $ because I was barely driving and not driving during times of day that the insurance industry deemed high risk (rush hour presumably).

*I've mentioned this before on this forum and got quite a lot of abuse about being a 'sheep' and allowing big brother to monitor me. It's a suggestion on a saving that might be available to you, no interest in hearing opinion on privacy intrusion.

While I like where your heads at (and I would have no problem using "Snapshot" if it saved me money), but unfortunately Progressive would have no way of tracking my car as it does not have an OBD2 port.

[rwsaunders]

You should looking at driving a car as a cost per mile equation...fuel, insurance, maintenance, depreciation, etc. I think that cost can range between $0.45-0.70/mile according to edmonds.com. 3 hours /day riding in Arizona in the Summer...will you be alive to tell us about your experience?

https://newsroom.aaa.com/auto/your-driving-costs/

[dustyrider]

I bought a house that is a 5 minute walk away from work. I saved so much money I bought a second vehicle!

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by azrider

....

Does my math sound right? Am I missing anything?

Do you have to pay for parking?

I am going thru this math as well...need (want) to justify a new bike....

In my building (downtown Seattle) it is about $30/day ($300/month)...bikes park for free....

I typically take the bus into town unless I have a client meeting...bus fare runs about $2.75 each way

My commute is probably only 10 miles each way so very doable.....

Things I need to figure out are getting kids out door to school, getting home to cook dinner, getting clean suits/shirts/ties into office, moving my lazy butt and just doing it....

[weisan]

I commute by train and bike.

The biggest benefit I get out of commuting is by not being sucked into the daily traffic grind and thus arriving at my destinations at a better mental / physical state and how that affects the rest of my day and my relationships.

[p nut]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

But if I drive home, then go out to train on the bike // compared to simply riding home with some spirited sections along the way ... it can come out about the same.

Yes, which is why I said I'd do it for recreation purposes if I wanted (part you cut out. ). HOWEVER, I look at my current and past commutes and those are not routes I'd ever want to ride. Alongside the road with hundreds of cars, rushing to or from work, people putting on make-up, checking emails, talking on the phone. Breathing in all that exhaust gas. And really, sucky scenery. I'd rather ride up the canyons or other routes with less cars and better views.

[SlowPokePete]

Nothing better than a car sitting in the driveway while getting to ride my bike instead...

SPP

[yakstone]

Call your insurance company and tell them you no longer use your vehicle to drive to work, and your insurance will drop-AFTER they fight you in disbelief. Been there.[/QUOTE]

Right, mine dropped about $8 per 6 month premium. I was driving 35 miles each way from Fort Collins to Boulder Colorado.

[batman1425]

Bike will take consumables as well. Tires, tubes, appropriate clothing, lube, brake pads, cables, etc. Won't be as much as maintaining a car, but not free either.

[Ralph]

Don't know what kind of car or it's age....you have. But just because you own it outright doesn't change the biggest cost of vehicle ownership.....depreciation. It's losing value every day....sitting there or being driven. Depreciation is a cost. It's really the biggest cost of vehicle ownership. You need to include that cost in your calculation. Your car payment is just how you went about paying for the vehicle. Depreciation is the cost.

[BobbyJones]

Originally Posted by Ralph

...Depreciation is a cost. It's really the biggest cost of vehicle ownership. You need to include that cost in your calculation. Your car payment is just how you went about paying for the vehicle. Depreciation is the cost.

based on: " there is absolutely no way I'm getting rid of this car. My dad bought it new in '84" I think it's depreciated as much as it's gonna depreciate.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by azrider

Ok. Aside from obvious health and happiness beney's, how much $ can I actually save commuting?

Car is paid for so no payments and insurance is minimal. Based on a month's worth of commuting by car/bike I came up with following.

Commute: 50 miles roundtrip
Car: 35mpg / 21g tank
Fuel: Diesel which is around $2.70g
Insurance: $400 year

1 month of drivng would be 1000 miles month. At 35mpg that comes out to 28.5 gallons of diesel ($76.95 in diesel fuel)

Insurance spread across 12 mos would be $33 per month.

So I'm at $110 per month in just fuel and insurance. Maintenance on car so far this year has cost me $800 so spread that across 12 mos that adds $66, bringing total to $176 per month.

So if my math is correct that's $8.80 a day. Not to mention the Starbucks/CircleK coffee I normally get when driving as opposed to slamming water during commute.

Does my math sound right? Am I missing anything?

$ to create and maintain the bike...it ain’t free I’m guessing. Ahhh lots of good points particularly concerning time. Helps if yer single, pretty tough if you have a family.