Money saved commuting by bike

Jon8a

I just worked out that at ~20p per mile I save £400 assuming I cycle on 85% of my journeys (conservative).

I am ignoring the spending on other bikes as only the commuter counts, £200 to build and less than £30 a year to maintain (rigid, singlespeed). I'm off to wiggle!

Crapaud

£400???? I worked out that I saved £2 500 per annum when I got rid of the car over 10 years ago. I was including things like insurance and maintenance / repairs though.

More than compensated for a new bike and kit.

DavidTQ

Jon8a wrote:

I just worked out that at ~20p per mile I save £400 assuming I cycle on 85% of my journeys (conservative).

I am ignoring the spending on other bikes as only the commuter counts, £200 to build and less than £30 a year to maintain (rigid, singlespeed). I'm off to wiggle!

I know Im a lot more than £400 a year better off from not driving, but then I ditched two of the cars completely (apart from my rally car which is "off the road"). So my savings include insurance, VED, depreciation, repairs, tyres, mot's etc etc for two cars. Realistically since I got shot of the cars I reckon the family is about £300 a month better off.

Big Shoes

I spend £250 per month on petrol JUST travelling to and from work, if i cycled every day i would be rich, £57 per month car insurance (10 payments) and £415 a year car tax, so, it costs £3985 for the car + MOT and + if anything goes wrong with it, 4k +, i am now really glad i worked that out...........not

dirk_van_gently

What you save

Take a look at the above page, scroll towards the bottom of the page, and take a look at the figures. Before a wanna be accountant type pulls the figures apart, Yes the figures are "Ball park", but they give you some idea of what you save against a car.
The AA website makes for some scary and interesting reading. Don't forget the money that you spend on a car has already been taxed, if you ain't spending it, you don't have to earn it :-)

redddraggon

I haven't saved anything from year of commuting by bike - I've probably sent more on bike stuff than I would have spent on the bus. Spending £120 on an Assos cycling jacket can be more justifiable when you go to work everyday on a bike (even though I only wore it about 5 times before it got too warm to wear it)

dirk_van_gently

redddraggon wrote:

I haven't saved anything from year of commuting by bike - I've probably sent more on bike stuff ...snip

Spending money on the bike or clothing doesn't count :P

IsledeBlanc

Money saved = Money spent in Condor

cee

If I was to get the bus to work everyday :shock: ueachh! judder :? , it would cost me £517 a year.

I might just get meeself a nice new set of wheels!

Eat My Dust

Mrs EMD's train ticket costs nearly £2,500. So as long as I spend less than £2,500 a year I'm in the clear!!!!

dirk_van_gently

cee wrote:

If I was to get the bus to work everyday :shock: ueachh! judder :? , it would cost me £517 a year.
I might just get meeself a nice new set of wheels!

And of course a good bike will last at least 2 years, so you can spend twice as much 8)

Jon8a

My car was free (P reg clio stolen/borrowed form parents a few years ago) so no capital cost or no depreciation. But I do still own one so I pay for all the other stuff that is needed just to keep it stationary (I drive at weekends and evenings to get places for leisure)

I only cycle a max of 10 miles return from work.

I don't pay parking or tolls.

I do however same time and money by not having to go to a gym. Assume people who live near me and work where I do spend £25+ a month on a gym membership 3 hrs a week (ha). Cycling takes me maybe an extra hour over the week (timed door to door when I first started) and keeps me fit.

But most importantly, I love it. I know feel miserable when I have to drive to work.

cee

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

cee wrote:

If I was to get the bus to work everyday :shock: ueachh! judder :? , it would cost me £517 a year.
I might just get meeself a nice new set of wheels!

And of course a good bike will last at least 2 years, so you can spend twice as much 8)

You know DVG......you are really growing on me! thats the logic I like to hear!

Also, just been offered cash by the motor insurers bureau for a van that hit me in december! Is that snow falling from the sky? who is that big jolly chap in the red suit and white beard?

8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

dirk_van_gently

cee wrote:

You know DVG......you are really growing on me! thats the logic I like to hear!

:P :P :P My other half is an accountant :P :P :P

MattHybrid

I havent worked out figures in that much detail! I don't have a car, but several weeks ago I just figured that I had 10 weeks before moving house where I could cycle to work each day, saving £13/week on a bus pass, and thus making a £150 spend on a bike worthwhile! Even better when the £150 was on a second hand unused Revolution Courier Race with a tag of £279 new, with loads of added extras :P I love ebay, and the commuting dropouts who post their gear their!!

NorwegianBlue

Lets see....

My travel card costs me £19.50 a week. If I catch the bus to town and then the train to work that's £19.50. If I cycle to the station and catch the train it's £19.50. So money saved zero.

Well actually it costs more to use the bike, there's wear and tear on the bike to consider.

It doesn't really save a significant amount of time either.

I don't commute by bike to save money, I do it because it's more fun and it keeps me fit.

andrewgturnbull

NorwegianBlue wrote:

Lets see....

My travel card costs me £19.50 a week. If I catch the bus to town and then the train to work that's £19.50. If I cycle to the station and catch the train it's £19.50. So money saved zero.

Well actually it costs more to use the bike, there's wear and tear on the bike to consider.

It doesn't really save a significant amount of time either.

I don't commute by bike to save money, I do it because it's more fun and it keeps me fit.

Could you not just ride to work, and miss out the pricey train/bus bit?

NorwegianBlue

andrewgturnbull wrote:

NorwegianBlue wrote:

Lets see....

My travel card costs me £19.50 a week. If I catch the bus to town and then the train to work that's £19.50. If I cycle to the station and catch the train it's £19.50. So money saved zero.

Well actually it costs more to use the bike, there's wear and tear on the bike to consider.

It doesn't really save a significant amount of time either.

I don't commute by bike to save money, I do it because it's more fun and it keeps me fit.

Could you not just ride to work, and miss out the pricey train/bus bit?

With the train included my commute is over an hour, if I were to cycle all the way the commute would be a lot longer. As it is I only get to see my son for about an hour a day. If I cycled the whole commute I would only see him at weekends.

nwallace

Bus cost
£3.20 for a day ticket, further costs, none
Time 30 to 60 mins each way normally around 40mins

Cycling cost
£5 a month pre-tax deduction for storage locker
Wear and tear - Unknown
Flapjack - £0.65 per day - Ignore for calculation I would eat one anyway
Time ~40 mins each way, usually 45 out, 35 back (thats the effect of the hill on me)


Driving cost
£1.60 parking (hospital)
14 miles (round trip) @ 20mpg (yes that is not a typo, big engined cars are not for commuting in) @ £5.15 per gallon = 0.7 Gallons @ £5.15 per gallon = £3.60
Ear and tear unknown
Cost = £5.2 (assuming a clear run)
Add £210 VED + £60 MOT
Time: 20 mins to 90mins (worst ever!) but normally around 35mins

260 working days in a year, - 38 days holiday = 222.

Bus = £710.40 (Taxed)
Cycling = £60 (Untaxed)
Driving = £1154.40 (Taxed) + £270 = £1424.40

Having worked that all out, I'm off to buy a triple or compact to make climbing up to work easier work

Crapaud

nwallace wrote:

...Ear and tear unknown...

You drive a Ford Tyson or something??







Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'll see myself out.

nwallace

I would correct the typo but,