Want to begin bike commuting – need some advice please!

[vvill]

I think if you can offset the cost of a car, cycling is definitely cost-effective. The problem with riding a bike just for commuting is it becomes so fun and more than just a way of getting around and therefore more a source of potential “investment”. I’m sure if I could just ride one commuter bike to work wearing mostly regular/gym clothes it would cost less than metro or gas+car maintenance for a year.

Like hozn says, regardless of cost savings I’d rather bike commute. I’m happy to spend dollars on bikes and bike stuff rather than gas.

[vern]

@hozn 112177 wrote:

Yeah, good points. There are lots of benefits to cycling; just may not result in a net $$ savings in the end. Maybe if cycling means you can drop a gym membership? Or if you have to pay for your own healthcare (and qualify for a better rate). Cycling did help me get a 30% lower [than default non-smoker] life insurance rate, so that is something!

Of course there are also (a few) intangibles with driving too — like listening to books on tape or catching up on world news (yes, some cyclists use headphones too, but not recommended, especially in traffic). And it is easier to have a conversation with my son when we are in the car, though it works to talk to him in the trailer if I ride slowly enough.

If I still sat on the Metro each day I’d be pumping $80 of my own money into the SMART card each month above and beyond the transit subsidy available from my agency. So, I see that $80 as transit money to play with, and any of that I don’t spend is money saved. I can get a set of Gatorskins for that 80 bucks and they’ll last several months. I should track this closely for a year and see what the balance is.

To Tim’s point about health…I now have fewer prescriptions than I did before bike commuting…Lisinopril gone! Cholesterol meds greatly reduced in dosage, so that’s money saved as a result of commuting. My doctor now only asks that I get my blood checked every 6 months instead of every 3 months due to my enhanced health, so that’s money (and time) saved.

And I’m cheap, so I cart my breakfast and lunch with me (and I like better what I bring than what I can buy).

[ShawnoftheDread]

@DismalScientist 112145 wrote:

Your road bike has a carbon frame, so a rack and panniers are infeasible.
.

Not true. A coworker of mine has a rack on a carbon Infinito, mounted to the brake bridge and the rear skewer. It looks pretty nice, as far as racks go.

Of course, I might make fun of him a bit for having a rack on a carbon Bianchi, but he hardly ever rides it so I make fun of him for that instead.

[Greenbelt]

The Jamis Endura is a full carbon bike with mounts for rear rack. The full carbon touring bike is becoming a thing, for better or worse! Carbon commuters will be next I’m sure.

[hozn]

Good points from vvill, vern, others. I seem to forget that I have a much cheaper/easier (non-bike) commute than those that live in the city: free parking, no serious traffic, less than 1 gallon of gas RT.

And definitely true that you will save money if you can drop the car. I can’t really do that (or choose not to); how else would I get to the bike races?!

So, I guess I should rephrase that you certainly *can* save money, but it is not the foregone conclusion that you might first think. Drivetrains cost more than oil changes. Tires are expensive. And calories are often more expensive than gasoline. Oh, and my commuter cost me more than the Saab 900 I used to drive.

[Greenbelt]

@hozn 112212 wrote:

Good points from vvill, vern, others. I seem to forget that I have a much cheaper/easier (non-bike) commute than those that live in the city: free parking, no serious traffic, less than 1 gallon of gas RT.

And definitely true that you will save money if you can drop the car. I can’t really do that (or choose not to); how else would I get to the bike races?!

So, I guess I should rephrase that you certainly *can* save money, but it is not the foregone conclusion that you might first think. Drivetrains cost more than oil changes. Tires are expensive. And calories are often more expensive than gasoline. Oh, and my commuter cost me more than the Saab 900 I used to drive.

Lots of savings on car insurance though, if you park the car weekdays instead of commuting it.

[Powerful Pete]

@Greenbelt 112211 wrote:

Carbon commuters will be next I’m sure.

Well if you consider some of the new gravel/adventure bikes that come with rack and fender mounts – Salsa Warbird, Jamis Renegade and others, they all have a CF frame option.

[Phatboing]

@Greenbelt 112213 wrote:

Lots of savings on car insurance though, if you park the car weekdays instead of commuting it.

Pretty much why we sold our car a long time ago – we were spending much more on insurance every month than on anything else. Now it’s Zipcars for Shenandoah hiking trips, and trailer for Costco runs. Boom.

[mstone]

@hozn 112212 wrote:

So, I guess I should rephrase that you certainly *can* save money, but it is not the foregone conclusion that you might first think. Drivetrains cost more than oil changes. Tires are expensive. And calories are often more expensive than gasoline. Oh, and my commuter cost me more than the Saab 900 I used to drive.

That’s why only rich people ride bikes, right? You choose to spend a lot on a bike. That’s cool, if that’s what you’re into. (I don’t absolve myself from buying bike toys.) But it’s by no means actually necessary from a functional standpoint. (Refer to discussion the other day where I argued that it was nuts to consider claris “lower end” by any practical measure.) This forum is overrepresented by people who really like biking, and with enough disposable income to buy bike bling. If someone is actually trying to save money, a pair of heavy duty tires on sale for <$15/ea will last for a couple of years or until the bike is stolen--there's no way that you can, should, or must buy a $200 set of tires if you're watching your spending. Heck, a walmart bike that's treated as an annual consumable can still save time/money over transit. As far as the car, people who are into cars spend way more than I can even imagine being able to spend on a bike.

I’m passionate about this because the stereotypical image of a well-off white guy in spandex has led to an odd situation in this country wherein the most egalitarian mode of mechanical transportation ever invented has become a toy in the public consciousness. That’s a bad thing insofar as it strengthens the default view that single occupancy cars are the only way to get from point A to point B.

And all that said, there’s a good chance that if you look behind the walmart or the mcdonalds you’ll find a couple of bikes. People do ride for transportation without dropping a bunch of money on bike bling–as they have been for over a hundred years now.

[Crickey7]

To get it back to the original point about fiscal prudence, you can generally set it up so that it’s at least somewhat less expensive than driving. And it’s a recurring savings. If it allows you to avoid or defer a big capital expenditure on a depreciating asset like a car, you can really start rolling in clover.

At which point you shift to craft beers and blow most of your savings.

[wheelswings]

My bicycle cost me $200 twenty years ago. I chose it because it was the bike that came with the free helmet. It’s a mountain bike, but back then I didn’t know what that meant. I ride my bike close to 365 days per year. Mind you, I won’t be winning any races on it. But it’s reliable and it gets me where I need to go. You don’t have to spend a whole lot of $$. The headlight cost me $96 – that’s the most expensive component – worth spending the extra to be safe in the wintertime darkness.

[mstone]

@wheels&wings 112228 wrote:

The headlight cost me $96 – that’s the most expensive component – worth spending the extra to be safe in the wintertime darkness.

Good, cheap lighting is probably one of the biggest obstacles to safer low-cost biking. I’d love to see something disruptive in that space; technologically we’re about at the point where basic generator lights could be added to a disposable walmart bike for almost nothing. The question is how to get enough volume.

[PotomacCyclist]

Re driving to bike races: True car share services like Zipcar offer the option to go car-free most of the time while still being able to get to inconvenient locations and races. I know that not everyone has easy access to Zipcars or the other services, but when you combine all these things, like Zipcar, Capital Bikeshare, MetroRail, buses, personal bikes, etc., it becomes much easier for a significant percentage of local residents to go car-free or at least car-lite.

[PotomacCyclist]

On a couple other points: The Metroway bus is good to note. But it’s only available if you are taking the Slaters Lane, Potomac Yard Park and Crystal Drive route from Old Town North. From the Rte. 1-Monroe Ave. bridge to Crystal City, you would be within a short walk of the Metroway route the entire time.

I would recommend hardier tires so you don’t have to worry about as many flat tires. Avoid racing tires, since those tend to be lighter and more fragile. (People often say that the Continental GP4000 tires are good for training and racing, but I’ve found them to be more delicate than my old basic Vittoria tires that came with the bike. I think the Gatorskins are supposed to be more durable.)

For skinny tires, be sure to check the tire pressure before each ride. Pinch flats (where the innertube gets pinched against the rim) are often caused by underinflated tires. While you can’t prevent all flats, you can avoid many of the pinch flats just by checking tire pressure and inflating them to the recommended pressure. Do a quick safety check of the bike too, things like turning the handlebars, testing the brakes, tugging lightly on the seat and looking for cuts in the tires by spinning each one slowly as you hold the frame up. This check only takes a minute, even less once you get used to doing it.

After each ride, I like to check the tires again. Then I hold up one end, slowly spin the tire and brush off any debris by holding my gloved hand on top of the tire. (Don’t do this if you aren’t wearing gloves!)

If you happen to ride over broken glass or other sharp objects, stop after you have passed the debris. Inspect the tire for cuts or embedded debris. In some cases, the sharp objects won’t puncture the tire and tube immediately. It takes time for the debris to work its way in. If you stop and remove the debris right away, then you don’t give the objects a chance to cause problems. Again, this won’t avoid all flats, but it can help to prevent many of them.

If you start riding a lot, you should also give more thought to getting a proper bike fit. That becomes more important the more often you ride. If you’re only riding occasionally, a precise bike fit isn’t too vital. But if you ride regularly, then it is more important, for avoiding overuse injuries and for becoming more efficient on the bike.

[vvill]

@mstone 112222 wrote:

If someone is actually trying to save money, a pair of heavy duty tires on sale for <$15/ea will last for a couple of years or until the bike is stolen--there's no way that you can, should, or must buy a $200 set of tires if you're watching your spending. Heck, a walmart bike that's treated as an annual consumable can still save time/money over transit. As far as the car, people who are into cars spend way more than I can even imagine being able to spend on a bike.

I’m passionate about this because the stereotypical image of a well-off white guy in spandex has led to an odd situation in this country wherein the most egalitarian mode of mechanical transportation ever invented has become a toy in the public consciousness. That’s a bad thing insofar as it strengthens the default view that single occupancy cars are the only way to get from point A to point B.

I totally agree (and it’s great that BikeArlington has reached out with programs like their lights/reflective vests/bands handouts). There are definitely parts of the trails where you see more people just traveling around on “regular” bikes. I did start off spending very little on bikes and bike stuff, just a couple of padded shorts from Nashbar, technical tees from Old Navy, high lumen made-in-China lights, $20 helmet, etc. And yeah most $15-20 tires will be serviceable for thousands of miles. (I ramped up my spending based on how much I now ride/think about riding – especially for recreation/exercise).

The other side of the coin though is that commuting 10+ miles each way (so maybe 100 miles/week) is not as feasible on a Walmart bike both for efficiency and reliability. I tried commuting to DC originally on a $300 MTB and gave it up, as I felt it was too tough/slow with the hills around here. There’s a middle ground which admittedly many bike manufacturers and shops miss (partly/mostly due to the influence of racing bikes?) which is a shame. (I eventually brought over my 700c flat-bar road bike I’d bought in London and made the commute stick on that – it’s still a very capable bike.) It’s also a lot more enjoyable riding a reliable, efficient, smooth bike – fun is also an element in making bikes popular in general, whether for commuting or otherwise.

I’ve always thought zip/car/share programs would be a great idea if you live in the city but I imagine the locations of the stations aren’t really convenient for the ‘burbs where I live.

[Author]

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