Bicycle commuting cheap, but not without its problems
Filed under: Transportation
Perhaps $4.00 gas has caused you to consider bicycle commuting. Good for you! A nice spin on a sunny summer morning is a marvelous way to start the day, and the return trip is a great way to burn away those work frustrations.
However, there are some expenses you may not anticipate and hurdles you'll need to overcome, ones that mitigate some of the benefits of bicycle commuting, ones that the bicycle industry won't tell you about.
Bike run cheap, but not free. A $20 tire subjected to city street debris may last 1-2,000 miles, an inner tube half of that before it is too patched to depend upon. A good raincoat is an essential, as are gloves and some rain cover for your shoes. Add a helmet, a good lock, bags to carry your clothes and incidentals, a repair kit adequate for typical bike problems (tire patching, drive train adjustments, wheel truing), lights and reflectors, fenders, and you can run up a tab of several hundred dollars.
Also consider the money cost of time. Sure, you're getting exercise as you ride, but you'll spend three times or more as long in your commute, time that will have to be shaved off your normal routine. Add to this time spent fixing the occasional flat.
You'll need a place to safely store your bike at work and a locker room where you can clean up (yes, you'll be whiffy after the ride, and you should do what you can to freshen up before subjecting your office mates to your funk). Forget about driving very far for lunch; the hassle isn't worth it. Ditto stopping to shop on the way home for more than what you can fit in your panniers.
If it's raining, you'll get wet. Wet clothes need to dry, so you'll need a place to hang them at work. Riding in the rain isn't much fun, especially in traffic. In heavy traffic, expect cars to cut you off or gesture angrily when you hold them up for a nanosecond.
If, after considering these factors, the idea still appeals to you, then ride on. You have the spirit to make it work for you, and will earn the right to laugh as you ride past gas stations.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-19-2008 @ 8:04PM
Antonio said...
As a long time bike commuter, I can assure anyone reading this that the hurdles pointed out in the article are not that hard to overcome. Yes, it takes some getting used to and you will have to adjust your daily routine accordingly, but the rewards are well worth the effort. It helps to make a personal commitment to do it regularly for at least a month. By then you should either be adjusted to it and find yourself able to do it or realize it's not for you. But everyone should at least try it for a month.
As for the cost of equipment, you can start out on a cheapo bike and use regular, comfortable clothes (no need to pretend you're Lance Armstrong just for your commute). Then, if you decide to keep at it, slowly start acquiring whatever you feel you need (Lance Armstrong costumes, bike computers, faster bike, etc)
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5-20-2008 @ 10:35AM
Matt said...
Yep, that article is pretty negative. I am also a long-time commuter. Over time you do spend money on raingear, lights, clothing, etc., but I shower before I leave home, don't push too hard, don't wear racing gear, tidy up at work, change into shirt, trousers and tie, and am fine. All you really need to start is a bicycle and a backpack; give it a try on rainy days, don't necessarily ride the same roads you use with a car if there is a quieter alternative, stick with it for a couple of weeks if you're new at it, and then think about additional gear acquisitions as the need arises. It doesn't work for some people, but for many trips most of us take much of the time, the bicycle works well.
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5-20-2008 @ 10:40AM
Matt said...
Er, I said "give it a try on rainy days". I meant sunny days! I rode from work to Home Depot in the rain last night so had raingear on the brain! Next time I'll try proofreading before hitting Enter.
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5-21-2008 @ 12:23PM
CT said...
I take great exception with the idea that "you'll spend three times or more as long in your commute." This can be true, but it will vary for everyone. Here are 5 examples from my personal experience.
1. I currently live in the suburbs -- my drive is a notoriously congested 10-mile stretch of Highway 4 in the Bay Area. In traffic, those 10 miles take 45 minutes. My bike commute on surface streets and bike paths is 9 miles, and also takes 45 minutes.
2. I recently lived in the city; my commute was about 6 miles. The drive took about 10 minutes, and parking and getting from the lot to my building added another 10. Biking, by contrast, took about 30 minutes -- just 10 minutes extra, or about 50% longer.
3) When I lived in Oakland, I was lucky to have a 3-mile commute. The bike ride was 15 minutes, and driving through city traffic + parking took 25. Biking was actually much faster!
4) When I lived in Boston and commuted 11 miles to Medford, the drive took 25 minutes; the bike ride took 50. Given the fact that I had good reason to skip the gym on those days, I considered myself to still be breaking even on my time commitments.
5) Boston to Wayland, Mass -- 20 miles each way -- was the one situation where biking was a solid loser. The drive was about 30 minutes; the bike ride was 1.5 hours, or three times the drive. Obviously, the time disparity is at its worst if your drive is a long one on fast-moving highways and roads.
In any case, I am glad to see this article point out some of the trade-offs of bike commuting. Bicycling advocates sometimes paint a too-rosy picture that, in the end, could turn off potential pedalers with unrealistic expectations.
Personally, I find the benefits of bike commuting greatly outweigh the downsides. If it is something you're considering trying, commit to giving it a shot; know that there will be both positives and negatives; and use the Web to connect with experienced riders who can lend you support as you get started.
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