A couple months ago I responded to a tweet by blogger and author @ellyblue, asking her followers how much they spend on bike commuting annually. The question was in reference to a blog she had recently published on the website of Bicycling Magazine on busting the myth about the cost of bike transportation.
As an obsessed cyclist, with too many bikes, I quickly tweeted back to her that I spend way more than $308 annually – a number I didn’t want to think about!
@Ellyblue’s reply back to me was that I needed to break apart commuting from my recreational cycling. My purchase of a rack and panniers for my daily bike ride to work didn’t belong in the same category as a new mountain bike or hydration pack; but instead closer to a bus pass or oil change.
I had never thought about it that way. In my mind, all my cycling expenses have sort of been lumped together.
My daily commute to work along the Poco Trail
I’ve been commuting by bike since I moved to Ottawa, ON, in ‘05. Now that I live in Port Coquitlam, BC, and own a car, my husband and I drive on the weekends to run errands and go mountain biking on the north shore, but the vast majority of our weekly outings are by bike. So I considered @ellyblue’s question again.
Like anything else, the upfront cost of buying a bike (plus essential accessories such as a helmet, lights, fenders, multi tool and pump, and maybe a rack and panniers) can add up; but those items should last for years with fairly minimal maintenance. After that initial cost of buying your gear, how much does it cost to commute by bike comfortably?
There is no answer, of course. It can cost as little, or as much as you choose to spend (carbon fiber cyclocross bike anyone?). For me personally, @ellyblue’s estimate of around $300/year is probably about right. I ride a simple hybrid and take care of most mechanical issues at home, but I’m a bit of a gear junkie so most of my annual expenses are on clothing and gear. Even considering the years when I replace my bike or purchase other bigger ticket items such as waterproof outerwear, riding my bike to work is still a fraction of the cost of driving, or even taking public transportation. Plus it makes me happy!
What I took out of the whole exchange wasn’t how much I (or anyone) spends on commuting gear, but rather reminding myself that riding my bike as a means of transportation is analogous to driving. Just because I enjoy getting around by bike, it doesn’t mean its not important. Bike commuting is hugely beneficial to our expenses, not to mention fitness, mental health, and C02 emissions.
From here on out, we will consider bike transport a line item on our annual family budgeting – right next to our car insurance and oil changes.
Because it’s not about justifying the next purchase of a new helmet, or waterproof cycling shoes come winter, but rather recognizing that commuting by bike is an essential part of our lifestyle and spending a little more to keep safe, comfortable, and happy, is still a heck of a lot cheaper than sitting in traffic!
– –
Rachael Raven is the Web Content Coordinator for Live to Play Sports and editor of livetoplaysports.com. Read her monthly blog for her thoughts on the cycling world, including happenings around LTP’s Port Coquitlam office. More about Rachael here.