Sandy Morton wrote:
> In article <eo0tr1-
>
[email protected]>, Simon Brooke
> <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>What do you currently spend in a year - total - on
>>commuting?
>
>
> I must hang my head in shame and admit that I spend
> nothing on commuting - it take me 20 seconds to walk from
> the house to the shop.
>
When I worked for IBM Warwick, I lived just over the road
from its front entrance. It was a longer walk across the car
park than it was down the side street from the house to the
entrance. The next flat was a quick ride down the canal to
IBM's back entrance.
Monetary terms - back when I was fitter and commuted
regularly Harrogate to Leeds on bike, it was quite
affordable. The bike in question just went through brake
shoes on those long descents, and had a few tyre changes in
its time. It also ate cotter pins (it was old) and bar tape.
I finally thought it worthwhile spending £400 on a nice
hybrid, and fell ill before having too much chance to make
use of it.
Back then the cycle ride was 45 minutes (I was a lot fitter
- its about 60 or 70 if I do it now). I could go by train,
and spend £4.70 on the return ticket. A season ticket would
give a 20% reduction. The journey would still include a 5
mile cycle ride, and take just as long. Its a lot more
reliable now than it was back then. They tend to provide
more carriages, so its not such a squash, and the conductors
are more friendly towards cyclists.
Driving took half an hour, and used about £4.50 worth of
fuel at a really pessimistic estimation rounding my cost
per mile up to 15p (a handy multiple of 5p. Fuel can go up
a bit before I start rounding to 20p). I service every 12
months, not completing 12000 miles in that time, so those
costs are static.
That unfortunately means that with my new job, I'm not going
to see any reduction in car servicing costs, apart from
perhaps a lower chance of things wearing out. Its nice and
close though, 4 to 5 miles depending on route (longer if I
go a "scenic route"). As they provide lunch too, that means
huge reduction in living cost
Modern bike parts last so well, that even at higher cost,
it averages out over the distance quite well. I've only had
to replace a rear cassette and chain once, and that was on
a second hand bike so who knows what wear it had had
before. Brake shoes for V brake are about a fiver. They
seem to wear out reasonably quickly, maybe 1000 miles on
the hills round here.
I'm told that disk brake pads last longer. Mine are wearing
down at about 900 miles, but still seem to have plenty of
life (and adjustment) left. The tandem's drum brake has
barely needed attention. I've had to replace a tyre that
came with my hybrid at about 2500 miles (give or take a few
computer failures) but am finding that the better branded
tyres are lasting very well.
One of the bigger expenses has to be cycle clothing.
Whatever you wear, seems to wear out fairly quickly.
Not good for a business suit, but even lycra rubs away
over time.
- Richard
