Operating cost per mile???

Interesting. After 131 views nobody has any comments on the subject. I thought it would provoke some interesting discussion. Oh well.

LDB said:

Interesting. After 131 views nobody has any comments on the subject. I thought it would provoke some interesting discussion. Oh well.

I think a very small number of people calculate things like operating costs for their bikes. This is perhaps represented in the number of responses.

I imagine the number who have calculated and know their operating cost is very small. I thought it might catch a little more interest with those who haven't done so already though and initiate some discussion.

It's interesting in the abstract but there are people like me who pay next to nothing and buy only used every couple few decades (and don't ride as much as they should), vs people with multi kilobuck bikes (or whole collections of them) that ride hundreds of miles a week. The numbers might be similar, but don't tell you a thing. Any bike not ridden has an infinite cost per mile!

each cent spent on your bike is worth it !

If you really count everything that wears out, including personal kit, believe cost/mile for a typical club cyclist could be surprising. I've not taken the effort to add things up, but there are a lot of pieces that need replacement with miles, from tires and drivetrain through saddles and helmets.

The list is pretty long, might make a good Excel spreadsheet exercise. As Alienator said, most of us don't worry about optimizing costs on the bike. In the end, the question is a little like asking fisherman what their cost/pound of fish is. One starts with a cane pole, the other with a $30K bass boat.....

Yes, I'm sure in cycling there are as many ways of enjoying it as there are to many other hobbies and they span the cost spectrum. I run commercial vehicles so cost per mile is an important factor. In cycling it's just an interesting factor, probably more so due to working with cpm in business. I presume someone with a suspension bike will have a higher cpm due to eventual repair/replacement of suspension parts. I have no idea how many miles until gears need replacement and I presume that could vary significantly based on how well the chain is kept lubed. Just an interesting topic.

ok you could think about it in terms of depreciation. Many cyclists keep track of miles ridden per year for training purposes. So you can take the total cost of your bike and divide it by the number of miles ridden in lets say 3 years, then you can get a figure to answer your question.

Operating cost per mile for me is approximately $10, because every time I climb a hill the chain starts slipping on the cassette, then I have to drive it to the shop nearly 1 hour away. Other than that, my bicycle costs me $0 per mile.

That's an interesting point. Do you add in the costs of a personal motor vehicle used to get to group ride starts, bike shop etc.? It's really ownership cost not operating cost I think. Cost per mile can't be zero though unless the bike is modern art wall decoration or no maintenance is ever done and as soon as the first item breaks or is worn out the bike is permanently parked. Thanks for all the good discussion so far. Very interesting!

I've pondered cost per kilowatt hour, but never cost per mile.

If you want to add to the discussion, how about throwing out some conditions on what should apply (ie, as operating vs. ownership costs, recreational/touring/competive riding, etc) and let people take a stab at filling them in. Are you factoring bike depreciation? How about impact on rider health (positive or negative)? Your thought exercise needs a little more framework if you're hoping to get people to put some time to it.

Agree it's important to define exactly what you want to include. I just did a little spread sheet to look at only "direct operating costs", meaning the costs of replacement parts and kit only, no depreciation on the bike itself, and came up with $ 0.14 /mile. About half of the costs are for the bike (tires, chains, saddles, wheels, etc) and half for kit items, like helmets, shoes, shorts and jersey, gloves and cool weather gear.

Adding in depreciation for the bike, say $3000 for 50K miles, would obviously add .06/mile, for a total of $ 0.20/mile. I'm sure everyone's costs will vary considerably from mine.

Then the indirect costs of our sport could be considered. EG, on last weekend's ride, I bought 2 liters of water at rest stops; that was nearly $3 for 50 miles, or 6 cents a mile just to stay hydrated. Then there is fuel to get to rides, food during and after, event fees. Plus, if you go on extended trips, you could factor in airfare, hotel, bike rentals....all money well spent I'd say 🙂

This information is most likely tracked by commuters. As a recreational fitness rider I only track my performance and how long perishable components last.

I can't really say what the cost per mile is. Every 100 miles I clean the chain, lube the pivot points of the derailleurs, etc. The chain grease and what-not ain't that expensive. I'd guess that operating cost is probably about $.02 per mile, plus a little bit of time.

GT, your post reminded me that I forgot to include chain lube.....one 4 oz bottle of Prolink every 4000 miles (yearly), @ $8.... that's 0.2 cents/mile 🙂

Seriously, if you keep riding, you'll be replacing your tires and chain in a few thousand miles (not counting flats). Then comes a new cassette and saddle (they last about 10K miles for me), cleats, shoes, bar tape, all the rest. Most of the stuff only adds a cent or two per mile, but it all adds up if you rack up enough miles every year....and stay in the game.

Don't forget chamois creme. That stuff is pretty pricey and I go through about a tub a month.

Recently I've moved from Chamois Butt'r ($12-$15 per tub) to Udderly Smooth ($4 per tub) as a way to cut operating expenses and increase my 'bottom line' in this tough economy. 😉

dhk2 said:

GT, your post reminded me that I forgot to include chain lube.....one 4 oz bottle of Prolink every 4000 miles (yearly), @ $8.... that's 0.2 cents/mile 🙂

Seriously, if you keep riding, you'll be replacing your tires and chain in a few thousand miles (not counting flats). Then comes a new cassette and saddle (they last about 10K miles for me), cleats, shoes, bar tape, all the rest. Most of the stuff only adds a cent or two per mile, but it all adds up if you rack up enough miles every year....and stay in the game.

Okay, so maybe $.05 per mile? Of course, I'm not including things like cleats, shorts, etc. I'm just talking about the cycling part in general.

frenchyge said:

Don't forget chamois creme. That stuff is pretty pricey and I go through about a tub a month.

Recently I've moved from Chamois Butt'r ($12-$15 per tub) to Udderly Smooth ($4 per tub) as a way to cut operating expenses and increase my 'bottom line' in this tough economy. 😉

Well, now you have to factor in chamois cleaning costs since you brought up the bottom line.

cycling is second only to a bird flying as efficiency in mouvement (scientifically) i read once. I guess the bird only accounts for it's food expenses