It all depends on what you're going to do with said bike. Up to a point, there are great returns for
the money spent: lighter weight, better equipment, etc. which makes riding a lot more enjoyable. If
you're idea is to provide basic transportation that noone would want to steal (you hope) then you
may be close to being right with your dollar figure.
I read somewhere that the lifespan of the average huffy/department store bike is 13 miles before it
gets permanently hung in the garage. Chew on that for a while.
"Tom Gauldin" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> If you really spent over a hundred bucks on a darned bicycle, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you
> in NYC. That's absurd. I guess there's a sucker born every minute.
>
> --
>
> Tom Gauldin, Las Vegas NV NEW EMAIL
[email protected] NEW PHONE (702) 263-8804 voice/fax
>
> "Monty Montgomery" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
>
news:%[email protected]...
> > I keep a spreadsheet to keep track of my costs. My initial intent was to rasionalize how little
> > money it costs to ride my bike when looked at it
in
> > dollars per hour. As you can see on the table below I included
everything
> > from the bike to patch kits. Man, was I suprised. The only hope is
that
> I
> > keep on riding at the rate I have in the last couple of years. If I
keep
> up
> > this pace the bike will get inexpensive in a year or two... I hope...
> >
> > Oh, by the way, gas and car repairs cost over $4000 last year. Now that
> is
> > expensive.
> >
> > My cost per mile is $0.43 My cost per hour is:$7.73 That is with 12,571 miles on my biles.
> >
> >
> > Initial Bike Cost 12/29/2000 $3,656.14 Total Spent $5,396.71 Shorts $165.00 Jersey etc
> > $260.00 Chains $180.00 Miles Ridden 12571.4 Tires $300.00 2001 5064 Computer $20.00 2002
> > 7412 Overhaul(chain, brake hoods) $180.00 2003 95 co2 $80.00 Ave MPH 18 Pump $15.00 Gloves
> > $50.00 Hours Ridden 698.4111 Helmets $250.00 Tire Tubes $50.00 Cost per Hour $7.73 Chain
> > Lube $24.00 Chain Cleaner $25.00 Cost per Mile 0.429285 new tire,chain,SpinSkin $114.07
> > chain, derailleur adjustment $27.50
> >
> >
> > "C P" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
> >
news:[email protected]...
> > > It started a little over a year ago, when I got a letter from the NC Department of Vehicles
> > > stating that I had to prove to them that I had insurance during the time after I dumped my old
> > > insurance company and
> > signed
> > > up for a new one. Otherwise it would be a fifty dollar fine.
> > >
> > > The letter went into the wastebasket.
> > >
> > > A couple of weeks later a notice appeared from NCDMV that my plates
were
> > > revoked and I was instructed to send in the plates for 30 days, pay
the
> > fine
> > > and to not drive the car. I pick up a beat up old Schwinn World at
> > Goodwill
> > > for 10 bucks, and 50 dollars into a bike repair tool kit, and am soon
> > riding
> > > my bike to work daily.
> > >
> > > By this time, I am happy riding my bike around, enjoy the exercise and
> low
> > > cost, so I decide the car has to go. I have found that I get around
just
> > > fine on the bike, and enjoy riding it immensely why pay for travel
> inside
> > a
> > > box anyway? I figure the yearly costs are as follows, (not including
the
> > > fines I have paid this year).
> > >
> > > Depreciation - 500 Gas - 300 (+/- 100) Insurance - 600 Car 'Property' Taxes / Licensing Fees -
> > > 100 (or so) Repair / Maint (includes emissions inspection) - 500 +/- 100 (a
> > conservative
> > > figure)
> > >
> > > About 2000 dollars a year for a car, more if you have fines. But
wait,
> > > there are other costs. There is the cost of knowing that if you dont
do
> > this
> > > or that with the car by such and such time there will be this and that happen to you with X
> > > financial penalties as result. That worry is gone
> > once
> > > the car is gone.
> > >
> > > There is one other thing that should be considered. Oil prices will
> > probably
> > > to go up in the next 5 to 10 years, and because of looting of taxpayer money, states will be
> > > looking for more ways to tax the hell out of
> people
> > to
> > > make up the difference. Odds are that car owners will be getting
soaked
> > even
> > > more. So I figure it is best to get rid of the car now, before these
> costs
> > > take affect.
> > >
> > > That puts an extra 2000 a year (or maybe more) in the bank to spend
how
> I
> > > please when the car is gone. So of the 2000 I save will be spent on occasionally renting a car
> > > on a as needed basis, If I rent a car once
a
> > > month for getting major things done, cats to the vet, big ticket
> shopping,
> > > etc, the yearly cost is 500, still way less than what I am paying now
by
> > > owning a car. The rest of the money can be invested or blown on
> something
> > I
> > > want.
> > >
> > > But I save money in other ways too. I find that when I am on a bike I
do
> a
> > > lot less shopping since it is not so convenient to take off to the
store
> > as
> > > it is with a car. Therefore when I shop I only buy the things I need
and
> > am
> > > able to carry. I ride home with groceries home in my backpack, so that
> > means
> > > when I buy groceries, the food I buy is usually the essentials I can
> make
> > > room for. There is not a lot of money that goes unneccessary foods I
am
> > > better off not eating, like cookies. So my overall shopping costs are
> way
> > > down.
> > >
> > > I find that I am getting more exercise, will there be lower health
care
> > > costs as a result? I think so.
> > >
> > > Just curious, why don't more people think like this?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
