Bike Expense Analysis
May. 28th, 2014 11:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormdogWhile scanning slides for a collection at the archives (I'm guessing there are 500-600 slides here, and I don't know how many photos yet; Lillian Trager made good use of her camera!), I did some analysis of the cost of my bicycle transportation.
In November, I started keeping records of miles and expenses, so I began there. My earlier numbers are approximations too, but they should be pretty close. Future records will be more precise. From mid-November to now, I've ridden 1183 miles. My total expenditure on parts has been $118.01, or $165.47 including my shiny Monkeylectric LED toy (which I view as discretionary, so worth calculating separately). I compared these figures with the AAA's 2012 average operating cost for a sedan-style motor vechicle. However, I'm going to get actual figures from my car log book and compare to that as well, maybe this evening.
Operating a sedan costs 59.6 cents per mile. Also, weekly and monthly savings assumes five days per week of commuting by bike, but requirements like doctors appointments and things mean that I really average about 4 days per week.
My bike with the Monkeylectric LED bar:
Operating cost: 14¢/mile | Ratio to car: 4.26 to 1 | Per mile savings: 45.6¢ | Weekly/monthly savings: $37.26/wk, $160.20/mo.
My bike without the Monkeylectric LED bar:
Operating cost: 9.9¢/mile | Ratio to car: 6.02 to 1 | Per mile savings: 49.7¢ | Weekly/monthly savings: $40.60/wk , $174.58/mo.
Of course, doing this math doesn't magically make $160 to $170 appear in my bank account every month. The percentage of my expenditures related to my car will continue to be what it has been. But it is motivating and rewarding to see the difference biking makes, and to know that that percentage would probably be significantly higher if I was driving every day. Clearly, the four dollars per week I spend on manga as an incentive is justified!
There are two surprises here. First, that the nearly fifty dollars I spent on the LED bar doesn't feel like it makes a big difference averaged into cost per mile. Second, I'm a bit surprised at the ratio of car operating cost to bike. A fourth to a sixth the expense is nice, but I'd thought it would be even more favorable!
P.S. This does not include increased food expenses to satisfy increased need for calories. I say this mainly as a joke, but in reality, the increased expense is not insignificant!
In November, I started keeping records of miles and expenses, so I began there. My earlier numbers are approximations too, but they should be pretty close. Future records will be more precise. From mid-November to now, I've ridden 1183 miles. My total expenditure on parts has been $118.01, or $165.47 including my shiny Monkeylectric LED toy (which I view as discretionary, so worth calculating separately). I compared these figures with the AAA's 2012 average operating cost for a sedan-style motor vechicle. However, I'm going to get actual figures from my car log book and compare to that as well, maybe this evening.
Operating a sedan costs 59.6 cents per mile. Also, weekly and monthly savings assumes five days per week of commuting by bike, but requirements like doctors appointments and things mean that I really average about 4 days per week.
My bike with the Monkeylectric LED bar:
Operating cost: 14¢/mile | Ratio to car: 4.26 to 1 | Per mile savings: 45.6¢ | Weekly/monthly savings: $37.26/wk, $160.20/mo.
My bike without the Monkeylectric LED bar:
Operating cost: 9.9¢/mile | Ratio to car: 6.02 to 1 | Per mile savings: 49.7¢ | Weekly/monthly savings: $40.60/wk , $174.58/mo.
Of course, doing this math doesn't magically make $160 to $170 appear in my bank account every month. The percentage of my expenditures related to my car will continue to be what it has been. But it is motivating and rewarding to see the difference biking makes, and to know that that percentage would probably be significantly higher if I was driving every day. Clearly, the four dollars per week I spend on manga as an incentive is justified!
There are two surprises here. First, that the nearly fifty dollars I spent on the LED bar doesn't feel like it makes a big difference averaged into cost per mile. Second, I'm a bit surprised at the ratio of car operating cost to bike. A fourth to a sixth the expense is nice, but I'd thought it would be even more favorable!
P.S. This does not include increased food expenses to satisfy increased need for calories. I say this mainly as a joke, but in reality, the increased expense is not insignificant!
