So I ride 70 miles a week riding to and from work alone. Never mind going grocery shopping, going to friend's places, shows, riding for fun, etc. I'm curious how much money I am saving by biking instead of other using other modes of transportation. Join me as I do the math.
The car option
Disclaimer: I am just going to guess on what an average car costs. My Jeep that I used to drive cost me 3,000 when I bought it and only gets 14/mpg on average, but whatever. Let's just assume I want a car on the cheap. The gas price is also a generous underestimation. It fluctuates too much for me to confidently say $3/gallon. As for the insurance number, I asked my roommate how much he pays for insurance for his Jetta, which is registered and insured in Brighton, MA. Now onto the math ...
Car: $2,000
Car insurance/month: $150
Cost to fill 20 gallon tank: $2.90 x 20 = $58
Avg mpg for a car: 17 miles
20 gallons x 17 mpg = 340 miles per tank
Assuming I only drive to and from work makes the car usage 70 miles a week, meaning one full tank would last 4.8 weeks.
So monthly, I would be spending $208 dollars on my car, not including other random stuff like paying for parking meters, repairs, windshield wiper fluid, oil and whatever else comes with having a car.
So if I bought a car in January 2008 and drove it only 70ish miles a week, I would spend, at the very least, $4,400 dollars on having a car. Assuming I already had a car, that's still $2,400 a year.
The public transportation option
The MBTA's monthly pass for unlimited bus and subway use is $59. Yearly, that would cost me $708. Not to mention taking the T (the Green line specifically) is an exercise in futility and that I beat the T down Beacon Street on my bike, twice a day.
The bike option
For this one, I am going to give the actual amount of money I have spent on my bike. I got this frame for free, but I did convert it from a road bike into a single speed and made some upgrades. I haven't had to do any major repairs since then, other than fixing flats.
Bike frame: Free
Converting to single speed/upgrading parts: $250
Messenger bag: $150 (yeah, I know)
Tubes/patch kit: $40
Lights (batteries included): $50
Boston bike map: $12
So, for the year, that would bring me to $502. Assuming I already owned everything, the bike only costs what I need to get fixed or upgrade, which so far, is $0. All that stuff in the list are one-time purchases. I don't need to pay to put air in my tires every month or something.
I think it's important to add that it doesn't seem like too much of a difference between the T and the bike money-wise, remember this: I can take my bike anywhere anytime that I want and definitely get there faster. I also can take direct routes and make multiple stops without having to wait 15 minutes each time for a train to appear. Another thing is that I'm not spending a certain amount of money a month to ride my bike like I would be with the T. The money that I have spent so was just start-up. I'm not going to have to pay that much again unless I upgrade things or get a new bike.
I suppose here I could say how awesome biking is and bore you with that tired lecture, but I won't. Instead I will say this:
Ride on and save $$$!
9.2.08
5.2.08
this is unacceptable
Looking at this weather forecast makes me want to curl into a ball. This is not cool, Weather. I don't mind a rainy/snowy day here or there (bike or not) but this is a little silly. I should know better; I live in New England.
I rode my bike in the rain this morning, which was lots of fun! I rode in some spandex shorts, an Underarmor shirt and a waterproof windbreaker. It was only semi-raining so it was pleasant. I did not see any of my usual suspects today, though, I did see a potential new one. Unless Orange Bag Guy and Blue Flag Spandex Guy are one and the same. I doubt that. Blue Flag Spandex Guy is very speedy. It's pretty infrequent that someone cruises right by me, but this guy nearly knocks me over with the wind he creates every time he goes past me on Beacon. Oh! I did see Lumberjack Guy this morning. He is my favorite regular bike commuter. I think it's the flannel. Or maybe it's the beard. Anyway ...
The ride home was slightly less fun, to be honest. I felt terrible ("like a pile of steaming trash" to quote myself). I am afraid that I am coming down with something. I was riding in my sick misery and in the middle of intersection where Commonwealth and Beacon do a little switcheroo at Kenmore, my chain decided it would be fun to hop off the hub while I was moving in traffic at considerable speed. I love when my chain plays this game with me. Thankfully, I was prepared for battle. I had the immediate reaction of taking my feet off the pedals and coasting to safety while looking like a damn fool. (If you keep pedaling, it will just wrap the chain around the hub even worse and quite possibly make you flip over if the rear wheel gets stopped.) I hopped off my bike and put that chain right back on and desperately tried to rejoin traffic from my sad little sidewalk island.
A mile or so after the chain interlude, I noticed my air in my front tire was a bit low. I decided to stop at a gas station to fill 'er up. Yeah, I know, I should carry my pump with me at all times, but I didn't today by accident. Of course, after tearing apart the contents of my bag, I only had two quarters. I did have an impressive amount of dimes floating around in that thing, though. I contemplated just going home and giving up, but I decided I would test the kindness of strangers. Dear BC girl at the gas station, thank you for your kindness and your quarter.
After coming home, I decided that I most likely have a slooooooow leak in my tube somewhere. I am convinced, but it is difficult to prove since the tire is still pretty inflated. I also consulted my roommate Matt, but the data was inconclusive. Will post disastrous results later.
Ride on!
And yes, I use Celsius.
28.1.08
I've been a bad, bad blogger
but a good cycling commuter! This morning, I resigned myself to taking the T in. I was all dressed in my business attire at 6:50 a.m., sighing at the slush and ice that was taunting me on Beacon Street. I was sad at the thought of sitting on the dirty T with other miserable people on their way to work. That's when I decided to pack up my messenger bag, throw on some spandex and suck it up. The ride was fine and even though I left 10 minutes later than I usually do, I got to work at the same time I always do. I attempted to take the bike path, but it was covered in snow, which will not fly on road bike with road slicks. Parts of the ride were unpleasant and ridiculously windy. Actually, the worst wind was when I was about to turn right before heading into the parking garage. That section of my ride is like a wind tunnel. It was literally so windy that it held me at a stop while I continued to pedal forward. RAD.
Anyway, a few things keep me going when I am feel low on the bike hype. Oddly enough, one of them is my co-workers. They often ask if I rode in today. The answer is always yes (with an exception or two). I'd like to keep it that way. Another is seeing the usual bike commuters along my ride. Orange messenger bag guy who passes me on Beacon Street, riding clipless on his fixed gear, I salute you. Extremely large dude who always wears that electric blue ... jumpsuit that I always see crossing the Mass Ave. bridge, rock on. In front of him is always riding-on-an-upright-bike flannel shirt and beard dude. There are a few others, but those are the most notable. I wonder if anyone looks out for blue-bike-blue-jacket-blue-bag-blue-bandanna girl in the morning. The final thing that I look forward to is my ride home at night because it's always breathtaking and makes me feel like I'm a part of something. Take a look for yourself.
Anyway, a few things keep me going when I am feel low on the bike hype. Oddly enough, one of them is my co-workers. They often ask if I rode in today. The answer is always yes (with an exception or two). I'd like to keep it that way. Another is seeing the usual bike commuters along my ride. Orange messenger bag guy who passes me on Beacon Street, riding clipless on his fixed gear, I salute you. Extremely large dude who always wears that electric blue ... jumpsuit that I always see crossing the Mass Ave. bridge, rock on. In front of him is always riding-on-an-upright-bike flannel shirt and beard dude. There are a few others, but those are the most notable. I wonder if anyone looks out for blue-bike-blue-jacket-blue-bag-blue-bandanna girl in the morning. The final thing that I look forward to is my ride home at night because it's always breathtaking and makes me feel like I'm a part of something. Take a look for yourself.
19.1.08
Not commuting, but hey
Today was just really nice out, so I called up a biking buddy (Derek, in case you're wondering) and asked if he wanted to head out on a cycling adventure. He did. We met up at NU and rode out from there. It was just a really gorgeous day and we saw a lot of neat things. You can finally see what my majestic ride looks like in the photo above -- bonus points if you can tell me where it is!By the time I got back to my apartment, I had ridden about 20 miles. Not bad for a wintry Saturday in Boston.
p.s. At the end of this day, I ended up riding 35ish miles. That's half of what my biking commute mileage is per week. Oops.
16.1.08
staying warm
Disclaimer: I am unusually warm most of the time. Find what works for you.
So, I've been thinking, what exactly do I do to keep warm? And honestly, I don't have the answers but I have some ideas. This morning, I saw that it was 23 degrees. This is what I wore:
Riding back home today, at a tropical 31 degrees, I had to stop to take off my GoreTex jacket because it was just too much.
My advice? Layers! Layers! Layers. I always dress one layer less than I think I would wear if I was just walking outside. Pedaling your bike is like wearing that extra layer. You can always take that extra layer with you if you think it might get colder on your ride back.
My other advice: windproof and water proof things are wonderful things indeed. You just need to know when to use them, depending on what you're already wearing and what the weather is like. Windproof/waterproof things tend to keep things out ... and in. I feel like they somehow create a magical forcefield that keeps feeding heat into your body. Put on too many layers underneath a shell and it is like a furnace is inside your jacket.
Gloves. Mittens. You need them. Suck it up and buy a nice warm pair. If anything is going to get mighty cold first, it's your fingertips. And it's going to be the so-freezing-and-numb-it-hurts kind of cold.
Face/head coverage is also pretty key. I am perfectly content to ride with a bandanna around my neck. If it gets too cold on my face, then I pull it up. If it's just sitting there on my neck, I use it to wipe my nose since it will inevitably drip from the cold. Everyone wins. I rarely wear a hat under my helmet. I've had good luck with wearing thin polyester hats, though.
Also, long johns, spandex, leggings, whatever, underneath are ESSENTIAL. Sometimes I forgo the extra layer of jeans on top if I don't fee like dealing with it. This winter I've said this more than once: "I've just accepted wearing spandex under my jeans everyday is a fact of my life."
Ride on!
So, I've been thinking, what exactly do I do to keep warm? And honestly, I don't have the answers but I have some ideas. This morning, I saw that it was 23 degrees. This is what I wore:
- synthetic wool socks (I am vegan, you know)
- InSport spandex pants
- Winter boots
- Long sleeve Underarmor shirt
- Short sleeve shirt over the long sleeve
- Thin polyester hoodie
- GoreTex windproof/waterproof shell, with the arm vents unzipped
- bandanna tied around my neck
- Thinsulate gloves
Riding back home today, at a tropical 31 degrees, I had to stop to take off my GoreTex jacket because it was just too much.
My advice? Layers! Layers! Layers. I always dress one layer less than I think I would wear if I was just walking outside. Pedaling your bike is like wearing that extra layer. You can always take that extra layer with you if you think it might get colder on your ride back.
My other advice: windproof and water proof things are wonderful things indeed. You just need to know when to use them, depending on what you're already wearing and what the weather is like. Windproof/waterproof things tend to keep things out ... and in. I feel like they somehow create a magical forcefield that keeps feeding heat into your body. Put on too many layers underneath a shell and it is like a furnace is inside your jacket.
Gloves. Mittens. You need them. Suck it up and buy a nice warm pair. If anything is going to get mighty cold first, it's your fingertips. And it's going to be the so-freezing-and-numb-it-hurts kind of cold.
Face/head coverage is also pretty key. I am perfectly content to ride with a bandanna around my neck. If it gets too cold on my face, then I pull it up. If it's just sitting there on my neck, I use it to wipe my nose since it will inevitably drip from the cold. Everyone wins. I rarely wear a hat under my helmet. I've had good luck with wearing thin polyester hats, though.
Also, long johns, spandex, leggings, whatever, underneath are ESSENTIAL. Sometimes I forgo the extra layer of jeans on top if I don't fee like dealing with it. This winter I've said this more than once: "I've just accepted wearing spandex under my jeans everyday is a fact of my life."
Ride on!
8.1.08
warm weather and hills = riding home in a t-shirt and jeans
Imagine my reaction when I pulled up the weather forecast on my computer at 5:15 this morning and saw that the temperature might hit 60 degrees. For all my fellow New Englanders, I hope you got to share in my joy and spent at least one minute outside while it was warm and sunny.
In any case, when I headed out this morning, I just threw on some jeans, a t-shirt and a light jacket. I can't wait until it's t-shirt/jeans weather on a semi-consistent basis.
I usually ride down Beacon and take the Mass. Ave bridge to get to Cambridge from Brighton. Today, though, while happily pedaling I was just reading the side street signs to myself (join me on my thought process)... Darmouth .... Clarendon ... Berk -- OH DEAR I HAVE COMPLETELY MISSED MASS. AVE, I am not even close. I honestly didn't even notice until right then. I blame it on the weather.
Not taking Mass. Ave means one thing: time to climb some hills! Now, I'm from Fitchburg, MA. I am no stranger to hills. Fitchburg residents are highly aware that the city is the second hilliest place in the United States, after San Francisco. Fitchburg is also home of the Longsjo Classic. Despite this, I am more afraid to bike in Fitchburg than I am in Boston, for a multitude of reasons.
I digress. There's a reason they call it Beacon Hill. Every time I think that my 42x16 gearing is ridiculously easy, my legs screaming with lactic acid climbing this hill kindly remind me that it is, in fact, not. This is the only painful (up)hill on my commute TO work when I go this way, but this is certainly not the case on the ride home. The ride home all the way up Beacon is just one long, slow climb, with a few sudden increases in incline and one downhill worth noting.
The one thing I really wonder about this downhill is the light. The downhill I'm talking about is approaching the intersection of Washington St. and Beacon St., heading towards BC. It's a pretty sharp decline and you can definitely catch some serious speed. Right after this intersection is an uphill. Without fail, I cruise down this hill, only to see the yellow light of doom ahead, followed by the red. In all my time cycling to this intersection, I have never had the joy of zooming down this hill and then up the next with that momentum behind me -- until tonight! I wonder what I did tonight to finally make it happen.
It's amazing how the number of cyclists increased dramatically because of the weather. I'm so glad that people are riding, but when the weather's cold, tough it out, everyone! Riding in the winter is totally doable, 66 degree weather or not. You just have to be prepared.
Next post topic (unless I slam face first into a car or something): how not to freeze while riding in the winter.
In any case, when I headed out this morning, I just threw on some jeans, a t-shirt and a light jacket. I can't wait until it's t-shirt/jeans weather on a semi-consistent basis.
I usually ride down Beacon and take the Mass. Ave bridge to get to Cambridge from Brighton. Today, though, while happily pedaling I was just reading the side street signs to myself (join me on my thought process)... Darmouth .... Clarendon ... Berk -- OH DEAR I HAVE COMPLETELY MISSED MASS. AVE, I am not even close. I honestly didn't even notice until right then. I blame it on the weather.
Not taking Mass. Ave means one thing: time to climb some hills! Now, I'm from Fitchburg, MA. I am no stranger to hills. Fitchburg residents are highly aware that the city is the second hilliest place in the United States, after San Francisco. Fitchburg is also home of the Longsjo Classic. Despite this, I am more afraid to bike in Fitchburg than I am in Boston, for a multitude of reasons.
I digress. There's a reason they call it Beacon Hill. Every time I think that my 42x16 gearing is ridiculously easy, my legs screaming with lactic acid climbing this hill kindly remind me that it is, in fact, not. This is the only painful (up)hill on my commute TO work when I go this way, but this is certainly not the case on the ride home. The ride home all the way up Beacon is just one long, slow climb, with a few sudden increases in incline and one downhill worth noting.
The one thing I really wonder about this downhill is the light. The downhill I'm talking about is approaching the intersection of Washington St. and Beacon St., heading towards BC. It's a pretty sharp decline and you can definitely catch some serious speed. Right after this intersection is an uphill. Without fail, I cruise down this hill, only to see the yellow light of doom ahead, followed by the red. In all my time cycling to this intersection, I have never had the joy of zooming down this hill and then up the next with that momentum behind me -- until tonight! I wonder what I did tonight to finally make it happen.
It's amazing how the number of cyclists increased dramatically because of the weather. I'm so glad that people are riding, but when the weather's cold, tough it out, everyone! Riding in the winter is totally doable, 66 degree weather or not. You just have to be prepared.
Next post topic (unless I slam face first into a car or something): how not to freeze while riding in the winter.
3.1.08
And we're off ....
Today was the coldest day yet for the Winter 07-08 season. It was something like 3 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside, but it felt like -11 with the windchill factor. In any case, I put on two pairs of spandex pants, jeans, warm socks and boots for my lower body. For the upper half, I wore an Underarmor turtleneck, underarmor long sleeve T-shirt, fleece and a ski jacket. I wore a pair of gloves, with mittens over them. I found this combination to be the warmest. I also rocked a face mask -- today was probably one of the few days I could get away with wearing that without looking like a thief.
So the ride from my place to Northeastern (remember, the library book?) was pretty pleasant, but I got to campus way too early. I locked up my bike and proceeded to tap on the glass door and flash my book. Thankfully, a librarian was kind enough to open the door and take my book.
Phew. It was around 7:30 a.m. when I dropped off the book so I decided to just bike to work and get there early. It would certainly not take me an hour and a half to get there and then change at work. How wrong I was ...
About a mile and a half from work, I got a flat. I tried to repair it, but to no avail. Oh well. I walked my bike to the Galleria and locked it up there. My strong aversion to being late to anything makes me leave my apartment WAY too early. I anticipate ridiculous scenarios and today included one of them. Since it was STILL early, maybe 10 past 8, I decided to go get some coffee in the mall. I paid for my coffee, walked to work.
Just as I was crossing the last major intersection, I felt my pocket. No wallet. Okay, maybe the other pocket. Nope. Nowhere. I lost my wallet. Total bummer. I still had some time, so like an idiot I sprinted around trying to find it but I had no such luck. I also lost my security card to get into work, as I had just put it in my wallet while walking. Thankfully there wasn't too much in it -- my debit card, my license, my school ID and my CharlieCard. All of those things are replaceable and I have everything on its way to being replaced ... but I just can't shake the weird feeling of my personal information floating around somewhere.
People at work were kind enough to offer to swipe me onto the T at the end of the day, but my parents picked me up and we had dinner and sorted out a few things. Let's hope day 2 of cycling goes better. I'm going to try the mountain bike this time in hopes of avoiding flats.
So the ride from my place to Northeastern (remember, the library book?) was pretty pleasant, but I got to campus way too early. I locked up my bike and proceeded to tap on the glass door and flash my book. Thankfully, a librarian was kind enough to open the door and take my book.
Phew. It was around 7:30 a.m. when I dropped off the book so I decided to just bike to work and get there early. It would certainly not take me an hour and a half to get there and then change at work. How wrong I was ...
About a mile and a half from work, I got a flat. I tried to repair it, but to no avail. Oh well. I walked my bike to the Galleria and locked it up there. My strong aversion to being late to anything makes me leave my apartment WAY too early. I anticipate ridiculous scenarios and today included one of them. Since it was STILL early, maybe 10 past 8, I decided to go get some coffee in the mall. I paid for my coffee, walked to work.
Just as I was crossing the last major intersection, I felt my pocket. No wallet. Okay, maybe the other pocket. Nope. Nowhere. I lost my wallet. Total bummer. I still had some time, so like an idiot I sprinted around trying to find it but I had no such luck. I also lost my security card to get into work, as I had just put it in my wallet while walking. Thankfully there wasn't too much in it -- my debit card, my license, my school ID and my CharlieCard. All of those things are replaceable and I have everything on its way to being replaced ... but I just can't shake the weird feeling of my personal information floating around somewhere.
People at work were kind enough to offer to swipe me onto the T at the end of the day, but my parents picked me up and we had dinner and sorted out a few things. Let's hope day 2 of cycling goes better. I'm going to try the mountain bike this time in hopes of avoiding flats.
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