Commuting costs

[Dr Jekyll]

Suppose you have a daily commute of say 50 miles. Dull roads but no traffic hold ups, office parking space at the other end, so no real advantage in using a bike over a car.


My guess is that a reasonably serious bike, FJR1300, GS1200 etc. Would cost more overall than a modest but decent car like a Golf or MINI. A bit less on fuel, but more on maintenance and tyres. Not even sure about the fuel.


So would you use the car to save money and reduce garage visits for servicing? Or the bike for a bit more enjoyment and insurance against the occasional traffic standstill?

[bogie]

I would just use whichever took my fancy, based on weather conditions. On a lovely summers morning it would be nice to ride a bike. On wet miserable autumn day I take the car.

[jjones]

I would use the car primarily (if here was little chance of traffic). Commuting isn't really a fun ride either (I commute around 1k a month on my bike).

[Pope]

I commute approx 2k miles a month; spending around 3k a year on fuel - averaging about 40mpg in a car

If I take my bike it's because its's a guaranteed sunny day or I am up really early - one day costs me 12 quid; I fill up in the fuel station on the way home - it's a faff and takes me about an hour and a quarter longer in general (getting kitted up; bike out and A/B roads because the M4 on a bike is worse than dull then the same at the other end).

The wear on the bike is far more than in the car - I reckon on an average day I can get to work using the brakes a handful of times and cruise control the rest and being 500yds off the junction at work is a bonus - the bike is a lot more work

I doubt there is much in it money wise for me - maybe the guys I see pounding up and down the M4 on the daily get more out of it?

[Lukas239]

Probably makes a lot more sense on a commute that's riddled with traffic. And you would save money on a small bike up to say a 400.

I commute when I want and other than the logistics of clothing and changing at work, its much more enjoyable, but the car is almost certainly cheaper.

[Dift]

I'm currently getting 58.7 mpg out of my 700GS for my 24 mile commute which is fairly stress free open national speed limit dual/single carriageway.
I have a little MINI Cooper S if the weather is too bad, but 99% of the time I'll take the bike, I just prefer it.

The bike probably saves me anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 depending on traffic.

[SteelerSE]

Dr Jekyll said:

Suppose you have a daily commute of say 50 miles. Dull roads but no traffic hold ups, office parking space at the other end, so no real advantage in using a bike over a car.

My guess is that a reasonably serious bike, FJR1300, GS1200 etc. Would cost more overall than a modest but decent car like a Golf or MINI. A bit less on fuel, but more on maintenance and tyres. Not even sure about the fuel.

So would you use the car to save money and reduce garage visits for servicing? Or the bike for a bit more enjoyment and insurance against the occasional traffic standstill?

If you're looking to save money then you'd need an NC750 or similar to make it sensible. Riding sensibly on my Crossrunner I got 11k from my tyres and on the NC you'd be looking at 70+mpg. A lot depends on insurance costs, traffic etc as to whether it would actually be worth it.

The value for me in commuting to the office is the guaranteed journey time. Trains into London can mean an easy journey or a complete clusterfk. travel into the Reading office is 60 mins in the car or 30 on the bike. That extra hour a day is well worth it to me.

In your situation with no real difference in journey times and dull roads then the car would be quite an easy choice.

[mickymellon1]

If no traffic and dull i'd take the car (Herts to Milton Keynes)

but I've worked all over the UK and there's nearly always traffic - 5vy R1 on Avon Storms last FOREVER and take the interesting way there / back if time, tiredness and weather permits

[moanthebairns]

bogie said:

I would just use whichever took my fancy, based on weather conditions. On a lovely summers morning it would be nice to ride a bike. On wet miserable autumn day I take the car.

THIS

I'm about 45 miles round trip. Hardly ever standstill traffic, A-roads, through town, pretty boring.

The only reason I take the bike is because I fancy it. Has to be dry in the morning otherwise I'll take the car. I don't mind getting caught in the rain on the way home but fk sitting there soaking and freezing all day at work.
Probably costs me more than taking my car. Saves me nil time really when you take into consideration getting your gear on, going to petrol station more etc.

I certainly wouldn't be buying the listed bikes for a similar commute. Bikes for commuting only work if it saves you a bag of time.

[Dakkon]

I do 55 mile each way, 90% along the M4 in and out of London.

'97 VFR 750 = £1000 off ebay
110 miles a day = approx £15 a day in fuel
Textile gear has been upgraded over time, £300 initially, £1000 more recently for proper goretext-pro stuff, but should last

Then its your usual tyres (road 5's - great all season tyre), servicing etc which you would have on any vehicle.

Did need a new exhaust couple of months ago, £400

But with this approach I do not care about depreciation on the bike, bought it with 30k miles it now has 44k miles, still going strong.

[moanthebairns]

Oh then add in the cost of all the winter gear/heated grips, because even in May at 7 in the morning its just 3-5 degrees or so, my hands are fking stinging getting into work with summer gloves on.