Riding My Bike to Work to Save Money and Lose Weight
With the weather warming up I have been considering using my bicycle to commute to work. Well, initially I would be bicycling home from work, but my ultimate plan would be to ride both ways. I am so out of shape now that bicycling to work might literally take half a day, and result in my being lathered in sweat. Like all good frugal dads, I have to consider things like safety and the associated expenses to make an educated decision.
First, a look at the benefits of bicycling to and from work.
Improve my current level of physical fitness. As I mentioned, I am grossly out of shape and the ride could help me lose some weight and improve my endurance. I am currently using up the remainder of my gym membership by driving to the gym after work and riding an exercise bike. It seems only logical that I could eliminate the gym membership, save on gas and ride the bicycle home for exercise - killing three birds with one stone, so to speak.
- Potential savings: $30/month gym membership
Less automobile usage costs. I drive an older model vehicle back and forth to work, and it doesn’t require much upkeep outside of general maintenance. In fact, it is driven so little that I have been able to avoid major repair expenses to this point (knocking on wood, emphatically). The only downside? It is a gass guzzler. By carpooling with my wife on the ride to work, and riding my bicycle home I could save quite a bit on gas.
- Potential savings: $70/month in gasoline
And now a look at some potential drawbacks.
Higher risk of being injured in an accident. I have never been much of a cyclist, but my friends who are tell me drivers are notoriously bad at yielding to bicycles. Obviously, the chances of injury are much higher if you tangle with a car while on a bike, as opposed to riding in a car. Fortunately, about half of my trek would be in low traffic or residential areas. Depending on how I map out my route, almost all of the journey home could be residential, though it may take longer.
- Potential Cost: Personal injury not easy to estimate.
Equipment upgrades. When I do ride a bike for leisure it is a Walmart bike I bought because of the sturdy frame and comfortable seat. The only upgrades I’ve made are a bicycle computer and small bag that attached to the seat post, just large enough to stow away my cell phone. When I ride around my neighborhood I opt not to wear a bicycle helmet, but if I decide to venture out in traffic I think a “brain bucket” is probably a good idea. Like most things, helmets can be as fancy or as simple as you are willing to spend. I think I’ll choose the safest, most economical helmet I can find that gets the job done.
- Potential Cost: $20 upfront cost for bicycle helmet. $20/month maintenance (tires, brakes, grease, etc.).
The elements. Summer usually means severe thunderstorms and downpours without much warning. I will need to keep an eye on the sky around quitting time to make sure bad weather isn’t approaching. If it is I’ll need to make other arrangements to get home - maybe grab a ride from a coworker. I could leave the bike in my office and ride it home the next day.
- Potential Cost: $20 upfront cost for rain gear (poncho, waterproof bag, etc.).
It seems like the idea of commuting to and/or from work by bike is a good one. With minimal up-front costs ($40) I could realize a net reduction in my monthly expenses of about $80. The physical benefits of daily riding could also improve my fitness levels, requiring less doctor visits and reduced life insurance premiums (assuming I don’t opt to ride in rush hour traffic). My next step will be to make some test rides over the weekend to plan the route, and make sure I can still ride that far without collapsing. I’ll report back with a final decision.
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Interesting idea! Definitely invest in a good helmet, and some bicycle shorts will help a lot with the comfort factor. They make some these days that look like normal shorts on the outside if you’re modest.
It’s going to be way too cold to bike to work here in Cleveland for months, yet. I’m jealous!
I would also suggest investing in a good helmet - you might really want to consider one with vents. Make sure it fits well and does not shift when secured - when my husband and I used to commute to work, I watched him flip over the front of a car (driver under the influence), and was glad that his helmet fit well!
Also, I am not sure what the tires on your current bike are, but investing in some skinny road bike tires if you have mountain bike tires is something to consider - makes longer commutes easier.
[…] Committed to a Cause Riding My Bike to Work to Save Money and Lose Weight […]
I don’t know any dad’s that could ride to work. This is a great idea if you live within a 30-45 minute ride to work and you don’t have kids.
Plus you would smell like a gym bag when you get to work.
You’ll also shave to consider some sort of panniers if you tote a laptop and lunch to work.
–TW
[…] 6. I chose a home that was too far away. They say the three rules of real estate are location, location, location and you know what? It’s true. One reason I chose the home was its price. I reasoned that I could afford it, and I ignored the 19 miles one way it was from my place of work. I also ignored the 16 miles one way it was from my kid’s school, the 22 miles one way it was from my parents, and the 12 miles one way it was from our preferred grocery store. Those miles add up fast and cost me more in gasoline, wear and tear on the car, and just plain old fatigue from driving. Add in the unreal amount of traffic I experienced and the one hour commute to get the kids to school (again, one way) and you’ll probably agree that the home was too far away. Riding a bike was out of the question! […]
I use a combination of public transit and my bike for my commute. The local city buses all have bike racks. I won’t bike the 12 miles to work, but I will ride the bus for 10 and bike the last two.
I just started this new job, but so far, so good. Not having to negotiate morning rush hour puts me in a much better frame of mind. Then the short bike ride gives it another boost.
Good for you. I ride my bicycle to work on some days, and now that the weather is getting warmer I expect to do it more often. I have 18 miles each way, which takes a bit of time, but as you say it is good exercise.
Our office building has showers and lockers in the basement. I pack a pannier with my work clothes, and I leave a spare pair of shoes at the office. Instead of carrying my whole laptop, I instead carry an external USB hard drive that has my work stuff on it - I have a desktop machine at the office I can use.
There are good forums that you can get into here:
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=20
all related to bicycle commuting.
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