false economy or investment for the future (of everything)?

[musicbooks]

Hi Folks,
I had a spare five minutes at work today and di a quick audit on my expenditure so far on the Agattu and related purchases. i then compared that with what I would have spent on commuting by bus and did a three year projection:

Yr 1 (Actual)

Costs - Pedelec

Agattu 650 ( 1100- 450 through cycle to work scheme)
Annual charging costs 150 ( @10p per day)
Clothing 120
Additional equipment 50
Service 90
Battery deterioration 100 ( assuming 3 yrs of service)

Total 1160


Costs - Public Transport ( what if..)

Bus fare 400


Yr 2 (projected)

Costs - Pedelec


Annual charging costs 150
Clothing 30
Additional equipment 50
Light maintenance/repairs 50
Service 95
Battery deterioration 100

Total 475


Costs - Public Transport 415


Yr 3 (projected)

Costs-Pedelec

Annual charging costs 150
Clothing 30
Additional equipment 50
Light maintenance/repairs 70
Service 100
Battery deterioration 100

Total 500

Costs - Public Transport 430


As you can see from the above audit, much to my surprise, the financial costs of running the Agattu are always greater than the cost of taking the bus. However, the emotional, physical and psychological costs of using public transport are unquantifiable!!

Obviously, this is only a bit of fun and my projections may be wrong but I think additional costs need to be considered when buying a pedelec.. I think too that purchases may increase as the obsession deepens.........................................John

Any thoughts?

BW
musicbooks

 

[Tiberius]

Hi Musicbooks,

Your bus fares must be very low for the distance covered. £2 a day?

Whereas, 10p a day should give you two full charges and take you over 40 miles.

Round here, I could walk the distance a £2 bus fare would take me.

(Also, are you counting bus fares 5 days a week, but charging 7 days?)

Nick

 

[Mussels]

My annual public transport costs are over £2000 so it's much easier to justify the cost even without the cycle to work scheme.
The joys of working in London.

 

[Rad]

Also a bus isn't as convenient as a bike or car. With your Agattu you choose when you can leave your house/work and the route you take. With the bus you're stuck with the timetable and possibly having to change buses to get to work. Also, you can't just jump on the bus when you feel like it to nip to the shops or pop round a friends. And if you do use the bus for those journeys then obviously your annual spend is going to go up too.

The bus is good for reading your paper and listening to tunes though

 

[Mussels]

The bus is good for reading your paper and listening to tunes though

You use different buses to me then, I'd be quite happy having something solid and fixed to hold on to.

 

[Saddlesore]

Well I've got a bus pass and in Worcestershire there are no restrictions as to the times it can be used and coupled with the train is how I commute to work in Birmingham.

Having said that and in the light of my ongoing driving ban the Ezee Forza has been a boon in getting around locally to see friends and family in addition to the health benefits of cycling which I think you need to take into account. I have derived a lot of pleasure cruising the lanes and going further afield than I might have done on my Raleigh hybrid bike and I shall continue e-biking even after getting my licence back in March next year purely for the enjoyment of the experience.

 

[Rad]

You use different buses to me then, I'd be quite happy having something solid and fixed to hold on to.

Move to the country.

 

[Mussels]

Move to the country.

Fortunately I live outside London but I need to travel within it quite a bit, even when the weather is cold or raining the bike is more pleasant than the train or bus. The fact it is quicker, cheaper and more reliable also helps.

 

[flecc]

You show charging costs as 150 @ 10p per day. Surely that's 36.50 p/annum?

That said, I doubt if each charge is still costing 10p per day after recent electricity price increases.
.

 

[musicbooks]

You show charging costs as 150 @ 10p per day. Surely that's 36.50 p/annum?

That said, I doubt if each charge is still costing 10p per day after recent electricity price increases.
.

Hi Flecc,
I think in my work addled mind I calculated 10p per mile @ 6 miles x 5 days x 50 weeks.. = £150

Hi Tiberius,
The fare is £8.50 per week ( I used to walk about 1.5 miles and then catch the bus up a very steep hill of 1.5 miles , then in reverse at the end of the day, 5 days a week for 45 weeks + addtional random bus use that I no longer do.. My total journey time was often over 45 mins each way( if I walked all the way home it would take me over an hour), but now its only 12-14 mins on the bike.

bw
musicbooks

 

[bogmonster]

There is no public transport option for me. The closest bus stop is 4 miles away

So cycle or drive for me. At the moment I am cycling one day a week. That is 44 miles not put on the car but I'm sure I'm eating more for the calories burnt.

 

[JohnInStockie]

I think in my work addled mind I calculated 10p per mile @ 6 miles x 5 days x 50 weeks.. = £150

I think thats a bit high. If your doing 30 miles a week, thats probably 1 charge in total, so probably 10p a week x 50 weeks = £5.

John

 

[joab]

I'm saving 10 euro per day in commuting with my ebike to work. We get 15 eurocent per km - tax free plus the fact I don't use my car. My investment paid back in 9 months time.
Regards,
Jo

 

[musicbooks]

Thanks Guys,
I have recalculated my audit based on your expert advice.

Yr 1 (Actual)

Costs - Pedelec

Agattu 650 ( 1100- 450 through cycle to work scheme)
Annual charging costs 5 ( @10p per week x 50)
Clothing 120
Additional equipment 50
Service 90
Battery deterioration 100 ( assuming 3 yrs of service)

Total 1015


Costs - Public Transport ( what if..)

Bus fare 400

Difference = - 615

Yr 2 (projected)

Costs - Pedelec


Annual charging costs 5
Clothing 30
Additional equipment 50
Light maintenance/repairs 50
Service 95
Battery deterioration 100

Total 330


Costs - Public Transport 415


Difference = - 530 (415 - (330 + 615 carried forward)

Yr 3 (projected)

Costs-Pedelec

Annual charging costs 5
Clothing 30
Additional equipment 50
Light maintenance/repairs 70
Service 100
Battery deterioration 100

Total 355

Costs - Public Transport 430

Difference = -455

Yr 4 (projected)

Costs-Pedelec

Annual charging costs 5
Additional equipment 20
Light maintenance/repairs 80
Service 105
Battery deterioration 100

Total 310

Costs - Public Transport 460


Difference = -305

Yr 5 (projected)

Costs-Pedelec

Annual charging costs 5
Clothing 20
Light maintenance/repairs 60
Service 110
Battery deterioration 100

Total 210

Costs - Public Transport 480

Difference = -35


Yr 6 (projected)

Costs-Pedelec

Annual charging costs 5
Clothing 30
Additional equipment 20
Light maintenance/repairs 70
Service 100
Battery deterioration 100

Total 325

Costs - Public Transport 500

Difference + 140

Thus after 6 years, I will be running the bike for profit and will retire happy, healthy with enormous thighs and ruddy cheeks..

My calculations assume that the Transport revolution has not yet come, First Group Directors have not been lined up against a wall, and shareholders have continued to gorge on the bounty of our toil..., frustration and anger..

bw
musicbooks

 

[essexman]

I reckon youve not priced in:

1. health benefits (can you gym offset?)
2. taxi\car\lift offsetting (for when buses dont meet yr needs)
3. time savings (for when buses dont meet yr needs)
4. clothing (no cost in clothing for bus commute?)

Also you havent costed interest for initial yr 1 outlay.

 

[musicbooks]

I reckon youve not priced in:

1. health benefits (can you gym offset?)
2. taxi\car\lift offsetting (for when buses dont meet yr needs)
3. time savings (for when buses dont meet yr needs)
4. clothing (no cost in clothing for bus commute?)

Also you havent costed interest for initial yr 1 outlay.

Not forgetting.. twenty years of postpublictransport psychotherapy.. I favour the cognitive behavioural approach where a small diecast model bus is strapped to your forehead, attcahed to a large elastic band.. and every time you contemplate getting on one, stretch the band as far as it will go and release Should cure all symptoms within no time..

bw
musicbooks

 

[Larkspur]

My return commute on my Pro-Connect is about 28 miles a day within the West London area. So far, I've probably done about 1500 miles in total.

One thing I have noticed with bikes, when compared to cars, is that they seem to require a fair amount of 'fettling' to keep them running smoothly. I seem to spend at least half an hour every Sunday, cleaning and oiling the chain, adjusting the brakes, tightening nuts and pumping up the tyres etc. (plus cleaning my hands afterwards). This could be considered a cost, because if I charged my time at same rate as a bike mechanic, it would probably add up to hundreds of pounds spent every year.

Also, the sundry items do add up. I have just had to replace my brake pads (£15 for 4 bits of rubber) and stuff like degreaser and lubricant isn't exactly cheap either.

I am really enjoying the bike and am determined to continue using it throughout the Winter, but its definitely costing me more in maintenance than I initally envisaged.

Chris

 

[essexman]

Not forgetting.. twenty years of postpublictransport psychotherapy.. I favour the cognitive behavioural approach where a small diecast model bus is strapped to your forehead, attcahed to a large elastic band.. and every time you contemplate getting on one, stretch the band as far as it will go and release Should cure all symptoms within no time..

bw
musicbooks

hahhahahahahahahahaha!

 

[Mussels]

I am really enjoying the bike and am determined to continue using it throughout the Winter, but its definitely costing me more in maintenance than I initally envisaged.

Chris

I found that as well but the nice thing is the jobs are all quite quick so I can start one confident that I'll finish in half an hour, the motorbike was quite the opposite of that.
When thinking about maintenance time I subtract time wasted due to delayed and cancelled trains, then I end up saving with the bike so it's smiles all round.

 

[joab]

I love to work on my bikes so its like a hobby and you're correct it costs a bit of money but only a fraction of what a car costs. This year I have cycled more then 12000km about 5000km on my EZEE and the rest on my racebike. Spare parts for racebikes cost a lot more money then for regular bikes although you paid a lot for the brakes.
Regards,
Jo