{"id":21069,"date":"2017-11-08T14:56:58","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T14:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/?p=21069"},"modified":"2017-11-09T14:45:15","modified_gmt":"2017-11-09T14:45:15","slug":"economics-cycling-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/economics-cycling-work\/","title":{"rendered":"The economics of cycling to work"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the UK, many of us spend <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-38026625\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more than two hours a day commuting<\/a> to work. And many of us are willing to put up with even longer commutes.<\/p>\n<p>Crazy, but true!<\/p>\n<p>Cars are by far the most popular form of transport over here, in contrast with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/going-dutch-friets-chips-fiets-bikes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">countries like the Netherlands<\/a> where there are more bikes (18 million) than there are people (17 million). Our driving dependence could be blamed on a number of things, including the perceived convenience of cars, and the lack of infrastructure to make cycling simple.<\/p>\n<p>This got us thinking&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is the cost of commuting to work?<\/li>\n<li>What is the damage to our pockets, environment, health and happiness?<\/li>\n<li>Is there a better way to get to work than sitting in a car?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We started researching the facts and running the figures through our calculators. We were amazed by the results, and we think they\u2019ll be an eye opener for you too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s see how cycling can help you conquer the commute and kill the costs of driving.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21080 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Title1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"611\" height=\"63\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 611px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 611\/63;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>How do we commute?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>3.5% of us are blessed with no commute<sup>1<\/sup><\/li>\n<li>6.9% walk to work<sup>2<\/sup><\/li>\n<li>10.5% use some form of public transport<sup>3<\/sup><\/li>\n<li>37.1% drive to work<sup>4<\/sup><\/li>\n<li>Only 1.9% cycle to work<sup>5<\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This means nearly 20 times more people use a car than a bike for their commute.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How far do we commute? And for how long?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>15km<\/strong><br \/>\nThe average distance we commute to work in England and Wales (9.3 miles), according to 2011 figures from the Office for National Statistics.<sup>6<\/sup>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>57.1 minutes<\/strong><br \/>\nIn 2015 the average commute took just under an hour<sup>7<\/sup>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21082 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Title2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"611\" height=\"63\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 611px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 611\/63;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>In our calculations we have assumed:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>30km<\/strong><br \/>\nAverage commute distance each way<\/li>\n<li><strong>2 hours<\/strong><br \/>\nAverage commute time each way<\/li>\n<li><strong>1 year<\/strong><br \/>\nWe have looked at the cost of this over 12 months<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Vehicle costs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We turned to the experts for recommendations on suitable commuting models: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.parkers.co.uk\/company-cars\/2016\/top-cars-for-commuting\/\">Parkers<\/a> for the car and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/merlin-performance-pr7-road-bike-85148.html\">Merlin Performance PR7<\/a> for the bike.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bike (Merlin Performance PR7): \u00a3399<sup>8<\/sup><\/li>\n<li>Car (Ford Focus ST hatchback): \u00a322,195<sup>9<\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With 30 million cars on our roads and 7 million changing hands every year, this suggests <a href=\"http:\/\/www.autoexpress.co.uk\/car-news\/96830\/whats-the-average-age-of-our-cars\">the average car ownership lasts 4.3 years<\/a>. And, in the absence of any hard data, we applied this to bikes as well.<\/p>\n<p>This gave us an annual cost of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bike (Merlin Performance PR7): \u00a393<\/li>\n<li>Car (Ford Focus ST hatchback): \u00a35,161<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We\u2019ve allowed the car to retain a generous <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theaa.com\/car-buying\/depreciation\">40% of its value<\/a> after four years, and factored this \u00a38,878 in<sup>11<\/sup>. The final annual cost of the vehicle alone is \u00a33,097 for a car.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21085 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Sub-Total1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"619\" height=\"104\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 619px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 619\/104;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gear costs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The car won hands down on this: there\u2019s not a lot extra you need.<\/p>\n<p>With bikes however, you can power up with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/bike-accessories-75380\/\">various accessories<\/a>. We\u2019ve erred on the side of deluxe in our costs, but divided the total by the expected lifespan of 4.3 years to get an average cost per year.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bike<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lights: \u00a335<\/li>\n<li>Pump: \u00a325<\/li>\n<li>Inner tubes x 8: \u00a340<\/li>\n<li>Multitool: \u00a350<\/li>\n<li>Lock: \u00a330<\/li>\n<li>Bag: \u00a3100<\/li>\n<li>Tyres x 4: \u00a3160<\/li>\n<li>Total for 4.3 years: \u00a3440<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bike extras total: \u00a3102<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Car<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>No extras: \u00a30<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21087 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Sub-Total2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"619\" height=\"104\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 619px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 619\/104;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Insurance costs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The jury is out on whether you actually need <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thisismoney.co.uk\/money\/bills\/article-2343125\/Best-bike-insurance-need-insure-bicycle-cover-available.html\">bike insurance<\/a> or not<sup>12<\/sup>. We\u2019ve quoted for the average of adding it to your home insurance and taken the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/money\/2017\/apr\/21\/uk-car-insurance-premiums-rise-whiplash-tax-motorists\">ABI\u2019s latest data<\/a> for cars<sup>13<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bike insurance: \u00a373<\/li>\n<li>Car insurance: \u00a3462<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21088 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Sub-Total3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"619\" height=\"104\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 619px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 619\/104;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fuel costs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bikes<\/strong><br \/>\nOther than a good breakfast of Weetabix, there are no fuel costs for bike: \u00a30<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cars<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An average new car fuel economy of 5 litres\/100km, in line with EU goals<sup>14<\/sup><\/li>\n<li>An average distance of 30 km a day<\/li>\n<li>Giving us 1.50 litres a day<\/li>\n<li>There are 253 commuting days in a year: 380 litres<\/li>\n<li>At \u00a31.19 per litre<sup>15<\/sup><\/li>\n<li><strong>Total car fuel cost: \u00a3452<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21089 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Sub-Total4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"619\" height=\"104\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 619px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 619\/104;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Total car and bike costs each year<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Totting all these up, we arrive at the total cost each year of using a car or bike.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21105 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Total.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"619\" height=\"134\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 619px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 619\/134;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>That means\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Commuting by car is over 14 x more expensive than commuting by bike.<\/p>\n<p>And we haven\u2019t even factored in parking costs, MOTs, services and road tax!<\/p>\n<p>But there are costs other than financial to take into account\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21092 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Title3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"611\" height=\"90\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 611px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 611\/90;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Environmental costs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Based on UK government data the average CO2 emissions for new cars is 122.1g per 1 km<sup>16<\/sup>. That means a 30km round trip pumps out 3.663kg of CO2. Your bike, of course, pumps out nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s multiply these by the 253 commute days each year.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Total CO2 car: 927kg<\/li>\n<li>Total CO2 bike: 0kg<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Health costs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re going to be lenient on cars and say that you burn a total of zero calories on your commute, not taking into account the unhealthy crisps and sweets that some of us typically pop in our mouths during the drive!<sup>17<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p>On an average commute, a cyclist will be biking for two hours \u2013 one hour each way<sup>18<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p>During this time, they are likely to burn between 864 calories and 1,902 calories, depending on factors such as their weight and speed<sup>19<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p>Looking at this over the 253 commutes each year, we were staggered to discover just how many calories a bike to work can burn:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Total calories burned by car: 0<\/li>\n<li>Total calories burned by bike: 218,592 to 481,206<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Happiness cost<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This metric is slightly less tangible and quantifiable, but it\u2019s worth looking at the cost to us of being stuck in that car for an hour a day, compared with coasting along on a bike.<\/p>\n<p>A 2014 ONS study concluded that the longer the car commute the more suffering and that, in general, <strong>\u201ccommuters have lower life satisfaction, a lower sense that their daily activities are worthwhile, lower levels of happiness and higher anxiety than non-commuters.\u201d<sup>20<\/sup>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In contrast, they found that cycling for more than 30 minutes a day to work saw wellbeing increase<sup>21<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-21101 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Sub-Total5-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"611\" height=\"63\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 611px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 611\/63;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So, there we have it.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the commuting costs over one year for bikes vs cars:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th>\u00a0 Cars<\/th>\n<th>\u00a0Bikes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\u00a0Financial:<\/td>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a34,011<\/td>\n<td>\u00a0\u00a3268<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\u00a0Environmental:<\/td>\n<td>927kg of CO2<\/td>\n<td>\u00a00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\u00a0Calories lost:<\/td>\n<td>\u00a00<\/td>\n<td>\u00a0At least 218,592<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\u00a0Happiness cost:<\/td>\n<td>\u00a0Lower levels of happiness<\/td>\n<td>\u00a0Wellbeing increases<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Cars Bikes<br \/>\nFinancial: \u00a34,011 \u00a3268<br \/>\nEnvironmental: 927kg of CO2 0<br \/>\nCalories lost: 0 At least 218,592<br \/>\nHappiness cost: Lower levels of happiness Wellbeing increases<\/p>\n<p>We think the facts speak for themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Cycling to work will save you money, get you fit and show your love of the Earth. It may even make you smile!<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re ready to start pedalling, let\u2019s get you kitted out and on the road today. With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/commuter-urban-bikes-75272\/\">our fantastic range of commuter bikes<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/bike-accessories-75380\/\">accessories<\/a> you\u2019ll be looking as good as you feel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>See you on the road!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Sources<\/strong><br \/>\n<sup>1<\/sup><small>https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/datablog\/interactive\/2013\/feb\/01\/cycle-drive-work-map-census-2011 <sup>2<\/sup>https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/datablog\/interactive\/2013\/feb\/01\/cycle-drive-work-map-census-2011 <sup>3<\/sup>https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/datablog\/interactive\/2013\/feb\/01\/cycle-drive-work-map-census-2011 <sup>4<\/sup>https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/datablog\/interactive\/2013\/feb\/01\/cycle-drive-work-map-census-2011 <sup>5<\/sup>https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/datablog\/interactive\/2013\/feb\/01\/cycle-drive-work-map-census-2011.<br \/>\n<sup>6<\/sup>http:\/\/webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk\/20160107181447\/<br \/>\n<sup>7<\/sup>http:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/ons\/dcp171776_357812.pdf http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-38026625<br \/>\n<sup>8<\/sup>http:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/commuting\/gear\/article\/whats-the-best-bike-for-cycle-commuting-29898\/<br \/>\n<sup>9<\/sup>http:\/\/www.parkers.co.uk\/company-cars\/2016\/top-cars-for-commuting\/<br \/>\n<sup>10<\/sup>http:\/\/www.autoexpress.co.uk\/car-news\/96830\/whats-the-average-age-of-our-cars<br \/>\n<sup>11<\/sup>http:\/\/www.theaa.com\/car-buying\/depreciation<br \/>\n<sup>12<\/sup>http:\/\/www.thisismoney.co.uk\/money\/bills\/article-2343125\/Best-bike-insurance-need-insure-bicycle-cover-available.html<br \/>\n<sup>13<\/sup>https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/money\/2017\/apr\/21\/uk-car-insurance-premiums-rise-whiplash-tax-motorists<br \/>\n<sup>14<\/sup>https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/clima\/policies\/transport\/vehicles\/cars_en<br \/>\n<sup>15<\/sup>http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-21238363<br \/>\n<sup>16<\/sup>https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/new-car-carbon-dioxide-emissions<br \/>\n<sup>17<\/sup>http:\/\/calorielab.com\/burned\/?mo=se&amp;gr=16&amp;ti=Transportation&amp;wt=150&amp;un=lb&amp;kg=68<br \/>\n<sup>18<\/sup>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bicycle_performance<br \/>\n<sup>19<\/sup>http:\/\/www.livestrong.com\/article\/320784-how-many-calories-are-burned-on-a-20-minute-bike-ride\/<br \/>\n<sup>20<\/sup>http:\/\/webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk\/20160107224314\/<br \/>\n<sup>21<\/sup>http:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/ons\/dcp171766_351954.pdf<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the UK, many of us spend more than two hours a day commuting to work. And many of us are willing to put up with even longer commutes. Crazy, but true! Cars are by far the most popular form of transport over here, in contrast with countries like the Netherlands where there are more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":21109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2464],"tags":[2170,279,2622,60],"ppma_author":[4636],"class_list":["post-21069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-riders","tag-2017-merlin-road-bike","tag-commuting","tag-cycling-to-work","tag-road-bike","author-bringdigital"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The economics of cycling to work - Merlin Cycles Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/economics-cycling-work\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The economics of cycling to work\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the UK, many of us spend more than two hours a day commuting to work. And many of us are willing to put up with even longer commutes. 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