My commute is 4.5 miles each way and takes about 25 minutes on my bike. It’s a great way for me to start off my day because I really enjoy cycling. But what really clinches the deal is that there are showers in my lab building! In my mind this is a no brainer, especially because short drives are bad for your car. I never forsaw biking as much as I do now, but my dad gave me his old bike when he upgraded his, and I enjoyed it far more than I expected. This strategy can take a long time for it to pay off in a strict financial sense. While the marginal costs of cycling are certainly lower than the marginal costs of driving, you may need to cycle a lot of miles to realize a direct financial benefit depending on how much you spend on your bike and other accessories. However, there is a massive health benefit to cycling, which indirectly reduces future health care costs. Also, it gives you another backup mode of transportation (albeit with limited range) in case your car dies.
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