The High Cost of Bike Freedom

I know it's just a bike, I know. Typically they have two wheels, a metal frame, handle bars and a seat. They also can cause extreme enjoyment and get you where you need to go while staying in shape! Now here is the kicker, I don't want to mention this, but there comes a time when you need to, and that time is now.

"Bikes Cost Money"

This may seam trivial for some, but it remains true. Bikes are not a Free object to be obtained upon arriving on planet earth, they are a material object that cost money like any other item we humans enjoy to buy (food, cars, houses). So now that we know bikes cost money, lets talk specifics.

Assuming we are not considering Bike Shaped Objects from department stores, we can expect to pay ~$400 for a entry level new bike or half that for a used one a guy is selling in his garage. Bikes typically do not cost $50 bucks, unless you score a deal with someone moving or you find the bike.

Some bikes cost over $10,000 (ten thousand dollars)

Bikes do require a significant capital investment and subsequent maintenance from wear and tear. On top of that, they might require a significant number of accessories and improvements to make the ride a bit more practical/enjoyable. A U-lock, front and rear lights typically are necessary when riding in an urban environment or at night.

Once the bike is ridden, even more money needs to be spent on the bike from wear and tear. Each pedal stroke wears the chain, tires, grips, seat, bottom bracket, gears, and spokes. Additionally breaking causes wear on the break pads. It is estimated biking costs 10 cents per mile. But what does this mean for a casual cyclists who owns a bike and uses it routinely? Lets work through an example,

Consider a college freshman who buys a bike before headed off to college. She knows the powers bicycles have to get around and they make a great way to see the world. Her house is always near campus so she usually walks to school, but she uses her bike on weekends to travel on the nearby Pekiomen River Trail. Here is here estimated miles for the first year of college.

Trip	Mileage
	per week	per month	per year*
Saturday Explore	20	40	200
Sunday Extended Trip	N/A	N/A	60
Weekday Quick Trip	2	20	100
		Year Total:	360

*Note, we assume only riding bike 5 months out of the year due to weather

If we continue this trend for another 2 years of college, we estimate she rides 1080 miles for 3 years in college.

Now the finances! This rider might notice some issues as her chain stretched over the years and the gears and break pads worn out. If we use the Sierra's club estimate of 10 cents per mile for biking, we calculate a bill of $108 dollars upon her first day of her 4th year of college. So a bike shop recipe of $140 is not out of the question considering the amount of enjoyment received from all these lovely miles ridden.

I told myself when I bought my new mountain bike that I would put $5 dollars in a jar after every ride (2+ hours) to keep a fund for the bike. If I would have done this 4 years ago, my mountain bike would be running in tip top shape, with money still left over in the tip jar!

Weather you choose to perform this maintenance yourself (using Virtual Bike Mechanic) or by supporting your Local Bike Shop, it pays to take care of your bike and keep it in a safe riding condition. The money spent on your bike is one of the best investments for your bike, your health and your planet. Future generations should thank you for riding your bike!

Bike Accident Data Heatmap for Los Angeles, California

The map shows the location of bike accidents in 2012 in Los Angeles. A special thanks Ankoor for finding the Raw Data and a huge thanks to Anna to quickly process it. The data was converted into a heat map using google fusion tables, and then exported to allow for the bicycle layer to be seen with the heat map. Bicycle lanes are current and may have not existed in 2012 when accident occurred.

You’re not the only one!

If you are reading this, you are the unfortunate victim of unregulated capitalism from the corporate empire.  Large companies like Wal-Mart, Target, and online retailers (such as Bikesdirect.com, Amazon) sell what they call bicycles that are really not meant to be ridden for any use other than portraying a somewhat active lifestyle in one’s garage.  You can be sure of a fraud by the big greedy corporations if your bike has the following problems:

• More than one flat tire in the last few months or within the first 3 months after purchase.
• Worn out drivetrain in under a year with average riding.
• Is heavy.
• Make strange noises that raise uncertainty wih the safety of the bicycle.
• Gears do not shift properly.
• Broken chain, crank arms, loose handlebars.
• Other odd bike problems.

These issues arise from the bikes sold by these retailers due to the profit incentive to show to the stakeholders within the company.  The profit minded nature forces builders to choose cheap low quality components on their one size to attempt to fit all frames.   These cheap components encompass the entire bike including: tires, wheels, derailleur’s, chain, freewheel, brakes, etc.  Just to inform, many quality parts cost as much as an entire bike from these retailers and are often assembled by the same person who greets you when you enter(= not qualified to build a mechanical transportation tool).  We can make these bikes work, but it come at the cost to you.  We make significantly more money fixing cheap bikes through the volume of parts we end up replacing over the lifetime of the bike(which is usually very short) versus us selling a new bike to you.  But we believe in good karma and want the best for the students and surrounding community, and thus would rather see you on a bike that resists flat tires, stops when the brakes are applied, shifts when shifted, and has a good riding quality experience.  

There are zero reasons for not having “Bike shop” quality bike.  Here are the most common reasons people say they can’t get one:

-I can’t afford it: Yes, bikes from bike shops cost more than the cheap bikes, but are less expensive and more safe when looking over the lifetime of the bike. It’s also better for the environment as you are not throwing away a bike every year.  If you are on a budget and there is no way of spending around $400 on a bike, then consider a good pair of shoes because they are significantly better than a bike from walmart.

- I am worried it might get stolen?: UCI is a very safe school.  We have special U-Locks, which have up to $1500 in insurance if the lock does get cut and your bike stolen.  Just ask us how it works.  We all ride very high quality bike everywhere we go without worry of them getting stolen.

Buying a bike from a bike shop also supports local business, we are the guys that know how to fix stuff and make your ride work properly.  We feel taken advantage of when we are asked to fix online bikes/other cheap bikes.  We are here for the students, faculty, and surrounding area around UCI, if you support us we will happily go out of our way to help you out.  If you have any questions, please ask us.