As fuel prices rise again and drivers groan at the increased cost, people who ride bikes to work are still commuting for free.
“People who travel to work by bike each day are saving themselves up to $1800 a year in fuel,” says Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack.
But the cost savings for the bike riding commuters don’t stop there. Riding a bike also offsets costs associated with vehicle maintenance, parking and road tolls.
The average cost of running a medium-sized car in Australia is $13,782 per year. The equivalent maintenance cost for a bike, according the Australian Cycling Economy 2021 Report, is $150 per year.
“Completely swapping your vehicle for a bike (or e-bike), also eliminates costs associated with registration, licensing, insurance and loan repayments,” says Alison.
There are other perks to riding a bike, too. Health benefits include improvements to cardiovascular health, mood, quality of life, and wellbeing. The exercise gained by riding a bike daily can reduce stress, risk of diabetes, and increase life expectancy.
Switching from a private vehicle to a bike can also massively reduce our collective carbon footprint. Per capita emissions in Australia are equivalent to 17.10 tons of CO2 per person, but travelling just 6km by bike each day can reduce a person’s annual carbon footprint by 0.8 and 1.2 tons. By riding more than 10km, each person would save between 1.3 and 2 tons of CO2.
Overseas studies have shown that people who ride a bike enjoy the highest commuter satisfaction of any other transport mode. Yet bikes are underused when it comes to commuting in Australia. According to the 2021 Cycling Participation Survey, around 59% of Australians have at least one bike in their household, yet just 3% of people travel to work by bike.
However, the number of people riding their bikes during this years National Ride2Work Day was a promising sign that these numbers could grow.
Let’s face it, there’s never been a better time to start riding. The weather is getting warmer, workers are returning to their offices, and our cities are coming back to life.
So if you haven’t yet started, pop on your helmet and give riding into work a go!
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