At this site, we’re always looking for ways to become more efficient. To do more with less. To maximize the benefits we can get out of every aspect of our lives. Considering these statements, let’s talk about transportation. Cars lose their value and burn fuel with every mile they drive. We spend hours per week (or day) commuting to and from work in our cars, where we sit idle and more or less unproductive – not great from a fitness or quality-of-life standpoint. Even public transportation costs money and uses plenty of energy. All of this begs the question – is riding a bicycle the ideal form of minimalist transportation? Let’s go over the pros and cons.
What Does Minimalist Transportation Mean?
Here’s our opinion as to what minimalist transportation should be:
- Affordable: Maximizing the output with minimal financial investment.
- Versatile: It can be used for a variety of occasions and in many environments or settings.
- Efficient: This comes in a few different forms – low energy usage (i.e. fuel, etc.), multi-beneficial and relatively practical speed-wise.
- Reliability: Minimalist transportation should be dependable.
All that said, let’s go over the pros and cons of riding a bike as a primary form of transportation!
What Makes A Bike The Ideal Form Of Minimalist Transportation
Here are the good parts of riding a bike as a primary form of transport:
Pro #1: Bikes Are Really Affordable
There are a ton of options out there when it comes to cars when considering body styles, brands and prices. In terms of dollars spent, though, cars are seriously expensive.
First off, their values depreciate with each passing year. According to CarFax, a new car is worth as little as 40% of it’s original price after five years.
When you consider that the average monthly payments on cars are about $530 for a new car and $381 for a used one (via NerdWallet), it makes sense to buy the absolute minimum ‘amount of car’ you need while considering quality, etc.
Compare these costs with bicycle prices. According to Consumer Reports, a decent bike will cost at least $300. Even if we spend $1,000, a high quality bike at that price point will last many years of regular use. The amount spent per year on an average used car payment costs several times more than a high-quality bike.
Cars also cost quite a bit to maintain – easily in excess of $500 per year on a simple, used car for basics needs like oil changes, brakes, batteries and other similar items.
On top of all that is the cost of fuel and insurance!
Unlike cars, bicycles require minimal maintenance. Here are some common maintenance items required for bicycles, most of which you can do yourself in minutes:
- Keep the tires inflated: There are many air pumps available on the market that make keeping tires taut a breeze.
- Degrease & lube the chain: Simply a matter of removing grime from the chain using some degreaser, then applying lube to the chain and gears to keep things running smooth.
- Adjust brakes & change out brake pads: Brakes wear out on bikes and cars alike. Bike brakes, however, are much easier to adjust or replace at home with basic hand tools.
Those are better problems to have than a transmission failure or a rim replacement!
Pro #2: Bikes Are Versatile
When we drive, we can come and go as we please, but with a car comes traffic, roads and parking.
Riding the train or subway allows us to focus on other things during a commute, but they accompany an inflexible schedule, generally longer rides and crowdedness.
Even carpooling with others presents a combination of these issues.
When seeking the ideal form of minimalist transportation, these limitations make a car or public transportation less than ideal in terms of versatility.
The versatility a bike offers is second to none!
While others sit in traffic, bikes allow us to cruise along uninhibited. When drivers search for parking spots or head to the garage, bikes can be parked and locked up to bike racks, street signs, telephone poles and a host of other structures.
Your friends and colleagues could miss their bus or train if something unexpected comes up. On a bike, you’re free to go wherever, whenever on your own schedule.
Run into some gridlock on your drive home? Be prepared to hunker down and wait it out, at least until that light up ahead turns green. If you run into traffic on a bike, simply ride off in another direction.
Riding a bike is the most versatile form of transportation out there.
Pro #3: Bikes Keep Us Fit
According to this article from New York Post, nearly half of Americans surveyed list ‘not having enough time’ as the #1 reason they don’t exercise.
When we consider a busy work schedule, commuting to and from work, family obligations and let’s face it – distractions like social media, TV and internet, it’s easy to see why many feel that they ‘don’t have enough’ time.
Ignoring the validity of this claim, riding a bike as a form of daily transportation let’s us get where we’re going and get in exercise.
Minimalist transportation should be as generally useful as possible for the amount of investment we put into them.
When we drive, we’re just sitting there. We can use the time well by listening to music or valuable content, practicing awareness or talking to people on the phone, but we certainly aren’t exercising. For all intents and purposes, the same can be said for the bus or train.
Check out this ‘Calories Burned’ calculator for bike riding. Here’s a calculation for a hypothetical ride:
- Person weighing 155 pounds
- Distance of 10 miles
- Ride time of 55 minutes
This person will burn around 460 calories per ride. As one can imagine, commuting each day by bike – heck, even once in a while – takes care of our exercise needs as well. No gym needed – getting home IS the workout.
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When Bikes Are Not Ideal…
As many things as we can say about bikes being the ideal form of minimalist transportation, there are some drawbacks to consider.
Con #1: Bikes Can’t Be Effectively In All Weather Conditions
Bicycles can be rode in all sorts of conditions throughout the year, even in four-season environments. When the road gets too wet, icy or covered in snow, though, riding a bike becomes a lot more complicated, if not ‘impossible’ for practicality purposes.
Even on dry roads, riding a bike for an hour in the freezing cold certainly isn’t easy. One must take plenty of precautions and dress appropriately for a long ride in subzero temperatures.
This doesn’t mean that biking through snow, ice and other in climate conditions is impossible, though. There are plenty of bike tires under $100 meant for snow and ice. Some people even opt for offroad mountain bike tires for commuting in the tough stuff.
Con #2: On A Long Enough Commute Or Trip, Bikes Become Impractical
Even for the most hardcore bike enthusiasts, a long commute can make a bicycle an impractical choice for their primary means of transportation.
A reasonable pace that an average rider can keep while commuting on a bike is 10-15 miles/hour, depending on the distance of the commute, how much weight the rider is carrying (backpack, supplies, etc.) and the weather.
If a person is willing to spend two hours commuting to and from work per day (round trip), they can commute up to 13-15 miles each way – or 26-30 miles round-trip – in this timeframe.
If you have a shorter-than-average commute, riding a bike to work is very doable.
In places like the New York City metro area, it’s not uncommon for a 10-mile commute to take over an hour by car or subway. In busy cities like NYC, it’s quite possible that commuting by bike is your fastest option, especially during rush hour!
Keep in mind, if you’d spend a lot less time commuting by car or train than you would on a bike, it makes sense to factor in the amount of time you’ll spend exercising after work on top of commuting through these means – something you won’t have to worry about as much when cycling!
If you’re still interested in commuting by bike despite a long commute, or perhaps just want a physically easier ride, e-bikes are an option that are becoming more reliable and price-effective with each passing year.
If you already have a bike you enjoy and would like to use it as an electric bike, there are e-bike conversion kits on the market too.
Con #3: There Are Safety Risks When Riding A Bike
Unfortunately, our safety is never guaranteed no matter which way we decide to commute. Car accidents happen. Trains crash. Passengers on subways or people out walking can be dangerous to encounter, too. Of course, there’s a very slim chance of any of these happening!
Riding a bike is no different. There really aren’t too many safety precautions to take while commuting by bike other than to protect our bodies and stay highly aware of our surroundings. No seatbelts or air bags on a bicycle. Therefore, it’s very important to wear bicycle safety gear whenever we zoom off on our bikes!
If you decide to commute by bike year-round, there will inevitably be times when you have to ride in the dark.
Some routes are well-lit, sure, but other times you’ll be riding along in mostly darkness. This makes you susceptible to being struck by cars that don’t see you. It’s extremely important to equip your bike with lights and also wear hi-visibility clothing or vests meant for biking!
Con #4: Logistics With Bikes Can Be Challenging
Last but not least, the logistics our daily routines require might not allow us to ride a bike all the time.
If you need to go shopping for groceries or supplies, it’ll be quite the challenge to balance several bags while riding several miles on a bike. Not to mention, very unsafe!
There are options, though. In order to get some real utility out of your bike and maximize this form of minimalist transportation, it’s time to get creative.
There are many accessories on the market that let you carry stuff on your bike, such as pannier racks, saddlebags and baskets.
If you’re looking to carry lots of supplies, bring your kids along for a ride or even carry your pets, there are many tow-behind bike trailers available, too. Below are a few links to top-rated options on the market.
A Few Ideas For Incorporating Biking Into Your Routines
If you’re not able to completely give up a car or other form of transportation, but you’d like to incorporate a bike into your routine part-time, here are a few ways you can strike a balance.
Don’t drive your car on weekends. If you must commute during the week by car or train, try to only use your bike on weekends and days off instead of your normal transportation method.
Ride your bike to work on certain days. If your commute is doable on bike but too long to do every day, plan on riding your bike to work on select days – say, Tuesdays and Thursday for example. This allows you to save some money on gas and get in a workout while you commute, without having to do it every single day.
Drive part-way and bike the rest. If you’ve got a longer commute and have a place to park, you can always mount a bike rack on your car and drive part-way. You’ll save some gas money and still get to bike to and from work to a certain extent.
Buy a much cheaper car and only use it when biking isn’t feasible. Continuing the point made earlier, commuting by bike is not easy in certain weather and seasons. You can always buy the most affordable, practical car available and use it on an as-needed basis only while biking whenever possible. This makes buying a higher-mileage car more practical when you’re not worried about piling on the miles every single day.
Biking: Our Pick As The Pound-For-Pound Best Form Of Minimalist Transportation
Between the low cost, minimal maintenance, flexibility, versatility and exercise that a bicycle offers, we can’t help but to vote biking as the best form of minimalist transportation available! We all have different circumstances and requirements in our daily lives, but we hope we’ve provided you with some ideas on how you can incorporate biking into your daily lives, if not being riding one as your primary means of transportation. Thanks for reading!