Biking is a great way to save money.  The best way to save money is to bike to work.  If you bike, you can avoid using public transit or your car.  Also it physically makes sense to bike because you can exercise without going to a gym.

Personally during the summer I try to bike at least 3-4x/week.  This saves me on public transit, gets me in better shape for the summer, and honestly it’s fun. Yes in some ways it can take longer, but I often during the summer will skip going to the gym or working out at home instead.  So I don’t have to get up as early to work out in the morning.

But here’s the real secret.  Biking into work can be cheap. I know many people who buy really expensive bikes, shoes, helmets, locks, etc.  But they really don’t need to.  A cheap bike from Target for $50 can work just as well as that $500 Trek hybrid.  Yes it’s not as light or easy to manuver, but if you are beginning biking commuter, I suggest not spending a lot on something you might not continue doing long term.

I personally have a $150 schwinn hybrid bike. I bought it in 2003 and have used it ever since.  It’s taken me to and from school almost daily when I lived in CA, and in the summers out here on the East Coast.  So I’ve spent less than $50/year for a savings of hundreds.  Sure I am a long term commuter on a bike, so I could have justified spending $500 on a Trek or other high end hybrid.  But the truth is, bikes get stolen.  And the nicer the bike the more likely it is to get stolen.

So along with being a dedicated biker, you have to worry about losing the bike.  For $150, I have a mode of transport, exercise, and very little fear that I’ll “lose” money on my investment through theft or lack of use.  I mean honestly how many people buy things and never use them again?

And a bike can be an extremely expensive investment initially and it just sits in the basement.  My neighbors have a Trek hybrid, and during the 2 years they’ve lived here I’ve never seen them ride the bike.  Yes my roomie has a $1200 road bike, but he competitively races and thus cycles almost daily.

So his tip and mine is buy a cheap bike.  Go to Target or a bike shop and explain you’re starting out and need the cheapest hybrid or mountain bike.  Another tip, don’t get a road bike. While extremely light, they are also extremely fragile and taking a curb or pothole could cause damage to the bike. They really are meant only for road riding and most people commuting don’t ride on only paved surfaces.

I hope this encourages people to try bike commuting. Instead of being turned off by the price, it can be a cheap and inexpesive hobby.