I too, thankfully, work from home. Telecommuting is the greatest invention - even better than sliced bread! But.
Durham seems to be the most expensive town in the most expensive state. Tara's Audi needs 92 or better, and that is $4.35 now. It sits int eh garage and she's using her grandmother's old '95 volvo that runs on the cheap stuff since she is on a project in (on?) Long Island (she does not commute daily).
I filled up the bike which only takes 89 at $4.20 last night to get to class. We have to take the bronco to MA tonight to get more stuff from the other house. That is 200 miles pulling a trailer. I did the math on the bikes versus the truck. I included oil changes and tires. I also based the math on gas prices from a few days ago. When I filled up the other day, it was $4 even and the guy was changing the front sign as I was filling at the, thankfully, "old" price.
My Bronco gets 10mpg, tires cost me $1100, and last me 40,000 miles.
My ST and VFR (motorcycles) get 42-45 mpg (we'll call it 40 since the math is easier and I misbehave on the VFR ALOT) and tires cost $250, and last me 10,000 miles generally. I have 10K on them now, and they will need to be replaced later this summer but are still good
My Magna (motorcycle) gets 35 mpg when whacking the throttle and lets face it, that is all I do with that one. It will get back on the road this summer.
This is based on 10k miles of use:
<table>
<tr><th><th>ST1100/VFR<th>Magna<th>Bronco</tr>
<tr><td>Tires<td>$250<td>$250<td>$275</tr>
<tr><td>Gas<td>$1000<td>$1142<td>$4000</tr>
<tr><td>Oil<td>$150<td>$150<td>$150 </tr>
<tr><td colspan="4">(I change at about 3000m and use synthetic)</tr>
<tr></tr>
<tr><td colspan="4"></tr>
<tr><td>10,000m<td>$1400<td>$1542<td>$4425</tr>
<tr><td colspan="4"></tr>
<tr><td>cost per mile<td>$0.14<td>$0.15<td>$0.44</tr>
</table>
(Since spaces did not work to make this look right and be readable, let's try table html)
Needless to say, I ride! Since the school year started in August, I have driven the truck to class twice. Once to get aquarium parts from DSP, and once I had to get the trailer at the in-laws. I have good gear and bought some extra this winter. I can now ride comfortably down into the low 20's for long periods without any issues. I only got caught coming home in two snow storms worth talking about, and both were pretty interesting. :eek1: The other times were just "dustings" and well, they are interesting.
I really enjoy driving my Bronco, but I just cannot afford to do it regularly. I need it to haul stuff and pull the trailer and the boat. And with the amount I drive it, it is cheaper to dump gas at 10mpg than it is to make a car payment and drop gas at a mere 45mpg (insurance would be the same since I have full coverage on her).
So I ride. And ride, and ride, and ride. But I've been doing it for 13 years now, and I cannot see myself without at least one bike, so I'm happy. The fear is that everyone will start riding to save money, motorcycle accidents and fatalities will increase because of lack of proper training and gear, and the legislature will come down on motorcyclists. Then when winter comes, the bikes will be sold and motorcyclists will be stuck with these ridiculous rules. And I don't mean the helmet law - I think it is foolish to not have such a law, but I also say, heck, as long as the person dies, it is one less idiot in the gene pool! If they live, well, then you and I are supporting them for the rest of their life in a vegetative state in some state hospital somewhere. I was hit on the side on RT91 a few years ago (ironically it was just before the exit to the house we bought 8 months ago) and got up and was fine save for a sore hip where I was thrown to the ground. It is all about proper gear. And without it, you will be a statistic. So if you are considering buying a bike, add $200-300 for a good helmet (are you REALLY going to trust your brain to a helmet that is worth $50?) and another $200-300 in protective gear (proper boots, jacket, overpants, and gloves).
There are two types of riders. Those who have crashed, and those who are going to. If you stop riding before you crash, you are no longer a rider and leave the above two categories. So if you decide to start riding, keep that in mind. My accident was a BMW that hit me on my right hand side during an emergency situation on the highway, but it could have been some back road. He did not see me, and this is usually the case and more likely to occur on the back roads. It was not entirely his fault, it was a panic situation for about 20 people that day. I took the worst of it. It isn't necessarily going to be you making a mistake. It could very easily be "the other guy." Protect yourself. And don't do "wheelies" or "stoppies" on public roads, you just look like a freaking tool!
Anyone considering buying a bike can feel free to hit me privately for any advice you may seek. It is a great alternative if you enjoy it. If you don't enjoy it, it won't last long, and ow we have to try to sell this bike you've bought. and bike prices are going through the roof, so keep that in mind. A friend found a used mid-80's Honda on Craigslist for $850, and when he went to buy it, it was already sold at $2500. There is nothing anyone can say at that point. "Huh? Wow! Congrats." is about all.
We also live close to everything (mall,groceries,pharmacy,doctor,blockbuster,train station) all within walking distance or a very short drive and the kids take the bus so not much in the need of getting around.
