Bicycling wastes gas?

[dcb]

This could also be viewed as an indictment of agricultural/consumer processes.

On plain energy required to get the immediate job done basis, not well to wheels/ground to poop basis, it will take much less energy to move a small vehicle to the store than a large one. And as you lose your spare tire you also become a smaller vehicle.

I mean you *could* supplement the calories needed for your bicycling with plain veggie oil if you really wanted to pretend you were more car like, but it is still a silly comparison

[Christ]

I think on a caloric basis, it's still "cheaper" to ride, as you say.

But the question isn't one of ecology or conservation, it's one of economy. Which is cheaper to the end user?

I know I introduced a bunch of variables into it in earlier posts, but the most simplistic approach is the above question. Each further measurement just serves to add complexity to the equation, but proves that there is a substantial impact from either source, while showing how the question could apply to anyone, not just someone.

[dcb]

the cost of a (used) car and insurance and registration and cheap gas can still buy a whole lot of beans and rice and a decent $20 tenspeed off of craigs list. And I don't think I burn that many calories riding anyway (fairly relaxed pace)

[Bicycle Bob]

It usually takes quite a bit more oil energy to produce a calorie of food energy, even as grain. And steady bicycling will reduce your weight if you don't modify your diet or other exercise program. However, if you don't exercise, the energy needed for your medical treatments can cost far more oil.

[Cd]

Reading this thread is frustrating.
Have we become such penny pinching misers that we start thinking of the cost of biking over driving simply in terms of money ?

Embarrassing really.

[Lazarus]

From the article:

It means that the amount of gas you use isn't just related to how you get from place to place, it's also related to what you eat. Meatless diets require half as much fuel to produce than the standard American diet. Pimentel calculated that if the entire world ate the way the U.S. does, the planet's entire petroleum reserves would be exhausted in 13 years. The typical American could save more gas by going vegan than by giving up driving two days a week.5

Those who think the question is, "Is it better for me to drive, or (eat a wasteful diet and) walk?" are missing the point. That's like asking whether it's better to pour oil or pesticides into the water supply. Ideally you shouldn't do either. To greatly reduce your energy and pollution footprint, you should reduce or eliminate consumption of animal foods -- no matter how you get around

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

From the article:

Can we eat vegetarians instead?

Seriously, is this how you look at things?

[rmay635703]

This has got to be the most irritating thread I have ever read in my entire life.

Generally most americans use calories to add to their beltline which is waisted

Although a human may burn calories less efficiently than an engine we also are moving much much less weight. You can't tell me bicycling takes more energy than driving a 3000lb suv, much of the food we eat is nill as it would be consumed anyway and that is the case for most of us, it is a small minority that has to eat more to sustain exercise.

We need to work harder to convert people to run on gasoline
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question527.htm

Cheers
Ryan

[Piwoslaw]

Bob, you beat me to the point about a balanced diet and exercise vs the cost of medical care.

Now we could get into a discussion on how the body needs more energy to maintain muscle tissue than fat tissue...

Originally Posted by Cd

Reading this thread is frustrating.
Have we become such penny pinching misers that we start thinking of the cost of biking over driving simply in terms of money ?

Embarrassing really.

Aw, we're not penny pinching misers, we're just having fun discussing it. Because discussions with fellow ecomodders are fun. In an inteligent way

[Christ]

I don't want to see this thread get out of hand, so I'm going to mention now that every post in this thread by myself is of a light nature. I'm not being serious, because, well, come on; Who here is really going to change their mind as a result of this thread?

NOBODY.

If you like to bike, you like to bike. You'll keep biking. If you like to drive, you're going to drive. And seriously, if you count time as money, even at minimum wage, it's still cheaper to drive any place in the country, unless you can steadily hold 60MPH on a bike for 30 minutes or more, which I doubt very seriously that many of us can.

Biking has it's uses, but you wouldn't move your family to the next state over on bikes, or you'd be paying 2 rents for awhile, waiting to move some of your heavier furniture with your 10 bike team hooked up to a trailer.