On 18/09/2007, at 12:27 AM, Julia Thompson wrote: > > Question: How much does a good bike (good for riding around > London) cost? (Wondering how good a selling point this is; if it > pays for itself in 2 years, that's a good deal, IMO.)
Answer one - as much as you want to spend. OK, I'm currently in Melbourne, but the proportions are similar. My commuter bike (a Giant CRX Zero with disk brakes and carbon forks) cost $2000, plus helmet and riding clothes too. However a yearly Zone 1 ticket is $1094. If I lived in Zone 2 (only a couple of km further out) it would be $1689. So the bike does indeed pay for itself in a couple of years. Answer 2: I could have spent 600-700 bucks on a bike that would be perfect for most bike commuters however. In London, £300 will get you a reasonable commuter, plus another hundred for helmet and lights, and a season ticket is as follows: Zones 1-2 £928 (the Central Line area plus a couple of stops outside) Zones 1-3 £1096 Zones 1-4 £1328 (Wimbledon...) Zones 1-5 £1592 Zones 1-6 £1720 (about a 10 mile radius) Most people could easily ride in from Zone 4, so a bike could pay for itself in less than half a year. Charlie. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
