Commute Savings
Bike vs Car
Commute Calculator
Avg Fuel
145p/L
Avg Saving
£3k+/yr
How much would you save by cycling to work instead of driving? Enter your commute distance and car costs to see the full annual comparison — including fuel, parking, insurance, maintenance, calories burned and CO2 saved. Includes Cycle to Work scheme savings.
Your Commute
Car Costs
Bike Costs
Cycling saves you £0 per year
That's £0 per month
0 cals
Burned per year
0 tonnes
CO2 saved
0 mins
Extra per day
Driving
Cycling
How the bike vs car calculator works
Enter your one-way commute distance and the calculator works out the annual mileage based on your working pattern. For driving, it adds up fuel costs (based on fuel price and your car's MPG), daily parking, annual insurance, road tax and maintenance. For cycling, it annualises the bike purchase price over 3 years, adds servicing and basic gear costs.
If you use the Cycle to Work scheme, the bike cost is reduced by your marginal tax rate plus NI rate — typically 28-48% depending on your salary. This is because the scheme uses salary sacrifice, deducting the cost from gross pay before tax. Use our salary sacrifice calculator for a detailed breakdown of scheme savings.
The calculator also shows calories burned (approximately 45 per mile at moderate pace), CO2 saved (0.28kg per car mile avoided), and the time difference between cycling at 12mph average and driving at 25mph urban average. For fuel cost calculations specifically, try our fuel cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much money can I save cycling to work?
The average UK car commuter spends £3,000-5,000 per year on fuel, parking, insurance, tax and maintenance. Cycling costs around £300-500 per year. That's a saving of £2,500-4,500 per year depending on your commute and car costs.
Does the Cycle to Work scheme save money?
Yes — it lets you buy a bike through salary sacrifice, saving 20-45% income tax and 2-8% NI. A £1,000 bike costs a basic rate taxpayer around £680 through the scheme.
How many calories do you burn cycling to work?
Approximately 45 calories per mile at moderate pace. A 5-mile commute each way burns around 450 calories per day. Over a year that's over 100,000 calories — roughly equivalent to 30 pounds of body fat.