How can participating in the 2006 Team Bike Challenge help you beat high gas prices?

So you just drove away from your neighborhood gas station and are wondering how you could possibly be dumping over $50 for a measly 15 gallons of gas into your fuel tank. What’s scarier is that your fuel costs only account for about 25% of your total cost to drive. Did you know that AAA estimates that for the average American, it costs about $.52 a mile to drive including maintenance, depreciation on your vehicle, fuel and insurance? Oh and by the way that figure was calculated when fuel was priced were a mere $2.41 a gallon (in Santa Barbara County we are averaging about $3.20 a gallon).

Do the math. That $4.50 video, sub sandwich or latte may be costing you another $3.00 if you drove a car 3 miles to get there. Maybe it is time to start knitting instead. Or you could participate in the Traffic Solutions Team Bike Challenge.

How will you save money by biking? Do you have tips for folks who are just starting to think about taking trips by bike instead of car?