Revealed Preferences for Utilitarian Cycling Energy Expenditure versus Travel Time

Abstract

This paper quantifies the perceived cost of utilitarian cycling energy expenditure as the marginal rate of substitution between energy expenditure and travel time (MRSet). This trade-off manifests in, and can be inferred from cyclist cruising speeds. Median MRSet values for observed cruising events in a naturalistic cycling dataset range from 0.05 to 0.95 min/km per kcal/min. The revealed cost of energy expenditure (relative to travel time) increases significantly with road grade, traffic controls, and certain facility types, and is also significantly higher for women, less-dedicated cyclists, and people riding on weekends and for non-commute purposes.