is it worth the expense?
evsy
Posts: 111
so only just started cycling but have already spent an absolute fortune and realised just how expensive cycling is. im now starting to wonder if its worth getting in to this sport or not.
i think it has to be the most expensive sport for amateurs that there is.
i wanted to join my local club and race, but ive only just started and not raced yet, and already im finding the costs too steep.
how do you all get around the cost of parts, maintenance, clothing, insurance, race fees etc etc.
i think it has to be the most expensive sport for amateurs that there is.
i wanted to join my local club and race, but ive only just started and not raced yet, and already im finding the costs too steep.
how do you all get around the cost of parts, maintenance, clothing, insurance, race fees etc etc.
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It as expensive as you make it, you can spend megabucks, or you can spend much, much less.
You don't need the latest, greatest and most expensive kit to be competative.0 -
Cycling demands pretty much the highest level of fitness at beginner level out of any sport....0
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i guess. but what about when components fail?
been told that the wheels i have will need replacing pretty soon, and i was looking at the price of them and they are pretty expensive.
i havent bought a set of mudguards yet, so thats another thing. then there is the cost of inner tubes (already had several punctures) so now looking at getting tubes and some better tyres.
just made me think about the cost of it.
i know in any sport you can spend a fortune. but it just seems to me that in cycling you have to spend a fortune to get set up, and then maybe to keep going??
(like i say ive only been biking for a short time so i have no experience of the costs in the long term, i can only estimate).
im just wondering if i should stop before i spend and lose too much...no matter how much i love riding.
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Judging from your other posts, you're thinking way too much about non-issues such as colour-coding helmets with club kit. If you have that mindset, things will get VERY expensive.
However, if you apply some common sense and bargain-hunting skills it doesn't have to be prohibitively pricey. Kit, spares etc. can normally be found online at good prices. Lots of people use Lidl clothing and give positive reports, whereas others MUST have Assos/Rapha etc and are prepared to pay for it. "You pays your money...", as they say.
Also learn to do your own servicing and repairs. Yes, the initial outlay on tools can be expensive but you'll save a fortune in the long-term.0 -
Invest in your own abilities and people will think more of you than having the bling bike.
Personally I save £12 in petrol everyday that I cycle to work, unfortunately I've already spent this years savings...XC: Giant Anthem X
Fun: Yeti SB66
Road: Litespeed C1, Cannondale Supersix Evo, Cervelo R5
Trainer: Bianchi via Nirone
Hack: GT hardtail with Schwalbe City Jets0 -
all of the above
I have limited budget but use Aldi / Lidl tops and they serve their purpose. I spend a bit more on shorts, (dhb) as the padding is better.
As for extra bits for the bike, I have used the cheapest bottles and cages I could find, same for the peddles .
IMHO it is not worth spending £££££'s on a carbonmonofilaminttitaniumproflex waffle sprocket, to save weight, when all of the excess wieght is down to me.
same for the bike itself, at my level of fitness / riding andd commitment (not in a club and competative riding holds no interest to me) I cannot go any faster on a £2k bike than I can on my £600.
AS for the most expensive, my Mrs has a horse , kkkkkeeeeeerrrrching0 -
Expensive is relative I would like to add, you mentioned that you need a new set of wheels, you can pick up a new set for about 85 pounds, or 500 pounds or 2000 pounds, a lot of my m8’s use e-bay to get 2nd hand kit and I would recommend this to start off with.
I sold my car and use my bike / bikes for every thing so spending what I do not bikes is still cheaper than running a car!
But yes it is expensive if you want it to be, try wargamming (miniature figures) now that’s expensive.
AND YES IT IS WORTH IT
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Don't believe the hype about kit.
A road bike is a road bike, and at the beginner level as long as it's no more than 6/7 years old it won't make remotely any difference.
Just get what you can, and make sure the emphasis is on what it lets you do.
E.g. Arm warmers and windbreak vest allow for riding in much colder conditions with existing kit (which, ultimatley, means you'll be faster since you'll be fitter because you're riding more!)0 -
Get a puncture repair kit for a start, save about 4 quid per pun#ture.Smarter than the average bear.0
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evsy wrote:so only just started cycling but have already spent an absolute fortune and realised just how expensive cycling is. im now starting to wonder if its worth getting in to this sport or not.
All hobbies cost money but it's up to the individual just how much they wish and/or can afford to spend.
Many people enjoy cycling on a low budget, for example my winter bike still has a pair of second hand wheels that I paid a mere £50 for about 10 years ago.0 -
I think it will be expensive if you start cycling and then want to race straight off.
I started as a schoolkid so built my kit up for a few years before i raced. It took that long for my fitness anyway.
Club TTs are a cheap way to race though. You dont need all the tribars and disc wheels until you get good.
(and try triathlon - thats all the cycling kit, plus running, plus wetsuits)
Plenty of other more expensive sports out there too - sailing, motor racing etc etc.0 -
Skydiving! It's £23 for a jump from 12000 feet, yes; per jump!
A skydiving rig, thats main canopy, reserve canopy, container etc etc costs £1200 if your lucky. Most are much more expensive.
It also costs around £1500 just to get a begginers liscence and thats if you don't mess up a jump: If you have to retake a jump, it's ~ £200.
Rock climbing/mounatineering on the other hand is a relatively cheap hobby, I've got pretty much everything I need for a mountaineering trip and it cost me ~ £1000 If I did winter mountaineering I would be looking at £500 for boots and £200 for a jacket, but Thats still a lot less that cycling and not even scraping the surface of skydiving. Also, mountaineering's free once your there in the mountains you don't have to pay diddly, which is the same as cycling. You do have to drive to get to place to go climbing though, and I'm not old enough to drive yet, Don't know if I could get all my climbing equipment on a touring bike though...0 -
I think running is harder personally having run three marathons as far ago as 1984. At least with cycling you're sat on a saddle most of the time and can free wheel at times.NapoleonD wrote:Cycling demands pretty much the highest level of fitness at beginner level out of any sport....0 -
jame58rown wrote:You do have to drive to get to place to go climbing though, and I'm not old enough to drive yet,
There's the rub. At least with cycling, once you have a bike and some cycling specific clothing you can enjoy your hobby straight from your front door without any additional cost.
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Lillywhite wrote:jame58rown wrote:You do have to drive to get to place to go climbing though, and I'm not old enough to drive yet,
There's the rub. At least with cycling, once you have a bike and some cycling specific clothing you can enjoy your hobby straight from your front door without any additional cost.
True, the kits a bit cheaper though, your looking at clothing, bivi kit, climbing equipment + ropes helmet and harness, food and a rucksack to shove it all in
I don't think I could list all the stuff I've bought for cycling...0 -
jame58rown wrote:Lillywhite wrote:jame58rown wrote:You do have to drive to get to place to go climbing though, and I'm not old enough to drive yet,
There's the rub. At least with cycling, once you have a bike and some cycling specific clothing you can enjoy your hobby straight from your front door without any additional cost.
True, the kits a bit cheaper though, your looking at clothing, bivi kit, climbing equipment + ropes helmet and harness, food and a rucksack to shove it all in
I don't think I could list all the stuff I've bought for cycling...
I don't think I would LIKE to list ALL the stuff I have bought for cycling :oops:0 -
Lillywhite wrote:
I think running is harder personally having run three marathons as far ago as 1984. At least with cycling you're sat on a saddle most of the time and can free wheel at times.NapoleonD wrote:Cycling demands pretty much the highest level of fitness at beginner level out of any sport....
If you have tried racing forget this post. If not, then try going mostly full out on the bike for 2 - 3 hours, at the end of your rope whilst doing countless corrections, judgements and decisions, freewheel my ar5e. 0 -
You don't want to start running, that will kill you.Lillywhite wrote:
I think running is harder personally having run three marathons as far ago as 1984. At least with cycling you're sat on a saddle most of the time and can free wheel at times.NapoleonD wrote:Cycling demands pretty much the highest level of fitness at beginner level out of any sport....0 -
One word - GOLF
Basic Equipment Similar Cost
Fashion - Off the Scale Costs
Club Membership - Costs x 100
Snobbery and Keeping up with the latest fashion - Costs x 1000 !!0 -
dmclite wrote:Lillywhite wrote:
I think running is harder personally having run three marathons as far ago as 1984. At least with cycling you're sat on a saddle most of the time and can free wheel at times.NapoleonD wrote:Cycling demands pretty much the highest level of fitness at beginner level out of any sport....
If you have tried racing forget this post. If not, then try going mostly full out on the bike for 2 - 3 hours, at the end of your rope whilst doing countless corrections, judgements and decisions, freewheel my ar5e.
I wasn't refering to racing just the pros and cons of running versa cycling at a recreational level. in light of the fact we are on the Road Beginners Forum.
At elite/top amateur racing level both running and cycling are equally hard and require many hours of training. As for going full out on a bike for 2-3 hours this never happens.0 -
appreciate all the comments.
its a shame to be considering quitting so soon after starting just cos of the expense of it, but seriously contemplating it.
guess i was just naive in thinking that after the initial expense it would then be pretty cheap...i hadnt considered maintenance and cost of parts etc. :oops:0 -
evsy wrote:
guess i was just naive in thinking that after the initial expense it would then be pretty cheap...i hadnt considered maintenance and cost of parts etc. :oops:
If your bike is well maintained by you, and cleaned on a regular basis, then you should not be spending a fortune on parts unless, of course, you have been sucked into the mantra of replacing perfectly adequate parts with the latest carbon et al gizmos. 0 -
giant mancp wrote:You don't want to start running, that will kill you.
I wouldn't say that but it's a well known fact that many runners suffer hip, knee, ankle and hamstring problems often caused by excessive running on hard surfaces or while continuing to train/compete whilst being injured.0 -
evsy wrote:appreciate all the comments.
its a shame to be considering quitting so soon after starting just cos of the expense of it, but seriously contemplating it.
guess i was just naive in thinking that after the initial expense it would then be pretty cheap...i hadnt considered maintenance and cost of parts etc. :oops:
Really?, what the hell are you doing with your bike?
I did a year of sportives, audaxes, a few crits, some TT's and a shed load of commuting, and apart from a pair of tyres, there was very little in the way of NEED parts and maintenance, the amount of WANT parts, well, thats a different matter entirely.
Sounds to me you are looking for an excuse to stop cycling......0 -
danowat wrote:evsy wrote:appreciate all the comments.
its a shame to be considering quitting so soon after starting just cos of the expense of it, but seriously contemplating it.
guess i was just naive in thinking that after the initial expense it would then be pretty cheap...i hadnt considered maintenance and cost of parts etc. :oops:
Really?, what the hell are you doing with your bike?
I did a year of sportives, audaxes, a few crits, some TT's and a shed load of commuting, and apart from a pair of tyres, there was very little in the way of NEED parts and maintenance, the amount of WANT parts, well, thats a different matter entirely.
Sounds to me you are looking for an excuse to stop cycling......
well ive been told that its riding in the winter which has screwed the wheels and chain etc. thing is ive only been riding 6 weeks, so im thinking that if that is what winter riding does then its way too expensive.
and it seems like a lot of money to be riding just in summer.
looking for an excuse not to ride...no, i think its more like im searching for a reason to keep going.0 -
6 weeks riding in winter has screwed your wheels and chain?, sorry, but thats bollox, who told you that?, I've ridden all through the winter, and my wheels and chain aren't screwed, well, my chain needs changing, but thats only because its done over 3000 miles......0
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lbs. they said the hubs have gone.0
