Who can afford this

Okay, I don't mean to whine or complain, but my goodness! I was looking online today to try to find some biking shorts and good lord most are 50 dollars or more.
I still have some of my old ones I use to wear when we rode many years ago, but not sure they fit.
Thought I would buy some new ones to start my new start in getting healty but don't think that is happening. Not right now anyway. I am a SAHM and my husband works lots of overtime now to help make ends meet and have a little extra. Dont' think he is going to go for me spending that kind of money on exercise apperal ecspecially not just starting out.

How do you girls afford to buy these things. I mean the shirts and stuff, I can just wear my t-shirts, but the shorts with the padding are almost just essential. Ecspecially for a big girl like me. I don't want to get started trying to lose weight and then get chaffed or sore and then not want to go anymore.
Okay, enough complaining. I'll just have to deal with what I have.
If any of you know of somewhere you can get this stuff used or something that would be great. I live in a small town with only 1 little bike shop and they dont have a lot of extra's just bikes, helmets and things, not much clothing.
While I am asking. Do they make a helmet you can put your pony tail through so you don't have all that hair up against your neck.

Start-up costs are the worst, and after that... how much you spend depends primarily on your style and needs. Things are just rediculously expensive, though. My plan (which has served fairly well) mostly consists of only buying things that will work for a long period of time, and from there, pretty much making do. Shopping at pricepoint.com helps a lot, and also buying off-season... but besides that, some of the other ladies have some better pointers.

Donna:

Have you checked E-bay for shorts and tops? Might be worth a search.

Marcie (makbike)

One word: froogle. (OK, actually froogle.google.com. Put in your search term, search, and then the key: select "sort by price: low to high".

(Another key: make sure that the description specifies that the shorts are padded! I found a lot of shorts for under $20, but most didn't mention padding. No thanks!)

Other than that, some people may disagree with me, but I have yet to find a reason to stick with women's cycling shorts. If you find men's cycling shorts on sale, go for it!

www.performancebike.com

Has some shorts on sale. A pair that would have cost me $55 in store were only $40.

It can be expensive starting, but if you can get one good pair, you can keep washing them... one pair is enough.

I got some REI brand shorts at REI last year about this time for like $19 on sale -- not fancy by any means, but a good start! They also have some like, bike boxers -- for under other shorts that are like $25. That's a help too!

Karen in Boise

It's hard when you first start up. I'm a SAHM also and I feel some guilt about spending so much money to get started...I'm finally to the point where I don't think I have anything else to buy for the moment. No advice, just commiseration.

Also check out Sierra Trading Post--I've gotten some terrific bargains there!

When I started cycling and buying cycling clothes I got EVERYTHING from Nashbar. They clearance a lot of their house brand for very very cheap, and the rest of their stuff is pretty reasonably priced.

Just opened to the first page of the women's clothes in the latest catalog and on this page are 2 pair of $19.99 padded shorts and a pair of $16.99 padded shorts. The most expensive shorts on this page are $34.99.

www.nashbar.com

To feed my cycling habit I do odd jobs or sell unneeded items and dedicate the money to whatever I need.

I teach full time to pay the bills but being a single parent w/ 2 college age kids there isn't a lot of discresionary income

My Spare income raisers:
-I teach 8 week session night classes for 3 hours per week a few times a year
-I do supervised visitation monitoring randomly for 2 hours at a shot (usually 1 or 2 per month)
-Take inventory for a variety of retail outlets (I just let the inventory company know when I am available and see if there is any thing open) hours on this one varies alot

I then spend this money as I please.

I can understand it is harder with kids at home because then babysitting fees come into play. However, I can think of different things I would do as a stay home mom to raise a little change for things.

A couple of ideas:

-tutor for regular students or english as a second language
-shopper for the elderly (do this when you do your own)
-Emergency babysitter (when the sitter backs out at the last minute) I guess laws do vary on this from state to state - here you don't have to be licensed
-Data input for online programs (college)

Just some suggestions, hope you can get the gear you need (and not feel guilty about it):) AND Christmas will be here! and birthday and mothers day, get your list out there :D

i always check the sale racks. I got, for example, a pearl izumi rain jacket at my pricey LBS for $20 marked down from 100. (maybe b/c it's the summer and it's not that rainy right now in California)

i don't usually like to get stuff like this online, b/c i like to try stuff on. I did, however, just get some nice Boure pants off of their own discount site. Stuff changes, so it's good to check (they have a total return policy, too): http://boure.com/wadesworld/stuff.html

The only pair of shorts we have bought at full price have been the local club shorts we needed for a competition.

ALL other shorts we have not bought from local shops, but rather from the internet when the sales are on.
Of course, being in Middle Earth we have an advantage.
Three of the major internet-shops we use are based in America or England... so when their summer sales are on... its summer here, right when we need new shorts and short sleeved jerseys... and in winter sales we buy just as we begin our winter.

With four (almost five) racing people in this house, its a matter of necessity as much as anything - if we bought the clothes at full price we would never be able to afford the bikes!

Mak suggested E-bay... worth a look, we use "TadeMe" which is the NZ premium auction site, and we have picked up excellent equipment and clothing at bargain prices.
For example... from TradeMe... I have two pairs of shoes, they cost NZ$12 and NZ$8...
We bought a bundle of shorts and jerseys of assorted sizes and either never worn or barely worn for about NZ$50...

Be a bargain hunter... it means you have more money for upgrading your purty bike and components...

DDH, I think you'd have to lose a LOT of weight for the shorts to get to the chafing point. Mine fit me (seemingly the same as always) after I lost 35 pounds.

I only have one pair of the $$$ ones- I sure can't afford more. Watch for sales, watch eBay, watch Sierra Trading Post, watch the TE sale page and the Terry clearance pages, shop using Froogle. You can catch the item you want for 50% off sometimes.

Nanci

DDH

Don't think you HAVE to have all the goodies when just starting out. For about a year we only had one pair of mtb shorts, shirt, helmet & shoes.

We still have one pair of shoes & one helmet each.

The main thing is enjoying biking before spending gazillions of dollars on items you won't use. Purchase items you need & at a reasonable price-every couple of months.

C

Well, luckily my shorts still fit me. I have gained but I guess not enough to keep me from being able to get into the bad boy. Thank God for strechy material. LOL The padding is not that great in them anymore. They were getting old before I quit riding before. They will do for now though.
I still have all my old gear for the bike. I have the lights, helmet, gloves and I even have a bag that fits on the back for those days I might want to take longer rides. Of course that is down the road a ways.
I will watch for the sales like you girls suggested. I have looked at a lot of these sites and most of them that I have seen do not have the shorts in a size I need. I use to wear an XL, but according to the size charts I now need an XXL and most of them don't even have that size. ARRRGGGG
Do they think fat people don't ride or what? LOL
Oh, well, I will watch for the XL's to be on sale and by a pair or two and wear them when I lose weight. Hows that for enthusiasm? LOL