What do you say when non-cyclists ask you ....

[withm]

When confronted with a "how much" kind of question, my ex-MIL would always give a ridiculous answer - either high or low, depending on her mood and her feelings at the time toward the inquirer. And then the "glare."

When I bought my (all carbon - $$$$) bike, my sister was looking at the instruction book that came with it, and said, "Oh your receipt is in here too." I just said "Don't look." We both have a reputation for being very frugal so I'm sure she was appalled at my extravagance and that the subject was discussed at her house after I left but she never said a word to me. Fast forward a couple years, and she does sometimes make remarks like "Well my bike didn't cost near as much as yours..."

Well I'm not married, have no children to put through college, and have already bought all the graduate school I will ever need. If I smoked cigarettes, I would have spent half that amount in just a year's time so that's my justification. Besides, I still go into the bike shop 2 yrs later and tell them again how much I love my bike. It gives me more pleasure than smoking ever did.

[short cut sally]

When people at work ask what my new bike costs..I tell them on sale and at an entry level bike, it was just over $1000.00..I get the deer in the headlight stare, the swallow, and the laugh then the "wal-mart has them for $150.00 you know" statement. I tell them, wal-mart bikes arent' the same, and I get the reply back of , "they are the same thing" I am usually walking away at this time as there is no point in explaining the difference because they've already got their own oppinion and have now concluded I have more $$$ than brains..Which I tend to differ, besides most of them smoke heavily and i don't. I've come to appreciate my biking friends even more.

[spazzdog]

I tell them "it's worth more than that 12 yr old, rust-eaten old JEEP I drive".

spazz

[Batbike]

I like Lisa's answer ... going to remember that!

Shoot, I think cycling is expensive! I have yet to "stop buying" for my sport! If it is not components, than it is clothes or equipment. In fact, I am now working on creating a bike -- taking an old frame/fork and transforming it to a rideable bike. I am trying VERY hard to not spend much money, looking for gently used bargains, and it is still going to cost me somewhere around $400 to create a bike!

Then, once I do that, I will just HAVE to upgrade my "good bike" ... that is easily another $400+ ... even more if I add everything ... but what is the fun in that? I mean, if I upgraded all at once, what would I do next year?

Really, if all those non-cycling people knew how much time, energy, and money I spend on cycling they would cringe -- I can't imagine telling them! Geez, my husband doesn't get it and he rides a little and lives with me! Bike lust is a terrible and expensive thing ... but OH so much FUN!

[lph]

I usually get the opposite reaction, actually - people see I bike a lot, and think my bike looks nifty, so they expect it to have cost loads. I bought my beloved old Trek almost ten years ago, for 3.000 kr, which is about 500 $.

What I don't mention is that I got it on sale for half price, and that I've paid the same amount 3 or 4 times over again in parts...

[lacyliz]

What I say depends on who asks - if friends ask, I just tell them. When they dissociate - I say 'yep. that's what i thought at first, too. I couldn't imagine paying over $1000 for a bike - now I can't imagine my life without the bike." If co-workers or one of my staff asks I say, "A lot more than I ever thought I would." I like Lisa's answer, though. I'm going to try that in the future.

[Crankin]

Usually I just laugh and say " a lot" or "too much," to non cycling people. My friends (non cycling) wouldn't ask, but since they know it's so important to me, I don't think they would care. They spend money on other stuff that I wouldn't do. People at work would probably faint if they knew how much my road bike cost. They don't understand why I have 3 bikes. My cycling friends probably know the cost, but don't ask. Here in New England, people are frugal and generally don't ask you how much stuff costs.

[li10up]

I feel lucky that DH didn't bat an eye when I told him that I was going to buy a Ruby Pro and that it cost $$$$. He just said, "It's your money; you earned it." But the way I look at it is this...I'm not into clothes, shoes, handbags, and jewelry. I like getting massages but usually don't spend the money 'cause I feel like it's a waste just to pamper myself. I'm not a club/party person but we do enjoy eating out. I/we don't spend a whole lot on entertainment. If I figured up what I would have spent on cigarettes (I quite in 1996) at today's prices it would be well over $2000 a year. So, I figure we all have vices - mine are just a little different than most of the women I know. And probably a bit more healthy.

[five one]

I've never had this situation come up, but if it did, I would use the standard Ann Landers answer, "Why do you ask?" to be followed by "More than some, less than most" if pursued. To me, it's no one's business - and I don't even ride an expensive bike (except by Wal-Mart standards). I agree with jobob and Trekhawk. It's rude to ask such a question.

[TsPoet]

More often than not, it's cyclists who ask me what my bikes cost. It's usually a DF rider wanting to know what a recumbent costs.
Recumbents cost the same as higher end DF bikes, you pretty much can't find a "lower end" recumbent, they are made in smaller quantities, so they just make the ones with the higher end components. That's pretty much what I say, without giving a real #.
When people press, I tell them what the MSRP is for whatever bike I'm riding and leave it at that. I don't tell them that I've added/upgraded this or that.