Poor Cyclist

[Starfish]

Also, really use the For Sale forum right here on TE. Proactively ask for the things you want/need, and let folks know your price range.

Not long ago, I posted there asking if anyone had a certain saddle used that they wanted to sell. A TE member contacted me and said I could have it free for the price of shipping. It would have been a $100 saddle new. It is in great shape, and I love it.

Recently, I had two other saddles I wanted to let go. Because of the generosity of that first TE member, I decided to let them go, also just for the price of shipping, in order to "pay it forward" so to speak.

Ask for what you want and need, and who knows what might come to you!

[surgtech1956]

Ebay, Ebay, Ebay. I just bought a pair of Bike Nashbar Thermal Tights for $18.00(includes shipping) - they are like brand new. Also, REI and Campmor.

[onimity]

yes, cycling is definitely expensive. You have some great advice for finding things on a budget. I just want to reiterate that it's not the bike or the gear that makes you a cyclist. Get the things that will make you safe (and don't be shy about telling other cyclists you know what you are looking for...many of us have purchased things and then upgraded later and still have the old ___ sitting around).

And remember that riding a bike that is not the newest/fastest/greatest is a good way to get in great shape. I commute a little over 20 (hilly) miles RT on a heavy mountain bike. I was painfully slow at first but now pass bikes of all sorts (including some really expensive ones!) even loaded down with groceries/books/etc. I just got a road bike and feel like the hills just melt under me.

Good luck and most importantly have fun!
Anne

[kjay]

Fikustree, I have a pair of never-worn biking shorts and several (about three) cycling tops that I will never wear, and the tops (short sleeve mostly) are either new or worn once. You are welcome to have them for nothing. Just contact me via email or private message, and I'll send them to you. I would rather send them to a biker than to take them to Goodwill or someplace like that.

Oh, by the way, they're all sized large or extra-large. I hope that doesn't throw a wrench into this.

kjay

I am kind of struggling with the cycling world. I am poor. I wanted to start riding for exercise and to commute to work. I didn't realize how much fun it was going to be! Now I want to learn all sorts of things about cycling but everything seems very geared towards buying things, taking your bike to get tuned, having computers etc.

Are there any other poor cyclists out there who got a bike from a garage sale and are trying to figure out where to buy cheap cycling shorts? I almost got sick when I went into a bike shop and saw how much they cost. I was thinking maybe I could afford 20$

Any tips would be so appreciated. I feel alone.

[latelatebloomer]

Here's Long-lost LLB (we finally got DSL in our slice of the boondocks, so it doesn't take forever & a day to read TE now) I, too, am a second-hand Rose in the cycling world. My very darling Giant OCR3 was $200, found the first week I put out word that I was hoping to find a road bike to fit both me and my artist's budget. Trekhawk here at TE sent a better saddle and shorts she had "thinned" out of. Spin instructors have handed me water bottles and socks. The LBS owner who sold me my shoes laughed at my expression when I found out that the cleats weren't included with the shoes. He'd already thrown a used pair in the box. I do watch the Terry & TE sites for good sales - being a large rider, I feel I need the best shorts I can find, and I take comfort in the fact that they hold up well. But beware cheaply made stuff. My Terry full-finger gloves fit like they were custom made and will take a beating. I settled for a pair of fingerless Performance gloves to save money - 1 month later, the seams are already falling apart.

I bet you're gettting pm's with offers of goodies. The world of cycling is full of people with good hearts (and great butts. )

[fixedgeargirl]

Fikustree, I'm also in ATX .

My best thrift store tip - look in the men's clothing section. That's where I found my pair of Shebeest shorts. You'd think the brand name would be a tip off .

I think a lot of thrift store sorters assume that all "active wear" belongs in the men's section. I've found tights and an excellent pair of Pearl Izumi shorts w/ the coveted corduroy-type chamois in the men's section. I don't have much luck finding tops there, as I am pretty petite above the waist, except for the girls , which leaves me out of shopping tops in the kids section too .