"How much did your bike cost?"

[Smilie]

Doesn't bother me when people ask me how much anything cost. If they want to 'judge' me or my things, that is their choice. Doesn't affect me, as I don't give a rat's behiney what they think.

I for one, am interested in how much new and used bikes cost and all that goes into them. I want to know what I should expect to pay for these things. I am not judging people, I am geniunely interested.

What people do with their money is their choice. I may not choose to spend my money as they do, but that is okay as that is my choice. No judgements here, and for those that like to judge, well have fun. Doesn't affect me!

[SadieKate]

Also, for someone like me who grew up on sci fi and would love to meet people from other worlds, I consider my neighbor's TV a major asset. I'm sure it will attract aliens since I am convinced you can see his TV from space.

At last I know! Attracted by their TV, aliens invaded my parents' bodies.

[TrekTheKaty]

The same thing you do when someone asks how much you weigh or how old you are--LIE! My sister is antique dealer--the side perk is she never has to pay retail for anything. They pick up everything they could possibly need while they are at estate sales--their bikes, soap, clothes (new designer labels, with tags still attached), lawn mowers, kitchen appliances. So when my husband and I took up cycling again last summer we went and upgraded our bikes (they were both about 8 years old). I got a mid-level Trek hybrid and dh got a nice Trek street bike. When we met my sister and her dh for a bike ride, she got excited and asked how much--I lied, $400 and it was buy one get one free (giggle, giggle). She believed me! She had no concept what a new bike cost!

[Trek420]

I lied, $400 and it was buy one get one free (giggle, giggle). She believed me! She had no concept what a new bike cost!

Hee hee, just wait till she goes to the LBS and asks where their BOGO sale bikes are.

And a hearty welcome to TE

[Trek420]

What do you say when a coworker (let's say your boss) is looking for a bike for their DW. Shocked at the prices at a LBS of $500 or so and knowing that you have more than one bike asks "would you sell your extra bike?"

"uh, no"

But then I did go ahead and give him a lot of helpful info how to pick a bike.

[NbyNW]

everybody has a learning curve.

[malkin]

Extra bikes?

Pshaw!

[Trek420]

He'll learn

[zoom-zoom]

If a certain someone (a non-cyclist who just wants to know how much money we spend) asks how much my Sidi's cost, I'm ready to say "Much less than just 1 payment on your new luxury SUV."

Funny thing with the Sidis...our LBS owner is also a friend. DH has no qualms about dropping $$ at his store (any other store, heh...boy does his Dutch blood show *snort*). So when we ordered my bike I was fit for shoes. LBS owner highly recommended Sidis. I looked at the price tag and about fainted. Mike (shop owner) very wisely said "you don't think twice about dropping $100 every few months for running shoes, right? These cycling shoes will last you for years."

Cycling seems like such a $$ sport up-front, even with a basic bike (shoes, pedals, shorts, helmet, gloves, jerseys, tools, tubes, etc.). But long-term I would estimate that it's not much more expensive than running, and I point this out to people. It's definitely cheaper than gym membership.

Several of my runner friends who had initially been startled by the price of my bike (relatively lower-end Cannondale) have ended up buying bikes of their own after seeing how much fun I am having, plus they see the value in cross-training.

I've used the "cheaper than gym membership" comment to others who have asked (I've done this with running, too, when non-runners have scoffed at the thought of paying more than $40 on athletic shoes and more than once every couple of years). I think putting cycling into perspective without using #s can give people a way of considering the purpose of cycling without getting hung-up on $s.

[Bike Chick]

Some of DH's coworkers asked one day how much his bike(s) cost and nearly had a heart attack when he told them the very honest truth. He then pointed out how much cheaper a bicycle is than their bass boats, graphite rods, pickup trucks or harleys and how much healthier it is for you. (You can easily get $30 to $40 grand tied up in a bass boat) They saw his point. Most hobbys are expensive---golf, boating, bass fishing, motorcycle riding, sewing---you just have to decide what you want to do.

[Lesley_x]

Nobody has asked. My measly $570 hybrid bike doesn't exactly catch attention

I am shocked at how much some of you guys have spent. I would love to spend that much but my other half would freak. I've been drooling over an Eddy Merckx that would come in at $1500 then thinking... nahhhh he'd kill me He has told me he wants me to buy one at around half that. Who thinks he's being unreasonable

[Cataboo]

What do you say when a coworker (let's say your boss) is looking for a bike for their DW. Shocked at the prices at a LBS of $500 or so and knowing that you have more than one bike asks "would you sell your extra bike?"

"uh, no"

But then I did go ahead and give him a lot of helpful info how to pick a bike.

Heh. Our "extra bike" is off with one of the bf's co-workers for that reason - he wanted to do a bike race or triathalon or something for cancer 'cause his best friend was dying of it or something. So what initially started as us trying to help him find a good used bike (with him continuously getting sticker shock and cold feet and not buying) has somehow evolved into an indefinite loan of the spare bike - which while a good bike, is aluminum, slightly too big for me, slightly too small for the bf - but a good light, solid components road bike that has stayed around 'cause we got a great price for it and it does in a pinch if either of us needs to ride and has an issue with our other bike...

So he borrowed this bike to train while looking for a bike to buy. that was about 5 months ago, so I think I need to nag the bf to nag the coworker to give the bike back, 'cause that's a bit much.


Mostly I've bought my bikes used at great prices which still probably seem a bit much to spend on a bike to normal people, but I usually say "this is what this bike is worth, this is how much I spent on it" if it's someone that I think actually warrants an answer on how much my bike costs.

[Trek420]

Nobody has asked. My measly $570 hybrid bike doesn't exactly catch attention

They've asked me! My commuter cost in the range of $375-420. For my 50th b'day my Mom and sister (thanks, Duck on Wheels) gave me new wheels. Actually a gc to my LBS with which I got new wheels. The wheels are so nice she deserved a new paint job. The bike, not my sister.

I've been chased down by riders and stopped to ask "Hey! Where can I get a cool bike with no decals?"

They might be wondering if I stole it and painted over the decals. But wouldn't I have done the traditional uglification wrapping the frame with electrical tape?

I said "ride your bike till it needs new paint and go to my LBS, get it powdercoated".

Recently Knott installed a rear rack with folding Wald basket for the anniversary of the day she proposed. Now the bike works so well for errands or a quick run to the store and looks great.

I love this old, heavy, cheap bike as much, maybe more than the molto expensive road bike. This may have been what my boss thought of as my "extra bike".

No way would I sell it.

In fact I think she deserves new bar grips. The ones she has are over 10 years old. They're still comfy but I saw yellow grips with blue stars at the shop that would just complete the look.

[OakLeaf]

Cycling seems like such a $$ sport up-front, even with a basic bike (shoes, pedals, shorts, helmet, gloves, jerseys, tools, tubes, etc.). But long-term I would estimate that it's not much more expensive than running, and I point this out to people. It's definitely cheaper than gym membership.

If you replace stuff on a basic schedule... and let's say an average person rides 2-1/2 times as fast as they run, so we're comparing hours of activity and not miles...

Say one $100 pair of running shoes every 600 miles, and, oh, I don't know, the only running shorts that have ever worn out on me are ones where the elastic has got brittle after YEARS of washing.

Versus (and these are mid-level specs, I know a lot of people spend a whole lot more on their short-term wear items) one $50 chain every 2500 miles, one $80 cassette every 3000 miles, one $60 rear tire every 2500 miles, one $60 front tire every 4000 miles, one $40 cable and housing set every 4000 miles.


So, say 1500 miles on the bici takes you as many hours as 600 miles running, it's still $143.50 for wear items on the bike vs. whatever a pair of shoes costs you. About the same, or a little steeper, excluding the up-front investment, and assuming you do the basic labor yourself.


There are a number of us here who run and ride bicis and ride motorcycles and belong to gyms and, and, and. It's all how much disposable income you have and how you want to spend it. I think that people's reaction has more to do with the general contempt for cycling than with anything else.

[Bike Chick]

It's no one's business really. I figure I'm going around once in this lifetime and I will spend what I want and what I can afford. I ride my bike almost as often as I drive my car in a week. The bike costs a lot less than my car and I enjoy it a whole lot more. If the bike was sitting in the garage gathering dust and never ridden, that would be different but it's not. It's an emotional attachment with the bike--I really don't know how to describe it.

Catriona, I think 5 months is a bit much too............and who says we aren't the "normal" people and everyone else has a wharped sense of a bicycle's worth????