"How much did your bike cost?"

[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.