LGHT

I’m fairly new to road biking and found I enjoy ridding after finding a deal on a used 09 Fuji bike for $160 my brother made me get. I rode it few weeks and decided to upgrade to a used carbon bike with good components. As a result I put $1000 aside for a bike and gear then I upgraded to a much lighter bike that I can ride for years to come and picked up some gear. After a few trips to the LBS I quickly realized how expensive this hobby can get and if I’m going to stay within my budget I need to look at used gear or find deals on sale items etc.

Here is how my $1000 budget was spent.

Used Specialized Roubaix comp without wheels $530
Almost new Fulcrum Racing 7’s with SRAM sprocket $120
Bike Pump $40
3 jersey’s and 3 shorts (1 set was a gift) $50 all new on ebay.
Helmet $40
Glasses $20 on sale at performance bikes
Tires and tubes $65 on sale at performance bikes
Garmin 605 used a few times on ebay $90 (I already have maps and seller didn't want to spend more)
Tune up at the LBS $20
Gloves – I’m currently using my fishing gloves because I ran out of budget!

Just trying to see what everyone else spends on gear etc etc so I can determine overall costs and maybe start putting some money aside for things like new tires, sprocket and heck maybe even a new to me bike!!

Not looking for specifics, but just a roundabout costs on what you spent on your current setup.

Machka 

Ummmm ... I'm well into 5-digits on my "current setup". But that includes many bicycles, and lots of cycling gear over 24 years of cycling.

rpenmanparker 

Your expenditures so far are very conservative. Cycling should be more expensive than running and swimming, but cheaper than golf. Short of a new bike or wheels you shouldn't have to spend more than a few hundred dollars a year if you are trying to economize. You can't compare to other folks without knowing what controls they place on themselves.

StanSeven

Cheaper than golf? Are you counting green fees, cart rentals, and food and drinks afterward? If it's just equipment, high end bikes cost more than clubs.

jgrosser

Dude - ditch the fishing gloves. I'd rather ride without gloves.

Bottom line - cycling, if you do it a lot, is expensive compared to other sports like running. There are many consumable parts, such as tires, tubes, chain, cassette, chain rings, chain lube, brake pads, bar tape, cables, cleats, etc. Plus if you ride a lot, you'll need nutrition on your rides (bars, gels, powders, real food), and many people also use hydration products (e.g., electrolytes, carb powders, protein powders, etc.).

FWIW, my current setup, including multiple bikes, wheelsets, tires, workstand, lots of tools (I do most of my own wrenching), bike rack, tons of clothes for all kinds of weather, etc., etc., etc. cost ... suffice it to say its a lot, much more than you might think.

Plus, you left out a multi-tool. I wouldn't ride very far without one.

Good luck!

kbarch

Way too much. But that's because I get so sick of shopping for "good deals."
$1k seems like plenty to get started with the approach you're taking. The thing to consider now is where you plan to go with this hobby and what sort of budget you'll allow yourself for maintenance, kit and events.

Leastbest

I just got back into it a couple years back and bought a new Specialized Secteur, helmet, shoes and clipless peddles, couple bibs and a couple jerseys around a grand.

rpenmanparker 

Of course. All expenses considered. Well maybe not the food and poker in the clubhouse after the round. You don't pay anyone to get out and ride on the street. Golf is another story, every round has a buy in cost not even considering country club dues. And especially if you were to play as many rounds a year as you take separate bike rides.

qclabrat

$1K is pretty much entry level for a used bike starting from scratch. looks like you found some good deals. you'll need some tools to keep the bike fresh and save for next year for more upgrades, because there's probably something better out there...

BoSoxYacht

Back in 1980 I spent $500(+ my folks matched it) for a Bianchi with a mix of Campagnolo components.

bubbagrannygear

No matter how much stuff I buy there are always things that I still "need". The things themselves vary depending on what I have recently bought, but through the years whenever I add up how much the stuff I want will cost, it seems to always be $300 - its uncanny but $300 is my number.

(except when a new bike is involved)

Johnny Mullet

$15.00 at a yard sale...............

mox

I'd suggest investing in some tools and saving the money you'd spend paying someone else to do your tuneups etc. Bikes are very easy (and actually quite fun) to work on.

koolerb

$100 Nishiki chromoly 16 speed off Craigslist. Then after I got hooked $800 on a 6 month old used Defy 1. My defy was probably purchased from the bike bike shop within a few weeks of my buying the Nishiki.

PeregrineA1 

What are fishing gloves? Fishing is my other OCD hobby and I've spent well into the six figures on it, but never seen or heard of fushing gloves.

Back on topic, spend what you can afford. I've set people up for under a grand. Got a buddy of mine started on cycling three years ago and he is in over 30k right now.

I sold my Honda XR350 to get my first MTB and gear, so that was a net zero. I had gotten full value out of the motorcycle. First road bike was ~$1500.00. And the rest is history....I do not add it up.

Oldbmxguy

I don't really want to add it up.lol. It is cheaper than my other hobby. Hipo boating..
I started off with a diamondback hybrid, and a nice stand. A new saddle. I did that for a couple of years.
I figured I would rather have a real bike and a stand, than a exercise bike. I was about 475.00. Then Decided I to ride on the road. Helmut, shorts that was good for a while. Next was clip pedals, and shoes, water bottle, lights. Prolly a 1000 total. I spent that much last week buying a 2013 left over carbon orbea onix, + New lights, water bottle, saddle cover. Need a new helmut now, I changed colors. Lol. Over all it isn't that $$ for a hobby. JMO

Carbonfiberboy 

Probably about $3,000. $1800 for the bike, but then there's all the rest of it.

krobinson103

My current ride? $850 second hand, new cassette and chain (wore them out), touring rack and bag, Garmin, lights. About $1300 I suppose. A long ride costs about $10 in food and I ride every week. Cassette and chains wear out every 2-4 months depending on how far I go.

joeyduck

I spent probably $2000 $1750 for the bike built my way then $250 for extras) for my fully set up commuter, five years later about $600 (normal consumables plus one set of new wheels and hubs, a few chains and a few cassettes).

My used road bike $463. $450 for the bike and about $13 bucks in new bottle cages and a few tubes. I have only had it for a few months after shopping for 8+ months for a great deal and I have not needed to do any work on it.

Edit: All prices in Canadian dollars. Why is it so much more here for everything?!

Machka 

I'll elaborate that this all happened very gradually.

I grew up in a cycling family and had been riding a bicycle for years before getting "serious" about it in 1990. So I had a bicycle, water bottles, and a few other things.

And the rest just sort of happened. I found cycling shorts on a sale for about $10 rack at my local grocery store (go figure!?!). I picked up an inexpensive helmet at Canadian Tire. Someone gave me bodybuilding gloves ... I was bodybuilding at the time too. I got a small multi-tool for Christmas.

Before I knew it, I had a fleet of bicycles and enough cycling gear to start a small shop.


I never budgeted a certain amount of money to go toward cycling. If I needed ... or wanted ... something, I got it. $10 here ... $100 there ...

mustang1

Way more than I like to think about. But I console myself that it's been getting less over the years. I always buy new bikes but only during the closeout sales. Other stuff I'll buy either at LBS or online, sometimes the LBS service's my bikes, sometimes I do. Initially a lot of my expenditure was on expermental stuff like 'lets see what these wheels are like', or 'lets get some bike training and see how to build a bike'... stuff like that.

But I dont like buying things that I wont use, as long as they are being used, it's a-ok. My Supersix for example has become my fair weather commuter since I dont seem to be able to get out on weekends (well, that's gonna change). I also dont clean my bike after rain rides and therefore end up changing components more often than necessary.

I fancy buying another bike, but I want to keep my bike collection to only two bikes, so I'm struggling to stop myself from the purchase.

Lazyass

My uncle gave me his Peugeot PX10 and I bought some white framed Oakley Factory Pilot glasses with purple lens, some kind of shorts and wool jersey, a Pepsi logo casquette that I still have, some knit gloves and I wore Kaepa tennis shoes (with two sets of laces on each shoe for those who remember) until I bought Time pedals a year or so later. Don't remember how much I spent, maybe $200 the Oakleys weren't cheap, it was in 1986.

jeanHTX

well my first time around:
road bike $375
helmet $40
bike pump $35
water bottles $30
shorts/jerseys $150 (3-4 tanks, 3 jerseys, 2 shorts, some were hand me downs)
pedals $40
shoes $30
tire kit and saddle pouch $30
extra tubes $10
new saddle $90
bike rack $20

after having my bike stolen along with some other bike items, my most recent "start up" looks like this:
bike $850
helmet $40
pedals $90
bike pump $35
water bottles $20
bike rack $80
thank goodness i still have my clothes and shoes.

boyfriend got a used road bike off craigslist and after tune ups, gear, etc. his startup total is around $800.

Hammondc

$800 for a barely touched (but very dirty) Trek 5200.
$100 shoes
$300 on clothing
$150 Helmet (Kask Mojito)
$300 Full tune up and fitting
$100 maintenance tools
---------------------------------
$1750 ish>

LGHT

I use Pelagic gloves. I do a lot of tuna fishing (other hobby I spend far too much money on) and I speed jig a lot when the bite is tough. They are similar to cycling gloves, but the back on these have a mesh so they breath better.