Originally Posted by
KraneXL
Not exactly a direct comparison here since cycling is much more than just a hobby. Strictly as a hobby it has the potential to be among the most expensive. However, cycling is also a sport, and a method of achieve and maintaining good health. When you put that all together, its not as bad as it may seem. Nevertheless, if the exercise is all you're after than it doesn't take a lot of money to invest in a plain Jane ordinary bike
People also can ride the hell out of plain jane bikes both in terms of distance and speed.
One of the obvious advantages of bicycling as a hobby is that it has practical applications. Many of the people posting on this forum are pretty passionate about the commuting they've been doing, for example. I don't know anyone who considers the drive or bus ride to work as something they actually enjoy. I'm just agreeing with your statement about fitness, but adding that I think it probably has some "mental health" benefits as well.