Real costs of getting into cycling?

I'm speaking Mountain Bikes here....

Ride a $1500 full suspension bike and then ride a $4500 bike, there are big differences and they are quite obvious if you're a good rider. There will also be a big difference in the quality of the build kit. Deore vs XT or XTR, etc or whatever SRAMs entry level vs good stuff is.

Now go ride both hard (3000+ miles) on the trails for a year and see which one still shifts nicely, which one has a wheelset that's still round with no broken spokes, a freehub that still engages, a BB that even survives a year, pivot bearings/bushings that don't sound like a fifty year old dry door hinges...etc.

I'm not picky about the name on my bikes downtube (Kona, Trek, Siren, Pivot, Intense and Salsa are brands we currently own) because there are tons of good and plenty of great bikes out there, but I'm picky about my build kits.

We ride Magura (Marta SL or MT8) brakes because they are progressive, strong, offer great feel, quiet (loud brakes SUCK!) and uber reliable. Bonnie and I ride Shimano XT drivetrains (she's got XTR on one bike) because they work well, are a good value and by using one brand it allows me to carry a spare RD in my pack that will fit any bike in our respective quivers.

As far as image...heck, on a full 50% of our rides we don't even see another rider!:up:

 

One million dollars.

 

Window shop your brains out....

http://www.nextag.com/Bikes--zzroad+bicycles+pricesz2701056zB6z5---html

 

105 and Ultegra mix for the road and slx XT mix for MTB are the minimum. Or the SRAM equivelant. Of course the nicer stuff where it matters.

Exactly. To all the naysayers start doing some real riding then come back here in a year and see what you are saying.

 

I've put a little over 3,000 miles on my Giant OCR 2, it's got Shimano Tiagra components on it. Seems like I'm always having to work on the damn thing. Shifts like crap now that it's got some miles on it. It's definitely time for something different.

 

Yup its why we bought the Trek SuperFly AL Pro... ALL XT groupo and after riding a hardtail 26er for 20+yrs full suspension and components it is awesome...

Are road bikes both Trek as well she has Ultegra and mine came with Sram Force stuff ..the Sram is a bit twitchy in the rear der for shifting..but all inall great stuff... when your sitting on a bike for 5 hours or like last year during 6 gap 8hrs it pays to have the nicer bike for sure...

 

I am not arguing about how nice top end stuff feels (DuraAce and XT on my bikes) but he is asking about starting out. My belief is after a year or so of riding a person will have a better idea of what they need and probably be able to recover most of their cash when they resell. The top end stuff is quite often a waste of money for the new riders.

 

I am not suggesting that there is no need for anyone to have better bikes. I am saying that someone who is just starting out really doesn't need to drop a grand on something he may not like.

My first bike was a Wal Mart piece of garbage that wasn't worth the $60 I paid for it. The second Wal Mart bike was only slightly better. I nearly looped my first Schwinn the first time I used 1st gear because it was so much lighter. On the trails it was an unbelievable difference. So, I do have an inkling of how a more expensive bike is better. But for a first bike, spending that much is silly.

 

I wasn't addressing new riders/OP, that's been done. I responding to the person I quoted.

I'm with you on the new rider advice..buy something decent/good used that fits and upgrade/replace after you figure out your likes/dislikes.

Also maintaining stuff is really important. I replace chains about every 60 days/1000 miles and it's funny how my chainrings and cassettes last forever and my bikes shift like buttah!

 

Yep, something that fits is for sure the most important thing. If stuff hurts when you ride, you wont want to ride.

That said, I used to scoff at my husband's pedal bikes couldn't understand how he had $2,500 into a MTB and whatever into his road bike when my $300 MTB bike (that I only ever rode on the street around the city) was just fine.

Then I rode a $1,200 road bike. Oooooooh ok. I get it now.

I do think there's a law of diminishing returns as things get exponentially more expensive past $1,500. The value of that depends on how many miles you put on, IMHO $1,000-$1,500 can get you a really good bike. (alu frame with good component group.)

It's a good time of year to look for deals on last year's bikes in shops. Otherwise do your research and find something lightly used on Craigslist.

Back to the fit: (if we're talking road bikes) there's more to it to than the old "standover test" - some brands will have a longer top tube with longer reach to the bars, so your proportions are important. Long legs, short torso? Or long torso and short legs? If you find something close, you can always change the stem length. There's also the head tube. If it's a slack geometry meant for recreational riding, it'll put you more upright than something more racey with a big seat to bar drop.

My husband's crit racing bike is on the small side and almost fits me. I can get the seat to the right height, but Felts are known for long top tubes, and the reach and drop to the bars ends up making my neck and shoulders burn in the first few miles. On my own bike, a couple millimeters on the seat height or position is the difference between a comfortable ride, or pain in my knees.

If you buy a bike from a shop, if they're any good, they'll do a free basic fit for you. If you buy used, do some research online on figuring it out on your own. (which is a good idea anyway if you get a fitting, so you can do fine tuning and diagnose what might be wrong if something hurts.)

I still have the $300 MTB which is the cinder and gravel trail/winter bike with combo clipless/flat pedals. I also have a $200 Craigslist found steel frame single speed Bianchi CX bike for farting around town with toe clips, and a road bike that I've put maybe $2K into with clipless. Hands down I prefer the clipless for putting in a lot of miles on the road. All depends on what your goals and use of the bike are.

Oh, and I like the road bike because I can leave from my front door and do 10 miles or 100. Some traveling by car is involved if I want to find decent trails for a MTB. And sure, I could get a good workout riding my old heavy MTB around with a backpack full of bricks, but I also like being able to shift without it sounding like the drivetrain is going to explode, and being able to ride further than around my neighborhood over and over again.

 

I bought my first road bike back in November of 2010.

I did as much research, reading, asking questions on forums and bike shops as I could....I also scoured Craigslist and other sites online. My bike was ultimately purchased from a guy near San Jose, CA and I live in San Diego....I travel for work so that made a wider search possible for me....anyway, this is what I came away with:

Bike: 2008 Cervelo Soloist w/ Ultegra. Some nice additions like carbon bottle cages and Easton wheels (low end, but still decent)... $1300

Helmet: Giro Prolight. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive. Got it at Performance Bike...Can't remember exactly what I paid. On sale now for $150

Gloves: Giro something...Around $30

Shoes: Sidi...full carbon sole with heel retention system. I wasn't going to skimp on my shoes, I've always had Sidi's when I was racing moto's and I've never had them let me down. I found some screaming deal on them and I think I paid $3xx for them. They look like the Genius 6.6 that's out now, but I think they were called the genius 5 or whatever when I bought mine.

Bibs: I went with Castelli and think I paid around $100 something.

Jersey: Got one from Castelli and one from PB...total for both approx $150



Not a perfect recall on what I spent but gives an idea. I think I budgeted $500-700 for gear based on my research and more or less hit that mark. I also joined PB's rewards program as I had used their website and stores to get started with most all of my gear. I can't remember if I found my shoes through them or not. At any rate, you get back a certain $$ percentage for every dollar you spend. For a new rider it more than paid off. Based on my initial purchases of gear and Cytomax, Gu packs, etc, I've made out like a bandit there.

I've since joined a local bike club and have a good LBS that I get deals through now. But PB can still be a good resource for certain things. Along with the Interweb of course.


Anyway, so all told I roughly spent $2000 to get started in road cycling.


Of course, I've learned that I like certain brands now over others, and have discovered cool sites like Bonktown, Competitive Cyclist, and Nashbar for some great deals on stuff. Bottom line is, I will hunt for the best deal I can, but on stuff that I will actually use and that I like. Like others have said, if it's cheap or uncomfortable or you aren't happy in some way, you won't use it. So get the best you can afford and what you will be most happy with.

 

Damn! I almost forgot....at some point budget in a good, professional fitting session.

I waited. Almost 7-8 months actually. I read as much as I could on measurements and basically fit myself to my bike to start with. I tried to learn as much as I could about riding, and even had done a crit race.

I wish I had done the fitting sooner. It made such a world of difference. Part of my process included computer analysis of my pedaling and all sorts of measurements, angles, and even the proper fitting of my shoes (incl. adding shims to my cleats).

In one respect, I'm glad I waited because it gave me a chance to feel how to ride and get used to the bike and not be so overwhelmed with the process. In doing so I already had sort of a base line to work from. But on the other hand, it really was such a dramatic difference that I wish I had it done sooner. I'm just not sure I could have fully appreciated what the differences where if I had it done to start with. I'm strange like that I guess...lol...

I learned, at that time, due to my knees being broken and lame that I wasn't working both legs evenly and so, through watching my pedal stroke on the computer screen, I was able to see where I was weak compared to my strength. I wasn't pedaling in a very good circle. More of a weird oval.

I am now though. :up: It's much better, easier, and more efficient.

 

Just search craigslist for a decent frame (for cheap) and purchase all the other parts separately. I do this and build a really nice bike for about $1000-$1500. My latest frame is a full carbon frame and full suspension 26 inch mountain bike. My bling factor is out of control! Commuting on mountain bikes is fun because you can just fly over curbs, benches, or anything else thats in your way. Makes the ride much more tolerable, but make sure you can lock the suspension out if you are going far (other wise you will get very tired, very fast).

 

Buy used. Get a mid to high end bike that is a few years old. Say you spend a $1000 on a bike that originally went for $3500-4000. Which is entirely possible. Then you ride it for a month, half season, year whatever and decide its not for you. I bet you will sell it for damn near that same $1000. Or you can go buy some POS for $500 new and well how much do you think a used POS will go for?

 

If you want top shelf gear at a cheap price go to bonk.com. By far the best deals. As for getting started, I started with a cheap bike and progressed into a high end bike. I can say that along the way I purchased several bikes working my way up and wasting a lot of money. If you are serious about riding and plan on doing a decent amount of it get yourself a good bike. It'll last longer, ride better you'll be happier long term. Same thing goes with gear, shoes will last a long time so spending 3-400 makes sense. Most people drop 130 on a pair of mikes they'll wear a dozen times. Cycling is like anything else, if you really get into it you'll break the bank. Once you start talking powermeters and stuff it's just as expensive as motorcycle racing

 

dude that takes me to the weather channel.com

 

Try: www.bonktown.com

 

I want try cycling for exercise. Need to lose about 15 lbs I've put on after I stopped smoking. I've only owned bmx bikes growing up and considering a road bike, but it just seems like it doesn't fit my character or something. How much of a tard move would it be to get something like this just to get my toes wet and try it out. I realize it's LOW end but it does have great reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Takara-Kabuto-Single-Speed-Frame/dp/B0041QF9EQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=IF2RTGLYX46UR&colid=XYJJBH7SPYXT

 

I've got a single speed, but I don't use if for rides. I usually just use it for commuting around town. I would ride it to work whenever I lived four miles away.

I'd recommend getting something with gears, unless you really enjoy pedaling with strain.

 

Get it.

Or for the same price check out used bikes at pawn shops.