Does pleasurable cycling have to be expensive?

[Rhythm Thief]

No, it doesn't have to be expensive. There are people on here who have probably spent more on a set of shoes and pedals than I have spent on my six bikes, most of which were freebies in need of a little TLC.

To my shame, I take mor epleasure out of refurbishing old bikes than I do from actually riding them

You're not alone ... my proudest moment was building Ms RT her first touring bike, which was a combination of my old commuter, her old MTB and a frame I found in a wheelie bin. Plus a Lighspin dynamoand B&M standlights, which cost about three times the expenditure on the rest of the bike.

 

[GrasB]

It depends what your goals are & what you define as pleasure.

There's a part of me enjoys absolutely tanking along at the point I don't want to talk to people for a good hour or 2 on quite country back roads. This type of riding ends up being technical & quite hard on the bikes drive train + wheels so if you use cheaper stuff it wears out quickly & breaks. In terms of cost this is quite expensive to maintain a bike capable of taking this kind of usage for long periods.

That said I've started going out on 'training' group rides. Being the strongest in the group these end up being longer, less intense rides for me & end up being much more of a very fast touring ride. To maintain a bike for these rides is less expensive as the strain on the bike is lower (less braking, you can almost alway avoid road imperfection, etc.).

numbnuts, as for the £99 Asda bike, yeah you could rack up your 5k miles/year with ease, however you'll probably find you've replaced most of the bike by the end of 20k miles.

Gareth, your £270 for 10k miles works out to be around my yearly bill for 10k miles/year of maintaining 2 (now 3) bikes but all my bikes run the higher end of mid-range components.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Pleasurable cycling by definition means you need a Bianchi so yes I'm afraid the reality is it's EXPENSIVE

 

[Arch]

No, of course it doesn't (have to be expensive). My Galaxy cost me £15 at an auction, and I just spent about £150 on bits rebuilding it - but only because I have a job now and the money to pay to new stuff. If I'd had to I could have reused some of the old stuff, and saved maybe £50 or so, more if I'd taken a chance on the old rack, which had a crack but might well have served until I needed to carry full touring luggage.

 

[Hilldodger]

You're not alone ... my proudest moment was building Ms RT her first touring bike, which was a combination of my old commuter, her old MTB and a frame I found in a wheelie bin.

Bit of a tight wad, are we

 

[palinurus]

Not necessarily. I've toured on an old Marin MTB (a fine bike for that purpose), did plenty of day rides on it too. Certainly enjoyed it.

Someone I know never buys new bikes, just somehow gets given them or finds them down the dump. Always seems to know when there are a load of parts going cheap or when a bike shop is closing down. Very low budget, and a long-distance tourist too.

 

[WickfordWheels]

I like to keep my cycling on a budget, my current bikes are certainly cheap. Having an expensive bike wouldn't make the countryside any prettier or make me any fitter.

However, I can understand that for the more serious cyclist there is pleasure to be gained from having an expensive bike - both in the ownership (like owning a work of art) and the technical differences (lighter, faster, better widgets etc)

 

[Banjo]

Nice read Gareth. Great to hear someone enjoying their cycling as they like it.

My Father bought a bike from Tesco about 5 or 6 years back (about £70 I think)to use for trips to the shop and occasionally around a country park near by. I thought at the time waste of money BUT he is still riding it ,it has 3 hub gears mudguards and 650 wheels , the original town and country type tyres are now bald as a badgers bum so I am getting him some new ones but other than that he has done nothing apart from a bit of cleaning and oiling.

I have to say though given unlimited funds I would quickly spend several thousands on a fleet of bikes :-)

 

[fossyant]

As folk have said - cycling doesn't need to be expensive.... at all, even if you have a 'pricey bike' - just look after it....... BUT....there is the BUG.....it get's you........... and that's it....... kit, bits, lights..... it all starts.....

Look after your kit, it will look after you.....that goes double with a commuter bike....

Learn how to look after your bike (even Pro bikes aren't exactly difficult)....and your bike will last a long time (well you'll be replacing the BB before it dies...), the brakes will be sorted before they eat your rims, ......makes sense..........

As everyone say's......IF STUCK............ASK ON HERE..............!!!!!

 

[Riverman]

So far
£120 on a bike
£10 on a cable lock
£15 on lights
£40 Clothes (including gloves)

Bike was stolen, they cut through the cable lock

Next bike

£275 (retails at £449)
£4.99 computer
£15 front light
£10 torch
£5 rear light
£9 bright rear light
£4 on mounts
£1.50 glow in the dark cycling jacket
£5 cable lock
£3 water bottle
£8.99 helmet (lidl)
£5 repair bag
And most importantly £53 Abus Granit 54 plus Dlock (retails at £89)

I would say that of all the above, the Dlock is of most value. :-)

I would say that after having my bike stolen, cycling would be less pleasurable if I hadn't bought that Dlock.

It's not very pleasurable walking around thinking your bike is going to get nicked.

 

[Ian H]

My two extremes are a 50 yr old Holdsworth frame built as a fixed wheel, and an eight year old Omega built as a nine-speed audax tourer. They're both excellent bikes.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I have to say though given unlimited funds I would quickly spend several thousands on a fleet of bikes :-)

I wouldn't. I find new things (not just bikes, this goes for guitars too) insufferably dull and am much happier with stuff I've cobbled together or miodified myself,especially if I've found it in a skip. I lost interest in my Galaxy for a while after I spent far more than it was worth on a respray and lots of new bits for it; I was happier when it was home painted with a brush.

 

[snorri]

All in all, that is not bad for a bicycle that cost just a little more than the hideous, poorly made stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap, fully suspenion thingies being knocked out by the supermarkets.

I think you've missed something Gareth, I doubt your bicycle is anywhere near to being as cool as these supermarket thingies.

 

[GrahamNR17]

Great that you're getting so much pleasure for such a low investment. I think you more than adequately answered your own question and proved the point perfectly

 

[swee'pea99]

Nope. The bike I ride every day cost me £53. Every year I spend £5 on chain lube and probably £20 on tubes 'n tyres. Apart from batteries for the lights, that's it. (Oh, and I save about £1400 a year on monthly travelcards I no longer have to buy.)