Thursday, September 11, 2008

The cost of bicycling

As everybody knows, bicycling, and especially road bicycling, is an expensive and a shamelessly elitist sport. 400 € for just a friggin' saddle! Does it really matter if it weighs 100 or 200 grams? Can't I just compensate by being 100 grams lighter myself?

Anyway, I'd claim that it doesn't have to be. As an example, I'd like to catalogue the bicycle-related stuff that I've bought over the four years that I've claimed to be a bicyclist. (Three of which haven't been very active.)

First, there's the long-term investments. They include stuff that you can't really go in for bicycling without, like, well, the bicycle. And of course you need real bicycling clothes to be a real bicyclist. You don't want to be mistaken for a commuter. Then there are accessories and sports equipment. These investments should be good for a long time, from a couple of years to forever.

Bike & components:
1988 Peugeot Aravis 12 vitesses bicycle Free
SPD-SL pedals (Shimano) 55 €
SPD-SL shoes (Shimano) 95 €
Saddle (Selle Italia X0) 25 €

Clothing:
Cycling shorts (Newline) 50 €
Kraftwerk cycling jersey 45 €
Cycling jersey (Craft) 30 €
Arm & leg warmers (Campagnolo) 80 €
Cycling/running socks 11 €
Helmet (Lazer) 50 €
Cycling goggles (Biltema) 6 €

Accessories:
Beverage holder & drink bottles (3) 20 €
Tool bag (Biltema) 5 €
Bike computer (Pro) 30 €
Pump 22 €
Various tools 30 €
Heart rate monitor (Polar, bought from a flea market) 7 €
Lock 30 €
Backpack (Deuter, from a flea market) 6 €

Category total 591 €

The other category consists of consumables, stuff that you need to keep spending money on continuously (or every year). Here I've roughly estimated what the basic stuff costs in a season (from spring to autumn).

Spare parts & maintenance:
Tires (2) 40 €
Inner tubes (2) 16 €
Handlebar tape 3 €
Brake pads (2 pairs) 20 €
Maintenance (cheap bike shop) 60 €

Sports nutrition:
Sports drink 24 €
Recovery drink 26 €
Energy gels 40 €
Muesli bars 16 €

Other costs:
TdH entrance fee (incl. T-shirt) 30 €
Helsinki Cyclists membership fee (one year) 10 €
Transport by bus 17 €

Category total: 302 €

That's not too bad, eh? The long-term investments total to about 600 €. When divided by four years, the sum per year comes down to a measly 150 €. And the cost just keeps getting lower the longer the equipment is used. The yearly consumables cost no more than, say, yearly membership fees of a gym.

Ok, I got off cheap, because I got my bike for free, as a graduation gift. However, older bikes can be bought for a few hundred euros. You don't have to get a 3000 € carbon fibre racer to become a road cyclist. In fact, I wouldn't want one because there's nowhere I could store it. I don't have a garage, it would get stolen from the bike storage room of the apartment building and my wife won't let me bring the bike to the bedroom, for some reason unclear to me. I think it's better to have a reasonably priced bike, so you can ride it without having to worry about *gasp* scratching the paint all the time.

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