How much to spend on cycling

diggler
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How much to spend on cycling

Postby diggler » Sun Jun 23, 2013 4:26 pm

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/15905 ... out/?cs=29#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The average MAMIL aged 40 to 50 spends about $9000 on a road bike, which he'll replace every three years, Cook says.

I know I am a cheapskate but is this for real?



Cycling

Cycling has become a big-ticket sport for many of the Middle Aged Men in Lycra (MAMILs) who've taken to the highways and byways across the country.

Owner of the Clarence Street Cyclery in Sydney David Cook says the amount they'll spend has surged in the past decade. He says the high profile of competitive cycling has led amateurs to seek out the wheels they've watched the pros use.

The average MAMIL aged 40 to 50 spends about $9000 on a road bike, which he'll replace every three years, Cook says.

Bespoke bikes are popular and can cost more again. American manufacturer Trek allows customers to choose their own paintwork and wheels and have their name inscribed on the frame. Prices range from $7000 to $15,500.

Cyclists typically spend $500-$1000 a year on servicing and a few hundred more on making sure they look as schmick as their wheels. Cycling shoes cost $300-$500; helmets up to $350 and some designer bib shorts and jersey sets as much as $500.

MAMILs rarely scrimp on the gear, Cook says: ''They want to look the part.''
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby Nobody » Sun Jun 23, 2013 4:43 pm

I'm a MAMIL. I'm just glad I'm a cheap skate version. Certainly not the average Clarence St purchaser.

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Pax
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby Pax » Sun Jun 23, 2013 4:46 pm

Ok I am a MAMIL...54 (so a bit older than the demographic mentioned.

$1,500 on road bike in late 2007

$2,000 on road bike in late 2010

Still have both, still use both, doubt I'll buy another for at least a couple more years...does that mean I have an extra $15,500 up my sleeve to spend now and will have approx $24,500 to spend in a couple of years??

Hmmmmmm, 55th birthday next year....I feel a plan developing :P

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g-boaf
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby g-boaf » Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:08 pm

Maybe some spend that money - but I don't. I've got the bike I want and feel no need to change it.

I only spend now on the little accessories that are inevitable.

Some people spend $500,000 on a new Ferrari 458 Italia in their middle ages. A nice car yes, but utterly useless on our heavily Policed roads and if they are somewhat more "spacious" - their new car won't change that.

I could start on sneering female journos throwing around old fashioned and offensive acronyms, but maybe I'll give her the benefit of the doubt before I open fire with all guns blazing.

But I know if I didn't take up riding a bike, I might have been over 100kg by now and in all sorts of health troubles that could have cost me heaps of money - even worse given I'm not all that old. Instead - I'm 60kg and reasonably fit.

You can indeed spend plenty of dollars in Clarence Street Cyclery, but you can squash them down on price as well.
Last edited by g-boaf on Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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WyvernRH
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby WyvernRH » Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:11 pm

Total crap from whatever planet journalists exist on when they are short of a story...

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g-boaf
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby g-boaf » Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:17 pm

WyvernRH wrote:Total crap from whatever planet journalists exist on when they are short of a story...
I was going to say quite the same thing. Utterly rude and condescending from her.

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queequeg
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby queequeg » Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:27 pm

Hmm, I only just joined the 40+ age group, but here is my rough spending:

2008: First bike I had owned in 20 years. $1200 on a Trek Hybrid
2009/2010: Given an old steel Hillbrick Racing Frame that needed some TLC. Frame brought up to "as new" condition for $370 (strip, repair, respray, new headset). Bought all the components myself and built it in my spare time over 3 months. Total spend ended up being about $3,500.
2011: After breaking my original Trek Hybrid (twice), then moving house to a location no longer ideal or my Hyrbid, I splashed out on a Ti Frame CX Bike. Total spend, $5,000 (half of that is the frame & forks)

I could easily imagine a $9,000 bike, but I would be scared to ride it! I bought my bare metal Ti frame for the specific reason of all weather commuting in any conditions. It has not let me down, and there is no paintwork to worry about scratching. Just buff out any scratches and away you go.
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wombatK
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby wombatK » Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:34 pm

Maybe those who spend that much on a bike don't spend much time on forums like this.

If you've got that much loose cash, you just pay someone for every bit of advice and/or
social networking you care for (at places where riff-raff without sufficient means don't
get in and can't bother you).

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Xplora
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby Xplora » Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:36 pm

Clarence st is going to attract some of the dingbats because of its location. If the guy isn't lying then there is little wonder that the lbs is dying. The only customers up talk to would be your investment bankers trying to replace their Colnago. Low volume, high profit. Then again why wouldn't they just Baum at that price range?

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ColinOldnCranky
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby ColinOldnCranky » Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:20 pm

Cycling is the "new golf". And, like golf, middle aged practitioners are not averse to feeding their habit with lots of money.

My unicycle only cost around $170 in 2005 and, these days, I could get it's equivalent for around $120. But I am still riding it. I'd guess that, in 7 years I have spent around $1,000-$1,500 - tyres, tubes, a few repairs, wet weather gear, other togs, meters and lights. It'd be only half or less if I didn't keep losing things. :oops:
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CXCommuter
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby CXCommuter » Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:01 pm

Good to see Clarence Street Cyclery hasn't changed in 20 years. Always upmarket and cashing in on the current so called MAMIL cycling craze... Never spent a cent there and can't see why I would in the future.
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby jacks1071 » Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:48 pm

$9000 worth of performance for $3000 is my speciality :-)
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g-boaf
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby g-boaf » Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:55 pm

CXCommuter wrote:Good to see Clarence Street Cyclery hasn't changed in 20 years. Always upmarket and cashing in on the current so called MAMIL cycling craze... Never spent a cent there and can't see why I would in the future.
I'm not upmarket at all - and a lot of the people I've seen in there certainly don't meet the idea of upmarket. I got into bike riding through that store. They looked after me quite well.

I went to a whole heap of different bike stores before going to them. The CBD bike stores were always going to get my business though - they are close to where I work.

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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby RonK » Sun Jun 23, 2013 8:24 pm

diggler wrote:The average MAMIL aged 40 to 50 spends about $9000 on a road bike, which he'll replace every three years, Cook says.

I know I am a cheapskate but is this for real?
Probably somewhat exagerated, but there are plenty of middle and upper management types riding these days, and many would have their bikes covered by their salary arrangements.

A $10,000 road bike is no big deal, although value has improved quite a lot in the last few years.
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andione1983
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby andione1983 » Sun Jun 23, 2013 9:11 pm

For the riding I do, i am in love with my $1200 merida Ride Lite.... :) first road bike and i love it and 30 years old.. So maybe I haven't hit the middle age bracket of spending big bux on a pushie, think I'd buy a new motorbike before spending that sort of $$$ on a pushie

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bychosis
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby bychosis » Sun Jun 23, 2013 9:16 pm

Looks like all those prices are out by a factor of three, except for the try hards out there. It kinda reads like they are talking about average prices, when they are really talking about the top end. Poor journalism... Again.
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby KenGS » Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:46 pm

Shhhhhhh!!!
This article is for consumption by the other half so when you want to spend, say, $2000 just whip it out to show how much you are saving :lol:
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby ZepinAtor » Sun Jun 23, 2013 11:19 pm

Clarence St customers are much like any "high end" demographic LBS in any capital city.

Up here in Brisveagus there would be at least 4 shops I could name that would sell $5k-$10k bikes on a regular basis to Mamils & the more serious boy racer types. If you were to attend our local club race, out of 200 riders at least half would have a $5k bike with a set of Zipps or similar attached. Not to say that everybody follows this trend though. I have mates who are incredibly dedicated to their sport & can only afford a $2k bike, but given the chance they'd spend $10k + in a flash.

Most people with that sort of money to spend on their favourite past time wouldn't come on here & boast about it for numerous reasons. From my personal perspective I wouldn't want to flaunt my wealth (or debt depending which angle you look at it from) to those without the opportunity to do the same. Cycling has such a broad spread & variation of needs & wants. If you have a family to support & need to commute to work to save money to put your children through a decent school you may spend only $500 on an SS commuter. On the other hand if you're a dual income no kids type in their mid 40's a couple of $10k bikes & a yearly trip to Europe is spare change.
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby ausrandoman » Mon Jun 24, 2013 7:18 am

One can acquire much merit by cycling, so spare no expense.
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby Xplora » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:07 am

I felt the need to piss money up the wall with my bike but the simple fact of the matter is that the cogs make the bike forward, and the rest is gravy. You get very incremental improvements, and you've got to be a reasonably serious rider to actually NEED the Di2 and the better hubs and the exxy wheels and tyres etc etc. I think the greatest irony is that if you aren't spending 10 hours a week on the bike, you'll physically be unable to access the benefits of your 10K bike. (I should say that I go pretty damn good for what I am, but the only reason I need tricky hydro brakes and Di2 is because I'm such a slob that my cables get stuck a lot... but the bike does still "go")

If you just want it, then fine... but unlike golf, you have to be physically fit enough to notice the difference between DuraAce and Ultegra as you slam the gears ;) Golf clubs do their stuff regardless of how fat and unco you are. Then again, nice clubs just make the ball go further in the wrong direction if you are as bad at golf as I am.
Last edited by Xplora on Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby Marty Moose » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:17 am

jacks1071 wrote:$9000 worth of performance for $3000 is my speciality :-)
You don't sell Giants;)

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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby find_bruce » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:26 am

It's a bit hard for me to justify $9,000 worth of performance when I have a $10 engine :D

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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby cyclotaur » Mon Jun 24, 2013 10:04 am

diggler wrote: The average MAMIL aged 40 to 50 spends about $9000 on a road bike, which he'll replace every three years, Cook says.

I know I am a cheapskate but is this for real?
I think this so called 'average MAMIL' they talk about must have a marketing budget to dip into ... :lol: :roll:

I think it's really just the media continually trying to depict 'average' cyclists as narcissistic wannabees clogging up the roads for regular 'average' people ie. motorists. It suits their car-based agenda to portray cyclists as a spoiled, selfish, overwhelmingly male minority they can tag with a pejorative label like MAMIL.

They might as well say the 'average middle aged car/home owner (MACHO)' lives in Toorak (insert appropriate interstate suburb...) and drives a BMW X6 - it's about as accurate.

On the other hand the only small independent bike shops that make decent money sell very high end bikes on low % margins, but make their big money on gear, accessories and servicing as most purchasers are too scared, time-poor or dis-inclined to take a allen key or spanner to their 'average' $9000 road bike,
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby ColinOldnCranky » Mon Jun 24, 2013 10:30 am

CXCommuter wrote:Good to see Clarence Street Cyclery hasn't changed in 20 years. Always upmarket and cashing in on the current so called MAMIL cycling craze... Never spent a cent there and can't see why I would in the future.
Like a diet, starting to ride late in life is easy but too many people drop back off after a time. If high tech, glossy product and regular turnover and team gear are some of the things that motivates a rider to remain riding and they have the money then I am not going to judge them. It's their money.

Good luck if you don't want to spend a lot of money - that's the camp that I am in. Apologies if you are not trying to condescend but it reads a little bit that way to me. :? However I have no idea what Clarence Street Cyclery business looks like and the prices quoted in the article seem somewhat steeper than what I would expect, even in cash-rich WA.
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Re: How much to spend on cycling

Postby CXCommuter » Mon Jun 24, 2013 11:36 am

ColinOldnCranky wrote:
CXCommuter wrote:Good to see Clarence Street Cyclery hasn't changed in 20 years. Always upmarket and cashing in on the current so called MAMIL cycling craze... Never spent a cent there and can't see why I would in the future.
Like a diet, starting to ride late in life is easy but too many people drop back off after a time. If high tech, glossy product and regular turnover and team gear are some of the things that motivates a rider to remain riding and they have the money then I am not going to judge them. It's their money.

Good luck if you don't want to spend a lot of money - that's the camp that I am in. Apologies if you are not trying to condescend but it reads a little bit that way to me. :? However I have no idea what Clarence Street Cyclery business looks like and the prices quoted in the article seem somewhat steeper than what I would expect, even in cash-rich WA.
I am basing my experiences on this actual bike shop on mine and various other friends who have been snubbed whilst perusing the merchandise in this store. As a certified semi tight ass (due to circumstances) I like to buy good quality equipment for a reasonable price, not just the most expensive bike/kit around. As several people have stated the engine is the most important part of cycling and since I have an average engine a slightly better than average bike will do me fine. Apologies to any who do visit this shop but too many experiences there over more than a decade left me attending other shops (like Inner City Cycles) who where happy with my trade.
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