How much to spend on cycling

[biker jk]

Regarding clarence st it certainly looks nice after the renovation. However you would be crazy to buy anything there full price (except for bikes). IIRC they were selling shimano m520 pedals for $90. Just down the road at Giant sydney they are $60 (which is the rrp I think). I suppose your experiience depends on the day/person though. I was in there once when a guy was looking to buy a road bike. The salesman was really pushy for the sale until the guy told him that he left his wallet at home. Another time however the salesman was really helpful to a guy looking to buy armwarmers.

Either way they are the store that least aknowledges my presence out of all the shops in the area. It doesnt bother me because I never buy anything anyway and they probably don't think that a kid in school uniform will spend a lot of money.City bike depot is the best, they always smile and say hi when I walk in.

I worked in the CBD for a long time so know these bike shops well and yes Clarence St Cycles is probably the most expensive bike shop in Australia. Prices around 50% over most other bike shops. They rely on white collar city workers who are clearly not price sensitive. It is refreshing that they now sell Merckx bikes as well.

[djw47]

Seems like the $9000 dollar bike bit comes from a shop owner. Perhaps trying to convince a few potential customers that spending a few hundred extra in his shop is perfectly ok. I don't believe for one second that the average price of a road bike as seen on the streets everyday would be more than $1500-$2000. There's a lot of road bikes out there that are not in the elite category.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

Some recent research on Australian cyclists suggest that, on average, cyclists spend about 4% of their income on cycling purchases, split almost evenly between online and offline purchases.

[Hamster]

I haven’t done any sums on what my actual expenditures are but I’m pretty certain that for me cycling is approximately cash neutral. On the positive side I’ve abandoned my gym membership plus no longer use the car to drive to and from the station. Not going to a gym saves me around $10pw plus fuel, wear & tear etc. on the car has got to be around $50 pw so I’m up by approx. $60 pw.

Again I don’t know what I spend on cycling but I can spend almost $3,000 and still break even.

[SquareWheels]

Spend it all!
dont think about it, just do it!
Spend it all!

[Xplora]

they always smile and say hi when I walk in.

That's a classic customer service move to prevent people from stealing

[simonn]

they always smile and say hi when I walk in.

That's a classic customer service move to prevent people from stealing

Really? Many moons, well, suns really, ago when I worked in retail it was just classic customer service (i.e. increased sales) and was not even mentioned in the loss prevention chapter of the staff manual which covered other things, not least that the vast majority (like > 90%) of it was lost by staff.

[simonn]

If I could justify ~$9000, I'd have a Baum.

But as I cannot justify it I do not.

[Coolabah]

If I could justify ~$9000, I'd have a Baum.

But as I cannot justify it I do not.

well colour me stupid , I would not spend anywhere near that on an electric razor ...

...oh... oops.. not Braun...

Seriously, I cycle for fun (weekends, road bike) and utility ( ride to work, commuter bike).

My logic is : I am ahead if what I spend on bike(s) is equal to or less than what I would otherwise spend on car/train/bus (including any and all bike accessories, maintenance, parts ,tools, etc etc ) or if I took up other hobbies eg golf , sailing , NUMEROUS nubile hot and expensive mistresses, lawn bowls etc ....
I am still ahead if I spend more because :

my other side benefits are : increased fitness , less chance of dying from fat persons diseases ( diabetes , cardiac disease etc )

I would not dream of spending $9000 on ONE bike , would certainly buy 3 for the same price

There was a golf comparison - all these so called MAMILS would probably be ahead even with their $9000 bike compared to Golf join up fees , green fees , 19th hole booze tab ... etc.. etc......

[Mulger bill]

What does a bagful of 3/4 decent clubs set you back these days?

[elStado]

Well I'm not a MAMIL.. instead a thrifty 20-something.

On average I spend around $1000 a year on bikes and bike gear. I make it last too!

[herzog]

There was a golf comparison - all these so called MAMILS would probably be ahead even with their $9000 bike compared to Golf join up fees , green fees , 19th hole booze tab ... etc.. etc......

Surfing has always been a good option.

Say $1000 for a board and wetsuit. That's it, you're good to go. The government hasn't yet worked out an equivalent of "green fees" for surfing but I'm sure they are working on it...

BTW: Anyone else dislike it when the media calls cycling "the new golf"? It makes it sound horrendously daggy.

[jaseyjase]

Those who can afford it, dont need to justify it.

Pretty simple really, if you can afford it, you buy it. If you cant then you dont.

[Nobody]

BTW: Anyone else dislike it when the media calls cycling "the new golf"? It makes it sound horrendously daggy.

Not really. IMO it only really applies to roadie groups with high end equipment. If you don't fit into the stereotype, it probably doesn't apply.