General Cycling Discussion - I'm so cheap a cyclist that...

A bowl of oatmeal satisfies me better than an energy drink/ energy bar!:lol:

Many folks eat oatmeal before a ride.
Energy bars and drinks are for energy during or after a "long" ride.

Agree, oatmeal would be good around mile 60 in the winter. I don't know how you keep it warm.

My love of oatmeal has nothing to do with cycling but it does provide a better fuel.
$6 of oats from costco lasts me a couple months. Whereas with cereal I eat around $10 worth a week.

I recently heard that protein-based recovery drinks are more or less nutritionally equivalent to chocolate milk, so I've been trying chocolate milk as my recovery drink after a ride.

I recently heard that protein-based recovery drinks are more or less nutritionally equivalent to chocolate milk, so I've been trying chocolate milk as my recovery drink after a ride.

How about chocolate ice cream? :D

:eek:I am so cheap a cyclist that I haunt the automobile parts store for deals!

I recently heard that protein-based recovery drinks are more or less nutritionally equivalent to chocolate milk, so I've been trying chocolate milk as my recovery drink after a ride.

I recommend not drinking chocolate milk following an evening jaunt; one might stay awake past midnight:eek:

I've ridden the same bike for 33 years?

I ridden the same bike for 33 years?
Me too! Guilty as charged!

Skim milk gets sugar into the blood stream quicker than anything else you can ingest. They do make chocolate skim milk, so you might be onto something here.

I'm so cheap that....

I actually eat oatmeal and fruit for breakfast.

The last two bikes I've bought have been used.

The age of my bikes is easier to count in decades rather than years.

My other bikes are nearly worthless now, like me.

The last two bikes I've bought have been used.


Amateur.


I've got five bikes... one was new, a Christmas present from my wife. The others? I traded for one, giving up a bike I paid $50 for at a pawn shop. Two came from garage sales, and the last came from the city dump.

I've never paid to ride my bike.

I don't have a clown, er, bike outfit!

I have 30+ bikes only 3 of them were purchased new by me. One in 2007, one in 1994 and one in 1989.

I have "rescued" slightly used tires from the LBS dumpster...along with a bunch of other parts :D

Aaron :)

I'm the cheapest: I can't afford to eat anything before a ride. :D

I use the $10 "Schwinn" cyclocomputer from Walmart. If it stops working in a time frame I deem unacceptable(which hasn't happened yet), I'll buy a new one and bring back the old one for a refund in the new packaging. Sorry if that doesn't sound right, but (see below)
Recently did that with one of their Zefal floor pumps. It only lasted 2 months.
Why do this to Walmart? They screwed me over in a business deal and I plan to eventually get it all back. I would never think of doing this to anyone regularly.

You use a cyclocomputer?? :eek:

You use a cyclocomputer?? :eek:

+1 :thumb:

Aaron :)

I don't eat oatmeal every morning for breakfast, but before a long ride, I'll eat a bowl of oatmeal with a tablespoon of peanut butter in it.

Mmmm....

I'm probably more practical than what you'd consider cheap. It's the economy.

But, if you looked at my bar tape right now, you'd say I'm cheap. It's looking rather tattered now,...bad enough that I fear cleaning it might be the end of it now. The rest of the bike looks just great, though. Just the tape makes me look like a sketchy character.

Oh, regarding that tape. It's Lizard Skins DSP, the stuff recommended by the LBS that had it marked above msrp. While comfortable, its longevity has been disappointing. At 2k, it looked sad. Now, at 3300, it looks pathetic. A $38 lesson. But, I'm gonna ride it until I can't stand it any longer. Call me cheap.

Other....

9-sp has financial appeal. I'll be putting my new 10-sp components up for sale.

Long rides call for fig bars, bananas, and dates. I've only once bought any food on any one-day ride.

I still ride a pair of SPD shoes with near 25k miles on them. Same cleats, too. How many road cleats would I have replaced by now?

I carry a mini-pump. CO2 adds up over time.

I'll patch at tube until it can't be patched anymore. I patch on the road, and I've only installed a new tube on the road on one occasion (valve broke).

Sheesh, maybe I am cheap.

You must have feet made of steel. My poor feet would be killing me in old shoes.

I'm so cheap I use empty Gatorade bottles for water bottles. They fit nicely in the cages and let you take a good gulp instead of a squirt.

I'm probably more practical than what you'd consider cheap. It's the economy.

But, if you looked at my bar tape right now, you'd say I'm cheap. It's looking rather tattered now,...bad enough that I fear cleaning it might be the end of it now. The rest of the bike looks just great, though. Just the tape makes me look like a sketchy character.

Oh, regarding that tape. It's Lizard Skins DSP, the stuff recommended by the LBS that had it marked above msrp. While comfortable, its longevity has been disappointing. At 2k, it looked sad. Now, at 3300, it looks pathetic. A $38 lesson. But, I'm gonna ride it until I can't stand it any longer. Call me cheap.

Other....

9-sp has financial appeal. I'll be putting my new 10-sp components up for sale.

Long rides call for fig bars, bananas, and dates. I've only once bought any food on any one-day ride.

I still ride a pair of SPD shoes with near 25k miles on them. Same cleats, too. How many road cleats would I have replaced by now?

I carry a mini-pump. CO2 adds up over time.

I'll patch at tube until it can't be patched anymore. I patch on the road, and I've only installed a new tube on the road on one occasion (valve broke).

Sheesh, maybe I am cheap.

Don't own any 9 speed rears, 5, 6 and 7 are as far as I will go. Also have several Sturmey Archer 3 speeds, newest one is almost 40 years old.
I use cloth tape that lasts for years and only costs $4 a roll if that. I may try hockey stick tape next go around, I can get it for free. Don't use special shoes, ride in indoor soccer shoes that I bought at the thrift store for $3.

Aaron :)

I've never paid to ride my bike.
I don't have a clown, er, bike outfit!

Why would you?

You must have feet made of steel. My poor feet would be killing me in old shoes.
That's the problem: my feet aren't killing me. I've had my eyes on a sweet new pair, but other needs have come first. If my feet did more than ache momentarily at the end of a long ride, a new pair would be priority one. I don't want to damage my feet, though, so I might be pressing my luck.


Don't own any 9 speed rears, 5, 6 and 7 are as far as I will go. Also have several Sturmey Archer 3 speeds, newest one is almost 40 years old.
I use cloth tape that lasts for years and only costs $4 a roll if that. I may try hockey stick tape next go around, I can get it for free. Don't use special shoes, ride in indoor soccer shoes that I bought at the thrift store for $3.

Aaron :)
I've ridden with cloth tape quite a bit. In general, I do like it. As I no longer wear gloves year 'round (only for the couple cool months), I've opted for tapes with padding.


Why would you?
I think the gbiker is referring to "paid entry rides"...aka charity rides.

I wear gloves all year, just wear short fingered cycling gloves in the warmer months. Many years ago I put a hand down without gloves during a crash...never again. Helmet, maybe...no gloves? HELL NO!

Aaron :)

I think the gbiker is referring to "paid entry rides".
Yes.

Paxil will help with that 'cheapness' problem. bk

I think the gbiker is referring to "paid entry rides"...aka charity rides.

Aah...I see!

I don't consider those as payment, though. I may be a cheapskate, but I make enough to help out. I consider giving different to paying. To each his own, I guess.

Seems like there are quite a few races that aren't charity rides. I'd rather just donate directly. In the future I may pay to enter races, just for fun and the experience, but right now $50-100+ seems steep, especially when I can ride the same course any other time and spend that money on other stuff.

Recently did that with one of their Zefal floor pumps. It only lasted 2 months.

I'd say that's quite an impressive feat for them. I remember when my dad wanted to try out a GMC Denali at a sporting goods store. It took 3 tries to find a pump that worked, and all were new from the package.

I may try hockey stick tape next go around, I can get it for free.
Don't even think about it. My Motobecane came wrapped with it, lets just say the black residue from it is still stuck to the shirt I wore that day, 4 months ago.

I've never bought a new bike. Though with the amount of used bikes I have, I wonder if that would still be considered cheap.

...I used electrical tape to wrap my decaying foam on my bike's drop handlebars. Amazing how the tape resembles leather, seems to wear better than regular handlebar tape. Very happy not to have to replace the foam. Happy to give the foam a second life, oh yeah. Recently I changed the cables to my bar end shifters, I just slit the tape with a razor and voila, easy access. The tape is a tad slippery, but since I wear gloves hasn't troubled me much.

Amateur.


I've got five bikes... one was new, a Christmas present from my wife. The others? I traded for one, giving up a bike I paid $50 for at a pawn shop. Two came from garage sales, and the last came from the city dump.

Thank you. It's good to know that I'm not as cheap as I thought I was. :D

What a relief, I'm really enjoying this thread.

I'm so cheap, I went to my LBS looking for a bell. Tired of having to yell out "on you left", needed a break! The cheapest one they had cost $10. I was just thinking, you kidding me, for a bell!? So he turns and shows me some kiddy bells. I left, saying to them that I'm too cheap a cyclist to return! Than nite I looked up on ebay and there it was, the same $10 bell for $2 (free shipping from china)! So I had to wait a week, so what!!

Why do this to Walmart? They screwed me over in a business deal and I plan to eventually get it all back. I would never think of doing this to anyone regularly.

Please elaborate?

I don't buy any cycle clothes besides gloves. Then again, I see no reason for cycling clothes...cheapness or convienience? You decide.

I'm so cheap that I use platform pedals with miniclips, will not go higher than 7/8 speed because chains are cheaper, solve many problems with used bicycle inner tubes.

Once when the frame of my bike broke, ( the down tube pulled out of the bottom bracket ) I took some baling wire and some turnbuckles and pulled the two ends back together and continued to ride the bike.

I've ridden the same bike for 33 years?Got you beat. I'm still riding the 1971 Schwinn Suburban, my parents bought me for my 11th birthday.

Once when the frame of my bike broke, ( the down tube pulled out of the bottom bracket ) I took some baling wire and some turnbuckles and pulled the two ends back together and continued to ride the bike.

Ah yes, another great use for baling wire. Too bad I no longer work on a farm!



Got you beat. I'm still riding the 1971 Schwinn Suburban, my parents bought me for my 11th birthday.

Goes to show you, a well maintained bicycle can last a lifetime!

Bought these Tifosi glasses about five years ago. the rubber ear piece covers rotted off, as did the nose pads. Been periodicaly rewrapping the bare metal in hemp twine and spraying several coats of shellac on it. carved out some leather nose rests, and they are actualy more comfortable than new.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6070/6208107387_31781154b0_z.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6149/6208608818_1a0148a175_z.jpg

I mostly build my own wheels out of old refurbished parts, and do all my own wrenching. I will pay to do a ride though, cause I like to have porta johns and cut up bannanas at ten to fifteen mile intervals.

im so cheap, i shed parts to shed pounds on the bike :)

im so cheap, i shed parts to shed pounds on the bike :)
Witty, funny and true! The best skimper is one who takes it off his bike! Besides, fat's my rocket booster! lol

I use the $10 "Schwinn" cyclocomputer from Walmart. If it stops working in a time frame I deem unacceptable(which hasn't happened yet), I'll buy a new one and bring back the old one for a refund in the new packaging. Sorry if that doesn't sound right, but (see below)
Recently did that with one of their Zefal floor pumps. It only lasted 2 months.
Why do this to Walmart? They screwed me over in a business deal and I plan to eventually get it all back. I would never think of doing this to anyone regularly.

Good Lord! You're funny!....What makes it even funnier is that - It's WALMART! ~ Like you're in a very long line of vengeful people, buddy!

:roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2:

- Slim :)