Yeah, that's what I would think- that very, very few people make enough money in race winnings to cover the cost of the bike and other expenses. So I'm just kind of puzzled by the OP's assertion that talk of racing will "interest normal people in bicycles." As soon as they find out there is no payback I would think they would lose any interest they had. Kind of pointless then to even bring up the racing, eh?
__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by
bragi 
"However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."