substructure

I've reconsidered a few races this year. Mainly, because I can rarely find team mates or friends to carpool with. This time of the season races become few and far between. Driving 3 hours to race 1-2 hours to turn around and drive 3 hours home doesn't bode well with the very slight racing budget. But I ain't gonna judge someone who has the money to do it. I say if you can manage the cost, then may your carbon footprint be as large as Paul Bunyan's boot.

roadwarrior

Why do people feel the need to make sweeping generalizations?

Because it humors the rest of us.

acorn_user

Actually, we are a club sport, we just get a little money from the school, like any club does. Sorry to hear you don't. The drives in the SE conference can be pretty epic. Which school are you at? I rode the Georgia Tech road race last year.

jkizzle

we are too, we are supposed to get reimbursed, but i have yet to see my check in the mail...

merlinextraligh

Race 3 hours away. Entry fee $30, Hotel $125. Meals $75. Gas at $3.00 gallon, $30. Total $260.

Entry fee $30, Hotel $125. Meals $75. Gas at $4.00 gallon, $40. Total $270.


If $10 is going to break you, you can't afford this sport.

Lithuania

it may come as a suprise to some of you in the higher tax brackets but the less your income is the more $10 can affect you.

just saying

FatguyRacer

It aint the gas. I kinda draw the line at having to get a hotel and eating out if its just me. What we need is a BF directory of spare bedrooms.

botto 

never heard of Motel 6?

FatguyRacer

I wouldnt take a hooker to a motel 6.

92degrees

$10 would not stop me from racing, but I'm not finding the current prices adding up to a $10 difference...even tho I drive a little late model sedan. Fuel is easily costing me $35-40 more per weekend, and at current prices my budget for racing has jumped ~$900 for the season. Again, it's not going to stop me from going, but it means the rest of my budget for racing just got smaller.

waterrockets 

Car? Sounds like another TopGear episode...

patentcad

What's 20 British Pound Sterling worth in dollars today Treefox, like a hundred?

merlinextraligh

You're driving a long way to races. With gas up a dollar a gallon, if you get 20mpg on the highway (which even my Dodge Durango can do) you'd have to be driving 700-800 miles a weekend.

FatguyRacer

I just cant see Jezza staying in anything less than a Hampton Inn.

FWIW, I dont see MYSELF staying at anything less than a Hampton Inn.

merlinextraligh

I understand that. However, if the margins are that tight in the first place, perhaps driving to distant races isn't such a good economic idea even at $2 gas.


The thread is kinda like the middle class family saying that they're not going to drive to DisneyWorld this summer because of gas, when Gas prices are changing their total trip cost from $4,000 to $4,100.

Lithuania

what i am trying to point out is how you show a typical race weekend costing 260 or 270 for you. Sure 10 bucks aint much of a difference.

Now if your race costs are closer to 50 bucks that extra 10 hits home a lot more.

you dont HAVE to be rich to play in this sport

If I race 40 times thats $400 extra I could have used on wheels or something.

botto 

super 8, motel 6, comfort inn, best western... the only difference is the breafast and whether or not there's internet in the room or lobby.

FatguyRacer

I gotta tell ya. If my race weekends were costing me upwards of 300 bucks, I would never race again and instead spend that money on track days with my motocycle. This has nothing to do with not being able to afford it. Its has everything to do with getting value for my dollar spent. I supposed I would feel differently about this if I were a consistent top 10 placing rider. But I'm not, so it's not worth it.

Frunkin

Thats your problem. Wake up earlier = save $200.
Now go buy yourself a nice set of ultegra open pros.

NeelsGap86

Dude, nations in Europe are so freakin small compared to the US of A. Coupled with suburbanization and long distance driving, then you have the recipe for races that are far away from where you live.

CastIron

While Merlin makes a fair point about costs, it's also another way to nickel and dime yourself to death in a sport where it's already way too easy to do. One thing I'm trying to do this year is ride more and better while getting a tighter leash on those small expenses. After all, a few gel packs and a bottle of sports drink and you're in for $5.

Lithuania

one of the local racers in my area has a blog where he is trying to keep track of every cent he spends towards cycling and commuting this year. It really does add up.

patentcad

That's like keeping track of how many times you whack off. What the F is that good for? You'd be convinced you're going to go blind and then you'd stop, what fun would that be?

CastIron

Indeed. If you really do go blind you can more easily pretend it's someone else.

Lithuania

well he also keeps track of the money he saves versus driving to work or other places so its cool to see how much money he saves and how he can basically end up racing for free.