Originally Posted by Freud
Something I have been wondering while reading this thread is what you frugal folks do about gear. I am trying to become more frugal while in college, but finding my new found hobby and way of commuting by bicycle I need some new things.
Rain Gear(the oregon willamete valley, enough said)
Water bottles, cages
bags
the list goes on
What do some of you do to get around buying jersyes, specialized rain gear, fancy items?
I try to look at gear sensibly. A lot of what's sold in the LBS is really for fashion rather than utility. Jerseys are a prime example. A poly T shirt is just as good as a jersey for maybe a tenth the cost.
Bike shorts, on the other hand, I find are a real value. But the $35 pair is good enough, the $200 pair is only a little better. A pair of shorts will last over a year of daily riding if you wash them frequently. Rain gear in your climate is probably a good thing to have. If you need it for warm weather you're going to have to pay a lot (like $200 on sale) to stay dry. But in cool rains, when sweating isn't a problem, the cheap nylon (maybe $30) will actually keep you dryer than Goretex. Personally, in a warm rain I'd just as soon get wet rather than mess with rain gear.
Student backpacks are very well made now and have features that only high end bags had a few years ago. They will be on sale soon (back to school specials) for $40 or so for a great one. True weatherproof messenger bags are going to set you back a lot, of course.
Cages and bottles--you can get 'em cheap from the LBS. A 20 OZ pop bottle works fine in a $4 cage. As for bike components, use some common sense there too. For example, is a 10 speed cassette really worth the extra money over an 8 speed? For most riders, no. Top of the line parts aren't that much better than the cheaper group for most of us.