I am reminded of a post I made some time earlier this year on the tandem forum regarding the costs of serious cycling x2; that is, when you take up riding with a spouse or partner and need to outfit them as well as yourself. From my previous post.....

The Costs of Serious Cycling

Let's take a notional look at what the real costs are associated with what I would refer to as "serious cycling" by the folks who spend some evenings, most weekends, 1/2 their holidays, and a lot of their vacation with their partner on a tandem. In fact, the real hardcore teams can usually be found heading off with a few other couples for week-long self-guided tours, spending 3-day weekends at tandem rallies with 50 - 500 other couples or families, or perhaps taking at least one week or two week long tandem tour each year.

Disclaimer: The dollars for each item noted is intended to be a mid-range. Bargain shoppers can most certainly find the items listed for less and I can assure you there are certainly items on the market that cost more than the higher numbers presented below.

Cycling Gear For the Body – The Basics

1 pr Shoes............$60 - $200
1 Helmet...............$60 - $150
1 pr Shorts/Bibs....$50 - $130
1 Jersey...............$45 - $89 (Short Sleeve)
1 pr Eyewear........$35 - $125
1 pr Socks............$ 8 - $ 8
............................$258 - $702 per person
............................$516 - $1,404 per couple

Over time, most teams will end up with multiple pairs of riding shorts/bibs and jerseys and several pair of socks for any number of many reasons, e.g., multiple day events, club kit, event premiums, etc… So, you can easily see how the investment in basic apparel can grow rather quickly.

Cycling Gear For the Body – The All Season Gear

Winter/Mud Shoes......….....$60 - $200
Head Gear / Helmuffs...…...$10 - $15
Knickers or Knee Warmers..$20 - $30
Tights or Leg Warmers.…...$35 - $150
Tights – Heavy Weight..…..$60 - $150
Long Sleeve Jersey......…....$55 - $89
Winter Weight Jersey..…....$75 - $115
Wind Vest or Jacket....….....$55 - $95
Winter Weight Jacket ….....$95 - $150
Rain Jacket...............……...$35 - $85
Shoe Covers.............……....$25 - $40
Winter Weight Socks……...$10 - $10
..................................………$535 - $1,129 per person
.................................……….$1,170 - $2,258 per couple

Again, similar to warm weather gear, many teams will end up with multiple pairs of tights, long-sleeve jerseys, and different types of outerwear for different conditions.

Combined with the Basics, you're talking about having perhaps $1,678 - $3,662 invested in cycling apparel to support a very-active riding habit. So, as you can see, it doesn't take long to find that the investment in "gear you wear" can quickly begin to equal or exceed the cost of the "gear you ride".

(Devil's Advocate) Come on, you really don't "need" all of this fancy stuff just to ride a bicycle. Tennis shoes, shorts, and a t-shirt are more than adequate for me.

Everyone has different levels of "need" which can easily become blurred by "wants". When it comes to cycling apparel, "need" is really defined by where your ride, when you ride, the way your ride, and how far you ride. For cyclists who head out for 30 - 100 non-stop mile rides at a fast clip, long lasting, properly designed, and properly fitted cycling shoes and shorts are necessary, not just nice to have items. For tooling around on the bike path or "fun rides" at moderate speeds with lots of breaks, the benefits to be derived from high-performance cycling gear may not justify the expenses. So, again, it's all about matching up how you decide to spend discretionary income to meet individual needs and expectations.

However, as others note, the level of investment in cycling equipment tends to be amortized over many years, if not decades for some equipment and apparel items. Moreover, when compared to the costs of other "hobbies" cycling, even if you equip yourself to the nines, is still relatively cheap. For example, I ride commute to work via motorcycle all year long here in Georgia which means dealing with inclement weather and temps that run from 98 degrees with 90% humidity in the summer to the low-teens in the winter. All I can say is, I'm glad I use it for transportation and not recreation to where I'd have to outfit my wife with year-round riding gear. From lightweight mesh-jackets in the summer to rain gear to double-insulated jackets, heated gloves and heated base layers in the winter, you gotta have it all and none of it's cheap. Thank goodness I sold my sailboat and gave up downhill skiing when I left California....