I am a noob, other than plenty of BMX'ing when i was a kid. I dusted off the GT mountain bike that was in storage, that i bought when i had that thing they call money lol.......

So my question is, has anybody else been completely slack jawed at the seemingly high cost of cycling? I went at looked at my LBS and i was surprised at how expensive most things were. From the bikes, to the accessories like shorts, helmets, etc..........

Anybody got any tips for budget biking? I got a good deal on a nice-to-me helmet, and my uncle sent me a nice blinkie, and s some toe clips and a really nice reflective vest (i have to ride at night).......but my budget is really tight....thank goodness for family.

Is cycling like other stuff, where one crowd says "only the best will do, anything else is unserviceable junk" and the other says "buy the best you can afford, it'll be fine" or is cycling like some things, where the low cost stuff really is unserviceable junk?

I look forward to any advice you guys have, resources, etc for a noob on a budget!

Sticker shock???
Used to buy a cupa coffee for 5 cents.
Now $2.50). Same for all other stuff.

All the above. Most folks on this forum will say to stay away from the department store bikes, but opinions will differ on the lower end stuff. It really depends on your expectations and intended usage. I tend to be more budget conscious and most of my bikes were purchased used. Keep an eye on the conversations here and you will develop a feel for what to look for in various gear.

One thing many people will do when bike shopping, especially on Craigslist, is to post a link here to get some feedback on what they are looking at and if it is a fair deal or not.

thanks for the reply. ill peruse the forums a bit, see what i can learn.

Biking is like a lot of other sports/hobbies these days that require some gear. Sky is the limit if you have no budget limit, while you can do things on the cheap if you have your priorities straight and are willing to buy used.

Yes there are extreme extremes here. I thought it might be a good idea to open a 'frugal forum' where people could post about Wally world bikes without all the nasty comments they usually get. (I didn't think about it seriously enough to bother with it.)

I've never had much money, and keeping the cost down has always been important. Most years my total expenses on bikes was less than $100, often down around $20. I like fixing things and had enough room to keep a supply of used parts for my bikes.

On my days off while running errands, I would usually travel through the alleys. I often rescued bikes or parts from the garbage.

In Canada, the Mountain Equipment Coop has the cheapest parts I've found. My needs are quite basic. Mostly tubes, tires, review mirrors, lights and fenders. MEC takes care of it, and mostly they are very decent quality.

before bikes, i was into high end watches.

in the end it always came down to "how much do you -want- to spend?"

what you want, what you need and what you can afford will sometimes be lightyears apart.

Another way to save some bucks is to look for last year's model at the LBS. You can get brand new bikes for a little less money.

Do your research, price shop and don't be afraid of the internet.

Plan what you need, draw up a hit-list with prices, then buy the best you can afford.

You might get by for a while on really cheap stuff, but inevitably, it will let you down right when you need it most to get out of trouble, especially if you are doing a lot of night riding.

Wheels can be a significant issue when it comes to cheap.

GT generally has a reasonable reputation, so it's likely to have some durable components on it. Check the number of gears on the rear and ensure the chain is serviceable. Ensure the tyres aren't perished, and if they are, consider replacing them with smooth tyres rather than knobbies to make your riding more efficient... and they may well last longer, too.

If you are really wanting to get into cycling, one of the most important things to remember is that with bikes you often get what you pay for. I personally believe that the sweet spot for bikes is about $800-1500 dollars. This range will get you a very nice bike with the most performance for the buck. After that, you can get some super nice bikes, but I don't think most people need to spend that much. Right now I have a Trek 1000 that I spent around $700 on (base price) and a nice Madone that I spent $3500 on (base). I put the majority of the miles I ride on the Trek 1000, limiting my use of the Madone for the nice day fast rides. The Madone is by far the nicer ride...smoother, faster, more powerful feeling, but with the 1000 components are cheaper to replace and I don't mind clamping on all of the extras (bike trailer, rack, handlebar bag, etc) that I would probably never put on my Madone.

If a $800 entry level bike store bike is a bit steep, hit up Ebay/Craigslist. You can get some decent bikes there for much cheaper. Just keep in mind that finding the right fitting bike is often harder and that you are getting a used bike that may or may not have some hidden problems to it.

That all depends. If his budget is $150, it might be an excellent place to go if that's what it takes to put some wheels under his feet. I started up cycling again about 6 years ago with a Wal-Mart mountain bike. It didn't shift nearly as well as my two current bikes, it was heavy, ugly, didn't fit me well....but it did it's job. I rode to work and back everyday and it brought back the love of cycling to me that I hadn't had since childhood.

Now that I know better, I would never ride one of those bikes as I know what I like and am willing to save up the $$$ to get what I want from a bike shop or the time investment on finding a gem on craigslist, but for the very average cyclist not doing more than a few miles a day a few days a week, they are good enough.

It might be worth getting something used / cheap to start until you figure out what you really want. Going for rides with a club can be helpful as you will get exposed to a variety of different bike styles.

When I first started riding again I almost went out and bought a new hybrid. I'm glad I didn't because a road bike ended up being a better fit for me but I didn't know it at the time.

I really like the 9 speed cassette on my two newer bikes compared with the 7 speed on my old mountain bike. A quick glance at some of the cheaper department store bikes it looks like a lot of them still use 7 speed cassettes.

I was also, formerily, a WIS. I was also into high end stereos years ago. There are those into C & V stereos of the 60s and 70s who dumpster dive or buy used on Craigslist and are handy at repairing and restoring thier own electronics, others who look for "value" priced new high end gear, and still others who want the very best regardless of price. Depending on what you were looking for, you could spend anywhere from $100 to $100,000 on a stereo.

It seems like bikes are exactly the same, maybe not as high a ceiling as watches or stereos.

Cycling can definitely be done cheap or expensive. My first good bike was $5 at a garage sale. If that bike was a good fit and I just stuck with it, I could have probably done all the riding I've done in the last 5 years for under $200. But instead I've lost count of how many bikes I have and there are at least 2 I want to spend hundreds on for upgrades.

I'd say the biggest things to do keep costs down are do any repairs that you are able to yourself, have a bike that is easy/cheap to maintain (You probably don't want 10-11 speeds in the rear right now) and wait to come across deals.

Thanks for all the replies and tips

My GT is about 7 years old, bought new in 05. Seems to be decent Shimano Acera components, i dont know a whole lot, but they shift smoothly, through all 21 speeds. Its the rapid fire shifters, i like them alot. The main issue is my suntour sussy fork, it's crap, but Im looking at converting to a rigid fork, i think "suspension corrected" is the right term. I notice some of my pedaling effort seems to get soaked up by the sussy fork, i find myself bobbing when im riding hard.

I picked up a water bottle, and some bar ends from wally mart, but they dont have anything else i need. The bar ends and water bottle work well though.....

I just looked around, and found a few websites like nashbar and performance bike, which seem to have decent prices for alot of stuff, maybe its because im so new to this, i fall into the "don't know the value" trap, like cycling shorts, "50 bucks for some spandex shorts????" type thing......well worth the price, i just dont know it.....

My LBS was very helpful, and I'd like to support him, but WOW its expensive to shop there......I think he carges like 59 bucks for a tune up.....(which I may need, still learning the mechanics of derailer adjustemnt, etc) does that seem reasonable?

I guess just like anything else, it's a learning curve....but I really enjoy getting out there and riding, i hope I can get my wife and kids into it. Ive already lost some weight, and i get mad when I cant go for my nightly ride lol

I grew up with cycling. My father was into it, and I was reading Bicycling Magazine (back when it was good) when I was a kid. So I also grew up being aware of the cost of cycling.

Have a look at the Positive Experiences with Bicycle Shops sticky thread (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ted-businesses) for a start, and then start looking online:

MEC
REI
Performance
Nashbar
Sierra Trading Post
Chain Reaction Cycles
Wiggle
Torpedo 7

When I was getting into it, most of my stuff came from MEC and Nashbar. Now it comes from Chain Reaction Cycles, Wiggle, and Torpedo 7.

Both of those retailers have been around since the 80's and I've ordered from them for decades. They are actually owned by the same parent company now. Performance seems to be the premium brand and Nashbar is the discount online-only brand. I still buy from both, but I have a Performance store down the street, so I don't mail order from them. Average quality of their house brand stuff is good but not top of the line. I like the Performance classic jersey's and the Nashbar Isolation shorts are my favorites. A lot of their house brand parts are rebranded from other manufacturers. For instance, the Forte Campus and Nashbar Rodeo pedals are made by Wellgo.

yeah, Ive got no larger size bike shops anywhere near me, all local guys. I do have a sports authority, which i dislike strongly, and their cycling selection is no larger than wal mart, just higher priced.....

Im thinking the internet is going to be my best tool for finding what I need......

Fixed that for you. Nashbar (Bike Warehouse) predates Performance.
In recent years, I've used a wide variety of Nashbar or Forte pedals, among other bits and pieces. Currently a fan of Forte Metro K 26x1.25 tires on my 'bents.

Actually, I'm kind of surprised by how relatively constant entry-level LBS bike prices are. I bought a Specialized Rockhopper in 1991 for $499, I think (it could have been $399); that amount of money will still buy you a decent utility bike.

I think the high end has gone up more, though. And probably accessories.

I stand corrected. I first became aware of both when I started serioulsy riding in the early 80's, but you are right, Nashbar did start out under a different name.

I bought my bike for a bit over $420 new, a $600SRP bike, because it was 2009 model and it was 2011 at the time. However, I have rode it for over a year and put maybe 200-300 miles a month on it. I wipe and lubricate the chain every couple weeks. Higher price gets you components that may last longer and weighs less generally.

You may be able to find deals on used bikes on Craigslist, but that highly depends on the area where you live. In San Francisco, good deals are far and few between an the price of used bikes gets driven up a lot sometimes. My bike was $425 before tax, but I've seen the exact same thing listed on CL $500.

What kind of coffee? Most places in San Francisco sell brewed coffee for under $2. One place sells 12oz cup for $2.50, but they grind and make to order in a French Press.


Seven speed bikes now tend to be free wheels so they do not use cassettes per se. They are different than the freehub and cassette mechanism used on bikes with 8 or more speeds. Freewheels are used mainly due to lower cost.

About 1997 a Trek 930 went for about $500-600. A similarly spec'd bike will now run close to $1000.

Sticker shocked about cycling? Not even, when compared to purchasing and maintaining an automobile today, making cycling dirt cheap.

you may be right, but to commute 90 miles round trip is out of the question, so maintaining a vehicle comes first for me and my family, (actually 2 vehicles) along with all the other living expenses. cycling gets relegated to a budget of next to nothing........

I like the craigs list idea from an earlier post. $5-700 seems to be the entry level price point at my LBS.