How much money are you willing to spend on cycling

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PaulSB

Legendary Member
If I'm convinced the purchase represents good value and will enhance my enjoyment then with in reason I'll pay the price asked. I always purchase from my LBS as I like to support them.

The down right stupid I won't entertain. Like the bottle cage for £49.99 I saw recently - it has a small box which clips to the bottom and carries a multi-tool. It's a decent Lezyne tool but this is definitely a solution looking for a problem.
 
Like many others in here, I pay for what I like and need rather than for the latest crazes as long as it hopefully provides value for money in the short and in the long term.

I’ve had a few new bikes (Triban 3 - too big, Boardman CX comp - wheel broke beyond economic repair and a Cannondale Trail 7 - still going strong) and a fair few used bikes (Raleigh airlite - bought in moment of madness and quickly sold on, Norco Threshold - chopped in for a Kaffenback built which unfortunately got written off after 18 months as the mech hanger broke where it was welded in and couldn’t be repaired without weakening frame, I’ll always miss this bike and finally a Saracen MTB on permanent loan to me that I love as I can upend the back wheel, do skiddies and race my boys on the school run with; feel like a big kid again).

My current fleet is:

Wiggins Rouen, second hand and then modified to fit, total cost £350ish.

Cannondale Trail 7, new on cycle to work 7 years ago, total cost about £400 including the 650 wheels to replace the 29ers which I still have an a baby seat for a £1 (best ever EBay win!!!)

Saracen MTB on permanent loan to me. Cost nothing.

I also don’t need a 1xspeed or the lastest 11/12 speed when a perfectly functional and rugged 8/9 speed will do the trick. I’ve had Tiagra, 105 and SRAM Apex and to be honest keeping everything tuned was a bit of a nightmare, a lower speed with wider chain seems somehow more tolerable and in the long term cheaper to replace as parts are cheaper. I do draw the line at 8speed, particularly the latest R2000’s with underbar routing, they look nicer then previous generations so there is now no need to upgrade for aesthetics reasons and from a lighting perspective there is no longer a cable in the way.

In otherwords new and second hand bring a big smile to my face in different ways, the final bike I want to complete the stable of four/three is a Planet X London road if the loan bike needs to be returned at some point.
 
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wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
From this moment on as close to bugger all as possible, while keeping everything going satisfactorily.
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
It is amazing how insidious the consumer culture has become.

That is so true, and it's important not to forget this. For me, cycling is a mixture of enjoyment. exercise, and cheap short distance utility transport. This does not require expensive bikes, clothing, or gadgets.
I spend as little as possible and as much as necessary on cycling. Tyres are my biggest cost, not bikes or kit. I reckon I've spent less than £50 on cycling in total this year, and not much over a hundred quid in any previous year. All my bikes are secondhand, I do all my own maintenance, so it just comes down to the odd small accessory and wear & tear replacements.
 
Location
London
Have lots of bikes of all ages.
Been into adult proper cycling for 20 to 25 years.
Spending has declined a lot as no great need - I have good stocks of spares, some bought good condition second-hand as originals no longer sold new and i consider some of the old bits superior.
None of my bikes are more than 9 speed and I won't be going any higher - no need to - and this simplifies stock-holding massively.
Don't see any real problems maintaining the bikes.
Folk chasing "the latest thing", which may be history two years later must spend a hell of a lot, end up with lots of scrap incompatible with their other scrap.
My favourite day to day bike was built on something I got for £30 and has bits from a 15-20 year old thing that cost £1,500 on it - including a rear mech that with the addition of new jockey wheels is still going strong despite me once giving it a bash that tore some spokes out.

Cycling clothing, particularly tops, lasts for ages and I have stacks of it.
 

screenman

Legendary Member
There are about £7000 worth of bikes alone in my collection at cost price, my actual spend last year though would only have been a couple of hundred though, how much I would spend depends on my mood or desires at that time, so is a variable figure.
 

Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
As my hobby is restoring and building them, I probably don’t actually spend that much, as when I finally sell one of them (which I’m not very good at) it usually clears the expenditure and sometimes returns a small profit.

I keep a record of all expenditure (except tools and minor consumables) so far this year I’m in profit.
 
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