People have many sports-related hobbies, from actively participating in a sports team to researching about sports betting on Golden Nugget and similar review sites. Cycling is rising in popularity around the world as more and more people are taking it up both as a hobby and as a means of transportation. Gas prices are going up, car maintenance and ownership are becoming more and more expensive; therefore, spinning the pedals is starting to sound like a really good idea.
However, one concern that a lot of people have is that they will have to rob the bank in order to start cycling. Is that true, though? Do you need to be rich in order to be a cycling enthusiast? Or can you take up cycling for little to nothing? We’ll try to answer these questions below.
How Much Do You Need to Spend on a Bike?
If you ask any long-term cyclist this question, most of them will give you an almost uniform answer: “Cycling is only as expensive as you make it.” We could not agree more with this answer, but let’s try to elaborate on it.
If you’re completely new to the cycling world and you’re snooping around in online and land-based bike shops, you might be daunted by the high prices you’re seeing on most products.
However, as a beginner, you don’t need to spend that much money on a new setup. To begin cycling, all that you really need is a bike. A new bicycle can cost more than $10,000, or it can cost as low as $200 (and even less). It all depends on how much money you can spare.
You can save even more by looking into used bicycles. If you do a little research, you can find very good second-hand bicycles for less than $200. If you plan to ride moderately, a bike like that will serve you quite well.
Nonetheless, a decent, new entry-level bicycle usually costs between $500–$1,000, which will give you more than you need in terms of components and technology to keep you going for a long time, even if you’re planning to ride every day. Everything that you pay above that is an extra.
How Much Does Bike Maintenance Cost?
Having to spend a lot of money on bike maintenance is another myth that we’ll try to dispel. In reality, all that you need to keep your bike tight and rolling is a set of Allen keys, a wrench (maybe), and some bike lube. Water and soap are also preferred as well, but they are part of the optional equipment.
Bicycles are very simple machines, even though people often try to make them seem too complicated. Most aspects of bike maintenance can be done by the rider, without the need to visit a local bike shop.
Depending on the setup you have, buying spare parts can but doesn’t have to be expensive. If you have expensive components, replacing or upgrading them will cost you money. However, if you have entry-level components, they will be pretty cheap to replace.
Even so, if you’re keeping everything tight, clean, and lubricated, you can usually ride a bicycle for thousands of miles before having to change anything.