Getting into cycling can be a bit daunting to a complete newbie, because it requires a bit of preparation. It doesn’t have to be this way though- and I’ll break everything down in this post. Before that though, let’s answer one of the first questions that everyone has- is cycling an expensive hobby?
The approximate expenditure in the first year of cycling is $500-600, including the cost of a starter bike, accessories and maintenance. Taking the average life of bikes as 6 years, the amortized cost, plus cost of bi-annual maintenance comes to approximately $90-130, which is extremely affordable.
These figures are based on my own experience as well as readily available prices online. You can get even better deals with a bit of digging around though, and these numbers are just a rough guide.
How To Save Your Money When You Are Just Starting Out Cycling
I tell this to everyone who is just starting out- buy a used bike. You’ll save SO much money by doing this. My riding partner, Col. Pande who also writes on this website, got a second-hand (barely used) road bike for just around $700 or 500 GBP, whereas it’s retail cost is around $2100 or £ 1500.
I usually go on weekend rides or use my bike to commute, which is why I’ve been using a used hybrid bike for the last 2 years. This was a starter model, with retail cost around $400 (£280 ) plus accessories. I ended up saving approximately $150 (£100) on the purchase.
Buying a bike will form the bulk of your overall expense, so do it really carefully. I recommend you watch this video on buying a second hand road bike before you scroll down further.
Expenses You Will Incur While Cycling
I made a handy table that breaks down all the usual expenses that a cyclist has to bear. You can use this as a reference for things you’ll need to buy along with the bike as well as to get a fair idea of the maintenance costs.
I broke down the costs into three categories- Basic Expenses, Maintenance Expenses and Optional Expenses. For each item within these categories, I basically looked up prices online, adjusted a few figures based on my personal experience and made the table.
| Item | Low Range | Mid Range | Upper Range | Type of Spend |
| Bike (Road/MTB) | $400 or £280 | $1500 or £1100 | $5000 or £3700 | Basic Expense |
| Helmet | $50 or £37 | $150 or £111 | $500 or £370 | Basic Expense |
| Rear and Front Lights | $13 or £9.62 | $20 or £14.8 | $50 or £37 | Basic Expense |
| Cycling jersey | $18 or £13.32 | $35 or £25.9 | $58 or £42.92 | Basic Expense |
| Cycling shorts/pants | $19 or £14.06 | $39 or £28.86 | $50 or £37 | Basic Expense |
| Water Bottle With Bike Attachment | $9 or £6.66 | $29 or £21.46 | $40 or £29.6 | Basic Expense |
| Cable lock | $5 or £3.7 | $10 or £7.4 | $19 or £14.06 | Basic Expense |
| Air pump | $10 or £7.4 | $16 or £11.84 | $29 or £21.46 | Basic Expense |
| Gloves | $12 or £8.88 | $19 or £14.06 | $30 or £22.2 | Basic Expense |
| Cycle repair kit | $9 or £6.66 | $17 or £12.58 | $24 or £17.76 | Maintenance |
| Bike Servicing (2x a year) | $20 or £14.8 | $50 or £37 | $100 or £74 | Maintenance |
| Degreaser | $12 or £8.88 | $26 or £19.24 | $64 or £47.36 | Maintenance |
| Chain lube | $6 or £4.44 | $10 or £7.4 | $19 or £14.06 | Maintenance |
| First Aid Kit | $10 or £7.4 | $100 or £74 | $150 or £111 | Optional |
| Cycling shoes | $50 or £37 | $70 or £51.8 | $100 or £74 | Optional |
| Clip pedals | $39 or £28.86 | $58 or £42.92 | $67 or £49.58 | Optional |
| Saddle Pouches | $14 or £10.36 | $49 or £36.26 | $100 or £74 | Optional |
| Hydration Packs | $35 or £25.9 | $74 or £54.76 | $149 or £110.26 | Optional |
| Cycle Stand (for home) | $24 or £17.76 | $69 or £51.06 | $119 or £88.06 | Optional |
| Pressure washer | $19 or £14.06 | $79 or £58.46 | $189 or £139.86 | Optional |
| New Saddle | $26 or £19.24 | $42 or £31.08 | $93 or £68.82 | Optional |
| TOTAL BASIC EXPENSES | $536 or £396 | $1818 or £1345 | $57776 or £4274 | |
| TOTAL MAINTENANCE EXPENSES | $57 or £42 | $203 or £150 | $357 or £264 | |
| TOTAL OPTIONAL EXPENSES | $207 or £153 | $441 or £326 | $817 or £604 |
If you look at the above table carefully, you’ll realize that at the lower end, the total basic expenses AND maintenance expenses come to approximately $600 or £440, which is quite affordable as a one time expense for most people who might be reading this article.
The only recurring expense you might have would be servicing costs and replacing bike parts, which, in most cases doesn’t cost more than $60 or £42 per year.
Additionally, as I mentioned earlier, the upfront cost gets distributed over the number of years you ride the bike, so the actual cost comes down even further.
Now, I’m sure you would like more details about the items I listed in the table above, which is why, in the following sections, I’ll tell you all about them.
Basic Expenses
#1 Buying a Bike
Of course, buying a bike is the biggest upfront cost that you have to pay if you want to start cycling as a hobby. The actual cost also varies based on the TYPE of bike you want.
Generally, starter road bikes are cheaper than mountain bikes (MTBs).
Hybrid bikes come somewhere in between these two, and in some cases, might even be cheaper than road bikes.
Then there are the specialized bikes like BMX bikes, cyclocross bikes, velodrome bikes, that are very costly. I won’t mention them further because mostly people don’t start off with those bikes.
Another cost factor is the material used in constructing the bike:
The costlier bikes are made of carbon fiber which makes them lighter, mid-range ones are made from a carbon fiber alloy or just aluminium, and lower end ones are made of aluminium or steel.
All, in all a decent starter bike, whether it is a road bike, hybrid bike or a MTB, should cost somewhere around $400-500 (£ 280-350). A mid range version of these bikes would cost approx. $1500 or £1100 and at the high end the cost goes up to $5000 or £3700
#2 Helmet
The most important safety equipment when you’re on the road- please do not skimp the expense on this item. A decent bike helmet costs approx $50-150 (£35-105), and lasts multiple years.
Also, while road bike and mountain biking helmets look different, you don’t need to purchase a MTB helmet specifically. A simple road bike helmet, like this one on Amazon will do well.
#3 Rear and Front Lights
Again, this is a very important safety equipment. Rear lights should be ON at all times while you’re riding, basically to make you more visible to any vehicles behind you.
For front lights- get a high powered model, not the standard low powered ones that many people buy because they’re cheaper. Again, it’s just a small additional expense, not more than a few $ or £ but makes your ride that much safer.
I found this to be the highest rated bicycle light on Amazon.
#4 Cycling jersey and shorts
Get a nice cycling jersey which is fluorescent and makes you much more visible to other vehicles on the road. It additionally has the effect of MAKING you feel like a true cyclist.
The jerseys also have handy pockets at the back which you can use to store your mobile phone, keys or even a banana while on the ride. They’re not very expensive either- check it out here.
Next, padded shorts are a MUST for every cyclist. You probably do not want to hear this, but you will have a sore bum after the first 4-5 rides. This is basically because your posterior muscles are getting used to sitting on the saddle for extended periods.
Which is why, padded cycling shorts are a life-saver, and make you just a tad more comfortable while cycling. You can buy them here.
And no- you are NOT supposed to wear underwear while you have cycling shorts on (believe me- this is the most commonly asked question).
#5 Water Bottle and Attachment
You’ll have to buy a water bottle and a bottle attachment for the bike separately. Pretty necessary expense, given that you’ll need to rehydrate on rides a lot.
In fact, I recommend getting two attachments done so you can carry two bottles. Trust me, you’ll need it.
#6 Cable Lock
SO MANY bikes are stolen every single day. If you plan to go anywhere in public where you might leave your bike unattended, buy a cable lock today.
#7 Air Pump
Pretty self-explanatory, you are going to need to refill the air pressure in your bike tyres. I recommend checking the pressure after every 2 rides, as that is when I usually refill the air in my bike tyres.
#8 Gloves
If you plan on going for rides 30-40 minutes, get yourself a nice pair of cycling gloves. They help protect your hands from callouses and also help grip the handlebar much better.
Optional Expenses
#9 Cycling shoes
You can use a regular pair of sports shoes while cycling- just ensure that you have a good enough grip on the bike pedals, and you’ll be fine.
However, there are specific cycling shoes that you could also get. I don’t recommend these until you’ve progressed beyond the beginner stage, however.
Basically there are two variants of cycling shoes- ‘clipless’ and ‘with clips’ (check out this Amazon product link for reference).
The clipless shoes basically are a bit sleeker than your regular shoes and grip the pedal very nicely.
The clip-on shoes have a clip that gets attached to the pedals. This means that your feet remain attached to the pedals continuously until you unclip them. This improves pedalling efficiency considerably, however, takes a bit of time to get used to- which is why I suggest you don’t try this until you’ve been cycling regularly for 6+ months.
#10 Clip pedals
In continuation of the previous point- if you want to buy clip-on cycling shoes, you’ll require clip pedals that have a socket for attaching to the clip-on cycling shoes.
#11 Saddle Pouches
There are multiple saddle pouches that you can attach to your bike (Click here to get an idea of how they look). There’s a growing trend these days to go on multi-day bicycle tours, go offroading or even bikepacking, for which, saddle bags become a necessity for carrying stuff on your bike.
#12 Hydration Packs
Some cyclists prefer to carry hydration packs on their backs while cycling for ease of usage.
Also- hydration packs have larger capacity than just 1-2 water bottles that you might be able to carry otherwise, which is why they make sense for really long rides.
I don’t have one yet, but have been personally eyeing this one for a long time now.
#13 Cycling Stand
Most bikes don’t come with a stand, so keeping them stationary while storing them becomes a bit of a task. You can manage without a stand, absolutely, but if you’re okay spending a few $$ or ££ extra, you can also get a decent bicycle stand.
Here’s a nice one I found on Amazon.
#14 Pressure Washer
Washing your bike should be a weekly ritual. Even if you ride it just once a week, keeping it absolutely spick and span will increase it’s life considerably.
A portable pressure washer, like this one really helps make the process more efficient, and you can do it relatively quickly (within, say 10-15 minutes).
#15 New Saddle
Now, everyone has a different bone structure and for some people, the standard bike saddle just won’t be comfortable no matter how many times they ride on it, or whichever brand of padded cycling shorts they wear.
This point is also especially true for women, who have wider hip bones than men and need a wider saddle (like this one) to feel comfortable.
Safety & Maintenance Expenses
#16 Cycle Repair Kit
Get yourself a basic cycle repair kit, so that if you get a flat on the road, you can mend it yourself and continue on your way.
A cycle repair kit should ideally contain the following items:
- Tyre Levers
- Allen keys
- Mini Air Pump
- Foldable Multi Tool
- Spare Inner Tube
- Patch Kit
A mini pump, like the water bottle can be rigged to your bike’s frame pretty easily and I absolutely recommend that you invest in one.
All the other items can be carried in small saddle bag attached to your bike.
I really liked this bike repair kit on Amazon.
#17 Bike Servicing and Tune up
Once or twice a year, especially when you’re just starting out with cycling, I suggest you go to your local bike shop for a tune up.
While over time, you’ll pick up most of the things they do, when you’re just starting out, it can be overwhelming to learn everything at once, which is why, at least for the first year or so, get your bike serviced once or twice a year by a local professional.
#18 Degreaser
Your bike’s chain and gear sprockets will tend to accumulate a lot of grime over a period. Which is why cleaning it off with a toothbrush with a spray of degreaser is something you will find yourself doing regularly.
And if your hands get grimy while cleaning your bike? Just spray a bit of degreaser on your hands and wash it off- it goes away like MAGIC.
#19 Chain Lube
After every wash, do remember to apply chain lube to your bike’s chain as it helps it move efficiently. Otheriwse, the degreaser and soap-water combination tends to strip away all the lubrication, making the chain prone to failure.
A decent lube bottle, like this one on Amazon doesn’t cost more than $10 or £7. Here’s
#20 First Aid Kit
My co-writer on this blog, Col. Pande and I were in an accident while cycling in Delhi in Jul 2020. Having a mini first aid kit came in really handy at the time.
You have to remember – as a cyclist you are extremely exposed on the road, and you must have a basic kit having some gauzes, a crepe bandage and if you can afford it, a haemostatic agent (blood clotting agent) that can be used in case of a heavy bleeding injury.
Conclusion
Really, starting cycling as a hobby is not very expensive, it just requires a bit of planning and preparation. If you’ve read this article completely, you’re 90% there already- you don’t really need much outside this list.