Cycling on a Budget. Is it Possible?

Just for the sake of answering in short, yes. Cycling can be done for cheap. Many people think that cycling is not cheap. But the thing is that the better your investment, the better returns you will get and hence you will not have to spend more in the long run. This article is a full analysis of cycling and expenditure.

So, where do we start? Well, let's mark the essentials first. What you need for cycling are the things that follow; a helmet, a bicycle and safety equipment (reflectors, lights etc.). Without these essentials, you cannot ride a bike safely and call yourself a cyclist.

Next, the needed items are for the longevity of your bike, like tools, puncture repair kits, lubricants, spare parts etc., without which you CAN ride your bike, but you will not feel good about it as your bike will not be in a very good condition after a few hundred kilometres. You may also want cycling clothing as it is better and made specifically for the purpose of cycling.

Now, we will look at desires, which are more commonly called wants. You don't NEED the following things, but we all want them, don't we? The things are like new grips/bar tape, better looking helmets/jerseys, and not to forget, a completely new bike. This will be expensive, but the end of the day it was a desire which had been fulfilled. Now, the mind will focus on even better and new cycling technology, for even more unnecessary expenditure once the above has been fulfilled.

So, isn't it all just clear by now, that cycling can be done for a budget, but the desires that we feel we should fulfill are a big hurdle in doing so? The key requirement in cycling is the control of the mind. Focus on the riding, places you've been and want to go to on a ride, or the sheer joy of being on two wheels!

 There are many people who are examples of "nothing is impossible". To name a few, there's a guy who has cycled across the world on a singlespeed hardtail mountain bike. One person has ridden a fixed gear bike* from Berlin to Tokyo (despite the Caucasus mountain range in his route and having one gear!). Many people have did multiday trips on a department store bike. Now this may not be categorized in cycling, but a guy has also ridden a unicycle across the world! I'm telling all this so that everyone realises that cycling isn't limited to a certain bike or budget. Just have a pair of wheels and roam anywhere you want! After all, cycling isn't always the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia or any races like that. It is your happiness.

Now I am not saying that you can ride an 8000rs. (around $100) bike in the Tour de France. Some things are not considered legal by UCI (a worldwide cycling union), and that's where the difference between recreational cycling and racing starts to appear. If you are a recreational cyclist (a cyclist who does not race but rides for joy), like me, then you don't need a really great bike. Trust me, I ride a cheap singlespeed hybrid and mtb, and I just enjoy the sport. I have did a race and now I'm back to the "ride for joy" category, which I feel is better. So, it's inevitable that you will have to increase your budget if you want to be a competitive cyclist. If you are too good, then you can become like Peter Sagan, Chris Froome or other pro cyclists. Who knows?

The real question is that can you do competitive cycling on a budget? Well, kind of. You will have to go to the maximum of your budget to get a good quality bike (at least without a Shimano Tourney groupset!) and be out of your limits in riding and train hard. Just think to yourself that if you can do wonders on a budget bike, then what can you do on an expensive high end bike with greater efficiency. Just train hard and get ready for the big days.

Now, let's get back to recreational cycling. Simply put, you can ride anywhere while having fun on a budget. But there's one thing that is higher in level than budget, and that is knowledge. If you have the knowledge, then you can do wonders with even a cheap bike. Many people build bikes, i.e, that they buy all the parts required(first hand or second hand) and then assemble them. This is cheaper if done using second hand parts, but first hand is a bit more expensive than just buying a new bike. Become the mechanic of your own bike and don't rely on anyone often.

Tools are the best one-time investment

 If you build your own bike, you will gain a lot of knowledge and skills.Your one-time investment would be the tools, but once you buy them, you don't need to do so again for a lifetime! Plus it will be custom to you and you can proudly call it your own bike and not one bought from a shop. The best way I think to gain mechanical knowledge is by searching in the internet. Open google and type "bike forums" and you will see many threads of a particular question that is being asked in that forum. You can even ask questions yourself and wait for the answers to your questions. I got into being a home mechanic by the same.

The simplest bike is the best budget bike.

If you are a recreational cyclist and don't want to build a bike, you can always buy a bike. Just follow this simple mantra while buying a bike on a budget; quality is greater than quantity. What I mean to say is that the simpler and less mechanically complex bike you buy for a given amount of money, the better it will be. Many people mostly choose quantity over quality while choosing a budget bike. They want gears, suspension, disc brakes and all that type of stuff. Now, I will tell you what kind of stuff they eventually buy: Shimano Tourney 21 speed, unbranded cheap mechanical disc brakes(worse than v-brakes), steel rims, cottered cranks, threaded headset and a coil suspension fork. The bike will last a few weeks or even months before it starts to fall apart. Sometimes even the 21 speed is a fake version of Shimano Tourney. So, while on a budget, always aim for the least amount of features and most amount of quality. That's my mantra. I have kept my singlespeed hybrid for more than half a year till now and it's working as good as it can be. Sometimes I imagine what it would have cost me in maintenance if I had bought a geared bike with discs and suspension. I just can't imagine...

Please note that I have written this article mostly for recreational cyclists and not for competitive ones. After all, a cyclist is a cyclist. But if you feel that I have missed out on something, please let me know in the comments below. Till then, keep riding, be happy and stay tuned!


*Fixed gear is a bike without gears, like singlespeed, but does not have any brakes, as there is no freewheeling mechanism and it can be stopped by pedalling backwards.