Bike running costs... what are yours?

[hugh_]

I've got a 2006 Trek 6700 which Ive had for the last 4 years which has only had fairly light use, a bit of commuting at uni, and some single track stuff in the last year. Anyway, I have a trip to Afan planned in a couple of weeks so thought I'd give it the once over as all I've ever done to date is clean, oil, adjust cables, change pads once and a pair of tyres. I knew the bottom bracket was on its way out, and one of the rear derailleur jockeys wheels was missing a couple of teeth but further inspection revealed rather more minor ailments than I was expecting. The rear axle cassette side bearing had a tiny bit of play and new bearings and grease didnt get it running smooth, the chain was looking worn and had a fair bit of lateral flex, both discs weren't too far off their minimum thickness, and all pads were low. So, 2x Hayes V6 discs, 2x pairs of pads, a Truvativ GXP BB, a SRAM PC971 chain, a 2010 SRAM X7 rear derailleur (because Im not paying £22 for a new jockey wheel...), a Mavic Crossride rear wheel, some lube, some threadlock and £255 later and I'll have a bike thats ready for action again!

I think of the hours of fun I've had on the bike and its definitely a price I'm willing to pay, but it struck me as rather a lot, ok the rear wheel could have been avoided with more tlc between rides but on the whole it is just wear and tear. Which got me wondering, how much do others end up spending just keeping their bikes going?

[snotrag]

Put it another way - thats £63 quid a year.

Not that bad really is it?

[m_cozzy]

Well my 2005 gt avalanche used occasionally for a few cycle tracks had 1 back tyre.... until the last 2 months when I started using it properly. Since them I've replaced the folowing due to wear.

pair of avid juicy 5 @£130
rockshox recon SL @ £175
cane creek headset @ £44
xtr chain @ £20
slx cassette @ £50
2 panaracer tyres @ £25
wellgo mg1 pedals @ £35

so £100 ish a year avergaed out, not to bad.

[Gooby]

New chain every 5 months or so £35
New casette every 6 months or so £80
New pads every 3 months £30
New grips every year £20
Lube every month £12
Chainrings, about £50 every 6 months
Bearings £100 per year
So far I have not replaced rotors but they are floating rotors so wont be cheap
Jockey wheels £40 per year
New cables every 6 months £50
Suspension pins £10 per year
New BB £70 (18 months)
Pedal clips every 12 months £20
Muckoff budget is HUGE

Just an estimate £800 a year + insurance ... st - not a cheap hobby

[Accelebrate]

5 year old Specialized P2, not used particularly regularly now but treated with little respect when it is. I've only done one complete strip down and rebuild since I bought it, all it has really needed in that time is...

1 x Bottom Bracket - £35
1 x Set of tyres - £60

A few sets of disc bolts, bearings, grease etc.


My recently retired commuting bike could trump that for economic running costs though...

Bike - £30

Then over 3 years:

Front brake pads - £4
No tools chain link, to fix a snapped chain - £2
New chain rings and cranks - £0 (salvaged off an abandoned bike)

[Roman]

Gooby said:

New chain every 5 months or so £35
New casette every 6 months or so £80
New pads every 3 months £30
New grips every year £20
Lube every month £12
Chainrings, about £50 every 6 months
Bearings £100 per year
So far I have not replaced rotors but they are floating rotors so wont be cheap
Jockey wheels £40 per year
New cables every 6 months £50
Suspension pins £10 per year
New BB £70 (18 months)
Pedal clips every 12 months £20
Muckoff budget is HUGE

Just an estimate £800 a year + insurance ... st - not a cheap hobby

A new £80 cassette every 6 months? Assume this is XTR? - if you're not competing I'd just switch to XT or Sram 970 which are more durable and are £50 cheaper.

£50 on cables every 6 months?

£12 of lube every month?

I'd be tempted to try an internal hub gear!

[theboymoon]

i dread to think but easily pushing towards 4 figures each year...

[mackie1]

I've only been mountain biking for a few months but I've already forked out for 2 new tyres (£50) and a new front wheel (£70). Start up costs including helmet, clothes, gloves, lights, tools, grips, hydration pack and a fork upgrade probably approaching £1500 (including the bike). I'm already lusting after a £2k full susser. I can see this being an expensive pass time.

[Gooby]

Gooby said:

New chain every 5 months or so £35
New casette every 6 months or so £80
New pads every 3 months £30
New grips every year £20
Lube every month £12
Chainrings, about £50 every 6 months
Bearings £100 per year
So far I have not replaced rotors but they are floating rotors so wont be cheap
Jockey wheels £40 per year
New cables every 6 months £50
Suspension pins £10 per year
New BB £70 (18 months)
Pedal clips every 12 months £20
Muckoff budget is HUGE

Just an estimate £800 a year + insurance ... st - not a cheap hobby

Holey crap - Plus tyres at £35 a go probably 3 a year.
I hope my wife doesnt read this!

I am off to get a new chain....

[Marcellus]

Last 12 months for me (OK neither bikes ridden between November and May due to snow);

Road bike
- Ridden about 1500 miles
- perhaps it feels unloved
- spent €0 on it.

Mountain bike
- ridden most days in real mountains!!
- 4xtyres (€80)
- 10xtubes (£30)
- 4xsets pads (€60)
- End bars (I like them for climbing sorry) €20
- Saddle bag (€20)
- Lift Pass (€58)
- Chain (€20)
(BTW what is the min thickness of rotors?)


Edited to add;
- dentists costs - 2xcrowns €1200, 2xroot canal work €250!!

Edited by Marcellus on Tuesday 29th September 17:29

[longblackcoat]

Including everything - like broken pedals, ripped clothes, new Camelback inners, suspension servicing, tyres, tyre sealant, race entry fees, all normal consumables - it's into 4 figures a year.

A hell of a lot cheaper than MX, so good value from my POV>

[hugh_]

hmm maybe my costs arent too bad then... Most of the bits turned up today and was hoping to get it together and go for a ride before the light faded, but it wasnt too be as the chain fouls the new derailleur when on 1-9

Minimum thickness on my Hayes V6's is 1.52mm

[mchammer89]

Last 12 months:

New chain - £10
New sprocket - £15
New chainring - £25
Headset bearings & lube £4
Tyres - 6 @ £15 each

£144, pretty gross sum of money.

[thetrash]

Since january

£55 Hope BB
£70 Pair of tyres
£15 lube
£60 New helmet after failed bunnyhop attempt! Doh!!!
£25 DMR V8s

Pretty good for what i've done on it

[PomBstard]

Hmm, good question. Has made me a little nervous to work it out, but I reckon around AU$5500, say GBP2700 at current rates, in 5 years. Thats for a Giant XTC for 5 years and a Yeti 575 for 3 years. The Giant's had a pretty easy life since I got the Yeti, but that figure still includes a new pair of carbon rigid forks for the Giant, and a couple of carbon bars. A significant chunk of that has gone to Mssrs Chain and Reaction!

It doesn't include labour, any protective gear or clothing, and I'm looking to replace my Fox Floats in the next 6 months, so that figure's a starting point.

[Floor Tom]

Race licence £93 (I think its that anyway)
Entry fees £580
3 Saint Mechs £270 (I will not be using these again)
4 Maxxis Wet screams £140
4 Maxxis High rollers £140
2 Maxxis Minnions £70
1 Hope floating rotor £30
3 Mavic 721 rims £120
2 sets of spokes £40
2 sets of prolock spoke nipples £20
Grips £15

Above are all parts what I have broken or worn out this year. I also had to buy the following for my bike at the start of the year
Forks £375 (second hand)
Hope BB £50
Chain £12
Cassette £30
Hope Moto Tech brakes £350
Bars £70
Saddle £30
XT Shifter £40
E13 bash ring £30

So a total of £2505

A lot of the prices above are guessed at and a lot of the parts I got for less through sponsors, however I think I probably still paid about £2000 for the above. I then also had fuel money to the french alps and back for the Mega as well as to all the races, though other people havn't counted this (and I have no idea how much it would add up to) so I havn't included it. The main shock is that my XC bike as not needed anything at all all year. It is coming up for needing the rear tyre replaced and the chain has taken some oil and that is it (my DH bike gets ridden a lot more than it to be fair). My single speed commuter needs new brake pads too so that'll be another £20 soon.

[zebedee]

Last 2 years:

Kona Jake cyclocross bike
Blackburn pannier rack
Vaude pannier bag
Selle Italia SLR saddle
2 pairs cycling shorts
2 cycling tops
A High viz gilet
A Chris King bottom bracket
2 new chains, one new cassette
A Continental GP 4 season tyre
Various bottles of lube and bike cleaner
A new inner tube
A co2 cartridge tyre inflator and some cartriges
A new Giro Animas bike helmet
A water bottle
Probably some more stuff I can't remember!

Cost - free. How? Because I bought it over time with money I saved from the daily car and train commute - £6 a day - soon adds up and it would otherwise have gone to the Ford garage, London Midland and Shell. Oh, and I still have £120 in the bike fund ready for the next upgrade!

Start commuting and keep a record of how much you save - the missus can't argue about how much you spend on your bike then!

[Sarkmeister]

People seem to be spending a lot more than me (I ride my Trek 6500 off-road approx once a week, with the occasionally weekend away at trail centres). Since last May I have bought:

2 x Nobby Nics Tyres - £55
SRAM 991 chain - £20
DMR grips - £10
Bottle of Lube - £5
Muc-off - £6
DMR V8 pedals - £25

[marine boy]

Over the last 18 months, covering about 1500 miles commuting to and from work a grand total of £15

£7 of that was to have a rear wheel straightened after being hit by an MPV while on the way home one night

[Sarkmeister]

Sarkmeister said:

People seem to be spending a lot more than me (I ride my Trek 6500 off-road approx once a week, with the occasionally weekend away at trail centres). Since last May I have bought:

2 x Nobby Nics Tyres - £55
SRAM 991 chain - £20
DMR grips - £10
Bottle of Lube - £5
Muc-off - £6
DMR V8 pedals - £25

Seems I spoke too soon, I have just had to replace the cassette as well (£25)