Myself like many others have a tendency to leap before we look when it comes to things we are passionate about. As my young daughter contemplates joining her Dad’s Road Racing team as the youngest junior I now have to budget more time and money somehow. So this has lead me to think about this topic and get it down in writing to see if our desired road racing goals are financially feasible and time friendly.
So here are the items I know that must be covered in a season of Road Racing. I do not cover the costs of entry into racing in the below, such as bike(s), spare wheels, helmet….
Membership: Team/Club membership, Team Uniform, USA Cycling Road Racing License…
Bike Maintenance: Tires, Chain, Cassette, Shifter/Brake cables and cable housing, Bar Tape, Chain Lube, Cleaning Supplies, Tuning…
Bike Upgrades: Wheels, Drive Train, Telemetry/Power Meter, Cockpit, Frame, Fork…
Athlete Maintenance: Regular visits to Doctor, Coaching Services, supplements, training, travel, nutrition, gym membership, training equipment…
Race Day: Event fee(s), travel, lodging, meals…
The Unexpected: Injury Rehab, Bike Replacement, Equipment Replacement…
The list above represents costs I have incurred over the last 3 seasons as a beginning Road Racer. I am sure that I am missing items and some are optional. The further you climb in the cycling ranks some costs will increase and some will decrease.
I have teammates that not only race the local Road Race calendar but also cover the CX calendar. Other teammates are developing specializations such as Time Trialing which mean specialized equipment.
I do not cover the actual cost’s on the above items for one very simple reason. Your mileage may vary. The amount of racing, training and traveling changes from year to year so I do not want to scare away possible new racers from the sport because we need new racers every year.
In a later post, I will cover the time that should be considered when participating in this sport. Until then remember this “The best upgrade you can make is the one you make to yourself.”
Have a safe ride.