hold up. How are you defining decent?
2 Likes
Same round here, looking around there are more people than ever out and about on road bikes. And plenty of them are interested in going fast - nice kit, aero bikes, deep wheels, power meters, subscriptions to training apps like TR, etc. But the races are really struggling for numbers. I think maybe there are just more options these days for testing yourself and satisfying that competitive urge without racing. Zwift races, segment hunting, or mass participation (and sometimes destination) events like sportives, gran fondos and gravel where itās more about racing the clock rather than fighting for position through the corners.
4 Likes
I think this depends on where you live. In the California Bay Area, entry-level aluminum frame road bikes with Sora-level drivetrains are going for $1,500. Personally I would consider entry-level a decent bike, I would not consider the bikes you can get for $500 at Target/Walmart entry-level as I wouldnāt feel comfortable riding those bikes in a race.
If you move up a tier to Ultegra-level components on a carbon road bike, youāre looking at around $4,500 for a bike that I purchased for $2,500 in 2019. I know many people would consider this to be a decent bike for racing. If thatās the case, yes, a ādecentā road bike would cost as much as a motorcycle in the California Bay Area.
4 Likes
The other issue is car traffic in the Bay Area. The Berkeley Hills Road Race is normally on a closed course, this year it wasnāt and I wouldnāt be surprised if the event organizers werenāt able to secure closure. The road that course goes through has basically become a mini 1-lane highway as a bypass to the perennially gridlocked I-80.
When I say a decent bike keep in mind that I stated 20 years experience so I would say a ultegra level spec bike or something in the $5-6K range (at todays market value) and in my mind that is decent/nice race bike (and yes I agree that 2500-3000 bikes are nice also but we are talking racers).
Based on demographics of a young person they would look at say a 500 level sport bike or something like this;
1 Like
I guess I have no idea what motorcycles cost. But if youāre limiting your bike search to local Bay Area I would imagine that sort of sets the price point a bit high to begin with vs expanding to online.
1 Like
Youāre going to get a lot more for your dollar in the motorcycle world than the bike world. Bikes sell in much smaller volume and have a relatively much higher amount poured into innovation. Also, the $6,000 bicycle you ride is much closer to the bike a world champion rides than a $6,000 motorcycle is to the top of the line. Motorcycles innovate, but a 20 year old dirt bike isnāt nearly as different from todays standard as a 20 year old mtb.
1 Like
Well that would deter many young people for sure. At this point, Iām mostly doing gravel and even under $3k you can still get what Iād consider a decent bike. Sure. Thatās not what the pros are riding but anybody new to the sport, a $2500-$3000 bike isnt likely the limiting factor.
1 Like
Im agreeing with you in absolute - but we have to look at the entire picture also.
Cycling has gotten out of control IMO
New person starting;
$3000 bike
$200 Helmet
$150 Shoes
$75 Pedals
$200 Kit (times 2) $400
Computer $200
Misc parts for bike - $100
Fit because they are uncomfy - $300
We are at $4,425 after all setup, absolute craziness
Thats not HR or power meters or nutrition or any other things, its just one of those things where maybe im old now and saying back in my day hahaha.
10 Likes
I know you said āother thingsā, but just to further your pointā¦cages, seatpack, multi tool, co2 inflator, spare tube, patch kit, tire levers, floor pump, car rack, gloves, socks, glassesā¦
5 Likes
Tools for home, work stand, lubeā¦ Its endless haha I probably have $1-1.5k in tools hanging on my wall in my garage shop.
2 Likes
I get that there is a connect here, but Iād like to keep from heading too far off tangent here on the equipment side.
Not to mention the fact that I and others saw relatively big numbers last season. Presumably they all still have the same equipment and race options, but are not taking them this season for a range of reasons. Equipment is more a potential deterrent to new people, which plays into this to some degree, but the massive uptake we saw in new / returning riders in the CV boom is something to remember here as well.
6 Likes
In that sense - while CV was going on no one had anything to do IMOā¦ Everyone was home and bored with time on their hands and when the mandate eased up work place was still primarily home and everyone was getting out to flex the new fitness they gained while being home.
Now those people are either burned out or back at work and we are seeing other things discussed above. I could be wrong, I know during the mandate/lockdown I actually could train with the little ones being around and made races possible.
If you look at campers for example, couldnt find one - everyone was buying them and demand was out the roof. That is no longer the case because people are back to the daily.
I sold my 3 year old camper for $1k more than I bought it for, thatās how in demand they were.
1 Like
Yeah, most of the New England gravel races/events Iāve seen have three tiers, usually something like 40k/60k/100k-ish rides, with the high-profile events in VT sticking around 100k with around 7000-8000 feet of climbing, to mix measuring systems. There are a few that 80-100 or more, but they tend to be much lower profile with dramatically lower turnout.
1 Like
Somebody posted in a triathlon forum asking similar question. For me, regarding triathlons I realized during the pandemic I recognized I didnāt miss the training and triathlon racing. I just wanted to ride my bike. Iām not sure if any of that applies to cycling only races. Maybe during the pandemic people have narrowed down the type of racing they want to do. Thatās how itās been for me but Iām not sure how widespread that perspective is.
3 Likes
That sounds like greed more than anything 
too bad
Not to linger too much on the money aspect, but if you were still employed during the pandemic and were in a specific salary range in the US, you also experienced a cash influx from government assistance. I know it certainly helped pay for a lot of equipment and races for me then that I donāt necessarily have the money for now.
1 Like
Yeah, I suspect a change in viewpoint is definitely at play here. I can imagine numerous ways that a person would reevaluate racing within their life and come to a point where competition drops in priority and is even discarded.
Iāve had my own tribulations with racing & its impact on me in the last few years, even before the CV mess. Oddly enough, the shutdown set me free from a range of events that I was getting nervous about. The defacto prohibition of events gave me time to reconsider and the choices I made for my 2021 season came directly from that forced break.
I think others could have had similar time and moments to consider their future plans and we may be seeing the results of that in the lower numbers that are seen but some others here.
Itās run through our local park district and said they need around 200 people to breakeven 
. The local YMCA triathlon club dissolved during COVID and they were a big promoter of the race. I am pretty sure that lead directly to the participation decline.
2 Likes
Participation numbers are upā¦ those interested in competition are down.
I hate to say it but as a coach I hear all the time, ācan I practice but not compete.ā Participation events are fineā¦ pure racing not so much.
3 Likes