HIGH COST OF BEING A TRIATHLETE

$1,599 Felt Z6 Road Bike

Who was it that said swimming, biking and running were inexpensive sports, hobbies or pastimes? Someone please point out that person!

Whoever made that comment surely isn’t acquainted with what it takes to supply a typical triathlete with the appropriate equipment and necessary clothing. Nor were they aware of the high cost of signing up for applicable competitive events.

The minimum cost of a basic road bike is somewhere around $799 and change. Add a few bells and whistles and you’re up to $1,500 and even more change. Want a bike that is specifically made for racing?  Add another $1,000! And we haven’t even gotten into proper bike outfits and a reliable helmet. And what about routine bike maintenance like new tires, tubes and tune-ups? Yes, road bikes need tune-ups just like automobiles and trucks.

The swim discipline isn’t too bad as far as costs. A good pair of tri shorts, a swim cap and goggles is about all you need to cruise through the water.

$316 to refurbish an older Bianchi Road Bike

Running takes a little bit more money than swimming only because of the extreme cost of a good pair of running shoes, which will run anywhere from $80 to $140. Most runners have two or three new pair on standby.

But even then, you must keep track of your shoe mileage and replace them periodically. After running 300 to 400 miles on a pair of running shoes, 400 miles being the absolute maximum mileage allowed, they are ready to be worn in the garden, for lawn mowing or washing the car – certainly not running on hard surfaces. Your feet are worth much more than the cost of a new pair of running shoes, no matter the costs.

But the way that I look at it is that if I weren’t running, swimming and biking, and putting out the money to do all three, I just may be spending some or all of that money at the doctor’s offices having them mend a broken down, obese, semi-comatose body.

I made my choice, what’s yours?