In the grand scheme of things, are there sports/hobbies that you’d consider more expensive than MTB?
I used to play paintball quite regularly, and I considered that pretty pricey. Starter equipment can be bought for less than $500, but a full set of performance gear (marker, air cylinder, loader, mask/goggles, knee and elbow pads, jersey and pants, etc etc etc) can easily run $3000+ if purchased new. Plus, depending on your play style, a typical day of paintball can cost at minimum $20 but easily go $80+ (based off average price of $80 for a case of 2000 paintballs and assuming you’re not renting any equipment). Over six months (May-Oct), playing once per week, that can run you ~$1920 per year. I transitioned to MTB thinking it would be cheaper (doesn’t cost anything to ride, right?) but Jeebus was I wrong . Granted I feel like cost can be mitigated by keeping a bike longer and not putting too much in the way of upgrades into it over it’s lifetime, so overall MTB might actually be cheaper?
What other sports would be more expensive than MTB? Hockey? Golf? I don’t play either of those so I really have no idea what they can cost. Curious to hear what others think.
EDIT: Something else to consider, would you rather pay more for your equipment up front and have lower running costs, or vice versa? For me, I used to find it very annoying trying to fit the ongoing cost of paintball into my monthly budget. Depending on your personal situation, that extra $100-300 per month can be tough! Pic below for me at peak “badass”
I dont know what sport is the most expensive and it all depends on what level you are participating at.
Some levels of ice hockey are $6k to register, sticks are $300 each and you may go through 5 per season or more, skates can be $1000, helmets are $300, gloves $200-300, off ice training can be in the thousands and the training camps can also run you in the thousands, then the extra tournament’s, flights, hotels, food, gas.
But if your a high level biker, then you can easily be into the several thousands. Need an Enduro bike $7k, need a road bike $7k, need a true XC bike $7k, which are all moderately priced, then the trips around the world, all the insanely expensive components, shoes, safety equipment… it gets expensive quickly.
I have a son who was a pretty high level hockey player. He played 3 years of Major Midget, 4 years of Junior, was signed by the Saint John Seadogs of the QMJHL and played 4 years of University hockey for the University of Guelph. When he was 16 years old he was playing major midget which is the last level where the parents pay. Once they hit Junior they get paid to play. That year we kept track of what hockey cost us and it was $16,885 for the year
I have another son who was a Nationally ranked sprint kayaker. When he was 17, for that year, we paid just shy of $11,000 and that did not include a $7000 boat and the training funding he received from the National body. That went to his coach. A lot of that was travel though
My point is, no matter the sport, if you do it at a high level every sport is expensive.
I think that tops the list in terms of pricetag for a hobby. I know a guy who got his pilot’s license while completing med school and bought his own helicopter when he finished… quick way to spend $300k
Def agree with that! When thinking about how expensive biking can be, what many consider “entry level” isn’t really “entry” in reality. At its most basic, all somebody needs to get started is a $100 bike from a big box store or second-hand, and a helmet. Biking can be dirt cheap, really. Guess that can be said for most sports.
Any golfers here? How does that rank in price to play?
A decently quick, competitive car can easily be around $500-1000 an hour to run.
The faster you want to go, the more expensive it gets.
This is amateur stuff like I do, low level pro stuff starts at around $25k a weekend generally and goes sky high from there.
If you want get any good at golf. You have to go quite often. Which most green fees are $40-60. Thats not including a cart. Clubs are like everything thing else u can buy $100 clubs at cdn tire or go to golftown and spend thousands
Sailing, the price tags are crazy, from sails to boats to anything (I’m not a sailor so idk I just know people that do.). But like anything, if you are at a high level it is pricy.
I sailed as a kid, but my brother already had a boat that I could use, so it wasn’t that expensive for me. After lessons were over, and I started racing, I could just throw the boat on top of my dad’s wood panel station wagon (go 90’s!), and head off up and down the coast.
However, I knew kids who had fancy new boats… a new laser these days is over 10k. Plus all the gear maintenance, wetsuits, regatta entry fees, travel… it adds up quick.
. Granted I feel like cost can be mitigated by keeping a bike longer and not putting too much in the way of upgrades into it over it’s lifetime, so overall MTB might actually be cheaper?
