Up next in 10
Is Budget Cycling Apparel And Equipment A False Economy?
323 views
Apr 1, 2025
As road cycling is a very tech-based sport with countless companies all trying to deliver the most amount of value, it's unsurprising that the race to the bottom can result in substandard products. So what products should you be avoiding when out looking for a bargain? When is it best to spend a bit more to ensure that you aren't left with something that will cause more pain than happiness? Sam Gupta lists what he thinks are some of the biggest false economies in road cycling and the cycling products which you should avoid.
View Video Transcript
0:00
According to Google, a false economy is defined as an apparent financial saving that in fact
0:05
leads to greater expenditure. Now, in a world where saving money is looming on our minds more
0:11
than usual, I turn my attention to cycling and the products that on the surface appear to provide
0:18
great value. But when you delve a little deeper, may actually be doing the opposite
0:22
it. In 2022, we put clothing to the test from three different price points in the market
0:31
And the one thing which I undoubtedly found was that the cheap bib shorts really were no good
0:38
Everything from the fit to the grippers to the chamois were a disappointment. Sure
0:43
they were cheap. If I remember correctly, they cost about £25. However, for cyclists who do
0:49
want to take their riding a little more seriously, then investing in clothing, which properly serves
0:54
the needs of the rider, is essential. This really is a prime example of buy cheap, pay twice
1:02
The question you may be left with is, how much should I be spending on a pair of shorts
1:06
Well, here in the UK, I believe that if you spend anything from £50, you'll be able to bag yourself
1:12
a set which will come with the majority of the features that you will find on top-end shorts
1:17
that being a more tailored fit, better feeling fabrics and a higher quality chamois and an overall
1:24
more durable build quality. Riding in shorts that really do facilitate the act of riding a bike
1:30
will make it so much more enjoyable. If you don't know, AliExpress is a retail website and offers a
1:40
similar experience to that of Amazon, but it's based in China. And it is awash with cheap cycling
1:47
products, and there's one which seems to pop up more often than not. That being sunglasses
1:53
which imitate those that tend to cost a whole lot more. Cheap Oakley jawbreakers are what I
1:59
succumbed to in my early years of racing. However, I quickly realized that maybe they weren't the
2:05
best idea. My pair of glasses had set me back about 10% of the cost of those of a genuine pair
2:12
But it was after a friend who was wearing a similar set of glasses, then dropped them and then watched the lens shatter on impact
2:20
And it got me thinking, do I really want lenses that can do that right next to my eyes
2:25
My doubts were confirmed a few months later when I saw a post on Facebook where this very issue had caught out another racer
2:34
They'd come down in a race, their eyewear had shattered and they ended up with cuts all around their eyes
2:39
Luckily, it seemed like they didn't have any damage to their vision, but it wouldn't have been an impossibility
2:47
Forgetting the technological benefits that come from buying eyewear from a reputable brand, for the sheer safety aspect alone, this really is a no-brainer
2:57
You also don't need to buy eyewear from a brand that sponsors a big world tour team
3:02
safe, good quality glasses can be found from reputable manufacturers for only a little more money than what I paid for my knockoffs
3:14
As we all know lubing your chain is a very important part of bike maintenance The benefits go beyond that of having a smooth silent and efficient drivetrain But of course having a clean freshly lubed chain will prolong the life of the drivetrain components
3:29
mainly your cassette and your chain rings. However, not all lubes are made equal
3:35
Given that there are literally hundreds of them out on the market, picking through them can be a real mission
3:42
Some cost a few pounds while others land in the hundreds of pounds
3:46
And the biggest problem which I found is some of the really cheap lubes really do suffer from just simply washing off of your chain
3:54
You can have one slightly wet ride and your chain is left absolutely bare
3:59
Alternatively, some lubes seem to go black after two or three dry rides, even when applied to a properly decontaminated chain
4:06
Of course, this then means another degrease and re-lube, which takes up time and means you'll go through your workshop fluids a lot faster
4:15
My advice would be to opt for a wax-based lubricant and something that certainly does not contain PTFEs
4:22
A personal favourite is the squirt lube. The best way that I have found to apply it is to run the chain through an ultrasonic cleaner, let it fully dry and then refit the chain to the bike
4:33
I then coat the inside of each roller with a drop of the lube and then let it soak in overnight
4:38
And then in the morning, I'll come back and wipe off any residual excess
4:42
So far, treatments like this last far longer and are much more resilient to water
4:48
Yes, chain wax or wax-based lubricants are more expensive to purchase up front
4:53
However, you'll get so much more life out of it and you'll have a smoother running
4:58
drivetrain that doesn't attract nearly as much gunk and grime. which, of course, most importantly, prolongs the life of your components
5:05
but also saves you from giving yourself a dreaded fourth cat tant
5:14
In the last few years, the world has become rife with subscription services
5:19
And in the slightly more uncertain times when we're all watching how much we're spending
5:24
it might be worth considering how many of them you're actually getting value out of
5:28
Since we're now entering the time of year when you're actually probably going to want to ride outside, perhaps cancelling your indoor training subscription is prudent, at least
5:38
until winter rolls around again. As new innovations hit the market, some old ones really do get shown
5:49
up as being pretty outdated and subsequently pretty bad value. Latex inner tubes are such an item
5:56
Sure, back in the day, they provided a much more supple and faster rolling option over and above a
6:01
standard butyl inner tube. And in truth, they were never made to be a discount option. Quite the
6:07
opposite, in fact. However, they aren't without their faults. They're a pig to install as they
6:13
pinch incredibly easily. They lose pressure rather quickly and they're just very expensive
6:18
Today, tubeless has hit the road in a big way and offers all of the same benefits as latex does
6:24
As you may know from a previous video, tubeless really does have some of its own problems. However
6:29
unless you get a gash in the tyre, the problems aren really ones which create a financial burden Instead it just faffy problems and ones which absorb time and energy Of course if you did get a gash in your tyre and the tyre needed replacing the cost implication is the
6:47
same no matter the method of inflation. Latex tubes don't really fall into the realms of being
6:53
a false economy as it wasn't created to be a better value option. But it does show itself up
6:59
as being something which was of its time and has now been replaced by a better alternative
7:05
Recently, there's been quite a lot of noise over the discovery of quite a few unbelievably cheap
7:14
bikes, which can be found at various big retailers, be that Amazon, Walmart, or Asda
7:20
The saying, if it's too good to be true, then it probably is, could not ring any truer here
7:27
The bikes obviously have a very cheap list price, but do remember that the bikes could cost less
7:32
than 50% of the retail price to build. So to enable such markups, the components used will be
7:40
of a very poor quality. Now, I can understand that some people may not want to or can afford
7:46
to go out and spend more money on a new bike. However, in this instance, I would heavily suggest
7:52
that by spending the same amount of money on a secondhand bike, you'll be able to find something
7:56
that serves you far, far better. The cheap parts found on these incredibly cheap new bikes
8:02
may mean that the braking and shifting performance isn't of an acceptable level. They're likely to be
8:08
prone to a shorter lifespan either due to breakages or just having an innate lack of resilience to the
8:14
elements. The biggest weak point from a rider's perspective could actually be the frame itself
8:20
No doubt it will be heavy, have a less optimized geometry and it certainly will not be very
8:25
forgiving. If you were to purchase one of these types of bikes with the intention of getting
8:30
into cycling, then you will be going about it in the wrong way. Bikes like this will actually do
8:36
the complete opposite and make riding a lot less fun. For some, bikes at this level will serve a
8:42
purpose and that may just be completing short journeys to get from point A to point B. However
8:48
even if the purpose really is that simple, I would still recommend spending the same amount of money
8:54
in the second-hand market. You'll get something which will have originally costed a whole lot more
8:59
and you'll be giving a bike that already exists a new lease of life. And if parts break or things
9:05
do go wrong, then any local bike shop will likely be very happy to help you out
9:13
It was only recently that I was clearing out one of my kitchen drawers, that drawer being the one
9:18
that fills up with random keys, batteries, takeaway menus, and obviously all of the spare parts and
9:24
tools that come from flat pack furniture builds. I must have collected about 10 different styles of
9:30
Allen keys, all ranging from 4mm to 5mm to flat heads to phillip head screwdrivers. And it got me
9:37
thinking, why have I never used these cheap tools on my bike? Well, it's for one very obvious reason
9:44
Cheap tools have the ability to wreak more havoc on your bike than you may otherwise imagine. And
9:49
And it's not just the free tools you get from furniture, but just poor quality cheap tools altogether They often made of poor quality metal which hasn been hardened or treated in a way which means it will maintain its shape when under load Since they tend to be softer they can change shape and then
10:07
when you go and use that same tool you should not be surprised if that tool goes and strips the head
10:12
of the bolt. Also if that tool isn't the right size for the job you're trying to complete on your bike
10:17
you may not be getting the right amount of leverage and potentially not delivering the correct amount
10:22
of torque to that bolt, meaning it could work loose. My recommendation is that if you do intend
10:29
on working on your own bike, then always opt for a reputable brand of tools and then slowly add
10:34
tools as and when you need to complete new jobs. Alternatively, leave the maintenance of your bike
10:40
to a professional or ask to borrow tools from a friend if you don't want to go out and purchase
10:46
than yourself. Sports nutrition is something that I really do sit on the fence with. Again
10:56
not strictly a false economy, as I don't believe any brand is claiming that their products are made
11:01
to save you money, but it is something which is very costly, especially when you compare something
11:07
like an energy bar and the cost of something that you can make at home. The differential is huge
11:14
However, there are pros and cons to both. First, sports nutrition comes in more formats than you may otherwise be able to create at home
11:22
For example, gels, chews, powdered drink mixes, protein bars. That's why buying those products can make a lot of sense
11:31
And you can often buy multi-packs to reduce the cost per unit
11:35
And you'll have a wide variety of flavors from multiple different brands
11:40
Foods like these can be really useful on event days or during races
11:43
as you can accurately track what you're putting into your system. But also, you can practice your feeding schedule to figure out what works well for you
11:52
However, in my mind, this is one of the few places where dedicated sports nutrition justifies the increased cost
11:59
For a normal day's training or just when out riding for fun, either batch cooking a whole bunch of energy bars or cakes are always best to carry with you
12:08
It's much cheaper, does the same job, and because you can make it yourself, you can create flavors that otherwise you might not find elsewhere
12:16
Bananas, flapjacks, jam sandwiches, and fruitcake are some of my favorite things to carry on the bike
12:22
And when I get home, I'll always try and get my protein from as many real foods as possible
12:27
and only adding in protein shakes when I need to up the levels to cater for an increased training load
12:32
The convenience of sports nutrition is undeniable and that's why I utilize those products in the
12:38
run-up to and during events and races but opt for homemade food the rest of the time. As I said
12:45
this isn't strictly a false economy as defined at the start of the video but I wanted to include it
12:51
so that people are aware that you really don't need to eat exclusively branded sports nutrition
12:56
when cycling. Making and taking homemade treats will be far more satisfying and will, of course
13:03
save you a whole lot of cash. Let me know down in the comments what you think some of the biggest
13:08
false economies in cycling are. If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like
13:13
subscribe to the channel for more content, and I will see you again very soon
#Apparel
#Athletic Apparel
#Bicycles & Accessories
#Bike Accessories
#Bike Helmets & Protective Gear
#Eyewear
#Sporting Goods
#Sports