Toefuzz wrote:
Dan - I'm new to the sport in the past few years but have gone all in. I started with a 10 year old road bike ($150 if someone had to buy one), clip-on aero bars ($25), wetsuit from Craigslist ($50), goggles ($15), and some tri shorts ($40). I stole my dad's clipless pedals and tossed some lock laces onto a pair of mountain bike shoes. I already had running shoes. It cost me around $100 or so b/c I already had the old bike. I don't remember the cost of my first sprint race, but it couldn't have been more than $60. Overall, I don't think cost was a barrier at all and I never once felt like people were judging me for my cheap equipment. In fact, I never felt anything but welcomed. I don't know if it's b/c I'm in the Midwest, but the triathletes I've met are some of the nicest and most down to earth people I've had the pleasure to meet. My biggest concern before signing up for my first was the swim, and I've been swimming all my life (never competitively). I love the sport so much and have run into the same objection every time...THE SWIM. If it was about money or equipment I could overcome it with all the gear I've accumulated in the past few years, but the swim is a tough one. I've offered to get people to the pool but that requires a membership (there's a monetary objection) and have offered to help with open water but have yet to have anyone take me up on my offers to help. I've even offered to pay entry fees to our local races and yet to have a single taker, and it always comes down to the swim.
Overall, I don't think it's necessarily a money issue...it's the swim. It scares people!
TF - I love your low cost approach b/c it is same as mine. Regarding swim cost, at my local Gold's Gym (1 mile from my house), a 1-yr membership is billed at $30/mon. I find it hard to believe that $30/mon is too much for anyone, given how much people spend on their fancy phones, TVs, cars, etc. Now the actual act of learning to swim, that is a diff matter. Many people just don't have the desire and motivation to spend several months learning to swim decently. But anyone can learn to swim decently if they want it badly enough. You just gotta have the hunger and drive. No one wins Kona just on hunger and drive, but they can be the best triathlete they can be.
"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."