“It’s a ‘Rich People’ Hobby”: Man Reconsiders Cycling After Seeing Expensive Gear

• A local chemical engineer had to reconsider choosing cycling as a hobby after he saw the cost of the gear
• All the items the young man showed were in the thousands, but the bike entered the six-figure range
• The online crowd was in disbelief and suggested affordable alternative hobbies in the man's comment section

A local man, Devlin Govender, who considered taking up cycling as a hobby, got a reality check when he saw the cost of the necessary equipment. The price tags also shocked internet users, who provided alternative hobbies.

On 27 October, 2025, Devlin shared a TikTok clip showing the expensive gear he saw at Cycle Lab, a retail store catering to cyclists. While there, he saw a carbon road bike costing R209 999, running shoes for R9 999, R5 199 cycling shorts, a helmet for R5 999, and sunglasses for 4 399.

The prices had the chemical engineer caption his post:

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"It’s a 'rich people' hobby."

South Africans comment on expensive hobby

Thousands of social media users entered the comment section to express their opinions about the price tags seen on the gear advertised at Cycle Lab.

@upstylit told the young man:

"Buying gear at Cycle Lab is like buying at Woolworths or Incredible Connection, while we have a compatible item at Checkers and Mr Price. I suggest you go window shopping at Solomon Cycles."

@maanndla suggested with a laugh:

"Rather start jogging."

@badronisa added under the post:

"My boys got into cycling this year. When I tell you, Shein and Temu are my friends now because, wow, the prices of cycling gear and equipment are crazy. Game and Mr Price Sport have specials on now and then. I got their helmets from Game for under R200 each and gloves from Mr Price for around R100 each."

After seeing the prices, a confused @wanlimlim wrote:

"I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

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@tshidison shared with the online community:

"My brother's bike is more than R400 000; that thing has insurance. His other bikes are priced between R150 000 and R250 000. That’s too much money to spend, to be honest."

@antontromp01 asked Devlin in the comment section:

"So why are you picking the pro gear and not the hobby gear? If it's a hobby, you don't need a Ferrari! Pick the right bike and gear, and you can get away with R8 000 to R10 000."

Watch the TikTok video on Devlin's account below:

3 Other stories about cyclists

• In another article, Briefly News reported that veteran South African cyclist Dennis Hammar died during an attack while riding in Cape Town. He succumbed to his injuries at the age of 77.
• A man riding in the Mother City almost met his maker after riding over a deadly snake. Social media users were happy to see the man unharmed and warned him to keep his eyes on the road.
• Three cyclists from Limpopo captured the nation's attention when they rode to Cape Town on their bikes. Many people applauded the men for sticking to the challenge and not backing down.

Source: Briefly News