Everyone knows bikes are expensive, nobody has time, and everyone knows running is a huge substitute, so I won't even argue that point.
But I think the atmosphere and visuals that push away anyone who even slightly considers trying cycling is a much bigger problem.
Bikes being expensive plays a role, but the real issue is that pretty much every club has gotten way too insular/stagnant.
Just start with the cover photos of clubs or meetups—if you say "cycling club," the image is basically
always some flashy feather-light road bike, a flashy helmet, and full brand-name skinsuit, and that's basically every single club.
People will already give up on getting into cycling just from seeing those photos. And even a quick search shows barely any budget gear—helmets alone start at 200,000-300,000 won each—so of course people give up.. bike prices go without saying.
I think a gradient/on-ramp really matters here, and that structure just doesn't exist.
Getting into cycling isn't a gradual process starting from clothing or a look somewhere between "cycling enthusiast" and "regular person" and slowly getting drawn in—it's just a wall. Almost no group actually looks out for this.
Fixie groups, minivelo groups, MTB groups, road groups, e-bike groups—everything is split rigidly like this, and most "undifferentiated" regular people find it awkward to join any of them. You'd have to buy a whole new bike again too, plus deal with maintenance or getting rid of the old one, it's all a hassle.
And some people think the huge cost is the real problem—I only half agree with that.
Cost? If you actually try, you can save a ton.
Even a road bike for everyday use around places like the Han River can be had with a Tourney or Claris groupset for 500,000-800,000 won, or even cheaper secondhand, and you can add a bike computer or accessories later depending on your budget and needs.
Regular clothes like sweats or gym clothes are plenty. If you still want to look the part a bit, you can grab a cheap skinsuit off AliExpress.
Want cleats too for the full look? Just buy AliExpress shoes. Swap the pedals too if needed.
Excluding the bike itself, if you buy just one of each accessory, part, and clothing item, I think the whole thing comes out to under 200,000-300,000 won total. It's really not that expensive.
Even if someone shows up having put together gear like this, the atmosphere in most clubs isn't exactly welcoming toward them.
Setting aside the intimidation factor of everyone else's flashy gear at a group ride, actually riding together, the gap in gear performance and the veteran riders' fitness/physical differences just leaves newcomers behind.
There's no group ride pace in the 20-25 range. Even the "slow" pace is 25, and if it's mostly guys riding together it just casually blows past 30.
That's basically the defining feature of most groups.. regular-person guests can't get into it under those conditions, and existing enthusiasts can't take care of them either, which is why they say they can't bring anyone along.
Because of all this, it's really hard for people who are just starting or getting into cycling to blend in with existing clubs.
So I think people end up going toward some other hobby besides cycling to find enjoyment first.
Personally, setting aside the market conditions or the economy, I think
there need to be more groups that bridge the gap between enthusiasts and regular people for the sport to actually grow, and that's where growth would actually come from.
Summary.
1. The moment you can't freely bring a regular-person friend along as a guest, it's already gotten too insular.
2. There's no stepping stone connecting enthusiasts and regular people.
