A New Poll for you Guys: The Economy and Triathlon.

Thanks for the votes girls and guys- keep 'em coming please.

Early in the voting- but it's potentially interesting that 24.71% of us say "The economy has not affected my participation in traithlons".

...But...

Only 15.29% of us say, "I am not negatively affected by the economic situation".

I wonder- does this suggest that triathletes' devotion to the sport transcends their economic concern- that they will continue to spend within the sport even when they reel in spending in other areas?

great point. some that converted to just running or a less expensive form of undurance/fitness might stay around, but i would say most people when they leave something and the vested interest is gone, they leave all parts of the hobby behind. not all, but most i would say.

^^  I agree that someone that lost their job and quit triathlon probably would not be on BT.  As a long-time and employed triathlete I have cut back.  Not just this year but past years.  partly because of the economy but also because I just think they have become too expensive!  But I also have been around the sport long enough to have known people that have lost their jobs and then run up debt (for a while) so they can continue their passion for triathlon.  To me...that's sad.

"Something to consider too... you are polling people who are actively checking and involved with a triathlon message board. Which means they are probably doing triathlons.

The people I know, who lost jobs and quit doing tri's... because they couldn't afford it... aren't around BT anymore.

So your study might not get to the demographics who would say that they stopped doing tri's because of the economy affecting them negatively. Just a thought."

Absolutely true- which is why I am careful to characterize what this is not: It isn't science, isn't a study.  It's a "straw poll" so to speak. That said, there is value in it as the contributors on internet forums like Slowtwtich.com and BeginnerTriathlete.com weild much more influence than our industry is willing to conceed in public.

But in private...

I didn't start participating in triathlons until last year, so the economy was already bad when i began.  This year I will race 1 more triathlon than last year.  Although I travel for most of the races, I always have a place to stay so I don't have hotel and other associated expenses.

I am one of the people who checked that my triathlon participation has not been affected by the economy and that I have been negatively affected by the economy.  I'm lucky to have a steady job and paycheck, but I have not had a raise in a few years because of the economy.

Bingo

We have had a brutal two years but my wife finally got a new job after being out for 10 months back in July.  At a 60% reduction in pay, but we're still extremely grateful for the job for her.  I'm new here, only been "doing tri's" since April, and I have been doing this as cheaply as possible.  I'm riding a borrowed road bike and already had a MTB, so I'm OK on the bike side of things.  Also, I'm buying everything used if I can.  The classified forum here is a lifesaver for me.  I think I've gotten this far on about $300 of money that I wouldn't have spent anyway (like $80 for new running shoes that I would have spent regardless). 

I'm doing this as a life changing process, because if I didn't change my life soon I wouldn't have a life.  So to a certain degree I'm willing to spend what it takes to do this sport, but only to a point.  If I weren't able to get that borrowed bike and buy so much used gear at huge discounts I would just be running and wondering what it's like to do a tri.  So has the economy prevented me from doing this?  No.  But it sure has effected how I do it.  Some day I'll grow up and have my own bike, and maybe a Red Rider BB gun with a compass in the stock too!!

I answered that my participation in triathlons is not affected by the economy, but I can't really say that for sure as I didn't start this sport until we were already in a recession.  What I don't know is if I'd be doing MORE if the economy were better because I've not experienced that yet in relation to this sport.

Considering that this is BEGINNER triathlon and that our economy has sucked for the better part of three years now, this may be true for a lot of respondents.   You may want to keep that in mind when analyzing the results.

Another intersting thing about the opinions flushing out here is that they track directly with international opinions on the world economy tabulated in a real, more "scientific" poll conducted by the BBC.

From Greece to China to Vietnam to Indonesia to France- people respond that their country- and the world- is re-entering a recessionary phase, or that it never left it. Americans too.

The significant take-away for the sport is that, while it likely slowed growth in triathlon, this industry has been relatively resilient

I wonder how golf, tennis, motorsports (ATV's, jet skis), skiing, recreational SCUBA and other related discretionary industries are fairing in this environment? My guess is, perhaps not as well... I'd like to see some data though.

I'm with you, but i know that's the exception. everyday hearing stories related to job losses and financial strain bothers me a lot.  i feel bad for the people out of work, their families, etc. So in that sense, it does affect me, and makes me spend less. Maybe bacause i have two young kids now and their wellbeing supercedes mine, or maybe because i appreciate how fortunate i am and how things can change, but either way, it affects me.

I am not currently negatively affected by the economic situation - our income has remained about the same (small COL increase) for the last several years. Having two young mouths to feed affects my economics more than anything. In the same respect, the economy has affected my participation in triathlons. Just the overwhelming feeling that I "should" be pinching my pennies.

I am not comfortable spending so much money on one race. I feel a little bit of "what if". What if my husband would not get his contract renewed, or we have to move, or the thousand other what ifs I can think of and I've blown 500 bucks on races in one summer?! I would regret that. So I try to make race choices that put very little to no impact on the family income.  This year I have only competed in two races (partly due to injury). One a local sprint that only costs 35 dollars and the other a local HIM that I had a free entry to due to volunteering for the RD at 2 different races. I save any birthday or Christmas money I get specific to me (yes I'm 39 and my parents still give me birthday money ) in a jar just for race season so I don't feel like I'm blowing the family money on something that really only benefits me.

There are tons of other ways I pinch a penny for triathlon but I won't bore you anymore since that is not really what you asked!

This has been a great poll and I've e-mailed the link around the industry. Within the cycling and triathlon industry this is a topic that has come up in most conversations I've been in during the last year- so thank you all. Keep the comments and replies on the poll coming...

Everyone gets a happy cat with a bowl on its head for this: