How Many Bikes Should A Cyclist Own?

No - they're all 20"

I may or may not have a bike, my current bike is a coventry eagle MTB whisch has sat unridden in the shed for several years though it may now be sitting on a skip somewhere as I gave my neighbour permission to throw it out when he cleaned the shed out (the shed we share)

I am currently saving up for a Giant City crs 3.0 and I intend to stick with that bike alone, I have chosen a bike that best suits my needs and I see little point for me personally to spend a small fortune on buying bike after bike

My husband says I have too many but then he's got too many guitars and he's a drummer
Just remembered he's got another guitar on order, hmm so maybe another bike......

Possibly because there is no such thing as a 'normal, upright geared road bike' anymore. Possibly because you have never raced or done any serious cyclosportives or audaxes. Possibly because you have never done any serious solo touring. etc. etc.

I thought when I started cycling that all I needed was one bike for everything. Sure, on grounds of absolute need that is still true - but on grounds of absolute need, there are many things we have that are unnecessary. The question is whether the bike is the best thing for the purpose. It doesn't have to be expensive either - for example, I built up my racer for about £400 (based around a frame that would cost more than that new).

You should always have enough bikes to make your neighbours gossip.

Currently have a MTB converted as a rough-stuff type tourer and a Airnimal Joey folder which I'm just about to convert to drops, stick some thin tyres on and otherwise keep fairly light. More by accident than design, but I guess I will have 4 bases of functionality covered if not in a particularly optimal way - off-road/touring/folding/road. Would love to try more bikes - a recumbent or un-converted MTB - but money and tbh space living in a bedsit.

Also have a 15 quid ebay MTB for doing shopping runs, don't have to worry about it getting nicked, even locking it and can keep it in the yard to stop the housemates moaning about more junk.

What i mean is if i was to do touring. There is no way a 'touring' bike would serve me any better than my current road bike. It takes panniers, what more could i want. For me there's absolutely no advantage to a steel frame or mudguards. And the geometry is perfectly comfortable for long rides.

I think I've got about 10.

However, a few people have asked me for advice about getting a new bike recently. Always the same parameters - about £5-600, lightweight but could take mudguards and a rack.

Dammit, but that's a good spec for one bike that does it all.


Im tempted to get rid of all mine (mainly old secondhand) and buy one of those...







But then I'd still need to keep -
the Full Sus MTB
the rigid Singlespeed MTB
the fixie
the tandem
the folder
the cruiser
There's no way I could ever get rid of my lovely Carlton or the early Moulton Duomatic and one day I will get round to restoring the FW Evans and the Raleigh Lenton Sports.

So - all I'm missing is an all rounder.



I think I'm about to have 11...

I have 4 1/2

1 - Cheap as chips folder for my regular London trips
1 - Fixie converted from a 1960's claud Butler - Everyday commuter at home
1 - MTB (rarely used)
1 - Perthus Pro Pug road bike (my favourite running Campag Chorus gear)
1/2 - Moser sprinter that is in bits and has been cannibalised for spares.

Appears to be pretty normal, apart from i live in a flat and have virtually no storage space.

2, mtb and road, fini!

so 8 would be too many then ???

The secret is to hide as many as possible by buying them all in the same colour and never having too many completely built at one time, ssshh!

not if you have 7. If you had 6 then 8 would be too many. If you currently have 7 then having 8 is ok, if you already have 8 then another one wont make much difference.

One road, one off-road, one I plan to turn into a fixie if i can find some forks big enough (I broke the last ones), and one that's got a broken dropout but I can't quite bring myself to throw it away. Have to say that does feel even to me like plenty and then some.

at present time I have only 2 working bikes , I also have a track frame soon to be number 3, the carlton that was 3 up until yesterday and is now just a frame, my old blue frame awaiting sale and a trike that needs a little TLC.

I also need a MTB, a folder, a recumbent, an old racing trike, a tandem and quadricycle to replace the car then it will be all those + 1

I didn't have a beard, last time I looked, and I have a Dawes Galaxy (currently in parts for rebuild) and a Giant FCR which I've tourer-ised by adding rack and guards.

Also a winter hack, and a recumbent trike. My +1, if I ever have the money, would be a Brompton.

I've got an old Cannondale racer which I bought in the USA and brought back on the plane - bugger getting it into the overhead locker mind!
My cheap OTP fixed gear and one and a half steel framed bikes which will eventually become one beautiful SS or fixed if and when I ever get some free time.

Wouldn't mind some more though, n+more!

I've got four:

A Giant expression N3 to get me to the station and the shops
A Pearson Touche fixed
A Pearson alloy audax bike
A Longstaff audax/tourer.

My N + 1 might be a MTB or a folder or a recumbent but I've run out of room.