Constantly buying bikes...in my head

[junglegusset]

I read this forum a lot but rarely post, however when I read some of the threads about 'Winter' bikes I started to wonder if I am a bit special. I somehow manage to use one bike for everything. I mainly use my bike to commute, partly on road but usually roughish canal towpaths. I also do a fair bit of off road biking in the summer, and it's proper singletrack, not just some gravel paths round a flat forrest. I have had MTB's almost since their inception in the late eightees, after being a BMX kid and then a spell using Road Bikes for paper rounds (anyone else remember those?). I currently use an old steel Parkpre MTB frame, which I bought second hand. A lot of the bits have been replaced and upgraded, as you do. I remember the initial appeal to me of the MTB was it's ability to do pretty much everything, I could get silly on it like my old BMX, or I could put road miles behind me like a road bike. They seemed like the perfect bike at that time, and I still think this way to an extent. Obviously nowadays I change the tyres depending on what I am planning, and I realise that hardtails are 'Jack of all trades, master of none'. This brings me to my problem though, I have three local bike shops within 1/2 a mile of my house, all offering 0% APR. I am also perpetually looking at bikes on eBay, the deals at Chain Reaction etc etc I frequently get the impulse to buy: A (second) high spec hardtail, a full-susser, a road bike, a cyclocrosser, a fixie/single speed, and a Brompton (the later being weirdly the strongest even though it is perhaps the one that would be least useful to me). I love bikes and riding (like most people here) I couldn't store all of these and I couldn't afford all of them. I know I am not alone in coveting bikes but I was wondering if I am the only person who seems to be permanently locked in to one type of bike?

 

[rich p]

For me the minimum is 4 although I have more.

One road, one spare road, one mtb and one tourer. Everything else is superfluous but fun.

 

[The Jogger]

I have a hybrid and road bike. At the minute I'm pondering a brompton or a cross. I have a long train commute so it might be a brompton.

 

[MacB]

For me the minimum is 4 although I have more.

One road, one spare road, one mtb and one tourer. Everything else is superfluous but fun.

Stepping back from my initial thought that it was easier for you to store more bikes as your bikes are smaller, I broadly agree.

Though I'd class the tourer as the spare road bike and slot in a folder instead of the second road bike.

 

[zizou]

I can quite easily justify to myself a need to have about 20 different types of bikes, just a pity i cant afford them all.

Now if i stop thinking about need and move on to want - then i want far more than 20!

 

[theclaud]

MacB is constantly riding bikes... in his head.

 

[MacB]

MacB is constantly riding bikes... in his head.

Hmmph, that's put something in my mind that's repeating, so I thought I'd share:-



View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEhS9Y9HYjU&feature=related

 

[threebikesmcginty]

With Mac though, it's a kind of revolving door of bikes. For him we should look at bikes bought/sold over the course of a year. A snapshot shows a modest ownership, on turnover per annum though the figure would shame a reasonably successful LBS.

 

[MacB]

With Mac though, it's a kind of revolving door of bikes. For him we should look at bikes bought/sold over the course of a year. A snapshot shows a modest ownership, on turnover per annum though the figure would shame a reasonably successful LBS.

Stats, just meaningless stats

 

[Crackle]

Until about 5 years ago, I owned one bike and one bike only and had for about 20 years. It had never occurred to me to have more than one. Then I decided I wanted a road bike again. I had swopped from a road to a mtn bike a good few years before and the rigid mtn bike did me for road and off-road, as you say, I just changed the tyres but the mtn bike was harder work on the road and I happened to have some spare cash and bought a road bike.

Since joining this forum I've been introduced to and understood the concept of n+1 and have acquired one more for utility riding as I call it. Thoughts also whir about my head about a new mtn bike and what I will do with the old one but alas, alack, I have no spare dosh for such indulgences.

 

[rich p]

Stepping back from my initial thought that it was easier for you to store more bikes as your bikes are smaller, I broadly agree.

Though I'd class the tourer as the spare road bike and slot in a folder instead of the second road bike.

Heightist bastard!

I can see the practicalities of a folder but my self-respect wouldn't allow me to ride one - sad but true!

I missed off turbo bike and a cheap bike, that's unlikely to get nicked, to shop and pub with.

 

[MacB]

Heightist bastard!

I can see the practicalities of a folder but my self-respect wouldn't allow me to ride one - sad but true!

I missed off turbo bike and a cheap bike, that's unlikely to get nicked, to shop and pub with.

Turbo is for wimps and the folder does the job of the cheap bike, and I'm sorry but I frankly just don't believe you have any self respect!!!!!!!!!

 

[palinurus]

For a long time I only had one bike- due to space issues- always an MTB (you can commute, do day rides, go offroad, tour, pull trailers etc.). I have four now but want to reduce to three. TT bike, 'cross bike, road bike and commute bike. I'm thinking of a road bike that'll take 'guards for training, general riding and commuting (i'd also need to pull the trailer and go shopping with it though, do-able I think if I use SPDs rather than road pedals which aren't ideal in Sainsbury's, especially if the floor is a bit wet)

But of course I'd have more if I could. I'd get another Brompton, a snow bike, a Moulton, a velomobile, a Muddy Fox courier just like the one I used to have, some classic steel road bikes ... .

 

[MacB]

Does that make turbo another category of bike that you don't ride?

it might if turbo counted as riding a bike, but it doesn't so no

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Turbo is for wimps and the folder does the job of the cheap bike, and I'm sorry but I frankly just don't believe you have any self respect!!!!!!!!!

If there was a pic of rich on a turbo then we could decide whether he has any self-respect or not.