Is Collecting Bikes an Obsession or a Need to do Something Creative?

[Illaveago]

My Dawes Red Feather that I found fly tipped was a challenge which I liked doing . I wanted to save as much of it as possible despite the front end had been in a fire and was very rusty. I was determined to get it rideable and succeeded. It was a challenge but I enjoyed it. I was even determined to free the seized stem which took days of using different methods to remove it . It eventually came out and cleaned up. The bike still wears the battle scars but I have been rewarded by a bike which is very nice to ride.

 

[EckyH]

Hmmm... one for the record:

These are just the spare rims and wheels...

E.

 

[Gillstay]

I like trying them out, doing them up and either selling of giving them away to people who will appreciate them.

I do seem to have a lot left over though. Then occasionally I make money one one !!

 

[Jameshow]

I'm currently building one offshore aka my parents which is testing my patience!! I build a bike within a week!!!

 

[Illaveago]

... for every single purpose:
View: https://mastodon.social/@davewalker/111346664780760973


But Mr. Walker forgot one thing: What if the bicycle for the specific task is broken and BRM @Illaveago hasn't the time to fix that bicycle?
Due to my former job as a Unix admin redundancy of tools for productive tasks has become obsessential for me.

So my conclusion is: there's nothing wrong with collecting bicycles - as far as one can name a specific task for every bicycle.

E.

They could get more bikes in if they had them vertical like I do !

 

[Punkawallah]

I think it's just you and you need to seek help as normal cyclists only have one bike..........😁

Quite logical, really - as most of them only have one backside ;-)

 

[All uphill]

I always need a project or two when the days are short, but I have no problem selling them on (at a loss) when spring arrives.

For me life's largely about being creative and active.

 

[Bristolian]

My other hobby is photography and that is also plagued with GAS but doesn't lend itself to renovations in quite the same way as cycling. I have been known to dismantle lenses to clean dust and fungus out but it's now quite as straight forward or forgiving as servicing a bike

SWMBO is not against me acquiring more bikes but insists that I have to sell some camera gear to pay for them ... I don't think she understands me

 

[robrinay]

I reckon all blokes are somewhere on the spectrum and it goes back to the environmental pressures in ancient times that bred blokes who were good at hunting and gathering ie if they were good at it they had more offspring and so on and we are the happy result. We’re just hunting and gathering 😉😂

 

[robrinay]

I buy them to refurbish enjoy and then sell on and I’m up to speed with that. I also love design so I’ve currently got as medium term keepers a Dahon Hammerhead a Brompton a Brilliant Bicycles (Pashley) Micro a MK 3 Moulton, a Moulton Stowaway and a Dutch Gazelle.
Ps I have other collections but I tend to view those as ‘Pension Fund’.

 

[EckyH]

somewhere on the spectrum and it goes back to the environmental pressures in ancient times

Is "35 years ago" some kind of "ancient times"?
That time was the "We don't have it"-age in bicycle shops in the former GDR where I grew up.

Nowadays it's good for me to have such old stuff because a new "standard" for something on the bicycle is incompatible with the "standard" few years ago and of course incompatible with other actual "standards", eg. bottom brackets.

E.

 

[mustang1]

Collecting is an obsession. It could be bikes or anything else.

BE AWARE.

 

[Illaveago]

I have to confess that I have bought another one !
It was only £25 and a day trip out and it is cleaning up nicely . It is ready for its first test ride.

 

[Gillstay]

I have to confess that I have bought another one !
It was only £25 and a day trip out and it is cleaning up nicely . It is ready for its first test ride.

Bargin, well done, did you ask what it was before you bought it ?

Had a chum who did that with a motorbike. Front door, paid the man and then said ` by the way what it it ?'

 

[Illaveago]

Oh dear! I've bought another one !
A 1960's Falcon Olympic.
The previous purchase turned out to be a very good bike which I ride most of the time now . It was a 90's Orbit Italia.