I'm trying to reduce the number of bikes I own:
- Surly Ice Cream Truck
- Cube step through bike
- Calibre dirt jump bike
- Gazelle Tour Populaire
- Merckx EM525
- Brompton (in bits at present - I need to fit a new rear triangle)
- HP Veloteknik Speed Machine
The only ones I know that I want to keep for definite are the Cube and the Brompton because they have a clear utility. The only one that I definitely want to move on is the Gazelle. I thought I wanted to move the others on but I don't need to and there is something to admire about each of them. I don't ride them very often but when I do they bring a distinct sense of joy that I would not be able to find elsewhere. They also have a unique utility. I mean I could to ride the pump track on the Surly but it wouldn't be much fun. And I could try to go on a fast ride with the HPV but it wouldn't be as good as the Merckx, or different enough to be warrant having both anyway.
I think the point of this is that my main priority for a bicycle is transportation and cargo carrying but after that they are enablers of experience, which can be quite specialist. But ultimately I just love the design, the engineering and the aesthetics of bicycles and I think that is why I own so many.