Ideal number of bikes
09-19-20, 10:26 AM
#1
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Ideal number of bikes
I think I've determined what I'd want:
- one regular bike
- one touring bike
- one rain/winter bike
What do you think?
- one regular bike
- one touring bike
- one rain/winter bike
What do you think?
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09-19-20, 10:32 AM
#2
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09-19-20, 11:01 AM
#3
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One more than what you have.
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09-19-20, 11:08 AM
#4
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road touring bike,
off road touring bike,
fatbike,
fast trail bike,
jump bike.
off road touring bike,
fatbike,
fast trail bike,
jump bike.
09-19-20, 11:12 AM
#5
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I think 3 is generally good: one you love, one you like, and one you abuse.
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09-19-20, 11:52 AM
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N+1
Road bike
CX bike
TT bike
Track bike
H/T mtb
F/S mtb
beater
Road bike
CX bike
TT bike
Track bike
H/T mtb
F/S mtb
beater
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09-19-20, 11:57 AM
#7
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I have 4 road bikes, each of which has its own particular flavor, from 30 year old Italian steel with 15 year old Campy kit to brand new carbon fiber with 105 and disc brakes. I ride whichever one I feel like, any given day. Every time I ride one after not riding it for a while, I think, "Oh, yeah! THAT'S why I love this one!"
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09-20-20, 06:45 AM
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Need something for touring on rail trails. Wider tires, relaxed geometry, no suspension, racks and fenders for overnight gear.
09-20-20, 02:22 PM
#12
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There’s no set answer to that.
It depends on your life conditions and attitude.
Me, I don’t think I can justify collecting bikes, due to the storage space I have.
But I’m willing to take a generous approach to how frequently I need to use a bike to consider it a keeper.
The plan is to eventually stabilize the number to five:
- winter bike
- ”utility” drop bar bike, with fenders and rack.
- ”race” drop bar bike
- mtb
- upright utility/beater bike, IGH
I’ve got a few project bikes I haven’t quite decided on:
- old MTB with high chain stay mount, to be turned into a belt drive bike.
- old MTB with a Rapid-Rise derailer, to get a bullhorn bar and levers pointing forward.
Then there are the nostalgia bikes:
- my first drop bar bike
- the bike I built for Dad
The rest of them are only passing through.
It depends on your life conditions and attitude.
Me, I don’t think I can justify collecting bikes, due to the storage space I have.
But I’m willing to take a generous approach to how frequently I need to use a bike to consider it a keeper.
The plan is to eventually stabilize the number to five:
- winter bike
- ”utility” drop bar bike, with fenders and rack.
- ”race” drop bar bike
- mtb
- upright utility/beater bike, IGH
I’ve got a few project bikes I haven’t quite decided on:
- old MTB with high chain stay mount, to be turned into a belt drive bike.
- old MTB with a Rapid-Rise derailer, to get a bullhorn bar and levers pointing forward.
Then there are the nostalgia bikes:
- my first drop bar bike
- the bike I built for Dad
The rest of them are only passing through.
09-20-20, 03:30 PM
#15
Junior Member
I have 4. I want one more (of course). That would give me:
regular road bike (Fuji)
even lighter weight road bike (Raleigh)
Hybrid (for trails, bad weather and occasional shopping)
old touring bike (that will spend it's retirement on the trainer)
new touring bike with fat tires (wish list item for now)
regular road bike (Fuji)
even lighter weight road bike (Raleigh)
Hybrid (for trails, bad weather and occasional shopping)
old touring bike (that will spend it's retirement on the trainer)
new touring bike with fat tires (wish list item for now)
09-20-20, 03:52 PM
#17
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Road, mountain, gravel, and vintage.
I don't want a tt bike these days. Not fast enough to justify one.
I do want more mountain bikes to mess around with. High end vintage (anodized every color of the 90's), full suspension, fat, and I want to give a unicycle a try.
So that would bring me from 4 to 7.5.
I don't want a tt bike these days. Not fast enough to justify one.
I do want more mountain bikes to mess around with. High end vintage (anodized every color of the 90's), full suspension, fat, and I want to give a unicycle a try.
So that would bring me from 4 to 7.5.
09-20-20, 05:18 PM
#18
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This reminds me of my neighbor with six dogs. It was too many.
I think three or four bikes should suffice. I have two and could easily see having three.
I think three or four bikes should suffice. I have two and could easily see having three.
09-20-20, 05:22 PM
#19
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You never know...
09-20-20, 05:57 PM
#20
Junior Member
Same here. I have a 2016 Giant Escape that I love and found a way to keep it by putting some gravel tires on it (works great), and a soon to be purchased CF / 105 road bike to up my game. I should be good with that.
I got rid of an old steel frame MTB I was using as a beater bike after cleaning it up, putting a new saddle and cruiser tires on it, and giving it to my dad to encourage exercise.
I got rid of an old steel frame MTB I was using as a beater bike after cleaning it up, putting a new saddle and cruiser tires on it, and giving it to my dad to encourage exercise.
Last edited by athix; 09-20-20 at 09:53 PM.
09-20-20, 06:22 PM
#21
Clark W. Griswold
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N+1 is always correct however I will say if you have a bunch of low end bikes I might get rid of some and upgrade to some nicer stuff. A pile of junk isn't worth it and I would rather have a couple nice bikes.
I don't know what a regular bike but most of my bikes are pretty regular in the fact they aren't oddities like swing bikes or tall bikes.
Gotta have some neat vintage stuff, a fun fixed gear, a modern road bike and some mountain bikes and of course gotta have a good touring bike. An interesting hybrid is good but the boring old hybrids that many companies pump out in large quantities just aren't as fun. Give it some fun handlebars and some decent parts.
I don't know what a regular bike but most of my bikes are pretty regular in the fact they aren't oddities like swing bikes or tall bikes.
Gotta have some neat vintage stuff, a fun fixed gear, a modern road bike and some mountain bikes and of course gotta have a good touring bike. An interesting hybrid is good but the boring old hybrids that many companies pump out in large quantities just aren't as fun. Give it some fun handlebars and some decent parts.
09-20-20, 06:23 PM
#22
Jedi Master
I have 13 bikes. I don't feel like I need any more and could probably get by with a few less, so maybe 10 is the ideal number?
09-20-20, 06:55 PM
#23
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ideal number is simple. It's your current number of bicycles + 1. Now sum up your total on-hand cash, assets, available line of credit, & projected inheritance to achieve the "Y" value. Using the averaged cost of what you paid for your current bicycles, divide "Y" by the averaged number.
Pretty simple really.
Pretty simple really.
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09-20-20, 07:24 PM
#24
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I think it depends on where you live and your storage. I have seven bikes currently. But here in CO, I feel like the ideal for me is a mountain bike, gravel bike and a road bike. I can ride all year with this set up even without a fat tire rig.
