RiddleOfSteel

@Kobe you didn't miss it, it was just hanging in a Portland bike shop with the tag "Trek" and its approximate size. For a frame of that condition and lacking all decals, I would have preferred it to be less than $200, but I took a chance on it thinking that it may have been a secret 710, which would, to me, make it much more of a deal. Thankfully it turned out great.

AdventureManCO 

Great job, guys.

Today I didn't go to the co-op, but I did pull some headsets and put three frames out on the curb (literally). I'm going to create a craigslist ad for 'free frames'. I know that these would simply just go to the crusher were I to take them to the co-op. Those folks need decent quality + complete bikes to get them into someone elses hands. This at least gives someone the opportunity to pick them up and put them to use before donating them to a scrapper.

I'm not sure it is fair to update the numbers, given that they are 'sort of/semi' still on the premises, but they will be leaving one way or another. That means we have an update -

Formerly:

Bikes: 19
Frames: 4
Last Bike Purchased: Dec 2023


Currently:

Bikes: 19
Frames: 1
Last Bike Purchased: Dec 2023

I need to go out to the garage and make sure I'm subtracting from the right category. I counted bikes versus frames in the condition I mostly got them in, but since then there has been so much change in the shop, with so many bikes disassembled, I'm getting a little discombobulated.

Also, to shed light on my current storage (and to appease @merziac just a bit) I would undoubtedly have more bikes if there was room. But there isn't room. That is the reality. I have 10 hooks, not including 3 additional ones for the wife/kiddos rides. So really, my numbers are around 10. Okay, 11 if I count the stand I made for the Huffente. I am flagrantly exceeding my capacity. Right now I have several bikes leaning up on things in the garage, THREE bikes down in the basement (2 of which will leave soon). One rafter hook is being used for 2 frames, and another wall hook 2 frames as well.

I am looking at this as a blessing in disguise. It's sort of fun to think about all the different bikes you could own or want to, and what you have, and what should leave and what should stay. I quite enjoy that, because I enjoy lists. However, the excercise would be meaningless if nothing was put into action. I really need to put in the work. There is no other way around it. And some of that is hard - because it means conceding defeat multiple times. I see the remnants of bikes, frames, projects, and they are leaving - a few to go on to a hopefully happy new owner. But most of them are failed visions. And worse than when I took them in. Multple times. That's hard. I don't like it. I want to be a good steward of what I've been given, and I have greatly failed at that. Perhaps that is my main reason. It is simply above my means. I don't want to buy 20 new sets of tires, or 20 sets of brake cables, and adjust 20 sets of deraileurs. Even 10 sounds daunting. Ideally, maybe 5 or 6. So anyway, I'm just sort of rambling out loud.

I know some may roll their eyes at this exercise, that's okay But I think it will open up a better world - where I can actually appreciate and better take care of what I have, and actually have complete bikes to pull down and ride, and that sounds awesome!

Right now, my 'projects-to-completes' ratio is probably about 90/10. Time for a change.


And to that end, progress is being made! There is a 'bike swap' happening tomorrow in CO Springs, and at first I told the wife I was going. Alas, when I learned it was a slightly more official event, w/ tickets and booths for vendors (aka people selling stuff), I knew that it would harder for me to offload anything, and I KNEW FOR SURE I would be tempted to easily bring something new home, I decided against it.

easyupbug 

I rightsized my shop to deal with this problem, 34 bikes kept for me and the kids and 11 now waiting parts, waiting maintenance, waiting paint , waiting decals, waiting powder coating or waiting a decision.

Chr0m0ly 

I went through this a few years back during our move to New York.
Went from roughly 20 down to 4-5 bikes and 3-4 frames… ?

I haven’t read through the 6 pages yet, but if no one’s mentioned the N-1 theory of “off site bike storage”. I don’t recall the forumite who posted but they were storing a bike at a friend or relatives house for visits to the area, so claimed it was one less bike without one less bike.

I’ve put that into practice leaving my Trek 720 at my in-laws house. Keeps it out of the city and ready for riding through “Michigan wine country” lol!

Finally I’d like to motion for bicycle frames to be officially classified as “bike parts” and not “bicycles”.
i mean… you can’t ride a bare frame anymore than you could ride just a group set… right?

AdventureManCO 

Yes, I agree. The exceptions that I do make are when I have a complete bike and for whatever reason it gets disassembled, but I still have all the parts to make it a complete bike again. For example, I purchased the Sears Ted Williams Sport Racer as a complete bicycle, yet it has been taken apart for cleaning/fixing. I understand that some may want to classify it as a 'frame' because maybe that feels a little less obtrusive than a whole bike, but in my case, it would almost be like cheating, since I still have all the parts.



That being said, as I've been reducing, I've probably been miscategorizing things. I went out to the garage last night and did some counting for probably about 10-15 min. Here was the count as I saw it:

Bikes: 16
Frames: 4

Before, I had been counting more as complete bikes, but since they truly are frames now and I don't really have any of the components for them, nor any intention to put them together, they'll remain as frames and not counted in the complete biycles category. An example of this is the 'Majestic Crapamount' which was built up in the 'horror' thread, and was, for all intents and purposes, a complete bicycle. But as of now, it has been stripped back down, and many of the components either scrapped,donated, or used for something else, so it truly is in the 'frames' category currently. Although, any keepers will eventually make it into the complete 'bikes' category if they get built, obviously.

Those 3 bikes I put on the curb? GOOOONNNNEEE!

I put one more frame out there that got lost in the mix, so it will probably be gone soon as well, which then leads us to the following current numbers:

Bikes: 16
Frames: 3

Here is where I started:

Bikes: 22
Frames: 10

And just to be sure you know that I'm not cheating or anything, I'll list out what I currently have, that currently are complete bikes or currently just bare framesets. Listing everything out also lays everything bare for you to see, so that you can also pick apart the list and maybe offer thoughts/critiques or suggestions on reductions based on a different point of view that I have.

The 16 Bikes:

1. The Huffente
2. Raleigh Super Course
3. Peugeot PXN-10 (56cm)
4. Trek 990 mtb
5. Miyata 1000 (aka 'the Midget')
6. Peugeot PXN-10 (52cm, blue)
7. John Deere 10 Speed Racer (yes. 'LOL')
8. Trek 930
9. Trek 600
10. Guerciotti
11. Trek 750
12. Specialized Allez
13. Peugeot PX-10
14. Gitane TdF
15. Centurion Ironman
16. Sears Ted Williams Sport Racer (technically the only bike on the list not wearing wheels, but I have all components and it will be built back up, so I'm counting it as a whole bike)

Frames:

1. Schwinn Paramount
2. **Classified**
3. **Classified**


There you go. That's it. That is the list. The PXN-10 (56cm) and Raleigh Super Course are getting packed up to go to a new home soon, so those will be the next to go and I'll be down to 14. Thinking of this list, I can sort of separate them into 3 categories - keepers, 'to evaluate', and 'probably going to go'. The obvious redundancies are with the French bikes - the PXN-10 (both), the PX-10 and the TdF. I rode the TdF only once, but the ride so impressed me that I've decided to hold onto it even though it needs quite a bit of work. My hope is to get down to just 1 French 'classic'. I'm thinking it will likely be the TdF, but that blue PXN-10 is just so pretty to look at. Still going back and forth there.

The Sears Ted Williams, the Specialized Allez, the TdF, and ...the John Deere...are all in the 'to evaluate' category. Several of them will probably leave. But heck, I have them, I'd like to try them! I will work getting those ridable, and if any speak to me, I'll hang on to them. The rest will go. And honestly, I'm way past trying to sell. It just seems like so much work for diminishing returns. I'd rather just give them away to someone else who will ride them and that's part of the fun of all this.

For the keepers, we have the Trek 990 (it just fulfills that 'tinker' itch), the Trek 750 (such a great bike), the Trek 930 ( I just love love love looking at that green color) and OF COURSE the Huffente. Right now the Midget is in the keeper category as well. It is small for me, but I find myself reaching for that one more times than not. It just does SO many things right when you ride it - it is smooth, stable, and quick, which surprised the heck out of me, because it is not a light bike. It has excellent power transferrance. Way better that the French bikes. The Guerciotti is my only true Italian, so I have no plans to sell or replace right now.

Regarding frames, I'm on the fence with the Paramount. I mean, its a Paramount! But who cares. But then again, who else is gonna love this thing? It's like a racehorse with a broken leg. Right now I'm holding it out of sympathy. Maybe it will grow on me.

The other mystery ones are non-negotiable, and not going anywhere.

Chr0m0ly 

I had a beautiful, nearly mint condition Cannondale Black Lightning, in my size, from the most desirable year, (the year before they switched to cantilevered rear drop outs ‘88 IIRC).
It was an incredibly sweet criterium frame from the height of twitchy think-and-you’re-turning days of race geometry.
I moved it on because I realized I couldn’t lock it and leave it anywhere…! I’d only use it on rides that didn’t have any stops. Those are usually longer rides and for distance I had better suited “boards in the quiver”.
So off it went.
I while I occasionally have “moments of regret” and sometimes miss the thing, I don’t actually regret letting it go. Someone else is treasuring and riding it more than I ever would have. And I have a couple ST Cannondale’s much better suited for me.
That experience lead me to focus on the touring bikes I really like. I find a small focused collection to be more rewarding than the purchases of bargain and opportunity.

jdawginsc 

You mean the other Huffys?

AdventureManCO 

No idea what you're talking about


EDIT: SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

AdventureManCO 

Spent a good half of the day getting these boxed up to go off to their new home. Feels good.

I’m still such a huge fan of the way the sun faded that Raleigh green into a teal.







I won’t strike these off the list until they are on their way to their new home.

I have come close to grabbing some other new bikes, but I’ve got some good initiative right now and don’t want any setbacks.

mhespenheide 

I would dearly love a 7-11 team "Huffy", built by Serotta or otherwise. But only if it fit.

plumberroy

It's more than bikes . I'm in the process of preparing for another foot surgery. I did a little trading the other day. Sporting goods. Traded off something that I shouldn't have brought to start with but besides the item I got in the trade I got more than twice the cash I paid for the original item. So I have some fun money. I saw a couple of bikes on marketplace that I would have normally jumped on. But between upcoming surgery and I am just getting older I passed on. Same with other hobbies I'm looking at stuff like would I really use that ?
9 bikes

Last one purchased
January 2024 and wondering why I did

Murray Missile 

Fortunately for me about the only bikes on Marketplace right now are $1800 Treks people bought during the pandemic and rode once and dust covered $50 Wal Mart Schwinns that people bought during the pandemic and rode once. No temptations to buy and I might actually have a chance of selling some decent bikes.

alexihnen 

I've visited this thread a few times but haven't read everything...but here's an idea: I have probably 2 doz bikes/frames I should really sell but it's a lot of work to take good photos, write up a good description, deal with tire kickers and spam... So, I think it might work if those of us hoping to reduce our collections post an inventory and see if anything piques someone's interest. I have only a small number of bikes I wouldn't consider selling (except for a silly price), but nearly all of them could be moved if someone were really interested. I'm starting to care (a little) more about where a bike goes than for how much it sells. I've added a couple to the collection since creating the list below and will keep those for a bit before considering moving along.

Forgive my Google Sheets to text paste. Link to the list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

1 Alex Singer
brown 1997 3275

2 Allin

3 Appel yellow yellow 1988
55 55

4 Appel custom pink/blue 1990
55.5 55

5 B. Carré
gray 1979 Cycl'Art 1

6 Basso
blue

7 Blue Riband

8 Bridgestone XO-1 orange

9 Carlton Flyer british green
574 V3760 23/58.5 23/58.5

10 Carlton
brown w/ white-blue stripes

11 Cinelli 1966
dark green 59

12 Claud Butler
Deep blue w/ black 1961 9723 57.5 56.5

13 Colian 753 black 1986

14 Davidson Impulse white/purple 1989

15 DiNucci custom purple 1984
56 53

16 Doug Fattic custom white/red

17 Doug Fattic custom orange/red

18 Eisentraut A orange 1977 20777

19 Frejus
silver w/ red panels 1971 31672

20 Frejus
green

21 Frejus
blue w/ white panels 1962 100536 60 57

22 Fuso
yellow/maroon 1986 688 55.5 55.5

23 G.P. Wilson custom maroon

24 Galibier
white w/ gray panels

25 Gangl custom Molteni Gangl
43

26 Gangl custom teal/white 1985 67 56 56

27 Gardin
white w/ chrome

28 Gilmour custom purple/red 1983
55.5 55.5

29 Hetchins
light blue
M27190 ? 22.5/57 22.5/57

30 Hobbs of Barbicon
1949

31 Holdsworth Hurricane black
28803 22.25/56.5 22/56

32 Ideor
yellow
333433? 60 58

33 Johnny Berry
green w/ red panels 1954

34 Jeffrey Bock custom blue 1982

35 Kvale custom blue 1983

36 Laing
black

37 LeMond Pro Della Santa
#086 57

38 Marinoni Special blue 1985 5654 56 56

39 Masi Gran Criterium light blue 1973 1.S.7 56 56

40 Medici Pro Strada maroon/yellow 1979 #026

41 Mercian
maroon w/ gold head tube
7 56 781 59 57.5

42 Merckx Hampsten custom Motorola 1991 H C 6304 55.5 59

43 Merckx Walton custom Motorola 1991 N C 8161 56 57.5

44 Mondia
white w/ red and black

45 Poliaghi
blue
D437

46 Rossin 7-11 team bike dark red 1983

47 Southern Cross
red

48 Spectrum
blue 1984 242 56 56

49 SW Cotten
black/blue
269 23.5/59 22.5/57

50 Tesch 101 red 1988 2501 10156 55.5 55

51 Trek 170 blue 1984 110029 57 56.5

52 Nobilette touring brown

53 Italvega
black w/ chrome panel
2335 61 59

54 Viking
gray w/ blue head tube

55 Windsor Pro
Maroon
5126 55 55

56 Wizard custom red pearl 1975
57 57

jdawginsc 

Dang. All of my size range too. Haha!

alexihnen 

Now that I think about it, this is probably not the right thread to post bikes for sale.

Mr. Spadoni 

Ok, so how do you count a bike that has no wheels? Or seat and post? Most of my bikes share wheels and many of them have the same seat post diameter so I usually can ride the one seat that fits well. Can I count it as a bike if I can ride it within say 15 minutes of pulling it from the rack?

AdventureManCO 

Yes! Let's go with that

AdventureManCO 

You have quite an impressive list of bikes, and many would be in the Tier 1 class of rare or high end bikes. For sake of the moderators, I agree that this thread is not the place to list bikes 'potentially' for sale as it enters sort of a gray area, and stretches the rules for selling (paid membership, etc. etc. ) but I have also thought about the same idea a few different times - you list up what you have, and in what sizes, and then if someone searches for that specific model, they'll find your post in that thread and can message you.

You have several bikes that have been on 'the list' of mine for a while. Not 'the list', but 'the list'. There is a difference 'The list' is the list of bikes I'm currently working with, and what I am trying to reduce. 'The list' is the dream list, the list if there were no holds barred choices. In order to be worthy of 'the list', I first need to put in the work on 'the list'. I'm in a bit of a dangerous time. As I reduce the fleet, there is the temptation to allow new bikes to slide in. Also, it is dangerous because the reason having...and choosing...for so many bikes is feeling a bit up in the air, a bit of an identity crisis. I get folks who want to have a hardcore collection of beautiful, museum quality 1960s or 1970s vintage race bikes. That is a very specific, dedicated collection. Mine is so haphazard. I think I need to really change my philosophy and start from the ground up.

For example - I think it is probably time to get rid of most/all of the smaller-framed bikes. What is so weird is that I thought my small framed bikes were all 54cm. Nope. They are 52! At least, 52cm C-T-C. That's so weird. How did I not catch that. That means that I can probably hang at 54cm all day long and be just fine. 55-56cm is the sweet spot, 57cm is stretching it, but okay. My PX-10 has a 57cm top tube, and rides great. 58 is the near limit of 'French fit'. And to be fair, I've been learning how top tube length can be more important in many regards than seat tube. That has been a revalation. So 54cm-58cm is it. That little blue Peugeot PXN-10 that I have...it is a sweet little ride, but yeah, I can tell its just a hair too small for me. 52cm. Probably great as a 'racing' bike fit. I'm never going to race. I know it doesn't make sense AT ALL to hang on to 'the Midget' (at 50cm), but its got quite a longer top tube at 53 or 53.5cm, and I think with a slighty longer stem, it can do just fine. I at least want to try, before I say no. But the other ones that are 52cm...the PXN-10...the Gitane...the John Deere...I think those need to leave. That's gonna be hard, because I was really looking forward to the Gitane. Maybe I should try it out.

Although the Ironman is a sick ride, and fits me great, it *might* be leaving. I know someone that has no bike right now (just lost theirs in a fire) and they have an open offer on it right now. It could be a gateway bike for them. We'll see. If so, it was a worthwhile build and going to someone that needs it more than me. And...it would free up one more spot.

Mr. Spadoni 

In an earlier post Mad Honk offered up a Colnago in this thread. He was kind enough to send it my way as it will allow me to pass on 2 1/2 frames( 1/2? I’ll explain later. Typing is not my highest skill, as Mad Honk has discovered. )
Arrangements were made, a box handed over to UPS, and the wait began. Arrival was expected on Wednesday at Palazzo Spadoni. Wednesday came, package was appeared to be out for delivery, and the day was coming to a close with no brown truck in sight.
Now on Wednesday, we have one of our two grandchildren at the PS. At the end of the day, we load up the one in our care in the car, stop at daycare to pick up the other one, and deliver them both to their home.
No sign of UPS as we left our neighborhood. As we pull up to to daycare, more than a bit of a slog, my phone rings. Mrs S picks up and clearly she has no idea of who she is talking to. I park, she hands me the phone and its Mad Honk. He’s telling me that the address I gave him for the frame doesn’t exist and UPS has called him to fix it so they can deliver. We talk as best we can, given the chaos that occurs as daycare at the end of a day. We hang up and I’m expecting after a long day and a long drive, I’m going to be on the UPS website forever getting this sorted.
Ok, so Mad Honk has already gained legendary status by sending the frame to me. When I get home, he’s elevated to a higher level yet. I have message waiting, telling me that he’s has spent an hour on the phone with UPS and corrected the address I'd given him, possibly a stop for the Hogwarts Express, to the the place where I actually live.
Yesterday, I see this


A box is handed to me and inside is this


Was the frame packed with care? Check it out. The seat post in the small parts box was in a heat sealed bag



and under all the foam ( sorry children of Indiana, there will be no pool noodles this year. Mad Honk has used them all. ) was this



Stopping now before my device crashes. Can’t say enough about how well this turned out.

Mad Honk 

AMCO,
Now that the lavender "Old Nago" las left the shop, I got a chance to work on your N-1 and my N+1. So a bit cleaning on the Trek 959. It had a bit of grime build up around the bottom bracket and cable guides, but it came out pretty nice. A few pictures of the frame as it sits.

This one came in from AMCO and is to my best guess a 1981 959 model. I suspect it was a special order due to the paint and the way some of the wear spots show the original paint.

The 950 series originally came with a white and blue Imron paint but this one is silver and blue. Which leads me to believe the paint was a second coat of silver over the white. This bit of wear shows some white under the silver, I will do a cleaning of the insides of the tubes and then start a build with Campy NR.

A small ding on the inside of the fork shows a bit of white under the silver, and there is a bit of white on the steerer that appears to have been polished off when the silver was applied.
This one should be a nice rebuild when I can get to the rest of the cleaning. Smiles, MH

cocoabeachcrab 

just found this thread and i think it was responsible for my sleepless night last night! i just paid another $250 monthly for a storage shed full of my projects and completed bikes i'm worried sick (and somewhat shameful over all the $$ spent) over leaving my wife or kids a burden if i kick the bucket, stressed that i won't be able to get rid of all those bikes (around 20) and i'm just going to skip to the stages of grief and make a move somehow. i didn't really plan to build all those bikes to sell to make a killing on selling them... as a former aircraft mechanic i just like building bikes but it's gotten out of hand (bike project anon founding member!) and i say that as i look over my shoulder at another build that i justified doing as being for the spring time daffodil ride here in newport. and i still have a frame sitting at groodys to be powdered.

i like the idea of listing our herds somewhere and seeing if anyone is interested... just amongst us.

Mr. Spadoni 

My CRSEAT frame ( check title of thread if the acronym is not obvious, and clearly a sticker similar to the BOC sticker is needed) met Gugie yesterday.


Frame is now nicely aligned, set to 126 so it will play nicely with my existing wheels, and ready to build. Goal on build is to try to use period parts, but only what is in hand and to make maintenance easy. Was hoping to use a Campy NR headset that I’ve had kicking around, but in the last 50 years some PO trimmed the steerer to less than an NR length, so a more modern HS that I have will be used. Likewise, white tape and seat would look good, but those would require effort to keep clean, even if I had a level of cleanliness that I’ll never possess

Pompiere

I have been watching this thread with some interest since it started. I don't have an issue with storage space, but it does start to become a burden with time and resources. Where I live, nice old bikes don't come up very often, so I have used the "opportunistic acquisition" method to buy anything that I see that might have potential. That has resulted in me accumulating some lower spec bikes that don't get ridden as much anymore as I have found nicer bikes. I do try to move up the ladder with each purchase. However, I bought the Marukin last winter because I just wanted a project to work on. But only a couple weeks later I found the FW Evans. And not long after that, the Sears Free Spirit 531. Had I found those two bikes first, I wouldn't have given the Marukin a second glance. The bright side is I got an SR crankset, a Nitto stem, and some shorty fenders from it. But bringing three bikes into the herd in a short time did create some friction in the home. I had gone for a ride one day while my wife was out. When she came home, she didn't know where I was because it didn't look like any bikes were gone. She knew I had several bikes and I was always working on something, but I would always move them around between the barn and garage. Well, when I got back and she told me this, she went out and counted them. Now that she had an actual number, she was less than pleased. So, in the interest in keeping peace and harmony, I need to pare the collection down a bit and only keep the ones that mean the most to me. That will also open up some space to allow a future acquisition if something special comes along.

AdventureManCO 

If your number is anywhere need around 20, know that is significantly better than it could be. It means that every single bike that you do end up moving is starting at 5% of your total, and only getting better.

I'd tried making lists over and over about the bikes I want to keep, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere, since it changes so much. Even creating a list of 'non-negotiables' is an uphill battle, because what if they are all non-negotiable?

I will say this - there is no such thing as a non-negotiable if your house burns down, which partly happened to one of my family members a couple weeks ago. He wasn't a huge cyclist, but the the bicycle he did have - gone. It sort of puts things in perspective.

I think I'm at the point where I could easily pick a 'top 5' or something like that, but somewhat of an even truer test is to see which ones you grab the most when you'd like to go for a ride. And if there are any that fight you on things that you can't really change (yeah, this one is too big or small) then that will be an easy one to let go, since there is someone else out there that could enjoy it even more.

Regarding the cost - once you sort of give up on the idea of making any $$ it gets a lot easier

I know that many won't take my approach (giving them away), but for me, it works well because I now don't have the hindrances of waiting for an interested buyer and being on someone else's timeframe, and giving feels good too. The real value has been in the experience, and in the wisdom gained.

AdventureManCO 

Your FW Evans is such a lovely bike. I understand about the spousal unrest, although after doing this a while, the wife has been more than accommodating. Also, she now sees the effort of me trying to pair down, and she knows its hard, so its been good. Haven't bought a bike yet this year. Not saying I won't, but I would really like to get things in hand first, and reserve any purchases for those really special opportunities that come along.

That is also my thought, too - I'd like to be at a place with numbers and space that if I did find something new to bring into the shop, I could do so easily and it wouldn't affect anything negatively. I don't know what that number is exactly, but I have around 10 hooks in the garage. I could probably eek out a couple more, which means my 'golden number' is around 12.

I'm not too worried about the idea of a burden at this point, because if I was to go and the family was to be stuck w/ this, I would tell her to let the kids keep anything they wanted, then just call an estate sale company for all the rest of it. Just pick up the phone, let someone else do the work. There is enough value there that it would make it worthwhile for an estate company, and then the family gets a little kickback as well, however large or small. My line in the sand is the idea of a tarp out in the backyard. Once that happens, you are just sort of 'letting yourself go' and I can't have that.

I'm going to be working on the Huffente today. Hopefully getting an alloy wedge made for a special stem project. Feels good. Honestly, if the Huffente was my only bike, life would still be great