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One bike vs multiple bikes?

Old 01-02-17, 11:02 AM
  #26  
wphamilton
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I can sympathize since I have tried to resist the impulse for years. But, two bikes for commuting is pretty much the optimal minimum already.

To answer your question directly, I was happy with just one bike for years. I am happier now having three, configured for different conditions.
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Old 01-02-17, 12:00 PM
  #27  
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Whenever this topic comes up I like to repeat my idea of a "quiver killer" bike that would do it all. You could start with a 29er or 27.5 mountain bike and have a commuter wheelset for it. The conversion would be fast and painless. You could add complexity if you want... for instance it'd be really easy to have a shorter cassette on the road wheel. Doing a little more work, a threadless headset lets you replace the whole front end with just two bolts for the stem and two for the brake caliper, so you could have a rigid carbon fork; and some of the 1x cranksets make it really easy to change the ring. The objection usually to all this is that you'd still have MTB geometry and handlebars.
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Old 01-02-17, 12:04 PM
  #28  
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If you get a Late start in the morning, having a second bike ready to go will 'save your bacon'*, if the primary one got a flat tire.

*and maybe your Job.
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Old 01-02-17, 12:13 PM
  #29  
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The legal term for n+1 is "bikamy". Sometimes I like a different ride, but I can understand your desire for monogamy with a favorite.
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Old 01-02-17, 12:13 PM
  #30  
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I like the opportunity to choose what I'm riding and for what.


Same reason one would have a Lincoln, Cadillac and a Packard...


In my case those are bikes as well
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Old 01-02-17, 12:16 PM
  #31  
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'Bikamy' isn't necessarily cheap and the others know you are seeing others, they're all chained in the the same place
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Old 01-02-17, 01:01 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by Rollfast
'Bikamy' isn't necessarily cheap and the others know you are seeing others, they're all chained in the the same place
I didn't say it was easy, especially when you have a favorite.

If you push it, it can leave you Penny Farthingless
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Old 01-02-17, 01:03 PM
  #33  
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I've only got one, the one and only bike I've had for the past 11 years. I know that's unusual for here, but it does what I need to most of the time and cuts down on the storage/maintenance issues.
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Old 01-02-17, 01:06 PM
  #34  
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I would consider myself a minimalist as I have gone around the house/garage and sold off stuff I don't use/need or think about. It has been less than a year since I started biking (before was a BSO) and it took awhile before I found a preferred commuter (Trek 7.2). I could definitely live with just this bike, but I caught the bug and got a mountain bike. I now want to go longer distances as 40 miles gets tiring on the 7.2, so I am getting a gravel/adventure bike. I have gone over selling the 7.2, but I am going to keep it as a spare and lockup bike to leave in front of stores. So counting my 3, I have 5 in my garage as my girlfriend has one as does my dad who stays with me.

In your situation, I see a good reason to keep a full size bike for longer rides and folder for the ease of transport.

If you want to stick with just 1 bike, I'd suggest staying away from bike websites. You see a lot of photos and articles that make you want to add another bike to the stable.
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Old 01-02-17, 03:17 PM
  #35  
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My primary bike is a Kettler Silverstar, with a Specialized Crossroads as backup. The Kettler is very reliable and the backup lacks a chainguard or dynamo lights and is consequently less convenient, and I ride it infrequently. Still, it's good to know that if I have a problem, I have an alternative to using my car.
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Old 01-02-17, 03:53 PM
  #36  
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Cycling is a hobby or a lifestyle choice. Budget for three bikes. One for summer good weather, one for rain or rough terrain and one for winter. The costs of maintaining this lifestyle is still cheaper than maintaining a car.
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Old 01-02-17, 04:25 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by caloso
I'd no sooner have a single bike than a single pair of shoes.
lol that's funny, I'd rather have multiple bikes, and only 1 pair of shoes (all-terrain SPD bike shoes)... since off the bike I prefer barefoot.

I have 3 bikes for 3 reasons:

1. road bike commuter because my commute is long and a lighter road bike is better suited for the distance.
2. upright utility hauler bike that pulls trailer or kid trail-a-bike: essential for transportational cyclists who want to haul stuff (cargo bike would be a great alternative).
3. off-road bike, in my case a rigid MTB with tires suited for both on/off road use, to use for general exploring adventures that may take me down light dirt or gravel paths, as well as paved roads.

I would like to someday build a 4th bike which would be a dedicated commuter, something like a road bike but with disc brakes and fender accommodations. I might sell the road bike if I were to do such a build, as it would pretty much replace that bike anyway. I do the occasional longer recreational ride on the road bike, but a dedicated commuter could do the same thing.

I tried commuting with the utility bike, and it's just way too heavy and slow. However that bike is slated for e-assist conversion in the coming months, so I may actually try commuting with that bike on days that I don't take the road bike. We'll see.

And a 5th bike could be a dedicated foul weather bike with rack and fenders, something not as nice as the dedicated commuter bike #4.

Last edited by PatrickGSR94; 01-02-17 at 04:29 PM.
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Old 01-02-17, 04:26 PM
  #38  
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It's nice to have different tools for different applications. A cook can get away with a decent chef's knife for most jobs but you would much rather have a paring knife, cleaver, bread knife, etc., as well.
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Old 01-02-17, 11:29 PM
  #39  
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Hey, however you folks want to justify your bike addictions is up to you.

Seriously, I think it's very common for enthusiasts of any stripe to have more than one of something where the rest of the world would see no need.

Not long after my first post in this thread I came face to face with something I salvaged 15 years ago with every intention to fix and never did. I came very close to tossing it but still haven't. Instead I spent an hour on the Internet searching for replacement parts, - even though I have plenty of other things that I should be fixing first including one of my bikes.

I have a real problem throwing stuff away that I think still has a useful life. In this case it's an old cuckoo clock. If you've never opened one up, they are as cool as hell, - especially the way the bird whistles work. Nevertheless I've decided that if I don't fix it in the next month, out it goes. Maybe I'll list it as a freebie on craigslist. Even if I do fix it, there's no way my wife will put up with it anywhere in the house. The novelty would quickly wear off even for me, so at best it's destined to be sold. I should have never picked it up in the first place.

I will acknowledge that when I saw it today, the first thing I felt was this pang of guilt. So maybe there is something to this idea that extra stuff is really just a drag on our life. I only have a couple of bikes now, but I've got a whole lot of parts from when I used to have more. It is a drag, because I can barely fit them in my parts bin. Again, I hate to throw out stuff that might be useful to someone, but come next spring, most of it is going, one way or another.
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Old 01-03-17, 12:10 AM
  #40  
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I'm monogamous...one bike at a time.

My POV is this: get the bike that best fits your wants, and why would you NEED anything else? The one I have now does everything I can ask -- commuter, utility, family fun tripper, winter bike. I have multiple sets of tires for it, but just the one bike.

When it no longer works, it retires and I get another.
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Old 01-03-17, 12:13 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by mlau
Do any of you guys just have/want only one bicycle?

I know that bike forums might not be the best place to ask this question.
However, I've been thinking a lot about life--what's needed for happiness--and the idea of having less things.

For most of my life, I've only had one bike.
However, on the eve of Christmas eve, I splurged on getting a Miyata 1000LT off ebay (supposed to be one of the best vintage touring bikes ever made).

The thing is, are any of you guys happier with just one bike?

Most bike nuts that I know of have around 3+: a pure roadie, commuter, maybe a mountain bike, and fixie.
On my end, I'm looking forward to my first non-folding bike in years (and properly fitting, too!).
I'm also thinking of paring away at my books, guitars (way too many), and woodworking tools.

Anyways, I've posted this on this sub-forum, since the C&V crowd seems to have the most bikes (8-10), the folder crowd has about 2-3 (mini-folder, moderate folder, full sized folders), and racers have about 2-3 bikes as well.
I'm happy with one bike that's built to be as universal as possible. But I do have one backup. The old bike (30 years old now) is still used by my woman when she decides to go riding (not very often) so I still keep it. It is also used in the winter since it's the one I got the studded tyres for years ago and they're still good (26" wheels).

However, I do all my repairs myself (and other people's bikes too ). So no waiting during "the season" for bike to be repaired, if it needs to. And still I have a backup one.
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Old 01-03-17, 12:32 AM
  #42  
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Two bikes

I think it is always good to have two bikes to switch off with
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Old 01-03-17, 12:50 AM
  #43  
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If riding is something you have to do and you have only one bike, you are a slave to it. You have to ride and the tire is flat. You HAVE to fix it. A wheel out of true, a headset less than perfect. With multiple bikes, you can grab another.

I've done both (though I have always had 2 bikes, one a beater fix gear). In my racing days, when I got bumped by a car and wrecked my wheel, I had to work the the next day till after lunch instead of taking my usual midweek day off to ride, then stay on at the shop to rebuild the wheel so I could get out the next morning early and ride my 120 mile midweek ride and be back at work at 2. All winter my fix gear was my only transportation and I spent many evenings doing repairs to have a bike to ride the next day.

If riding is just a past time, more than one is far less necessary.

Ben
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Old 01-03-17, 07:42 AM
  #44  
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I'll confess that I have a few bikes that aren't necessary and could do without.

My winter commuter, a steel framed, rack, fenders, studded tires, panniers, etc, is the one that I ride right. I need this one.

My other commuter, a aluminum framed, fenders, 25mm slicks, is used for wet weather, non-winter conditions.

These are the only two that I see as necessary.

My other bikes that are superfluous:
An aluminum CX, a steel vintage racer, a 16-lb carbon endurance bike. They were meant for weekend riding, which I rarely do, and even when I do sometimes I take the aluminum commuter anyway.

I've work on all of these bikes and that's part of the enjoyment that I get from having them.
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Old 01-03-17, 08:03 AM
  #45  
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You should have enough bikes to fill the available storage space.
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Old 01-03-17, 09:11 AM
  #46  
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9 is the right answer. Or so. I'm a right tool for the job kinda guy. Dedicated winter commuters, touring etc. Fat bike, full sus mt bike etc. Good weather commuters and utility do all bikes.
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Old 01-03-17, 09:57 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by bikemig
If you commute, 2 bikes is good when one of the bikes needs repairs.
Originally Posted by Steely Dan
Since acquiring multiple bikes years ago, I would never want to go back to just one bike for daily bike commuting. At a bare minimum, two bikes are nice because one can serve as a back-up if the other is out of commission for some reason.


Originally Posted by fietsbob
If you get a Late start in the morning, having a second bike ready to go will 'save your bacon'*, if the primary one got a flat tire.

*and maybe your Job.

+1 to all of the above.


Since this is the commuting forum, you have to be aware that you can't get to work on a bike if it's in the shop, waiting for a part, etc. And to be honest, after a certain age something on the bike is going to break or wear out. You could get spares for every part, just in case that's what breaks, and be ready, willing, and able to spend an evening fixing whatever needs it. It's got to be EVERY part, because Murphy's law says if you don't have a rear hub, or a new rim, or a spare bottom bracket, or whatever - that's what broke. Or you could put all those spare parts together, make an extra bike, and buy the replacement when it's needed.
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Old 01-03-17, 10:28 AM
  #48  
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I've currently got 6 bikes: two tourers, two sport tourers, a cyclocross and a racing bike. However, I would like to thin the herd a bit, so I am considering selling/parting out three bikes as an excuse to buy another new one, which would leave me at four.

IMHO, you need at least two bikes so you have a backup if one has mechanical issues, flat tire, in the shop for maintenance, etc. Then you start wanting bike for different purposes, such as commuting, touring, off road. The limiting factors are your budget and storage space.
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Old 01-03-17, 10:35 AM
  #49  
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I currently own two bikes, but only because my old bike hasn't sold yet. Still I haven't used it once since my new bike got here months ago. I'm mostly a n=1 girl. It helps thatnwhere I live it doesn't rain or snow so I don't really need a "winter" bike.

However, I have been wishing for a true road bike (only because I want to join a club). For commuting purposes, I'm happy with just one bike.
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Old 01-03-17, 10:56 AM
  #50  
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wonder if any bike commuter ever had 2 identical bikes, meaning 2 exactly the same. brand, model, year, saddle, tires, etc
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