When you have several bikes does one get all the Ride time?
#1
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When you have several bikes does one get all the Ride time?
I have a nice Specialized Diverge
I went out and bought a Defy just to see if I could go a bit faster.
Yes the Defy is a bit faster, and has lots more useable gears, but I missed the Diverge's handling and low center of gravity and the way its frame feels on really bad terrain.
So just like in the past, the Defy is gathering dust.
This isn't the first time this has happened as I've gone through different sets of bikes. If you have several bikes, do they all get used?
I went out and bought a Defy just to see if I could go a bit faster.
Yes the Defy is a bit faster, and has lots more useable gears, but I missed the Diverge's handling and low center of gravity and the way its frame feels on really bad terrain.
So just like in the past, the Defy is gathering dust.
This isn't the first time this has happened as I've gone through different sets of bikes. If you have several bikes, do they all get used?
#2
Full Member
I have an endurance bike (Domane) and a faster bike (Madone). I rotate them daily. The Domane goes on hilly rides at a nice pace. The Madone goes on flat/rolling rides at a faster pace.
I enjoy the variety.
Mike
I enjoy the variety.
Mike
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#3
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I tend to ride my light carbon road bike when I group ride, my solo road rides I use my Cannondale Topstone with the road wheels as its a very comfortable bike. I use my mt. bikes more in fall and winter and right now am mostly riding my new carbon FS. My local mt. bike club is amazingly on top of clearing trails so they are now ridable in summer.
#4
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...I can only speak for me, but I try to ride all of them, rotating them in and out of the lineup.
Today and for the past few days I rode this:

Last week I was riding this one a lot:

Most of them are set up similarly, so it helps a lot if you have bikes that are different colors.
Today and for the past few days I rode this:

Last week I was riding this one a lot:

Most of them are set up similarly, so it helps a lot if you have bikes that are different colors.

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#5
my bikes have chrome
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I found that one bike was getting all the ride time, so I let the others go.
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
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For single track, I use the Trek mtb
For flats, the Orbea road bike
For hilly routes, the Bianchi (better gearing)
For flats, the Orbea road bike
For hilly routes, the Bianchi (better gearing)
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#7
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I have three bikes currently. My Orbea Orca, Orbea Avant, and my Trek Checkpoint. The gravel bike gets the least miles per year, my Orca gets the most fun miles, and the Avant gets the most commuting miles. The rides depend on what type of ride I am off to do.
#9
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Thread Starter
In all seriousness, a lot of the bike trails I ride on are also filled with hikers and walkers. The Defy just doesn't let me jump a curb or pull some equally unorthodox maneuver to give pedestrians leeway. Feel everything is safer with the gravel bike.
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...I can only speak for me, but I try to ride all of them, rotating them in and out of the lineup.
Today and for the past few days I rode this:

Last week I was riding this one a lot:

Most of them are set up similarly, so it helps a lot if you have bikes that are different colors.
Today and for the past few days I rode this:

Last week I was riding this one a lot:

Most of them are set up similarly, so it helps a lot if you have bikes that are different colors.

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I’ve only ridden my super fly custom ti road machine about 10 miles this year. The touring/commuting bike has over 1,000 on it this year. Most of them fully loaded. There is no crossover between the two.
#12
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When I ride alone, I ride my fixed gear bike. In a group, I ride a bike with derailleurs. When the weather is sloppy, I ride a bike with mudguards. If I'm doing errands, I ride my 3-speed with rack and panniers.
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I have a LWB bent and a trike. Since the majority of my riding is done on in town bike trails, we have 130 miles of bike trail in town, the trike get most of the riding. The reason for that is it is simply the most relaxing way to ride, since you dont have to unclip at every stop. You set their till the light turns green clipped in, and ride straight off.
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I commute and have 4 bikes. They're all fun so I mix 'em up for variety, and to prevent repetitive stress injuries. Even though they all have about the same ride set-up there are differences. Obviously the big bike with the baskets gets used more for utility, trailering and snow. And the lightest bike gets used more for distance. And the folding bike gets used for throwing in a car trunk.
A great thing about bikes is that you can ignore them for long periods of time, and they won't hold a grudge.
A great thing about bikes is that you can ignore them for long periods of time, and they won't hold a grudge.
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#16
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__________________
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
#17
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Generally, when I buy/build up a bike, it gets the lion's share of attention for a while, but then I find myself itching to ride one of the other ones and I go back to rotating through them. This year, though, after I built up my Litespeed, I find I'd be perfectly happy riding it forever, and for months I rode it almost exclusively.
But then I started feeling like the other bikes were getting jealous. And once I started riding them again, I kept having "Oh, yeah! THAT'S why I have this bike!" experiences on them. So, I'll ride one of them for a week, then go back the Litespeed for a week, then on to another bike I've been neglecting.
But then I started feeling like the other bikes were getting jealous. And once I started riding them again, I kept having "Oh, yeah! THAT'S why I have this bike!" experiences on them. So, I'll ride one of them for a week, then go back the Litespeed for a week, then on to another bike I've been neglecting.
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"Everybody's gotta be somewhere." - Eccles
#18
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And one of those is a Brooks, which most people seem to ride nose-up anyway.
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"Don't take life so serious-it ain't nohow permanent."
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#19
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I have two short wheelbase (SWB) recumbent bikes, a 2008 RANS V-Rex and a 2020 Bacchetta Giro A20. And share a 2010 RANS Screamer tandem with spouse/stoker.
Last year I rode the V-Rex 46 miles, the Giro 3516 miles and we rode the tandem 466 miles. Heading towards similar miles this year.
We mostly ride the tandem on tandem club rides and rides in preparation for those rides. Making sure we don't forget how to ride it.
The V-Rex is a great backup bike - I've ridden it about 17,000 miles and is there if I need.
Last year I rode the V-Rex 46 miles, the Giro 3516 miles and we rode the tandem 466 miles. Heading towards similar miles this year.
We mostly ride the tandem on tandem club rides and rides in preparation for those rides. Making sure we don't forget how to ride it.
The V-Rex is a great backup bike - I've ridden it about 17,000 miles and is there if I need.

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Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Last edited by JanMM; 07-16-22 at 11:47 AM.
#20
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#21
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The Synapse most of the time, Cujo after that for a local trail, the Quick is foul weather, gravel and other known rough roads. The R-1000 stays on the smart trainer. Have not used the Giant in several years
#22
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out of the four, two are vintage steel…aka bulletproof but heavier. both have decent but not great gearing for hilly stuff so they get a steady diet of foothills and flats. One of the vintage steel rides has a narrower (than i’m used to) vintage cinelli handlebar so it makes it a little twitchier than all the other bikes. when i wanna work on bike handling, that’s the bike getting ridden. the other steel beast has downtube shifters and is
more plodding but is great on bleepy pavé of which there is always plenty. other two bikes are a newish trek madone which is soulless but light with great hill-climbing gearing. pretty much only ride it on days where i’m planning on climbing more than 5,000 feet with other rider(s). lastly is the old ‘95 look carbon fiber rig. it has the most comfy set-up/geometry of all my bikes and the climbing gears are pretty decent. if i’m riding hard hills/mtns solo, that is the likely choice.
at one time, the three bikes i had all had the same gearing/cassettes which came in really handy for
bike trips. Would pack a complete wheelset (as backup) and a complete bike. there were a few trips where a rim got out of balance or broke a spoke and it was super easy to just swap out a front or rear wheel w/o losing time tracking down a repair. fewer bike trips the last few years tho.
these days, i try not to ride the same bike more than two rides in a row unless one gets brought on vaca.
more plodding but is great on bleepy pavé of which there is always plenty. other two bikes are a newish trek madone which is soulless but light with great hill-climbing gearing. pretty much only ride it on days where i’m planning on climbing more than 5,000 feet with other rider(s). lastly is the old ‘95 look carbon fiber rig. it has the most comfy set-up/geometry of all my bikes and the climbing gears are pretty decent. if i’m riding hard hills/mtns solo, that is the likely choice.
at one time, the three bikes i had all had the same gearing/cassettes which came in really handy for
bike trips. Would pack a complete wheelset (as backup) and a complete bike. there were a few trips where a rim got out of balance or broke a spoke and it was super easy to just swap out a front or rear wheel w/o losing time tracking down a repair. fewer bike trips the last few years tho.
these days, i try not to ride the same bike more than two rides in a row unless one gets brought on vaca.
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#23
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Yes, I have two, and going by the mileage back when I had cycle computers on them, roughly similar total miles during the course of a year.
The MTB sees more miles in the mess of winter and spring, while the road bike sees more mileage in the warm, dry and dust of summer and fall.
I also prefer the road bike when I’m doing a climbing workout because it’s lighter and feels quicker up the hills.
Otto
The MTB sees more miles in the mess of winter and spring, while the road bike sees more mileage in the warm, dry and dust of summer and fall.
I also prefer the road bike when I’m doing a climbing workout because it’s lighter and feels quicker up the hills.
Otto
#24
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Generally, when I buy/build up a bike, it gets the lion's share of attention for a while, but then I find myself itching to ride one of the other ones and I go back to rotating through them. This year, though, after I built up my Litespeed, I find I'd be perfectly happy riding it forever, and for months I rode it almost exclusively.
But then I started feeling like the other bikes were getting jealous. And once I started riding them again, I kept having "Oh, yeah! THAT'S why I have this bike!" experiences on them. So, I'll ride one of them for a week, then go back the Litespeed for a week, then on to another bike I've been neglecting.
But then I started feeling like the other bikes were getting jealous. And once I started riding them again, I kept having "Oh, yeah! THAT'S why I have this bike!" experiences on them. So, I'll ride one of them for a week, then go back the Litespeed for a week, then on to another bike I've been neglecting.
In the last 6 months I added a Habanero TI and then most recently a Pinarello F4.
Both are great rides and got lots of extra attention enjoying the honeymoons.
Soo many nice choices, its great to be bike spoiled

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#25
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out of the four, two are vintage steel…aka bulletproof but heavier. both have decent but not great gearing for hilly stuff so they get a steady diet of foothills and flats. One of the vintage steel rides has a narrower (than i’m used to) vintage cinelli handlebar so it makes it a little twitchier than all the other bikes. when i wanna work on bike handling, that’s the bike getting ridden. the other steel beast has downtube shifters and is
more plodding but is great on bleepy pavé of which there is always plenty. other two bikes are a newish trek madone which is soulless but light with great hill-climbing gearing. pretty much only ride it on days where i’m planning on climbing more than 5,000 feet with other rider(s). lastly is the old ‘95 look carbon fiber rig. it has the most comfy set-up/geometry of all my bikes and the climbing gears are pretty decent. if i’m riding hard hills/mtns solo, that is the likely choice.
at one time, the three bikes i had all had the same gearing/cassettes which came in really handy for
bike trips. Would pack a complete wheelset (as backup) and a complete bike. there were a few trips where a rim got out of balance or broke a spoke and it was super easy to just swap out a front or rear wheel w/o losing time tracking down a repair. fewer bike trips the last few years tho.
these days, i try not to ride the same bike more than two rides in a row unless one gets brought on vaca.
more plodding but is great on bleepy pavé of which there is always plenty. other two bikes are a newish trek madone which is soulless but light with great hill-climbing gearing. pretty much only ride it on days where i’m planning on climbing more than 5,000 feet with other rider(s). lastly is the old ‘95 look carbon fiber rig. it has the most comfy set-up/geometry of all my bikes and the climbing gears are pretty decent. if i’m riding hard hills/mtns solo, that is the likely choice.
at one time, the three bikes i had all had the same gearing/cassettes which came in really handy for
bike trips. Would pack a complete wheelset (as backup) and a complete bike. there were a few trips where a rim got out of balance or broke a spoke and it was super easy to just swap out a front or rear wheel w/o losing time tracking down a repair. fewer bike trips the last few years tho.
these days, i try not to ride the same bike more than two rides in a row unless one gets brought on vaca.
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