Road Cycling - Who has more than 1 road bike and how do you justify it?

Bike lust is a torturous thing. It creates a hole in your heart that just can't be filled. It rumbles through your brain day and night. You obcess over every little tidbit of information that you find about your unrequited love. You can't stop thumbing through the catalog, gazing at your infatuation. SO....

HOW can a person justify owning TWO road bikes? This is what I struggle with as a I ponder getting another one. I mean, what do you tell yourself to make yourself feel less guilty? Or DO you feel guilty? When the time comes to ride, which one do you pick and why? Shouldn't a gal or guy's relationship with their steed be monogamous? :)

Help me! I want to get this out on the table and resolve this misery I feel as I decide whether to cancel a lay-away on a 2nd road bike!

I justify it by saying "This bike over here is for commutting to work" and "This bike over here is for long weekend rides" and "this bike over here...." and so it goes. :)

Don't cancel it!! :eek:

You own more than one pair of shoes. More than one shirt. More than one of many things in your life. They are all necessary and so is another bike. Just accept it. :D


I'm lusting after a third bike but don't have the $$$ right now. :(

I've also seen people refer to the original bike as a "bad weather" bike. I assume it is because they don't mind so much if they "grunge up" or (heaven forbid) "lay down" the old standby. Real problem (in addition to storage) is keeping both bikes reasonably maintained.

Do you race? That in itself is a good enough reason for me to have two.

I currently have four bikes.

1 - everyday roadie used for training (steel Cervelo). Setup with a PowerTap it's the ultimate (for me) training bike.

1 - race only bike (aluminum Bianchi). Easier to have a dedicated bike for racing. Once you dial it in, you're good to go. It's also lighter than what I ride on a normal basis and just feels fast.

1 - club ride bike (Aegis Aro Svelte). A very fast and comfortable carbon bike with lots of eye candy. If I'm not doing specific training or racing, this is my favorite bike to ride.

1 - retro one-off classic steel. This one doesn't get many miles on it but every time I ride it, I remember why I love it so much. It's a one off custom lugged steel frame and fork from a local builder who is no longer building. It's a great bike for really long mellow paced rides but handles well enough to be raced in a criterium.

Even my wife has two road bikes so it's not a big deal in our house. I also build and maintain everything I ride which makes it easier.

HOW can a person justify owning TWO road bikes?


How can you live with yourself owning just one??

If your race bike doest have to absorb miles of daily training abuse, you can get away with much lighter weight.
Think of your training bike as the wife, your steady faithful friend, there in rain or shine, summer or winter. You race bike is your mistress......

I have 5.

One racing bike. One randonneuring bike. One touring bike. One fixed gear bike. One tandem bike.

I justify it because I don't have a car.

Dave

What if you get the new bike, and you like the old one better? It is the safe route to have two. If you adore the new one, you can always sell the old one later. You might hate the new bike. Then you have the old trusty to fall back on. Maybe the new bike breaks down right before a big ride. Then you have a fall back. It's really easy to justify. :D

randonneuring?

hmmm...new word for my vocabulary....what's it mean? :D

I think it is french for riding until your ass turns purple. :D

I have two mtb and one road

one mtb - where my parents live is for racing - fast and long rides - weekends

second mtb - is where i live - monday - friday training

road bike - is my new love - i will ride it during weekends (probably at the expense of my mtb numer one)

For me 3 bikes is quite a lot - I could get by with two :)
road and mountain

This saturday is going to be my "virgin" ride on my road bike Trek5200, 2003 - just got the spare tubes (in one week or so I will post a pic - as I promissed in earlier post)

Hybrid which i am trying to sell,new felt SR71 and looking at a fuji and cervelo to.Why not.

Don't you need something for friends to ride when they visit?

1 road bike (just bought - Lemond Victoire) and 1 mountain bike (Trek 700 or something) ... road bike is for daily riding, mountain bike is for riding with the kids and some off road.

Justification? Heck - I used to play golf 2x week - look at what the greens fees alone cost!!

I currently have 2, lusting after at least 4 more.

Bike 1 is modern ergo shifting etc.
Bike 2 is retro, friction shifting

I want fixed gear (track bike maybe?)
I'm seriously lusting after a Pogliaghi, or an
old Carlsbad Masi (or older), and a
Colnago Super (or mexico).

I can't justify it other than to say
variety is the spice of life.
Heck, I could be spending money on much less
worthy stuff, at least the bikes are a healthy
purchase.

Marty

If you commute, you need at least two bikes so one is always ready to go. And one of them should be equipped for riding in sloppy weather, in the dark.

So that's two.

For me, the third one is the luxury, a lightweight road bike for fair-weather weekend road rides focusing on training.

Having a bike available for my son when he comes home is also a bonus.

RichC

I have a race bike, a Tourer/Randonnee iron, a commuter, a fixie and two mountain bikes. Most of these have given between 15-25 years' service -so I feel no justification of ownership is necessary. Some of my bikes were acquired second hand; two were bought as frames, then built up when money became available, or with old parts, at least to begin with.

Hey ChiliDog...........if my wife can own enough pairs of shoes where she does not have to wear no 2 same pair in a given year, I don't think I need justification in owning multiple bikes. Same thing with my guitar playing......I have multiple classical guitars...... Are we sick or what???!

I have 2 road bikes and a mountain bike. One of my road bikes is strictly for racing and the other for training. The training bike is a frame I got off ebay and built upmyself so it didn't cost me much ... I can ride in the rain/snow we get here without being too concerned about it. I can also put it on my trainer for hours and not worry about it, whereas my other bike never sees bad weather or the trainer.

I have 2 1/2 bikes. One is a steel Miele that I used to use for commuting but which has recently been converted to a fixed gear. The other is a steel Bianchi that I now use for commuting. The 1/2 is a carbon frame that I picked up on the cheap and which will be built up as $$ and time allow.

The only thing I need now is a mountain bike!

Well, here's the way I'm rationalizing it...I have my Specialized Allez road bike which I have gradually been converting over to all Shimano 105 (I'm satisfied), going to get a better wheelset, and riding for fast fitness rides and club rides.

Then I have a Trek hybrid as an "all purpose ride"-cruising lazily through the neighborhood, riding on rougher roads/light trails, sort of a comfort bike.

Then the one I am considering is a Specialized Sequoia which is marketed as a "comfort road bike" with suspension fork, seatpost, more upright positioning, ergonomic handlebars, all Shimano 105. Seeing it as a road bike that would be more comfortable on longer rides. When I looked at this I was going to consider selling my Allez, but I can't let go of that bike. I love that bike. But for longer rides, perhaps touring at some point, I love the ride and feel of the Sequoia too. I am on a budget and won't use credit cards any longer, so lay-away is my best option. Part of me says the Allez fills the same bill, part of me lusts to have that Sequoia.

I would love to ride that Sequoia on a long ride to see how I like it after 20 or 30 miles. Circling the parking lot does not solidify my decision. I would love to put my clipless pedals, own saddle on that steed and THEN see how I feel about it all. Is that realistic? For me, laying out the $1,000 over six months is a lot of money. I want it to be the right decision. No waste of money. What to do?

As many as my garage and wife will tolerate. Don't want to park my cars out in the dew.

How can I justify more than 1 bike?

To me, road bikes can be works of art. It's a beautiful thing to look at, much less ride. I see a bike (frame), I like the way it looks, I buy it - very simple. My real problem is space for storing them. I'd like to have 1 bike each made out of the four materials currently available. I have a road bike made out of aluminum, one in ti, and one in carbon. Now all that there is left is to find one made of steel that is right for me. :p

I've got four road bikes and one mountain bike.

I'm trying to get a road bike for my wife.

Anyone want to swap a good road bike for my wife? :p

:beer:

You definitely need two road bikes. When one is in the shop, you can keep riding and not get depressed. And you don't have to pressure your LBS guy to hurry up with the repairs.

4 bikes:
2Mtb: 1 race and one for trail and touring.

2Road: 1 for racing and 1 for time trials, triathlon and training

simple really. I still need one for commuting....

I justify my 3 road bikes, because I use them and they go with the clothes that I have for riding them..I like making the colors of my clothes go with the color and design of the bike I'm riding.....Plus when one bike needs service I have another bike to ride and don't have to worry about that..But I also agree with some of the other comments on this post, about having different bikes for different types of riding..One of the three road bikes I have is geared for climbing and has a triple front on it, the other two have double chainrings cause they're for faster riding..

So it's pretty easy to justify having more than one or two bikes for me, and I would think that if you're really into cycling, you would want to have more than one..

Just my two cents worth..

Benjamin

2 mtbs - hardtail and dualie.
1 road bike.

Justification . . . I quit that a long time ago. Accept that you are human and you lust. This doesn't mean that we act on every impulse or desire. However, sometimes, in my life I say, "what the heck" and go buy it. Yeah, I'm married, have a mortgage, two kids, and a business, etc., etc. But sometimes, lust overcomes and there is no justification. You have to have for the sake of having. Then again, sometimes you simply cannot have no matter the intensity of your desire.

Finally, if you can't afford it, don't do it, and beware of the credit card. If you're trying to justify it, you probably can't afford it.

I've got 5 in my garage. I have so many because I when I get a new one I can't bear to throw out the old one. All of them get used, I make sure of that.

One MTB
1 good road bike
1 spare road bike
1 tourer
1 fixie
and
1 very understanding girlfriend!

I have three cars and five pairs of skis(six if youwant to count the cross country), excluding skis for my kids, in which case there are well over a dozen more. why would I have to justify owning a few bikes? Only one of my bikes costs more than a new pair of skis.

My new C'dale is my everyday bike....The Trek is for when my wife wants to "bless" the Fresno asphalt as she doesn't really like to ride anymore and gets very angry at me for not staying with her when we are doing the bike riding in the park thing. I also like riding the Trek when I feel the urge, but now that I have the R800 I ride that almost all of the time.

Though my LBS is taking bets on when I get bike #3...more carbon roadie (5500 or maybe R2000/3000?). Frankly, I'm done with buying any more bikes till I get the rest of the weight off. Well than maybe I'll do the Project One or something else...but tha'ts another thread! :D

-Wynn

7 here, no justification, I just want them, in fact, I want more.

I think it is french for riding until your ass turns purple

LMAO....that is PRICELESS.

Chuck

I keep riding my cheap road bike, makes me appreciate the expensive one more.

Hello, my names Don, and I have a problem. I have more than 1 bicycle. In fact, I have more bicycles than I could ride in a week. I have a Colnago Oval Master, a Klein Stage Comp, a Ti Sport Ti road bike, a Bianchi Pista, a Trek 440, a Novara Ponderosa mtb, a Bike Friday folder, and a Cannondale r400 that's never been ridden and I'm trying to sell.

You want me to list all the bikes I've had in my life? To bad, I can't stop now. I've had 3 Allegros, a Raleigh pro, a Campania, a Motobecane mirage, a Fuji track bike, a Tim Isaac, a Bianchi Superleggera, a Dave Moulton Fuso, 2 more Cannondales, a Legnano track bike, a Lejeune track bike, a Schwinn V'ger(anybody get that?), a Motobecane Grand Record, an Angel Rodriguez, 2 Gitane Tandems, a very high heeled British racing bike, the name of which I forget, that I bought, rode once, and the thing pretty much bucked me off on the first bumpy road, so I sold it after one ride, a Masi Gran Criterium Cyclocross bike, a Colnago Mexico, a Colnago Super, and I can't think of any more right now.

My favorite descender was far and away the Bianchi, my favorite all day bike was either the Isaac or the Rodriguez, my favorite training bike was the V'ger, my favorite criterium bike was any Cannondale, and my favorite track bike was, well I guess it was the Fuji.

What is that, 30 bikes? I'm sick. I need help. Am I in the right Place?:beer:

Originally posted by Markedoc
1 road bike (just bought - Lemond Victoire) and 1 mountain bike (Trek 700 or something) ... road bike is for daily riding, mountain bike is for riding with the kids and some off road.



Mark,
That is exactly what I do with my two bikes. One for knocking around town, and one for serious riding. I could not be happier. I do have one goal, when I drop to 180 lbs or so weight wise, I am going to buy a titanium something or another, and maybe put some Shimano 105 or better on it.

Haha, Im amused when I hear of all the high priced bikes one person owns. When I was a little tyke (about 12/13 yrs old) I always got mountain or bmx bikes for presents. Problem was I wanted road bikes after fixing one up from the dump and finding out how much faster they were. So I enlisted a few of my freinds to help me get more from the dump reasoning that we could sell some after fixing them. Little did I realize most of those bikes were there for a reason haha. After a few days of swapping parts and banging hammers on rims too bent to adjust traditionally we had one motley road bike so hideous none of my freinds would ride it around publicly. We still tried to sell the other three at a grand yard sale filled with other garbage nobody else wanted. When that failed we decided to have some fun with them by riding the bikes off cliffs, bridges, and waterfalls. This was the beginning of my affair with road bikes.

I have 4 roaders, (had 5, gave one away) and I need them all! My justification is I just can't turn down a bargain - these are all mid 80's, max price 40 bucks. So far, I've just bought tubes and tires and rode them! I need 1 for "the cottage", 1 for a summer commuter (still working on that one) 1 for road rides and 1 just in case. 2 Bianchis, a Raleigh and a Cambio-Rino. I also have a mid 80's Nishiki sans front wheel that I fished out of a scrap bin with a slightly bent seat stay that would like nice restored or just might end up as parts.

I'm planning on buying something new next year

I've read that Lance's buddy, Robin Williams, has multiple bikes valued at $100,000 in his San Francisco garage. Must be nice! :beer:

Actually my good light bike, a Lemond, was my first road bike in years, then a year later I bought a less expensive Bianchi Volpe. The Lemond is nice for summer riding, but too flashy to take to work, and I didn't want to put fenders on it or wear my clipless shoes to work and all that. Plus, no rack eyelets. So the Volpe is my workhorse--it came with knobby tires which I use for early spring training rides. Then I switch out to regular 28s in April. It has fenders, a rack and a lock hanging on it. The paint job is more conservative and I love it for commuting. So it's my commuter, rain bike and touring bike.

At times though I am very torn between them and wish I had just one bike to Love.

mrfix, I love your way of putting it, plain and simple, keep it up..Very good way of putting it, and I agree with you when I really get down to it..

Benjamin

I have 2 road bikes: 1 is up to date & the other is retro. MY wife doesnt mind because it keeps me happy and she says i am easier to get along with if I am riding frequently!

I have two road bikes. REI Novara roadie that's for commuting, riding to River Cats games, taking a spin with my wife. Not a great bike but good value.

And then there's my rocket: Trek 5200. Super fast, super responsive, super smooth.

(I'm thinking I'd also like to get a hardtail mtb for trips to Tahoe and out to the coast.)

I have a Litespeed Veneto, love the ride,,, a Giant OCR1 that i cant stand now that I have the Litespeed. A full suspension mountain bike and my first bike a hybred that I dont ride anymore either...... sure beats smoking!

Originally posted by ClevelandGuy
..... sure beats smoking!

I don't know, Camel non-filters are pretty tasty!:)

Don D.: You're right about Camel non-filters. Years ago, when I was in Marine Corps boot camp, they didn't let us smoke for the first 8weeks. Then one day, the DI said: "Who wants a cigarette?" We all said: "We do, sir!" He put us into formation and had us take one cigarette out and light it. Then he told us to inhale and hold it. The whole platoon just about fell to the ground, and the DI got a great kick out of it. We were really realing! The cigarettes were C-ration -- packed during world war II, which made them about 15 years old. Back then, a carton of Camels was $2 at the PX. You could get a mixed drink at the enlisted club for 25 cents. So you could smoke yourself to oblivion and get roaring drunk for about $2. I don't think the military services encourage smoking and drinking any more, but they sure did in the late 1950's! :beer:

I agree with mrfix also. One can never have too many bikes. Yah, I know, you can only ride one at a time, but it's neat to have multiple rides to choose from.

My stable includes a Trek OCLV, a Serotta CSi, a Trek 830 mtb, a FUJI track with flip-flop hub, and my beater-bike, a Shogun equipped with RSX 7-spd stuff with a flat bar, and an older Schwinn in the process of converting to a SS.

Why do you have to justify having more than one bike? If the money is available after the necessities have been taken care of, there in no justification necessary. I like having more than one bike, it makes riding all that more interesting. Plus it gives you more experience in choosing the next bike. You are getting another, bike aren't you?

I have three bikes:

Cannondale R3000 -- primary road bike
Cannondale R900 -- permanently attached to the trainer for winter, night and bad weather days
Connondale Silk Trail -- collecting dust

How to justify it....well, the first two make sense...I mean, it's a pain bringing the bike from the garage to the basement to put it on the trainer, right? And I don't want to have to swap tires everytime I mount it on the trainer. Definitely need two bikes.

The trail...well, that was a mistake...an old girlfriend who wanted to bike with me on a "casual ride" basis, so we both bought Silk Trails. "Casual" was also how she felt about our relationship, but that's another story...