Fifty Plus (50+) - Will I ever get my garage back?

So my son just moved back after graduating from college. He's only home till August when he moves to Israel for a year.

This is what my garage looks like after we unpacked his stuff.
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r172/oldnslow/blackberry/IMG_5203.jpg

His 5 bikes makes 8 now in the garage. Then add in his spare wheels, parts, 4 sets of shoes, 2 helmets, extra tires and tools.

well I guess at least your addiction bred true? :D

So my son just moved back after graduating from college. He's only home till August when he moves to Israel for a year.

This is what my garage looks like after we unpacked his stuff.
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r172/oldnslow/blackberry/IMG_5203.jpg

His 5 bikes makes 8 now in the garage. Then add in his spare wheels, parts, 4 sets of shoes, 2 helmets, extra tires and tools.


I'm jealous. I'm just starting off my collection of bike-related goods!

I'm jealous. I'm just starting off my collection of bike-related goods!

Looks like it may be time to start planting the seeds in your wife's mind about a separate shed to be made into a bike workshop!

Looks like it may be time to start planting the seeds in your wife's mind about a separate shed to be made into a bike workshop!

Right now my partner and I share a spare bedroom in our apartment where she and I both work...I don't know how much patience she's going to have with me, haha.

You can still fit a car in your garage so don't complain.
That Bug looks pretty shiney, what year is it?

I'll take that Bug if it will help.

The Bug is a 74. its my 1st car and I purchased it when I was in high school. More info is in the link in my signature.

Well.. 5 of the bikes are my son's (Trek Madone 6.9, Cervelo P2, Trek Superfly Hardtail, Gary Fisher Presidio and a "beater").

One is my road and the other is my son's old MTB that I ride and the last is my wife's hand me down from my daughter.

Lots of listings for Self Storage in the Long Island area.

Lots of listings for Self Storage in the Long Island area.
not an option....he rides all the bikes on and off. I drive the Beetle about 4000 miles a year.

Once he goes to Israel, I can put the bikes in his room for storage.

Get son off to Israel and you will have an extra 5 bikes to ride without paying for N+1. Beginning of April and I had to clear my loft to get it insulated. 25 years accumulation of "Stuff" and it had to go in the garage. Then the RV was stripped out and that had to go in the garage. Not the RV but the complete interior.

I need a bigger garage--And the bike shed's getting full aswell.

Quit complaining, I've got 4 bikes in our bedroom, in a 3rd. floor, one bedroom apartment, you've got it made! ;)

Get son off to Israel and you will have an extra 5 bikes to ride without paying for N+1.
I ride a 56, he rides a 60.

Will you ever get the garage back? I wouldn’t count on it. My garage is twice the size of yours and I have about as much space as you do. There are only 4 bikes in my garage. The rest of the space is taken up with stuff I should sell.

Don’t ever sell your VW. You will probably regret it later. There are two things I have sold in my life time that I deeply regret selling. The first was my first car, a 1954 Olds convertible (candy apple red with real leather seats). The second was my airplane, a 7AC Aeronca Champ. I could buy another Champ but I was emotionally attached to that one because it originally belonged to my dad. I will never see the car or the plane again because they no longer exist. However, I think we should be thankful we have a garage to put stuff in.

Will you ever get the garage back? I wouldn’t count on it. My garage is twice the size of yours and I have about as much space as you do. There are only 4 bikes in my garage. The rest of the space is taken up with stuff I should sell.

Don’t ever sell your VW. You will probably regret it later. There are two things I have sold in my life time that I deeply regret selling. The first was my first car, a 1954 Olds convertible (candy apple red with real leather seats). The second was my airplane, a 7AC Aeronca Champ. I could buy another Champ but I was emotionally attached to that one because it originally belonged to my dad. I will never see the car or the plane again because they no longer exist. However, I think we should be thankful we have a garage to put stuff in.

Yes, for sure. My two-bedroom apartment doesn't warrant so much collecting of things.

Don’t ever sell your VW. You will probably regret it later.
I've owned it for 38 years and as long as I can site behind the wheel, i'll keep it.

A '74, so it's a Super Beetle. Had a '72 until the family needed something bigger and we bought a beach wagon. My wife and I both hated selling that car.

Quit complaining, I've got 4 bikes in our bedroom, in a 3rd. floor, one bedroom apartment, you've got it made! ;)

OMG, I thought I was bad with one bike in the living room and the extra in the spare bedroom. Now that my long lost son is coming home for at least a month, I have to unpack the spare bedroom and move that bike to the living room. Then next weekend, I'm bringing my granddaughter (his daughter) down from VA for the weekend so that will be 3 bikes in the living room. We are watching Craigslist for a bike for my son, so that will be another bike in the living room.

OMG, I just realized I've joined the N+1 thingy. Dang, I liked my open space. Don't know if I can handle all these bikes at once for the summer.

Well, my son can just ride my extra bike until I find one for him (inexpensive) and my granddaughter's bike will only be here when she is here. He will just have to deal with a comfort bike until we find one for him that I am willing to pay for. At least I will have a riding partner for a month and that will make me a little more secure until I'm use to cycling.

Turn the entire driveway into a garage.

A '74, so it's a Super Beetle.
It's not a Super, they made the Super and the Standard Beetle at the same time.

Welcome to my world, add in a dirt bike and a full house generator and my garage is gone. My C'Dale is in the living room where I can easily get it out of the house. That Beetle is sweet with the 2.2 litre engine and the Berg gear box. I understand why you want to keep it forever. My wife had Beetles in High School and a new Super for her graduation and our daughter had a '72 flat glass. Their all gone now, sadly.

Bill

That Beetle is sweet with the 2.2 litre engine and the Berg gear box.

Bill
Thanks.... it's a lot of fun. It really freaks out the guy in the muscle cars when i'm opposite them at the track.

You can always say no.

At the moment I am trying to shoehorn our bike collection and all the household stuff into a 14 x 9-1/2 foot area with a roof that slopes from 12 to 8 foot. I've made most use of the high space by putting a bar across and hanging the bikes from their saddles on it, including the tandem. But one bike might end up having to be stored elsewhere -- an old Australian postman's bike that weighs a ton and has a huge basket attached to the headtube.

I am about to move the furniture in. There are scores of boxes already on shelves I've built. Fingers crossed that it will all fit. The 4WD van plus the kayak and canoe on top and the surfskis inside will be stored outside in the storage company's compound.

This is all accumulated in a small two-bedroom unit in the 3-1/2 years since I lost everything except my bike stuff in bushfires, and Machka arrived with a small consignment of her stuff from Canada. And no, after downsizing several times and losing so much stuff, we aren't downsizing this time.

Kids move out, furnish a place, and then move home with all the stuff. Then they move out again and leave the stuff.

But MY garage is off limits. The proximity alarm barks very loudly.

No matter how big your workshop may be, you will always fill it.

Be glad you collect bikes and not cars or boats or something like that . . .

Kids move out, furnish a place, and then move home with all the stuff. Then they move out again and leave the stuff.

But MY garage is off limits. The proximity alarm barks very loudly.

That's the Bailey brand of household alarms, I presume?

Get a snaller car?!

Get a snaller car?!
Can't get much smaller than a VW Beetle.

Austin Morris Mini in the 70s was smaller...trust me...my dad had one and we had had a 60s Beetle...the Beetle was definitely roomier.

I have a similar issue with my bike shed. Both sons have moved out, and in the last 18 months both have moved twice to new apartments. With each move, I discover that there are additional things being stored in the bike shed, including some of their bike gear. Each has been given a three month, rent free grace period. After which, the fee for storage goes to one of the following on a monthly basis:
1. Take your mother and I to dinner.
2. Mow the lawn (about an acre).
3. Go on at least a 25 mile ride with me.

That's the Bailey brand of household alarms, I presume?

Correct. :)

It's a good system, but sometimes there are false triggers.

As you already know, a Corgi sounds like a big dog from outside the house.

So my son just moved back after graduating from college. He's only home till August when he moves to Israel for a year.

Sorry if you already said this, but what will your son be doing in Israel? Kibbutz? Whatever, I hope he enjoys it.

1. Take your mother and I to dinner.
2. Mow the lawn (about an acre).
3. Go on at least a 25 mile ride with me.

You are underpricing storage space:rolleyes: I'd take you up is I were them and do all 3 each month or better for the ride:thumb:. I mow 2 acres weekly and would love to have something on my son to con him into doing this. Hard to do though with him living in Quebec City after 21 June.:p

Qualifier: if you have a reel type push mower all offers are shelved:twitchy:

Bill

the fee for storage goes to one of the following on a monthly basis:
1. Take your mother and I to dinner.
2. Mow the lawn (about an acre).
3. Go on at least a 25 mile ride with me.

So how successful have you been on collecting? Anybody can charge a fee. The trick is in collecting the fee.

Mrs. Grouch and I have quietly started the reverse process.

We've cleverly shifted a number of our bikes into various kids garages. The older of my two sons has a road Klein. The younger of my sons has a Santana tandem. My daughter with the five kids - I'm not sure how many of our bikes have found their way to her garage. Various family members are actually using the bikes so, I suppose, there is some mutual benefit. Never-the-less it removes some of the clutter from the Grouch Condo.

So how successful have you been on collecting? Anybody can charge a fee. The trick is in collecting the fee.

2 dinners, 3 rides, and 1 lawn mowing.

2 dinners, 3 rides, and 1 lawn mowing.

Sounds pretty darn good to me. My sons would EVENTUALLY get around to mowing the lawn but they had different standards than mine about when it needed to be done.

I'm especially stoked about the dinners. That's what I really want from my kids - a little "hanging out" time. We've taken to having Saturday morning breakfast with my oldest daughter and her husband. I love that!

It's not a Super, they made the Super and the Standard Beetle at the same time.

The Super Beetle was a bit larger and had a curved windshield. My first new car was a 74 regular Beetle, very similar to that one. Wish I never sold it. That is a beautiful car, especially with the upgrades you've done to it.

Well... 2 days later i got it back.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r172/oldnslow/blackberry/IMG_5217.jpg

It was sort of like playing Tetris trying to make everything fit and able to access the car, the bikes, the lawn mower and everything else.


Before:
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r172/oldnslow/blackberry/IMG_5203.jpg

Stop reminding me I need to clean and straighten my garage.

Nice Job on the garage.

I wish I kept my first car. Also a bug, I think 1971. It was a great car.

jeeze,this makes me feel old(er)my first Vw was a 54that was titled as a 55
Bud

Just so you know that's no stock Beetle. It has a 200hp engine with a custom 5 speed. But it looks stock ;)