osmium

Hi all,

I have kind of a silly question. May one own too many bicycles? I have 14 bicycles and all of them have their advantages because they are classic steel bicycles. I've had people say that I can only ride one at a time. Just wondering if anybody has thoughts about it. Also, if others out there have a similar obsession with bicycles.

Cheers,

Roland

labrat

I've always subsribed to the theory that n+1 is the ideal number of bikes where n is the number you have now.

steve0257

You have to many when they overflow on to the neighbor's property. Until then you're fine.

Arcanum

You have too many when you can no longer store them all, or when the prevent you from having a normal life (for values of "normal"). If your house/apartment looks like something you'd see on a TV show about "hoarders", except with bikes, you have too many.

tsl

There is a mathematical formula for the correct number of bikes to own.

N+1, where N is the number of bikes currently owned.

N+1 is unattainable, simply because it becomes the new N, to which one must again be added.

Now go buy another bike.

mawtangent

Yeah, I've heard an addiction is taking place when your drug use negatively impacts other areas of your life (relationships, physical/financial health, etc.), I could see how bicycle "enthusiasm" (riding, collecting, working on bikes etc.) could get out of control.

sknhgy 

Didn't Kipling say "You can never have too much ammunition, too much red wine, or too many bicycles?"

JanMM

Other people are correct: You can only ride one bike at a time.

jdon

One bike (and a back up) for every dicipline.

knobster

According to my wife; yes.

Kimmitt 

Yes. Give your extras to me.

nymtber

hmm yes and no... mostly yes, rarely ever no. If you dont ride them, then you have too many. If you ride them, who cares? Heck I have guns I dont shoot, but a lot of those are ones passed down from my grandfather (hes still around and very healthy), so even if I dont shoot them they are good to have.

I have 3 bikes, one doesnt see a LOT of use but it is my mule around town, if it got stolen, I'm not out much. The other two get used often (in nice weather, not winter)

N+1 always applies

ninjaman

A trick I've come up with is to store a bike or two at a relative's place in another state. That way, you can ride whenever you visit, and you don't have to worry that your bike is taking up too much space. I have a bike of mine and one of my girlfriend's in Santa Fe, NM. When we go visit her mom, we get to ride our old friends as well.

umpire54

I say have fun but have a direction/purpose??? Use the fun to make money for your purpose. LOL...I jumped into this hobby and became interested with vitage steel bikes and components but quickly realized I needed something more modern to ride without problems.

After 9 months I have figured out what I want to do for the moment. Thats what I like about this hobby too because I see other members collecting/riding different types of bikes and I can learn about them through their restorations and collections they show on the forum or Flickr, etc., and then maybe later change my "direction" as my interest changes. As you can see from my bikes on Flickr...I kinda went 3 different directions...but it was fun. Now I gotta sell some!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/umpire54/sets/

acorn54

i don't make a big deal out of it
personally over the past 10 years i have bought two bikes. a 200 dollar mongoose mail order bike and a 300 redline hybrid at a lbs. the mongoose cluster crapped out about 3 years ago and the redline was stolen a few months ago. total outlay of cash for 10 years about 600 bucks.
now i ride a fuji 12 speed from 1982 that was donated to me by a friend.
personally i am not into the bike craze and just use bikes for transport for economic reasons, as i can't afford a car on a grocer's salary.
to me there is little utility once you get past the first 300 dollars spent for a bike.

Doohickie

What is this N+1 of which you speak?

rumrunn6

hahahahaha ...

I got rid of 8 and still have 4

Bianchigirll 

INHO as long as the bikes are you size and you keep them ridable and use them you can't have too many

travelmama

To ask means you don't have enough.

digger

Well, let's see. Assuming you do not race, then this is the absolute bare minimum:

Good weather road bike
Bad weather road bike
Heavy-duty touring bike
Light-duty touring bike
Summer commuter bike
Winter commuter bike
Mountain bike for aggressive/technical trails
Mountain/hybrid bike for light trail riding (say rail trail or dirt roads)

Now if you race, then;
Good weather race bike (with training wheels and race wheels)
Bad weather race bike (with training wheels and race wheels)
Tri-athalon bike (with training wheels and race wheels)

Your good weather road bike, mentioned in the first post, then becomes your, good weather fitness bike
Your bad weather road bike, mentioned in the first post, then becomes your, bad weather fitness bike

Of course, then we have the SS and fixie genre, but I do not have experience with those. I would imagine though that you would need 1 of each.

Then of course, you have 1 of each above in various stages of build or rebuild.

So, what's that? ohhh, about 24 bikes then...give or take.

rumrunn6

oh right I forgot about the bike with training wheels

https://garywolff.com/kerry_training_wheels.jpg
https://mentorvention.files.wordpress...ing-wheels.jpg

wahoonc

No

Aaron

BA Commuter

At 14, you're beginning to enter Yesville, but it's a really big town and you'll probably need another bike to cross state lines!

Arcanum

Digger: Don't forget the longtail, box bike, etc., for hauling groceries, people, and other bikes!

Robert Foster

I would say no except it sounds like your 14 bikes might all be too similar. Tells us a bit about what is different about each one?