Originally Posted by
545h4
How many bikes do you own? And more importantly, where do you store them?
I'd love to have a fleet of bikes to choose from, and while cost is slightly prohibitive, space is much more of a concern. We don't have a kitchen table because the bikes are there (and that's only 2 total, me and my husband's)...
I lived in a Washington, DC apartment for ten years... which meant I could never build up a stable full of bikes. I had to keep it to two, plus one for my wife. I used to have a mountain bike and my old racing bike from the 80s. After moving to DC I couldn't mountain bike anymore (no bikes allowed on unpaved trails in DC, and I didn't have a car to drive to the trails). I replaced the mountain bike with a touring bike that is still my primary commuter today. I still have the old racing bike as well.
Our apartment was around 700 square feet, and we had far too much stuff for that space. I barely had room for bicycles. We had a storage area in the basement that was just big enough for two or three bikes, but I stopped storing them there after neighbors had their bike stolen from their storage unit. The basement was not very secure. So two bikes lived in the second bedroom we used as an office, and the other bike leaned against the wall by the front door.
Now we live in a house with plenty of room for more bicycles, but unfortunately I can't afford any new bicycles at the moment thanks to mortgage payments much higher than our rent used to be
So I say cram them in while you can afford them. Someday you just might have enough space. Until then get creative. Hang some from the ceiling, hang them vertically from the front wheel (with the rear wheel resting on the floor)... I did that for awhile.
Sean