Never tell a woman how many bikes you have or how many lovers you've had...someday you're gonna be in a bar with her, and she's gonna realize:

"You bastard! you made love to an entire bar!"

and that'll probably be the end of that.

(I know that women use this forum as well; re-reading the above, it makes equally good sense for women, too.)

um, women-bikes (there,s a line there but i aint gonna touch it,lol)

or maybe i should !

If I may make a suggestion to the gentlemen: get involved with females who have their own obsessive hobbies. Knitting comes to mind. They have the same interest in acquiring more yarn, tools, and patterns than they will ever need in a lifetime that you do in acquiring large numbers of bikes. If they have any common sense, they won't say a word about your obsession, and you may end up with a nice cycling hat that will fit under your helmet and fingerless gloves.

that is such a good idead donna !(mmmm, why did,nt i think of that ?)

Works for me; my darlin's lust for Chautauqua Industrial Arts desks, Louis Prang material, and late 19th centurey art educationial stuff balances my interests nicely. I could use some gloves, though......
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I'm the same way! I thought I was the only one with this problem. I feel so validated to be amongst like-minders.

I have a tiny apt. in Brooklyn, and I recently counted and realized that I somehow have acquired 14! The thing that's kept me going back to the well is not so much specific genre, or brand or model or comps. It's been good deals! I can't help myself whenever I see one.

None of it's amazing, but I have a few nice ones:

80s Schwinn Traveler.
70s Fuji Monterey
70s Nishiki Mixte
Panasonic 500 Ladies's frame
Rusty 70s Raleigh Supercourse
70s Raleigh Grand Prix converted to fixed
70s Miyata 210 (Hi-Ten)
Nishiki Olympic
80s Univega Grand Tourer
80s Univega ...? w/ full Shimano 600 + brifters
80s Miyata Three-Ten (double-butted CroMoly/Mangalight fork)
80s Centurion Elite GT w/ original Mountech comps.
70s Raleigh Competition w/Campy + Suntour Superbe brakes
And the latest, greatest find ever: Trek Élance 400 all completely original in near-new condition. It looks like it was purchased by the original owner for the purpose of going on one tour (Tour de Coors), and never used after that. Even the Matrix tires look barely used, and the Matrix anodized rims are totally unscathed. I bought it for 10 bucks!

I actually think that I'll be able to make a decent profit off of the bunch, but in the meantime, I've lent them out to all corners of friends of mine, and I have also resorted to locking them in scattered spots throughout the neighborhood, so as to avoid telling my lady. We actually walk by them at times, and I sneak quick looks to make sure they're not vandalized w/o tipping her off.

I hope to winnow the group down to about 4/5 at the most within a few weeks. My home has become horribly infested with all things bicycle. But I can't bear to just sell to any people, and I keep trying to pass them on to good friends.

But what a therapeutic pastime.

Great point. I'm always pushing the knitting angle. It turns out my lady's obsession is clothes, and I'm always nailing her about some new, ridiculously expensive T-shirt or pair of jeans. I always point out that I've got her beat, b/c at least my obsession has a liquidated value. She ends up just throwing her dough away. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

The problem of course is when obsessions collide:

"Don't you dare lean that bike up against my Gustave Stickley dinette set!!!!"

"But baby, it's a Rene Herse. Where should I put it?"

"I don't care. Lock it to the phone pole out front, that's where bikes belong"

"Isn't this ugly old wood looking furniture supposed to be lawn furniture anyhow? Shouldn't we move it outside too?"

"Boohoohoo! You're a creul man who just doesn't have any appreciation for the aesthetic things in life!"

"Now baby, that's not true. There's nothin' purtuer than old Stronglight cranks."

"Are you saying I'm not as attractive as a bike part?"

And so on....

Its so nice to find comfort in a support group like this! I just tend to drool at any 80's vintage bikes - especially the touring types.
My wife has a garage sale obsession that has worked a bit in my favor at times. She's found 2 trek 400's in very good shape for under $30 and one included a new silca floor pump! I recently bequeathed my Bridgestone 400 and a Trek 400 to my sons and managed to convince her that my stable was down 2 and I needed a new project. I bought a pristine Trek Elance 400 frame on ebay but then the sickness set in. Instead of a long term project like I promised, I got hooked on the acquisition high on ebay and craigslist and in a matter of less than a month have all the components. Sure I could do a gradual build to strech it out, but summer is short and I'm frothing at the mouth to ride it while I can.
Being kind of in the doghouse on the homefront now, I will have to ensure any new finds are for turnover purposes only. It will be a while before I can justify permanent additions to my "never get rid of" 3 ('84 Specialized Expedition, '02 Specialized Sequoia Elite, and now '87 Trek Elance 400).
But it's always fun to look....

+1

Completely agree but it is tough bringing a lady home when you have to manuever throught the bike parts just to get to the bed. one of these days i will have a garage.oooooh the possibilities...

But then there are those people that say men with a hobby have more sex appeal...I like the sound of that. It seems to work ok for me.

I feel the same way as the Bossman. I used to work in a bike shop more than 30 years ago. Loved it then but didn't get back into working on bikes until last summer. I too never keep any of the bikes I find for myself until about a month ago when I got a FREE Trek 760 with Campy "Victory" components from a guy in Berkeley. It wasn't exactly my size but I couldn't let this one leave. I'm still working on it with parts from here and there. Anyways, my wife likes that I work on bikes as a hobby as long as the stuff around the house gets done.

i think i will seriously have to think of culling the herd (maybe just keep english and italian bikes)they are my personal favs,that shud reduce me to 3,(and keep the wife happy ,lol ) atm only ones i have thats really worth keeping is a early 80,s casati,80,s macini and an old oxford international, my holy grail is a 68 orange holdsworth with zues groupo on it,(just like the one mum got me in 68 wen i was about 12) i know it,s out there somewhere and one day i,ll find it !

Nothing amazing, but a few great old bikes. I stopped working a year and a half ago, and have put more mileage on my bikes (~4600mi) in the last year, than I have my car! Rode a friends carbon Trek last week, and was unimpressed...

- 1985 Davidson, bought new, and now LOOKING like new, thanks to MSwantak!,
- 1993 Bridgestone RB-1 (used now for serious rides)
- 1978 Nishiki Superbe (just recently purchased, and super looking/riding)
- 1986 Trek 660 (Doesn't really count, fixed up for wife, who never rides)

George

Your mom rocks!

I have a de-Lem-a...
I want to keep getting them but I have a few in the
workshop that I just cant seem to find time to work on....
I would almost rather someone have them that would enjoy
them daily.
Today...I passed up an old Gazelle 3 speed . It was all there and
only age reletive ruff. It was a Raliegh version too.....
I still might go back and get it, but it stinks because if I do I
might be depriving another collector of something they will definately
work on......

oh damn,i,ve done it again !upper level "ricardo" campy dropouts, durace 600, dia-compe sidepulls,sugano crank drilled,no wheels tho, found at garage sale (always go later in day) asked me how much i had in my pocket, i had excactly $2.85 , he took it,i got it,whoopeeeeeeeeeee !!!!

kan U spell or, punktuait - ?

It started out innocently with a 90's Trek 820 mtb ($85), but then I picked up an 84 Trek 610 ($80), a couple 70's Schwinns (free), a 70's Bickerton Portable folding bike in great shape ($50), and another '61 Schwinn Traveler (free), which I couldn't believe the owner thought was junk. He only listed it in CL because he thought the generator might be wanted!
Coolest rear rack ever! Everything is there and works, including the little bell! It just has a nice layer of rust over it. And the fenders are solid, better than anything I've seen before. I already lubed/painted one of the 70's schwinns and gave it to a friend, and I just finished the other one. It needs a little sanding since I painted in my dark garage and oversprayed, but it's ok, and rides nice too. Kinda small for me though, come to think of it, anyone want it?

P.s. I also have an 81 and 82 vw rabbit, an 82 toyota flatbed pickup, and a 84 honda nighthawk (not running). I can't wait to pick up a mercedes fintail and restore it, swap in a modern tdi and that would be so sweet!

hey bk, duz it really matta much ? duh !