You swore you wouldn't take on any more projects, there's no room, your spouse threatens to leave you if you come home with yet another bike, you need the money for bills...

But you just saw a ____________ for sale and you'll risk life/limb/marriage/credit to get it.

What bikes are special enough to meet this criteria for you guys?

Hmmm, slippery slope.

None.

Hypothetically such a person is on a path towards self-destruction. Be it anything, not just bikes.

Huffy.

Yeah, I'm that poor and my marriage sucks that bad.

might have overstated the direness of the hypothetical scenario for dramatic effect--but i guess a more evenhanded way of presenting this is to ask "what bikes would you guys buy without hesitation or against better judgement (given that it's in acceptable condition and the "right" price).

Saw a de rosa pop up on CL for a great price. turns out, it's been PC'd, most of the original components are gone, and it's not worth the hour drive to check out--but were it in a bit better shape I'd be on my way to pick it up right now, in spite of my stalled bianchi project and the other yet-to-be-completed motorcycle/car projects I've got. i've got a thing for de rosa's and gios torinos...i started wondering what other bikes gets people's hearts thumping as well.

Well, I'm pretty close to the situation you describe, but when this was offered I didn't resist for long. Not even my size.

An '82 Koga Miyata fullpro

Well, if you put it that way....
Any quality bike that's priced under-valued. Some will be keepers, others to be sold to finance more keepers.

Your posts are always hilarious.

well - my motto is
if you're in trouble with your wife...

then you dont have to worry about getting in trouble with your wife...

but yeah - it doesnt have to be anyhting special for me to cross the quantity line in the sand

my poor wife

This is where you started to go wrong! Stop making promises that you know might be put to the test. And no matter how much a marriage sucks, the divorce will suck more for a while. Incidentally, my wife never mentions it when a new bicycle hits the stable. Of course, one or two hit The Old Shed, which is really a very old garage, every week - almost.

+1 Wife always encourages it. She has seen enough of the positive results on buys (and the later sales), that more often, she is wondering why I pass on some bikes. If you cannot financially justify scooping up a deal, then pass. If I buy it to keep, then I retire another bike in the fleet, that will more than cover the purchase. At least that is what I try to do. Sometimes I slip on this a bit. Fortunately, I do not pick up keepers very often. The keeper fleet has gotten nice enough that to replace an existing bike, the incoming bike would need to be pretty nice.

I did pick up a potential keeper this week, but I sold a bike out of the fleet last week, so I have been balanced (lately.....) Fleet has somewhat slowly grown.

As I am typing this, my wife is scanning tomorrow's garage sales for potential bikes. Based on what she has seen so far, I'll be out there early. It really helps that the hobby is more than self funding. If it didn't pay its own way, it would be a different story. It also helps that my wife buys and sells other stuff as a hobby too.

I was looking for a chrome bike for a while, but the Katakura I just picked up took care of that "problem".

I'm in the dog house for three bikes this month, Ironman frame, Ironman bike, and Sakae Litage with Sachs after blowing my budget on SRAM Red group. She loves me and pulls me back in bed when shes cold. For me at the moment it's not hypothetical

My wife doesn't know about the last 4 bikes I bought. I just love getting stuff shipped to the office. I figure it is cheaper than some bass boat or an airplane, so I can't get in too much trouble. It's not like I have to license them every year.

I am going to have to tell her about the new one though, I think she may just fit it and it would be a good older companion to her newer Trek 2.1.

A pristine original Schwinn Madison.

And, you know, with the wife gone, there will be more room in the house for bikes.

One I complete the 75 Fuji Professional currently at the painter I'll be in trouble.

I have room for about 5 bikes. I'll have 6...and actually 7 with the frame I just had powdercoated for a SS. A painful decision might have to be made. It might be the non-Fuji, the Italvega, but that's not even fully completed yet!

What would make me displace yet something else?

Hmmmm...

A 1987 Fuji Ecco ...a single year oddity that Fuji describes as, "A true thoroughbred racing machine, the Ecco features Fuji Feather OSi tubing in a lugless, hand-crafted frame. Add Shimano's stylish 105 components, and you have a bike built to handle your need for speed." It intrigues me as a one year wonder. Depending on how original it was I might upgrade components, although 105 is fine with me. https://classicfuji.com/Ecco_1987_Page.htm

A Fuji Design Series ...Fuji's shining example of a hand-crafted frame. Any year would do as long as it was 59-61cm. https://classicfuji.com/DesignSeries_...ars_Thumbs.htm

A 1974 Fuji Ace ...a beautiful first year offering and I believe Fuji's first non-Suntour bike, definitely the first Dura-Ace bike from Fuji. https://classicfuji.com/1974_03_Ace_PageB.htm (check out Scott Ryder's, which I pointed him to on a remote CL!!: https://vintagefuji.posterous.com/197...e-ace-part-two)

One of the later Fuji Professionals with Superbe Pro ...an 85 would do. https://classicfuji.com/Professional_1985_Page.htm

If I see something of value, I buy it. The rotate my fleet so often that I wife doesn't know my keepers from my flips. Because, I use flip money to make purchases, she doesn't mind.

To get to the heart of your question, I would like to find a "high end" Fuji or Paramount. Although I don't own one, I would like to find a nice Fuji--maybe a Fuji America.

Hahaha, what size?

https://velospace.org/node/33062

De Rosa EL-OS Primato
Merckx MXL
Concorde Max
Look 585 white, XL and cheap
Serotta Ottrott or Legend Ti
Gazelle Exception
70's Presto
Koga Miyata Full Pro
Kirk Terraplane
Cinelli SC
Panasonic PR6000
...oh, where does it end...???

I'm already in trouble but, Colnago Master with Artist paint in blue and white, or red, white, green.

not a popular choice around here but i really want a silver anodized s-works E5 framest. (columbus aluminum)

ive already got two nice italian made steel bikes. i need a sutable home for my full record 10spd component group. it is just waiting for the right early-mid 2000s aluminum frame.

here is a pic of the frame borrowed from ravenmore:

the garage is never too full. There is always a bike that can go live under a tarp in the yard for a while, sometimes, it is one of hers.

You're a hoarder and need to go on that show.

I think that is a very interesting bike. The design is very similar to the 2000-2002 Litespeed Ultimate, which was ridden to the sprint victory in the 2001 tdf. My 1998 Ultimate is the fastest accelerating bike I own. My 1987 Cannondale SR 500 is the second. This thing has to be fast.

Bikes pay for bikes, if I don't generate funds from bikes I can't buy more. As long as it is bikes and not other women, my wife is fine with it. She even made an excel spread sheet for me to keep track.
A Somec Track frame in 55cm or a cross frame set, or a 29er...I better sell some stuff.

I'm single most of the time and luckily plenty of room in the house to place bikes. The past year I've purchased some bikes with provenance and history (A-D Ultima Superleicht) and some oddities such as a factory painted blue and raspberry 1981 Fuji Professional with a serial number outside the normal formats. Weird stuff nowadays get's my attention.

Also, I'd love to own a bike from one of the Japanese masters, so if a Toei, 3Rensho, Zunow or a Nagasawa came available in my size I'd jump through some serious hoops for one.

Scott

The Orange Merckx in the for sale forum may be the last straw..