Things people say when they see your stash......
 

No, no, the other stash....!

I do a lot of work on other folks' bikes. This sometimes requires they actually get inside my garage.
Lately, a Cannondale C&V guy came over, and a couple of guys with modern Treks.

Cannondale guy...."You don't have any forks that will fit my ST400, do you?" He's already enlightened.

Trek guy 1...."What's that red thing?" (Y-Foil, picks up the 16lb bike)...."aren't those other bikes kinda heavy?"
Trek guy 2..."um, you,..., um, you really like steel bikes, huh? I didn't know they still made those."

I smile, swap out his 10-sp Ultegra 6700 for his DA 10-sp 7800. "Ride tomorrow?"

Next?

I am known to friends as the nutball with all of the bicycles in the basement.

I had a friend over last night to swap a fork on his Moots.

He asked, "where did all of the bikes go" and "I thought you used to have twenty plus bikes down here" or something to that effect.

Told him I did two things.

Sold a bunch and got better at hiding them. :)

I need a basement....

From a gushing buyer, "All your Peugeot mixtes are fabulous!"
From a good friend, "You are such a bike geek!"
From a friend who purchased and picked up a bike for me before I advanced him the cash, "No worries, I'm sure it's well below market value."
From my 81 year old mother, "They all look brand new."

My friends are too polite to say what they actually think, but they usually say something like "this is bad' or just "wow!"

Mines rarely seen.

But it would be below sea level! ;)

Or a garage! :p

Better yet, enclose the back porch and I'll send you a spare window AC unit! :D

In regard to my work area.... :o

My future son-in-law is living with us this summer. He keeps teasing me and saying, "Ya gotta let me clean this mess up for you!" :notamused:

There are no kind words from my wife about my stash. Somehow, profanity and the word "hoarder" somehow come up. I, being a wise man who realizes she knows where I sleep, say nothing about her own little collections of treasure that I don't consider of value.

The neighbors: "Are you gonna open your own bike shop or something?"

What comes out of their mouths has a lot to do with their age. The guys older than me will just look around with a smile on their first visit. On their second visit they usually bring a small cycling item that they have held their entire lives. Perhaps a Wheelmen coat button or a tool.

The guys my age will offer a story of fixing a "tape on" tire or a local BMX event held many years ago. The sights cause them to think of something in their own lives which they share after "not thinking about that for a long time".

The young men, twentysomethings, racers or "riders" (dirt jumpers) that come by to visit enter the building slowly, briefly looking at everything and carefully touching as much as they can reach, an old number plate pinned to the wall or a broken part on display. They are wearing music devices and don't say anything. I ignore them and go back to work after saying "hi" since I assume they aren't listening to me anyway. I let them wander around. Later I get a squeeze on the arm and a smile. One will point a fist at me to bump knuckles, the others follow suit and walk out the door.

The thrirtysomethings leave their sunglasses on when they enter the shop and keep peering out at their car, worried it's going to get jacked by the neighbors, unaware the only locked doors in the 'hood are his.

I love all of the visitors. I rush to the door when I hear a car coming.

Just reorganized everything in a little shed.

"How many complete ones can you make?"

"that's a smart idea to stash twenty spare wheels"

"can you fix mine?"

To date all have been polite but I have a hanger so the growth opportunities are open-ended.

There is one room of the house that always remains locked, it is the garage.
There are no cars in it.
Some neighbors comment on the different colors of bikes, fortunately many are alike in color.
This is not by design, but does come in handy.

What, no carbon? Or, what's this frame with funny looking skinny tubes made of ...some sort of old fashion metal?

"Why?"

I can't wait till I'm you guys' level. Being called a bike geek is quite the compliment :)

I guess that makes me special :) Too bad none of your bikes are 56-58cm or I'd be over riding them all the time. I know how much you'd love that lol

Friends that see the basement (filled with $20 Craigslist projects) usually end up asking me to fix them up a bike to ride - they've been meaning to get a bike, and when I tell them I can give them a nicely fixed up 70's road bike for under $250 they are amazed.

To be honest, I woke up one morning, looked at all the bike stuff everywhere and I kind of thought it had gotten out of control.

I decided to clean house.

So, now I am a bike geek with thirteen fewer bicycles.

The upshot is I haven't ridden this much in years.

Lots more ride time.

Nor do I feel like I have to keep looking for the next deal or project.

Feels great.

I guess everyone needs a break once in a while. But you'll be back :)

I have well meaning people drop orphaned bicycles off on my doorstep :P most are BSO that get broken down for parts and the rest scrapped. Occasionally a keep will come along. Unfortunately my wife and I ride very small and very large bicycles (or maybe fortunately) so anything in the middle of the spectrum gets passed on if it is worth keeping. I have my base collection and am always willing to help someone out if they want something specific. I have given away close to a dozen 3 speeds of varying types to people that wanted a "real" bicycle for neighborhood riding, you know fenders, chain guards and an upright riding position, baskets are a plus. :D

Most people don't realize the extent of what I have stashed, they see more than a couple of bikes and their eyes kind of glaze over. :lol:

I also am maintaining a couple of bikes for a couple of guys that live down the road a bit from me. One is a retired fellow on disability, the other is on disability and a bit younger, they are on a very limited income and the bike is the only way they have of getting around other than walking. I run into them at the grocery store on a regular basis and do quick adjustments for them right then and there, if it needs more work I have them bring it to the shop and we get them squared away from my stash of BSO parts.

Aaron :)

Likely true.

I still have nine keepers, so no tears should be shed.

There are a few classics that I have interest in and I have developed an incredible sweet tooth for a few American custom builders......

the word "intervention" has been mentioned...

" One isn't enough?"

I think I'm more embarrassed about it than my wife is upset about it.

Very few see my pile, which is not that large anyway, but one close friend who knows it is there always has questions. I don't worry about him, because HIS pile (of other sort of stuff) is huge compared to mine.
The only one I worry about is my wife, as long as I keep to my side of the porch, she is ok with it.

They either go wow or OMG, you've got a problem. I tend to ignore the latter, as they aren't qualified to make judgement.

One @ss of a neighbor pranced into my garage one time when I wasn't home and made a remark to my wife that you put up with this from your husband?!? I would never allow this! She doesn't even allow her husband to own tools in their garage. At the time, my wife replied it's all his stuff before we got married, and doesn't see anything wrong with it. My wife found her annoying and out of line.
But now they are friends, and probably agrees to that initial remark, since my wife will do whatever, associate with whomever, that suits her needs and goals. :rolleyes:

One successful way to explain the collection is attaching a value to them.
X is valued at $$$$, but I found it for $. Comes across as an investment when you appeal to their greed. They all think you're a junk collector at first.

A couple of fellow C&V forumites did visit my garage, and those were of course positive. One accused me of being too damn neat. :D