2015: will you be n+1 or n-1?
 

A conversation with another cv definite got me thinking about this.

Will you shrink the fleet, or grow the fleet, in 2015? Why, and how?

For myself, I plan to shrink the fleet. Last year I culled three bikes or frames. Gave one to a high school girl we know, sent another to a friend in NYC, sold a third to a forum friend. I did buy one bike last year. So that was n - 2. This year I plan to fix up a curbpicked Nishiki mixte and give it away, maybe sell a LL Bean branded Hardrock, sell another bike, and if I don't do something with the PX-10 project, it will go away too. So that is potentially n - 4. Why? Well, I am kind of tripping over bikes, and I would also like to open up room to get another bike or two that I really want - but I'm not in a rush for that.

I'm going to attempt to go n-1. We'll see.

N+-0

I'm shrinking the fleet. I don't want to be like the local guy on Craigslist relocating from a single-family home to a Manhattan apartment...downsizing from 13 bikes down to 1 bike and letting them go for next to nothing.

I was at N-3, but added 2 replacements. Oops.

I'd also love to get rid of my plastic bike. I paid $2000 for it in 2011, and am ready to let it go in favor of my steel C&V bikes. Maybe I could get $1200 for it....

Shrink.

N. Just N.

...unless I can scratch the itch I've been having for a PX-10.

I'm at 12 bikes right now - once winter ends two of those are going up for sale, and one (a BSO that was abandoned by a former neighbor) will be cleaned up and given away to one of the neighborhood families with kids. But odds are that I will pick up several project/flip bikes before the end of 2015, so who knows. But I'm guessing that changes in my finances and living arrangements are going to make keeping 10+ bikes impractical... I am sorely tempted to go on a rant about my current life frustrations so consider yourself lucky that I know this is not the place.

Right now I have: a paramount p-13/9, a raleigh professional mkiv, raleigh international, raleigh competition, raleigh dl-1 loop, merckx Corsa Extra SL, masi gran criterium, colnago super, cannondale r600, specialized allez epic, mongoose atb, raleigh technium 400, 1949 follis Lyon, 1930s boogmans, 1971 apple krate, 1972 3speed stingray, a midget stingray, an orange krate, an auburn cr20rx, a hutch expert, a cw oval, a redline micro mini, a db Harry Leary turbo, a yamaha motobike, 1971 paramount p15, a schwinn traveler, a little kids pink Electra.... I think that's all of them.... There are about 6-9 I would like to part with this year and replace with a nice 60-62cm de rosa!!!

I'm looking at N+2-3.
I'd like to get a C&V and a Tri bike, maybe a FS MTB.
I'll be asking here for advice on the C&V relatively soon.

In exactly the past week I sold my Fuji Sundance, Schwinn Le Tour II mixte, and tonight my Sekai Bigfoot - all too big for me. I gave my 1995 Trek 820, which had been a drop bar conversion to my sister-in-law after I returned it back to a straight bar bike.

I now have a Cross Check, Moto GJ (which looks nice, but never ride), '55 Phillips 3 speed, Trek 930 (lugged), Specialized Hard Rock Ultra with upgrades, Rockhopper, '85 Nishiki mixte, '87 Miyata mixte. That's it.

If I thought someone would pay me close to what I put into the Motobecane Grand Jubile I'd sell it.

As of 1 Jan 15, I'm N+2 but by 1 Jun 15 I hope to make that N+2-5. And parts. Lots of parts.

Life is too short to ride cheap bicycles. Yet I do, all the time. :p

N-all but one, I fear.

I'm at n+4 already but one is a donor and another will probably be a flip.

N = unchanged. Oddly, I have been dreading the approach of spring since I have been enjoying my "new" winter commuter bike so much. This has got me thinking maybe I don't need two road bikes. But I can justify keeping both by leaving one at my Portland home and the commuter bike at my apartment in Seattle. And I *can't* sell the Daccordi because I've owned it for so long- that is an attribute you can't find in another bike. I have a third bike, and older MTB, which I will keep because it wouldn't sell for much anyway. And I will not be adding to my N=3 because someone has to set a good example on the C&V forum. :)

I have too many bikes that serve the same purpose, so three will be sold in the near future: '84 Trek 830, One-Off Custom Ti, and a vintage Infinity 'bent. Call now, avoid the rush. :-)

Who knows, I say one thing, then do the opposite. I would like to find a titanium. Not sure what the future holds for my new found Gazelle.

I found a used Salsa ti Warbird frameset as a local racer's last year cast off. The price was fantastic and I built it up with an Athena groupset from the Ribble selling spree in January.

I am looking forward to this bike so much this summer. Everyone has told me about its comfort and performance so I am itching to get it out there.

I'm all set with my off road line up for this season, so extras will get the axe this spring. I am selling everything that isn't nailed down.

Mainly unbuilt framesets and parts.

My off-road line up will be:

Niner Jet 9 with Shimano Deore XT
Salsa Fargo with most of the bits swapped to XT levels for this season. I am patiently waiting for a used Fargo titanium frameset to replace the current steel option.
Merckx AluCross with full Campy Centaur
Salsa ti Warbird with Campy Athena

I only see adding a beautiful classic and vintage bicycle this late summer when I raise enough moola to pay the current owner. It is a bike I have dreamed about for the past decade and one is available to me. I won't let the opportunity pass me by.

Right now I stand as N+1 for 2015, but may go to just N if I decide to thin the fleet a little this spring. Then again, I will be scouting for a deal on a fat bike this summer, so if I were to hazard a guess (and based on my history), N+1 it is...

I just need to get better at storing them in parts of the house my wife doesn't go to much, and make it look "orderly" when I do.

The plan is ALWAYS to shrink the fleet.
Hasen't happened yet.

Top

Our local CL will provide you with a fat bike.

I constantly see good deals.

If my neighbor didn't let me use his, I would be looking as well.

n+1 a month ago.

Will likely remain that way through the year. No additions. No subtractions. Unless of course someone makes an offer I can't refuse.

n+1, probably slowly. I've had the frameset and most/some of the parts for a few years. Slowly gathering the rest of the bits.

I have a need that only a custom built frame can fill.