I'm not trying to be hostile to the OP, or shut down his question. I've asked repeat questions myself here before, particularly if what I dug up on "search" is very old.

This particular question was very recently a poll that elicited many pages of responses, and yesterday hadn't even aged off the first page. It was also in "Commuting" so was probably easily missed. If the OP is curious, it can be seen here.

Like I said...not trying to be a jerk, just pointing it out. I still answered the question.

I have two that I ride: 1992 Trek 2300 full carbon/ultegra and 2001 Cannondale Jekyl 600.
When I raced, I had a Cinelli custom frame bike with campy record outfit (team bike), fregus (I think that is how to spell it) track bike and a criterium bike (?) Only have the two former now.

We have four. Can't get by on less than three. Would like to have five.

Just one. A Giant hybrid that is a good all-around bike for my purposes.

Road Bike 1: 06' Cannondale Six13 Team One
Road Bike 2: 92' Trek 5200
Tandem: 05' Cannondale
Mountain Bike: 06' Cannondale Prophet "Leftie"

Litespeed, tandem, hybrid, fixed conversion and folder. You do the math.

I did say "and counting"...

You know I'm looking for 48 cm and under though . Tough to accrue a really large stable when faced with that (comfortable) height limitation.

East Hill

There's that, and you have higher standards than I do. I'll bring any old thing home. many have been saved from a trip to the landfill so even if I strip them of any parts I might use and put what's left in my brother's truck so he can take the scrap to be recycled, I've still done my part and I'm ahead.

I have five:

1) '00 Trek 5200, 9spd D/A. All carbon frame. The road race bike.
2) '89 Trek 660, fixed gear commuter and rain trainer. Lugged True Temper steel.
3) '04 REI Novara Triompho, alumimum with carbon fork and seatstays. I'm building it up as my tri bike with an eclectic mix of 9speed D/A, Ultegra, 105 and even a little bit of RSX for old time's sake.
4) '83 Caldaro, 10speed Campag on a handbuilt Columbus frame.
5) '90 (?) Specialized Hard Rock. The POS mtb for pulling the kids' trailer, running errands, and knocking around Tahoe.

1) Late 90s huffy mountain bike. Will retire when replaced with another MTB. However, it is ridden about 10 miles every 6 months.
2) 2006 Novara Randonee that I have put 10000 miles on in the last 13 months
3) New 2006 Specialized Tarmac Expert.

I'm a professional bassist & "semi-professional" (avocational? hobbyist? slumming?) guitarist -- I have (5) basses and (5) guitars. Does the income I make from the basses justify their existence in my collection, but not the guitars? Do I need (5) guitars? I'm not sure I even need the (5) basses...but I've got them, and I use them. That's the only metric for possessions: do you use them?

I own (1) bike, though I just bought a 2nd on eBay over the weekend; it hasn't arrived yet, but by next week I should own (2) bikes. Do I need (2) bikes? Do I need (1) bike? Who cares? I got 'em and I use 'em.

If and when I move into a house with enough space to store more bikes, I'll buy more bikes and I'll use 'em too.

How many toenail clippers do you have? Does one really need to have more than one toenail clipper?

+1,000,000!!!

I just spent three weeks riding a loaner bike that my LBS was generous enough to provide me with while they waited for a replacement part for my bike. I learned several things from this experience:

- my bike is freakin' awesome! It was such a joy to be back on it after three weeks of riding the loaner, even though the loaner wasn't too shabby a ride.

- riding a less-than-awesome bike is a great training strategy. I found I got stronger and faster by pushing this heavier, clunkier, less "gear friendly" loaner bike around.

- most importantly, not having a bike sucks. (Or would have sucked, so I am grateful the loaner was available.)

The day after I got my bike back from repair, I bought a backup bike off eBay. I never again want to risk not having something to ride if my bike has to go back into the shop.

1 person with 3 bikes and two frames

There are 7 bikes in my garage. Had 8 up till a couple weeks ago. Four years ago, i had NONE.

Two or three more and your collection should be complete!

ummm, i have 2 and a half
a cro-mo allez alite
a s-works fsr xc
and a stumpjumper minus drive train

the gf has a bike
the roommate has two
her boyfriend had a road bike he keeps here and a mountian bike he keeps at home

i have 3 working on #4 and 5.

#1- a spankin' new 07' Felt Q720 mountain bike
#2- a freebie 70's model Fuji 10spd road bike
#3- an 07 Diamondback Wildwood Citi (Mrs. HandsomeRyan's bike)

soon i'll have a spankin' new Fuji Touring and the old fuji will become a trainer bike
i'd also love to have a beater bike to loan to friends if they want to come ride with me. (i'm 6'2 so my bikes wont fit a lot of shorter/smaller people)

5 bikes 5 guitars
Trek 4500 w/ new BB7s (my main bike)
Trek Fuel ex 7 WSD (wife's FS hydro disc, fits me for short aggressive stuff)
Steel Ross Road bike (fun speed commuter)
outfitters mountaineer - cromo acera drive train ht (cheap backup commuter)
Roadmaster (sexy black paint, but other than that worthless)

Huntington strat copy w/ 2 lace gold humbuckers (main guitar)
strat squier (wifes guitar)
2 fender acoustics
Rogue Bass
Memphis 3/4size 1 humbucker (mine in 6th grade, wife likes it due to small neck)

I think guitars to a guitarist are like bikes to a cyclist. You only NEED 1, and most can get by with 1. But different types are more suited to different uses. I could use my Trek for going to the store, but I'd rather use my cheap backup commuter when left alone in a public place, but I wouldn't take the cheap backup commuter on a 25 mile offroad ride, though it would probably do just fine. Such a ride would destroy my road bike.
Likewise I can play country songs on my strat copy, but they sound better on the acoustic. And Korn songs sound ******** on the acoustic, so I need both.

Nah, Korn songs just sound ********, period.

Only four. One mountain bike. one hybrid, one fitness/touring bike, and one road bike.
All four bikes were purchased New Old Stock (NOS) or off season.

The road is the only one not ridden regularly.

The one time I spotted a bike on the side of the road with a 'free' sign on it--my husband knew better than to stop . Can't drag them out of the landfill here...

East Hill

It's nice to know I'm a slacker and have BAD, too...;o))

I have 12. They are all old and cheap ( don't ask if that describes me, too) But I think most bikers need at least three...a mtb, a road and a taco trike/commuter...;o)

To my credit, I just gave one away. I will probably rehome more as I go along...a couple of my bikes I bought just for their parts. I'm learning how to wrench. I bought a frame recently that I'm going to put together..( does a frame count as a bike?) ;o))

well, I sold 3 kids bikes this week to raise money for the Tour de Cure, so I think I'm down to 29.

Mine:
2006 Specialized Allez Pro...simply awesome
1980's Italian steel frame, rebuilt with 9 speed Ultegra/105 mix...lovely to ride.
Raleigh 20 with 8speed S/A internal hub, dropbars, Selle Italia saddle...different.
Speedwell 20" similar to R20,3 SPEED S/A hub....very different.
Gitane hardtail MTB, xt equipped.

In the shed:
I steel frame roadie
3 MTBs
I BMX
The wife's R20
A borrowed tandem
A minature fold up

and.........too many frames, parts, wheels and tyres I want to think about, maybe I should become a sculptor?

Two entry level bikes. Trek 1000 road bike and Gary Fisher Marlin mountain bike. But I lust after a Cervelo Dual! Maybe in a year or two!