I'm about to buy my fourth bike. The first is a restored 1970 Hercules English Racer (paid $15). The second is a Gary Fisher range/commuter (a hybrid). The third is a Cannondale Cyclocross 800 (love this cross/road bike). The one I'm about to purchase is the Trek 520 for commuting and touring. I think this will be my last, but my wife says I need to release one to open pastures--which one? I LOVE them all. My question: how many is too many? How many do you have, and what are they?

Cheers

The ideal number of bikes to own is n+1.





n = the number you currently own

Spot on analysis there....

I own 3.

MTB = Klein Attitude
Road = Fuji Roubaix Pro
Commuter = old Giant Farrago

Wait a few months and I'm sure I'll have at least another one or two in there! Broke a spoke on the rear wheel of the commuter last night, so trying to figure out a way that can justify a new ride.

My wife has 3 too, so all is good .

tell me about it.....

I have a Cannondale T900 which is great for touring and commuting (rack and rain guards), also a Trek mtb.

Now I really want a Lemond road bike for quick weekend rides when the weather is nice and I want to go on fast rides. I'd really like to do club rides but my Cdale is a bit slow for that (fat tires).

Then there is another part of me who would love a recumbent for some comfort riding, oh, and what about a single speed?

never too many bikes....my husband thinks otherwise

I have 6 plus 1 in the works and 2 more bare frames waiting to be built.

I love to build them as much as I love to ride them.

Touring/Commuting = 2004 Giant OCR Touring
Racing = 2004 Giant TCR
Regular Riding = 2003 Giant OCR Elite
Indoor Trainer = 2003 Giant OCR 3
MTB = 2004 Giant Iguana
Triathlon = 2003 Cannondale Ironman 800
Hybrid = 1992 Schwinn Crisscross

Join the crew here urbanmonk!!..I have 7 right now!!
Touring:Bike friday, new world tourist
road riding:cannondale r 800, specialized e5, cannondale r 1000 (climbing bike geared differentely)
Tandem: cannondale mt 800
MTB: bianchi osprey
Silly bike:schwinn stingray (not original)

I ride all of them and love each of them in their own way..I would have to say my favorite though is the zebra colored specialized.

Benjamin

my wife tells me 3 is enough... I tend to disagree...

right now I have:

1. GT Outback old--heavy-ass MTB
2. Centurion Lemans-- Single Speed, soon to be Fixie
3. My Lemond Maillot Jaune--smooth as butter with half the fat

I really want an old Raleigh City bike.. or something similar... I'm always on the lookout for a cheap project :-)

jeff

I currently own four:

Cannondale R500 road bike
Diamondback Sorrento MTB
Specialized Crossroads (an old one) for a spare
Kent Crusier (single speed with a coaster brake)

Too many bikes is up to you.

Three bikes here too. Orbea Enol roadie, Fort Track fixed/SS, Fly Micromachine BMX. I'm thinking about starting a new project, a cross/commuter/tourer type thing, but with an extra wheelset to convert it to SS; that would make four but I'd probably sell the Orbea because it's too big and would be surplus to requirements.

I think one can justify any number of bikes as long as they all have a specific role. Not to disrespect anyone that does, but I think it's kinda dumb to have, say, two very similar road bikes, with the same gears, geometry and specs, the only difference being that they're different. But having a TT bike, a RR bike, a tourer/commuter, a 'cross bike, a SS/fixed road bike and a track bike would be fine if you could afford it (and if you needed that many bikes!).

One of my friends is up to 6... and he'll finish building the 7th when he finds a fixie hub. Each one is for different riding types, too.

I hate to admit it sometimes, but I'm only at one, although I've got 3 more picked out just in case I have an unknown millionaire uncle die and leave me his fortune. Then I just have to figure out how to fit a Trek hardtail, Intense Spider, Trek 5200, and Redline Monocog in my dorm room.

There is no such thing as "too many bikes".

I have 6.

I prefer nx2

I second that. The ultimate bike is still in the LBS. And will always be.

--J

Right now, I am in the midst of explaining to my wife why I need three and half bikes.

1. Specialized Hardrock Sport (winter commuter)
2. VanDessel StraightUp X 7 (summer commuter)
3. Diamondback Topanga (parts, was last year's winter commuter)

4. Bianchi Pista. (fixed gear - just for summer fun) This is the bike that I plan to purchase next.

Since the winter commuter goes in the rafters when the summer commuter comes down and the parts bike is in a neat pile, I don't see what the trouble would be. She doesn't see how a fixed gear is different from what I have already. A bike is pretty much a bike to her.

Dan

As i go low-end, it is easy to keep collecting. There is a saying @ the Ohio City Bike Coop about the number/type of bikes one needs, i'll try to dig it up.

I am concerned about my own mania for collecting/consumerism, but i try to justify it by maintaining a stable for friends and visitors to ride.

My bikes:
80s Ross road bike
70s Raleigh singlespeed
90s Haro mtb
1954 Hartog: Dutch 3 spd
80s Team Miyata road frame set (to be pimped out)

what I "need":

a serious touring bike
track bike or fixie conversion
beer cruiser singlespeed (the raleigh's too large)

n+x=m

n= the number you currently own
x= the number you intend to add
m= marriage threshold.
(how many your spouse will tolerate before he/she leaves.)

Luckily, I've no spouse to worry about; but if I did have a partner he/she and I would probably would prob engage in a collecting competition that would lead us eventually to our senses, thanks to the excess.

'Course, currently I bribe the roommate: hence the too big Raleigh SS.

i currently have 5:

'03 Rocky Mountain Slayer (Freeride)
'02 Specialized FSR XC (MTB XC race bike)
'97 Norco Torrent (hardtail commuter)
'89 Specialized Stumpjumper (my "junk"/city bike)
'98 Raliegh R700 (road bike)

i keep saying i am going to buy/build a fixed some day...
and i wouldn't mind having a trials bike...
and i really should buy another MTB as my winter/wet bike b/c i keep having to spend so much in repair riding my nice bikes in the wet (just ordered new shock and fork for my FSR as the old ones were trashed... $800 - Fox terralogic x100 and Pro-pedal!)

i think i might be satisfied with 8 or 9...

---> fortunately my girlfriend - hopefully soon wife - is also a bike freak. she currently has 4 bikes (2 MTB's, city/comuter, road bike) plus a trainer if you count that, so 5 bikes also (although she's selling her old MTB as it doesn't fit her)

It's funny how the significant other can screw up your thinking on things they don't understand. There's no doubt that there is no such thing as too many bicycles. Just ask Robin Williams! Personally, having more than two per purpose could get a little confusing. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't own more if I had the funds and space.

Hey what's the size on the Peloton?

48cm (but is more like 49).

Or at the next garage sale or thrift store...

Is there really such a thing as too many? (For us, I mean, not the spouses.) I have a '98 C'dale MTB, an '02 Van Dessel Buzzbomb, an '02 Colnago Dream, and a Schwinn Voyager from the late '70s. The wife doesn't know it yet, but my next bike is going to be a Surly Karate Monkey. I'm planning on tricking it out to be my commuter/tourer with racks and fenders etc., right down to the Brooks saddle.

Tell your wife that it could be worse. In addition to the four bikes that populate my garage I also own a canoe, Hobie 16, 18' Boston Whaler, 32' motor home, BMW K1200LT motorcycle, Honda Reflex scooter and two sea kayaks. For some reason the golf clubs have been gathering dust? My wife calls our garage Tommy's toy chest. I tell her to give it a rest. After all, I did get rid of the Mustang Cobra and Vintage BMW 535I. They were taking up too much room.