It seems that many of us who are mostly or exclusively road cyclists have multiple bikes. But if we only do one kind of riding, why? What's the story? I figure there are three basic situations.

Some of us are Collectors - it may even be ones line of work. Acquisition may be so habitual that one may have two virtually identical bikes.

One may not be so dedicated to collecting per se, but through the years, refining ones choices, occasionally upgrading, or just getting something "fresh," they just accumulate. The bikes may be fairly similar, but each is distinct in some significant way - one has better wheels and a lighter frame, another is more comfortable, another is kind of beat up. It is essentially ad hoc and fairly haphazard, but (although there may be an odd folding bike or fixie in there) the collection is mostly an attempt to approximate the perfect road bike.

The third basic situation is where I find myself. Each bike is a distinct type, and not necessarily a road bike; in my situation touring, race, fixed, and cross (wide tire). I have an acquisitive streak and the potential to fall into the second category, but lack of space and a sudden urge to acquire real estate instead have checked that tendency.

It's a question of more or less, really. I imagine that for most who have multiple bikes there's some of each going on. The poll is intended for people with multiple bikes, but if you only have one or two, you can still play: why would you want to have multiple bikes?

No odd folding bikes but I do have a fixed gear. I can't let it go even though I don't ride it much since it is just too much fun to take it out for a spin. Only road bikes for me. If there is dirt involved I want a motor. I keep it to 5 or six bikes, that's all I have room for. 2 carbon and the rest steel. 1 carbon for all out go fast, another more comfy frame. 1 Italian steel, 1 Serotta, the fixed gear and an older Trek with a long wheelbase and big tires.

I have a buddy with 40 bikes. I don't think he rides any of them more than twice a year. I see nothing wrong with this photo. Except maybe the pool should be bigger.

Hybrid purchased around six years ago for commuting (6 mile round-trip), and after switching jobs and having to come way out of range by bike for a year I realized that I really liked riding everyday. So, I managed to get relocated at work to a great location to ride to, and somehow convinced my wife that a road bike would allow me to be faster to and from work. The next bike came after getting hit by a car, and the resulting insurance money. I half-heartedly tried to sell my bike, but my wife said if you can't still it for a certain amount then just keep it.

I started out with a road bike (370) and off-road bike (800 sport), but I just rode them without knowing anything about maintenance. After many years and a few crashes the 800 was no longer usable so I bought the Crossroads to replace it. A couple years later it was the same thing (sans crashes) with the 370 when I got the Emonda to replace that. I then learned a lot about maintenance and buying parts, but couldn't find any 7 speed stuff at first so I rebuilt my 370 with all new 11 speed parts. As I was doing this I found all the 7 speed parts I needed and they were CHEAP, so I bought the old Fuji frame to build that up with the old components and use it as my commuter bike. After that I was able to fix up my 800 again. so - 5 bikes.

I bought my first serious road bike and put 10,000km on it...given our relatively short outdoor season, I was disappointed on several occasions when my bike ended up in the LBS a couple times for warranty service...toward the end of the season, I bought a Kickr and decided to splurge on a second, slightly 'shinier' bike so I could leave my 'hot spare' on the Kickr permanently unless my new, shiny, daily driver is in the shop.

So I have two bikes and probably always will.

I'd consider mine to all be road bikes (drop bars, skinny tires, derailleur gears), but they still have separate functions: light group ride bike, tandem, touring/grocery-getter, folder for travel.

I'm a mix of the 2nd & 3rd options. I'm sitting at 4 bikes right now. One is my MTB, which serves a different purpose. One is my commuter/beater, which serves a different purpose. Then I have 2 road bikes for no good reason, really. I got a really good deal on a frame and was going to go weight weenie on a build, but I cheaped out and my 2 road bikes are pretty much the same. I suppose it's good to have a backup just in case, but my commuter/beater could have served that purpose.

Each bike does something different, although they are all road bikes. And I collect junk too.

Oh, come now: think of all the poor children in Africa who have to go without bikes....! Seriously, looks like a lot of kids' bikes in there.

Should add, too lazy to get rid off them and have space for them anyhow...

That's essentially option #2 - maybe you weren't looking for the perfect bike, but surely you weren't looking for unsatisfactory ones.

Just because?

This

1. Nicest road bike (Dura Ace!)
2. Foul weather road bike (used to be #1)
3. Commute bike (fixed gear: lights, bells, racks)
4. Tandem (wish my daughter would ride with me more)

No bike is perfect for every ride. Even if a cyclist is a committed roadie, the difficulty of the hills, the quality of the surface conditions and the duration make every ride different.

In addition, bikes are more than a tool. My bikes are interesting to build, ride and have a history.

Some are my rides are casual and nostalgic and ideal for a 1970's bike with Reynolds 531 and friction shifters

• Peugeot PX10 is ready for pavement or gravel
• Motobecane Grand Record is my all weather pub bike and future vintage Randonneur build
• Schwinn Paramount is the performance roadie from this era and can participate in moderately fast group rides

Most of my rides require reliable speed. Bikes built with Columbus SLX or TSX and that have indexed shifters will deliver modern levels of performance;

• Pinarello Gavia with 3x10 Chorus is the hilly century bike
• De Rosa Super Prestige with 2x9 Chorus for fast local group rides
• Merckx Corsa Extra with 2x7 Dura Ace fast local solo rides

Special reason vintage bikes;

• Simoncini Cyclocross Special: Chip seal and gravel rails-to-trail
• Serotta Nova Special X: American sport bike and an old friend

Modern bikes;

• Pedal Force CG1: skinny tire, carbon fiber road bike
• Raleigh Roker: Disc brake, carbon fiber gravel bike

I currently have 4 bikes, but have toyed with the idea of selling 1 as it is the least comfortable and I don't really need all 4 bikes. Honestly, I'm pretty sure could squeak by with 2.

We all have one fewer bike than we are supposed to. I have n. I should have n+1. That is all.

That picture looks like the local used bike store in town, without the swimming pool.

Different bikes for different rides.
1 IGH commuter/utility with fenders, lights, rack, basket, also to tow my trailer.
1 steel Privitera road bike that fits me perfectly for general road use/long distance.
1 steel Pinarello road bike that I rarely use nowadays but I always liked Italian steel and was an opportunity.
1 steel KHS MTB for dirt roads/gravel.
1 Raleigh DL-1 because... I don't know why, but I like it.

I was swapping parts off my back-up bike to my main road bike, so both bikes were temporarily out of commission.
I had to dig deep into the third tier for a couple group rides last week.
So yeah, they all serve a function.

Aside from my main ride, a Kuota Kredo that is already over 10 years old, I have my commuter bike, Trek 7000 from 1990, another Trek 8000 from 1991, my Davidson roadie that I had custom built for me in 1981, and my Zilioli, an Italian all Campy SR pantograph roadie. I haven't been on the Zilioli in a few years now, the Davidson my son uses, and the Trek 8000 just sits. I ride the Kuota as a road bike and the Trek 7000 is my commuting bike that I upgraded with all XT components. It may seem like it isn't worth it to put high end components on a mid range bike, but they were cheap enough as I shopped around the web.

All have their purpose:

1) race bike;
2) back up race bike (which also has S&S couplers and serves as a travel bike.
3) XC bike for cross, and gravel,
4) TT bike for TT's
5) Fixed gear track bike for track and off season training
6)MTB for mountain biking
7) road tandem
8) back up road tandem (for second home)
9) gravel tandem for gravel races.

I think full on mtb tandem is the N+1

None of your choices fit me. I have 5 bikes, all road bikes: a '73 Raleigh Competition that thrives on very poor to no pavement but is road only. (No BB clearance to go anywhere off road.). My '79 Peter Mooney, currently set up to ride this years Cycle Oregon fixed, including the gravel sections. My ~'83 tREK, SET UP FIXED AS

My wife lost her mind when she went in and counted that I actually have 11 bikes. All have a purpose and I have obvious mental illness trying to justify the purpose of each. There are others I would like but I am out of money and realize the magnitude of my N+1 illness.

Well I'm sitting at 22 I think and my reason is "just 'cause".

Mostly road bikes....

They all are ridden and enjoyed. Do I need another reason?