Author Topic: 6 Bikes for One Person?  (Read 9693 times)

Meikenstache

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6 Bikes for One Person?
« on: June 27, 2016, 09:38:18 AM »
MMM published an article, which I am unable to locate at the moment, in which he comments he has 6 bikes in good working order. I am not able to understand why you would have 6 different type of bikes.

I understand a mountain bike, road bike and possibly a hybrid or commuter but 6?

Can anyone explain the styles and possibly why MMM would have 6 different types?

Thanks! 

Northwestie

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2016, 10:03:56 AM »
I'm assuming they are for family, or at least his spouse.  So if they each have a nice road bike, a mountain bike, and the rainy day commuter/errand bike with panniers - there you go.

We have 5 - my spouse has a clunker that we'll donate sometime soon, I have the good road bike, the 30 yr old refurbished rainy day commuter, titanium mt bike, and oh yea - that single speed that I purchased at a school auction for $250 - which I'll likely donate.   Single speed, Seattle hills, my 60 yr old legs - not a stunning combination.   

Though I did meet a youngster on the commute home the other day that will do the Seattle-to-Portland ride in one day later this summer on a fixie.  Brave and strong.

rothwem

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2016, 10:15:59 AM »
I've got 4:

-Racy Cannondale road bike.  Its 16 pounds and handles like a Ferrari.   
-Hardtail (front suspension) Mountain bike for smoother singletrack, and its also nice when I'm riding to the local trails from my place.
-Full Suspension (both front and rear suspension) for when I'm shreddin' gnar in the actual mountains.
-Cyclocross ("cross") bike that I use as a commuter and well, the occasional cyclocross race.  Its basically a sturdier road bike with room for bigger tires and better brakes.  The geometry is also a little more slack to make the handling less twitchy when not riding on smooth surfaces.

I could see getting to 6 if I had an e-bike like MMM, and maybe a dedicated beater commuter bike to add to collection.  I'm pretty out of space at my place with 4 bikes and my girlfriend's bike though.

gggggg

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2016, 11:02:05 AM »
6 does sound excessive, even if he got them cheap. I had 4 road race bikes back when I raced, totally unnecessary. I sold all of them. I plan to buy one cyclocross bike, because they are a do it all bike.

GuitarStv

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2016, 11:17:09 AM »
I have a nice steel framed touring bike for spring/summer/fall, and a less expensive aluminum road bike with cheap durable components for salty winter riding.

Once your neighbors/family begin to know you as 'that bike guy' you might find that your bike collection tends to expand.  My dad gave me his old road bike that he hasn't used in years (pieces of it are sitting around in my garage at the moment as I figure out how to rebuild it).  I've had to turn down offers from two different neighbors for old bikes that they don't use any more.


If you use a bike as your main means of transportation I can easily see owning several different bikes for different purposes (winter/summer, mountain/road, electric, tandem).  Just having two bikes has saved me several times when I've had a problem but not enough time to fix it before the next day commute.

Jack

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2016, 11:27:38 AM »
In cycling forums, they call it "N+1 syndrome."

I have a fairly virulent case of it, although I try to make sure all the bikes are different enough to "justify" (read "rationalize").

Mine:
  • commuter bike, an early-'90s rigid-fork MTB with smooth but wide tires, fenders, rack, etc.
  • hardtail MTB
  • '80s French road bike with a bonded aluminum frame that I don't plan to ride again until I lose some more weight
  • fixed-gear track bike
  • folding bike

My wife's:
  • current commuter bike, a late-'80s mixte road bike (cro-moly/Shimano components)
  • old commuter bike, an '80s "women's geometry" road bike (hi-tensile/no-name components), which I should probably get rid of
  • hardtail MTB
  • folding bike
  • English-style (but actually American) 3-speed with step-through frame

I also have a tandem bike (which is a project in progress) and a couple of other old ten-speeds that I've been meaning to donate to the co-op, but haven't gotten around to yet.

Other than my hardtail MTB, which was bought new when I was a teenager, every bike I own cost $100 or less (and several were free).

My collection isn't finished, though -- I'm still missing a[n electric] cargo bike and a recumbent! ; )

HPstache

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2016, 11:37:47 AM »
It what he chooses to spend his money on... he is already FIRE'd, owns his home, and makes $400K/yr from his side gig so 6 bikes to him is literally nothing.

Meikenstache

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2016, 11:49:01 AM »
Thanks for the responses!

It makes more sense now that I'm seeing all types of needs/styles. I'm still learning the bike game and was just curious if there were 6 different types/necessities (I see there is).

GuitarStv

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2016, 11:56:15 AM »
Thanks for the responses!

It makes more sense now that I'm seeing all types of needs/styles. I'm still learning the bike game and was just curious if there were 6 different types/necessities (I see there is).

You can do just about anything with a single bike.  Some bikes do some stuff better though . . .

Jack

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2016, 11:57:31 AM »
Thanks for the responses!

It makes more sense now that I'm seeing all types of needs/styles. I'm still learning the bike game and was just curious if there were 6 different types/necessities (I see there is).

To be honest, nobody "needs" all the different kinds of bikes. A good steel touring bike (perhaps with cyclocross tires) is capable enough to replace any other kind of diamond-frame bike as long as you aren't trying to win a race.

powersuitrecall

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #10 on: June 27, 2016, 12:02:39 PM »
Yikes! Our family has 10!  The shame!

- our cargo bike
- dw's summer commuter
- dw's mountain bike
- my summer commuter
- my winter / downtown bike
- my mountain bike
- my fixie experiment
- kid 1's pedal bike
- kid 2's pedal bike
- kid 2's balance bike

Jesstache

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2016, 12:25:36 PM »
Ugh, don't get me started.  Between two kids, hubby and myself we have some...

Hubby:
-Single Speed 29er MTB (uses mostly for bumming around town)
-Newer Hard Tail MTB 
-Older (15-20 years?) Gary Fisher Hard Tail MTB (keeps around for nostalgia and other people usually ride it when visiting... we have LOTS of visitors and we make them ride bikes with us :)
-Schweeet Light Road Bike (used mostly for races)
-Electric Fat Bike
-Tandem bike converted to cargo bike/kid hauler (regularly used when hauling kids on the back, they're not big enough to trust to ride in traffic yet, I also use this bike sometimes)

Me (I use each about equally though I go through phases of favoring one over the others):
-Hard Tail MTB
-Cruiser Bike
-Electric Fat Bike

Daughter (5):
-16" with hand and coaster brake, no gears (rides the heck out of this currently)
-20" hand brakes only, 6 speed, some front suspension (we recently got this as she's almost outgrown the 16", then we'll save the 16" for her brother)

Son (2 yo):
-Strider bike (no pedals, current favorite)
-12" pedal bike (he's trying to learn to use this, think he'll have it by end of summer)
-Tricycle (he has the balance from the Strider, uses this to learn to pedal)

So... that adds up to: 14!  To be fair, we use them ALL regularly (the road bike only gets use when training for a race so it's the least used).  The kids obviously have a few overlapping sizes as we shop ahead to try to find good deals on CL.  Once the littlest is riding a pedal bike we''ll sell the tricycle and Strider for what we paid for them.  Then ideally it'll be one bike per kid except for hand me downs we keep around for the littlest that are too big for him.


acroy

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #12 on: June 27, 2016, 12:30:02 PM »
Family of 8
I have 3 bikes (commuter, mtb, road)
Every other person has 1 bike incl the 1yr old (balance bike)
+ 2 bike trailers

that's 24 tires full of air. yes they all hold air, I am kinda proud of that ;)

Chris22

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #13 on: June 27, 2016, 12:38:40 PM »
My wife, daughter and I each have one, but I sorta wish I had another.  I have a semi-high end mountain bike I bought long ago, so for just bumming around town it would be nice to have some sort of crappy cruiser-type bike that is invisible to thieves, rather than leave $1500 worth of MTB locked up.  I just don't really want to store another bike, so oh well.  One of these days I might get a SS cruiser. 

mskyle

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #14 on: June 27, 2016, 01:00:51 PM »
My boyfriend and I have two apiece and I honestly would probably have at least one more if we had a garage. Only one car and one motor scooter between the two of us, though!

FiftyIsTheNewTwenty

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #15 on: June 27, 2016, 01:26:11 PM »
6 does sound excessive, even if he got them cheap. I had 4 road race bikes back when I raced, totally unnecessary. I sold all of them. I plan to buy one cyclocross bike, because they are a do it all bike.

I agree.  Or the new "endurance road" or "gravel" bikes with more tire clearance and maybe disc brakes.  A lot of older road racing bikes from the 70s and 80s are fine too, with room for 30mm-plus tires.

This, plus a mountain bike for more technical trails, if that's what you like to do.  So 2 bikes.

Some people prefer mountain bikes for their all-arounder, and that's just dandy.

I see no reason for a  separate commuter bike.  What's inherently different about riding to work, vs. riding anywhere else?  I commuted 200 mi/week around DC in all seasons, on a fancy racing bike.  I do wish it had fenders, and room for fatter tires.  There's no reason a "racing" bike can't have these (except stupid minimalist design fashion).  My next bike will be more versatile, but I've been getting by just fine.

sw1tch

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #16 on: June 27, 2016, 02:09:54 PM »
I currently just have my hybrid/commuter bike.  I think it'll stay this way for quite a while; a rear rack is on the way and I'm considering swapping to cyclocross tires for winter.

However, I could easily see myself getting a mountain bike to do some trail riding - disk brakes on said mtn bike could also be helpful if I continue to go all out and ride to work in the snow.

I also want to get my wife into biking, so that's at least one more.

NESailor

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #17 on: June 27, 2016, 02:21:43 PM »
I have 5...my wife has 2...and the 2 year old has 1 balance bike and 2 trikes.

For the record, someone mentioned that once you're "the bike guy" people tend to give you bike-stuff.  That's exactly how I acquired a beautiful but rusty '66 Schwinn Continental about 2 months ago.  My sister was going to toss it (found it in a house they bought) so I "rescued" it from certain death at the metal recycling plant.  I put all of $30 worth of new tires on it and with some elbow (and marine) grease, turned it into a nice little commuter.


2Birds1Stone

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #18 on: June 27, 2016, 02:24:54 PM »
I have 2

Hardtail Mountain Bike
Carbon Triathlon Bike

I am looking to purchase a fat tire bike for riding on the beaches here as well as for use in the snow on the trails.

Also looking at a road bike (different from Triathlon Bike) but will wait till I move out of my tiny 1 bedroom apartment (which might never happen lol)

Knapptyme

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #19 on: June 27, 2016, 02:31:56 PM »
We have over 15. One is disassembled for learning and a proper rebuild, so possibly 16. I keep some around for when family comes to visit. If there are twelve ready for a bike ride, I want everyone to be able to ride. My wife and I commute daily and each have 2 bikes that are ridden regularly. We have mountain bikes for trail riding, but that's more like "root" riding in Florida with the lack of hills.

When the cumulative total value of the bikes might not exceed $1000 (depends on who evaluates them), I feel okay about holding onto them as long as space permits.

Jack

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #20 on: June 27, 2016, 02:36:36 PM »
I plan to buy one cyclocross bike, because they are a do it all bike.

Just make sure the bike in question has braze-ons for racks and fenders, since not all cyclocross bikes do. (You might especially have a hard time finding one with a fork that supports a low-rider front rack.)

gggggg

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #21 on: June 27, 2016, 02:46:25 PM »
I plan to buy one cyclocross bike, because they are a do it all bike.

Just make sure the bike in question has braze-ons for racks and fenders, since not all cyclocross bikes do. (You might especially have a hard time finding one with a fork that supports a low-rider front rack.)

Thanks, yeah I was specifically looking for one with braze ons. I'm not gonna use it as a heavy hauler, just a quick run to the store bike. I'll prob just run a rear rack. I don't want to put too much crap on it, as I'll prob do some group rides with the roadies I used to ride with.

Jack

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #22 on: June 27, 2016, 02:53:47 PM »
I plan to buy one cyclocross bike, because they are a do it all bike.

Just make sure the bike in question has braze-ons for racks and fenders, since not all cyclocross bikes do. (You might especially have a hard time finding one with a fork that supports a low-rider front rack.)

Thanks, yeah I was specifically looking for one with braze ons. I'm not gonna use it as a heavy hauler, just a quick run to the store bike. I'll prob just run a rear rack. I don't want to put too much crap on it, as I'll prob do some group rides with the roadies I used to ride with.

The other difference, which I forgot until after I posted that, is that a cyclocross bike will tend to have shorter chainstays than a touring bike so your heels are more likely to hit rear panniers.

Monocle Money Mouth

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #23 on: June 27, 2016, 02:55:17 PM »
If bike racing is a hobby, it is easy to accumulate bikes. My wife races and has 6 bikes. Four of them are specific to a type of racing. Road bike, cyclocross bike, track bike, and a time trial bike. She has a beater road bike for the trainer or crappy days, and an old mountain bike from the late 90's we should probably just leave on the curb. We have friends that have even more bikes than that.

AlanStache

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #24 on: June 27, 2016, 03:15:22 PM »
Those of you with 10+ bikes in the house how do you on a practical level store and access them all?  I have to think that at some point the garage is no longer an option for storage.

I only have one, a cross bike with road tires, is my sunny day commuter.  I drive when it rains.  But am toying with putting some fenders on it to be a little more willing to take it on days where it is a 40% chance of rain.


Jack

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #25 on: June 27, 2016, 03:26:31 PM »
Those of you with 10+ bikes in the house how do you on a practical level store and access them all?  I have to think that at some point the garage is no longer an option for storage.

I have a basement.

I bought a bunch of these wall hooks, a 2x6 (or maybe a 2x8?) and a box of concrete wall anchors. Then I anchored the board horizontally at about head height to the basement wall and screwed in the bicycle hooks at about 1-foot intervals.

However, I don't actually keep all the bikes down there because my basement is kind of a pain to get to (the person who built the house was an idiot, so there are no stairs -- you have to go outside and around). I also have no garage. I actually keep the commuter bikes inside the house in the back living room. Eventually I'll renovate and fix that...

Jesstache

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #26 on: June 27, 2016, 03:53:34 PM »
Those of you with 10+ bikes in the house how do you on a practical level store and access them all?  I have to think that at some point the garage is no longer an option for storage.


We have a shed with the same hooks Jack posted a link to above and we hang 4 bikes on each end of the shed about a foot apart from each other.  It's pretty easy, even for me, to hoist the bikes up there after using, then park the kid bikes beneath those.  We have little hooks on the side walls for helmets.  3 of the bikes (the tandem converted to cargo and the 2 electric fat tire bikes) are stored on the side of our driveway (alley access), chained together along with my bike trailer because they are too long or fat tire'd to fit on the hooks.

James

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #27 on: June 28, 2016, 08:59:34 AM »
I have 2 fat bikes, one is steel and needs to be sold, the other is titanium and replaces the steel one for winter endurance races. I upgraded a few months ago after doing a 80 mile race in January on the steel moonlander, the new bike (used and actually older than the "old" bike) sheds about 15 lbs of weight which makes a huge difference for those races. (hoping to do 160 mile Tuscobia race next January)

I have a hardtail for mountain biking and mountain bike races. I also ride a lot in Colorado with a friend and it's very difficult on some of the trails with a hardtail. I would like to get a nice full suspension, but that bike will have to wait. But some day I will have two mountain bikes... :)

I have a road bike for training and just riding on the road with the local cycling groups. Just getting into that, helps keep me fit for the riding I actually love.

I have a "towny", which is just a heavy all purpose bike with panniers for getting to and from work, getting groceries, and just running around town.

So I have 5 bikes now, with 1 going out the door, but 5 is my ideal number if you add the eventual full suspension mountain bike. My kids each have a bike so that is 3 more for a total of 8 in the garage. Some hang from the ceiling when not in use or go to the basement where I have a shop.

The key is that each of my 5 bikes where purchased used, for less than half of retail. The titanium fat bike would have cost about 3 times the price if purchased new, and won't drop much if anything in that years ahead. The road bike is very nice and probably cost $3k new, but was purchased for $200 from my cousin last year, it's probably 10 years old. You can have a lot of bikes and be mustachian, and have just a couple bikes and be consumerist. The number of bikes means nothing.

Rubic

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #28 on: June 28, 2016, 12:04:37 PM »
I once owned 7 bicycles and two unicycles.  And lived in a one bedroom apartment.  Yikes!

Now I'm down to 1.5 bicycles (my tandem partner keeps the two-seater in her garage) and zero unicycles.  Most of the bikes were purchased used (or provided gratis), so they didn't break my budget, but it's nice to downsize and put all my maintenance efforts into a single bike.

FiftyIsTheNewTwenty

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #29 on: June 28, 2016, 03:13:33 PM »
Reading between the lines here, even Jan Heine (of Bicycle Quarterly) needs just one:

https://janheine.wordpress.com/2012/10/30/how-many-bikes-do-i-need/

onlykelsey

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #30 on: June 28, 2016, 03:32:04 PM »
Holy crap.  I have one steel cyclocross-ish bike, which I have a rack on.   It's pretty all-purpose.  Not a speedy road bike, but road bike-esque geometry the way I have it set up.  Very good commuter (I have a clip on bag for the rack).  Great for light off-roading/rails trails stuff.  Handles rain and snow well, although I'd worry about rust if I were routinely commuting in it. 

I also have to carry it up and down several flights of stairs to use it, the idea of having another one is exhausting. 

gt7152b

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #31 on: June 28, 2016, 06:37:44 PM »
8 bikes for my family of 4:

full suspension mountain bike that is my main ride
rigid singlespeed mountain bike that I ride to change things up
rigid geared mountain bike that I ride around town some and am saving for my kids when they get bigger
cyclocross bike that I used to commute on and is now on my trainer most of the time
longtail cargo bike that I use for grocery shopping, hauling, and riding my wife around on since she can't pedal a bike
24" mountain bike for my son
24" mountain bike for my daughter
mini bmx bike for my kids

Excessive but I put alot of miles on bikes and am reducing car mileage all the time. I hope to be approximately car free for local trips one of these days soon.

FiftyIsTheNewTwenty

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #32 on: June 29, 2016, 07:05:50 AM »
Holy crap.  I have one steel cyclocross-ish bike, which I have a rack on.   It's pretty all-purpose.  Not a speedy road bike, but road bike-esque geometry the way I have it set up.  Very good commuter (I have a clip on bag for the rack).  Great for light off-roading/rails trails stuff.  Handles rain and snow well, although I'd worry about rust if I were routinely commuting in it. 

I also have to carry it up and down several flights of stairs to use it, the idea of having another one is exhausting.

Cyclocross bikes are well within the normal range of geometry for road racing bikes.  Really, there's no difference! 

Light bikes are nice for carrying up and down stairs and subway escalators.  It doesn't make much difference in actual riding.

Steel frames still last a ridiculously long time, even in harsh environments like the deck of a sailboat.  If you're worried about rust, coat the inside of the frame with Boeshield, or one of the fancier treatments like JP Wiegle.  Rust-through happens from the inside out.

Slee_stack

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #33 on: June 29, 2016, 11:16:33 AM »
I have one friend who personally owns over 15 bikes.  I think he may have actually got up to 20!

He has also worked in a bicycle shop for 25+ years and has built almost all of them from spare parts and/or had them 'donated'.  He could likely sell most, but enjoys the variety , rides all of them at different times, and loans them out.  I'll likely be riding several of them myself when I visit him next month.


I pared down last year, but currently have the three 'common' ones:  a road, a hybrid/townie, and a FS 29er.

I use the road one the least and could probably dump it, but the $500 (actually probably much less) of value there is of far less concern than other wastes in my life.  The road bike is still  fun to use for an occasional greenway half or full century.  Otherwise I slow my friends down too much with the hybrid.

The 29er is the most clownish cost-wise and its even garishly colored.  I love and ride the hell out of it 5-10 hrs a week.

If the enjoyment and/or utility returned is justifiable, have at however many bikes you can warrant.  The only time they become a waste is when you don't get any value out of them.


Upgrayed

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #34 on: June 29, 2016, 11:48:37 AM »
I own three myself and there are seven bikes total in my house:

* My 26" steel hardtail mountain bike that will probably be converted to full rigid and turned into a winter commuter since I kind of hate driving just to go on a ride
* My very spendy custom steel road bike that I bought pre-mustache that hardly ever gets ridden, it cost 2.5 times as much in 2012 as the 2000 Civic sedan I bought early this year, might have put 2k miles on it total, great bike but buyer's regret is strong with this one
* My steel all-road bike with fatter tires, platform pedals, fenders, rear rack, and panniers that's my commuter and gets ridden all the time
* Wife's very nice mixte commuter (fenders, rack, panniers)
* Wife's early '90s rigid mountain bike that's around more for sentimental value these days
* Oldest boy's 3-speed road bike
* Youngest boy's 24" mountain bike

The boy's bikes stay in the garage, our commuters live inside near the front door, and my other two live in the basement.

If I had to, I could easily live with my all-road commuter as my only bike. Even though I'd take quite a loss on it, I have considered selling the spendy custom road bike and doubt I'd replace it if I did.

snogirl

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #35 on: June 29, 2016, 12:55:31 PM »
I have a bunch of bike rescues and a feedback sports work stand.
It is a lot of fun flipping bikes. 
People throw away great bikes that turn into $$ for me.
Sometimes I give them to friends for bike path cruisers or fixies.
Nothing like dumpster finds of hundred dollar bills. 

opnfld

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #36 on: June 29, 2016, 03:31:45 PM »
i just sold 3 on craigslist, leaving my family with 9...i think.  Used bikes come cheap if not free; have as many as you like.

My goal was to have a bike for all potential visitors so we could all go on a ride together.  That meant a variety of frame sizes and styles.  It happened a few times, but we're moving so I unloaded a few that were redundant and hadn't seen much use.

big_slacker

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #37 on: June 29, 2016, 04:27:08 PM »
All this talk about 'One Bike' I sort of agree with. I have one of the new CX style bikes, basically a beefier but reasonably light titanium roadie frame with clearance for decently wide tires, I run 35mm with a little tread. It has fender/rack mounts and and disc brakes so all weather riding isn't a big deal in Seattle area climate. I commute to work on it, I ride road on it. This weekend I did a 40 mile mixed road/gravel ride on it. I could put skinny tires on it if I wanted to do a faster road ride for some reason. It's capable of light singletrack as well, but 40mm tires are about the widest it will run. So for a ROAD BIASED 'one bike' I think this is one of the strongest contenders.

If you wanted a more MTB biased 'one bike' then a nice steel or Ti hardtail would be good. Just gear it well and maybe have another wheelset for road/commute work and you're good to go.

Personally though we have 6 bikes for our 4 person family, lol!

My CX commuter/road/gravel/do it all
My all mountain/park bike
My beach cruiser/around town bike (it was free!)
Wife's singlespeed MTB/aroudn town bike
Son's BMX
Daughter's balance bike

Obviously I'm the 'bike guy' in the house, the collection has been paired down. I used to have a couple more singlespeeds.

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #38 on: June 30, 2016, 05:39:09 AM »
I see no reason for a  separate commuter bike.  What's inherently different about riding to work, vs. riding anywhere else? 

If your main recreational bike is reasonably "nice", a separate commuter is pretty important imo. It doesn't have to be fancy - in fact, preferably it isn't fancy at all - and it means that all the commuting miles, the riding through rain/snow, and the general daily slog is done on a cheap to maintain bike. Commuting miles destroy parts way quicker than sunny weekend rides. It also has other practical benefits - you can fit this bike with racks/fenders/lights that are very useful for utilitarian riding but cumbersome and excessive on long recreational rides, and last but definitely not least, having a cheap bike as a commuter means you're in a much better position if you have an accident, have to leave your bike locked up in the rain on occasion or are subject to theft or vandalism.
This is all super relevant and fresh in my mind this week as somebody unsuccessfully tried to steal my commuter while I was in the supermarket for sub-10 minutes the other day. This was in full daylight in an open area in a "good" part of town too. The result is that I have a severely bent seatstay where a crowbar or similar was used in an attempt to break my U-lock - enough that I'm still undecided about whether the bike is safe to ride. Essentially, the frame is close to trashed, but it's not a big deal as the bike was cheap and has well and truly paid for itself in terms of miles ridden, but if this had happened to my main road/gravel bike I'd be looking at a lot more money to fix it - thousands rather than hundreds.


big_slacker

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #39 on: June 30, 2016, 09:02:05 AM »
I see no reason for a  separate commuter bike.  What's inherently different about riding to work, vs. riding anywhere else? 

If your main recreational bike is reasonably "nice", a separate commuter is pretty important imo. It doesn't have to be fancy - in fact, preferably it isn't fancy at all - and it means that all the commuting miles, the riding through rain/snow, and the general daily slog is done on a cheap to maintain bike. Commuting miles destroy parts way quicker than sunny weekend rides. It also has other practical benefits - you can fit this bike with racks/fenders/lights that are very useful for utilitarian riding but cumbersome and excessive on long recreational rides, and last but definitely not least, having a cheap bike as a commuter means you're in a much better position if you have an accident, have to leave your bike locked up in the rain on occasion or are subject to theft or vandalism.
This is all super relevant and fresh in my mind this week as somebody unsuccessfully tried to steal my commuter while I was in the supermarket for sub-10 minutes the other day. This was in full daylight in an open area in a "good" part of town too. The result is that I have a severely bent seatstay where a crowbar or similar was used in an attempt to break my U-lock - enough that I'm still undecided about whether the bike is safe to ride. Essentially, the frame is close to trashed, but it's not a big deal as the bike was cheap and has well and truly paid for itself in terms of miles ridden, but if this had happened to my main road/gravel bike I'd be looking at a lot more money to fix it - thousands rather than hundreds.

Your (presumably) metal frame is worth thousands by itself? Are you riding a Seven or something??? Or are you talking whole bike replacement vs just getting a new frame?

No hard and fast rules. Outside of the top end stuff parts are cheap so who cares if you go through a $50 Ultegra rear D every 2-3 years? A $1000+ wheelset is a different matter obviously.

In the end nothing wrong with a beater when a beater makes sense. I love riding my free beach cruiser to the gym/store and not caring if it gets stolen, rained on, etc. I'd hate life if I had to ride it to work 40-80 miles a week. :D

AlanStache

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #40 on: June 30, 2016, 02:00:50 PM »
I see no reason for a  separate commuter bike.  What's inherently different about riding to work, vs. riding anywhere else? 

If your main recreational bike is reasonably "nice", a separate commuter is pretty important imo. It doesn't have to be fancy - in fact, preferably it isn't fancy at all - and it means that all the commuting miles, the riding through rain/snow, and the general daily slog is done on a cheap to maintain bike. Commuting miles destroy parts way quicker than sunny weekend rides. It also has other practical benefits - you can fit this bike with racks/fenders/lights that are very useful for utilitarian riding but cumbersome and excessive on long recreational rides, and last but definitely not least, having a cheap bike as a commuter means you're in a much better position if you have an accident, have to leave your bike locked up in the rain on occasion or are subject to theft or vandalism.
This is all super relevant and fresh in my mind this week as somebody unsuccessfully tried to steal my commuter while I was in the supermarket for sub-10 minutes the other day. This was in full daylight in an open area in a "good" part of town too. The result is that I have a severely bent seatstay where a crowbar or similar was used in an attempt to break my U-lock - enough that I'm still undecided about whether the bike is safe to ride. Essentially, the frame is close to trashed, but it's not a big deal as the bike was cheap and has well and truly paid for itself in terms of miles ridden, but if this had happened to my main road/gravel bike I'd be looking at a lot more money to fix it - thousands rather than hundreds.

Your (presumably) metal frame is worth thousands by itself? Are you riding a Seven or something??? Or are you talking whole bike replacement vs just getting a new frame?

No hard and fast rules. Outside of the top end stuff parts are cheap so who cares if you go through a $50 Ultegra rear D every 2-3 years? A $1000+ wheelset is a different matter obviously.

In the end nothing wrong with a beater when a beater makes sense. I love riding my free beach cruiser to the gym/store and not caring if it gets stolen, rained on, etc. I'd hate life if I had to ride it to work 40-80 miles a week. :D

Not to derail the thread but it would not take to many expensive replacement bike part to fully eliminate the cost benefit of bike commuting vs driving for me.  gas costs 5$/week and insurance is 1.5$/wk (my car insurance is per mile metromile.com) ignoring car maintenance it would be almost 2 months to recover the cost of a 50$ part.  This is a simplification and much more detailed analysis has been done in other threads notably  http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/challenging-assumptions-cost-per-mile-of-driving-a-car/


big_slacker

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #41 on: June 30, 2016, 02:27:57 PM »
No worries at all, it's always good to run numbers. $50 parts don't break that often if you maintain them. Derailleurs last for freakin ever as long as you clean/lube regularly, so do cranks, pedals, chainrings, cassettes and so on. I was just using some worst case scenarios. Mostly what you replace is tubes, tires and brakes.

Your cost to operate though doesn't take into account car maintenance which is apples to apples what we're talking about here. Car tires, brakes, oil changes, repairs, etc.

I see no reason for a  separate commuter bike.  What's inherently different about riding to work, vs. riding anywhere else? 

If your main recreational bike is reasonably "nice", a separate commuter is pretty important imo. It doesn't have to be fancy - in fact, preferably it isn't fancy at all - and it means that all the commuting miles, the riding through rain/snow, and the general daily slog is done on a cheap to maintain bike. Commuting miles destroy parts way quicker than sunny weekend rides. It also has other practical benefits - you can fit this bike with racks/fenders/lights that are very useful for utilitarian riding but cumbersome and excessive on long recreational rides, and last but definitely not least, having a cheap bike as a commuter means you're in a much better position if you have an accident, have to leave your bike locked up in the rain on occasion or are subject to theft or vandalism.
This is all super relevant and fresh in my mind this week as somebody unsuccessfully tried to steal my commuter while I was in the supermarket for sub-10 minutes the other day. This was in full daylight in an open area in a "good" part of town too. The result is that I have a severely bent seatstay where a crowbar or similar was used in an attempt to break my U-lock - enough that I'm still undecided about whether the bike is safe to ride. Essentially, the frame is close to trashed, but it's not a big deal as the bike was cheap and has well and truly paid for itself in terms of miles ridden, but if this had happened to my main road/gravel bike I'd be looking at a lot more money to fix it - thousands rather than hundreds.

Your (presumably) metal frame is worth thousands by itself? Are you riding a Seven or something??? Or are you talking whole bike replacement vs just getting a new frame?

No hard and fast rules. Outside of the top end stuff parts are cheap so who cares if you go through a $50 Ultegra rear D every 2-3 years? A $1000+ wheelset is a different matter obviously.

In the end nothing wrong with a beater when a beater makes sense. I love riding my free beach cruiser to the gym/store and not caring if it gets stolen, rained on, etc. I'd hate life if I had to ride it to work 40-80 miles a week. :D

Not to derail the thread but it would not take to many expensive replacement bike part to fully eliminate the cost benefit of bike commuting vs driving for me.  gas costs 5$/week and insurance is 1.5$/wk (my car insurance is per mile metromile.com) ignoring car maintenance it would be almost 2 months to recover the cost of a 50$ part.  This is a simplification and much more detailed analysis has been done in other threads notably  http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/challenging-assumptions-cost-per-mile-of-driving-a-car/

GuitarStv

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #42 on: June 30, 2016, 02:50:08 PM »
No worries at all, it's always good to run numbers. $50 parts don't break that often if you maintain them. Derailleurs last for freakin ever as long as you clean/lube regularly, so do cranks, pedals, chainrings, cassettes and so on. I was just using some worst case scenarios. Mostly what you replace is tubes, tires and brakes.

It depends on the conditions that you ride in.  My winter bike gets two years from a cassette/cable housings, a year for cables/chain/brake pads, and about three years for the rear derailleur.  And I'm pretty good about lubing and cleaning everything off.  Salt, slush, grit, and snow are incredibly destructive.

big_slacker

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #43 on: June 30, 2016, 02:58:31 PM »
No worries at all, it's always good to run numbers. $50 parts don't break that often if you maintain them. Derailleurs last for freakin ever as long as you clean/lube regularly, so do cranks, pedals, chainrings, cassettes and so on. I was just using some worst case scenarios. Mostly what you replace is tubes, tires and brakes.

It depends on the conditions that you ride in.  My winter bike gets two years from a cassette/cable housings, a year for cables/chain/brake pads, and about three years for the rear derailleur.  And I'm pretty good about lubing and cleaning everything off.  Salt, slush, grit, and snow are incredibly destructive.

That's why I say use a beater where you need a beater. I ride in the wet but we don't get snow and the associated salt/sand/chemicals and so on. Those costs pile up on cars though too in those areas, I know this well from my former home in the sierras.

GuitarStv

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #44 on: June 30, 2016, 03:23:44 PM »
No worries at all, it's always good to run numbers. $50 parts don't break that often if you maintain them. Derailleurs last for freakin ever as long as you clean/lube regularly, so do cranks, pedals, chainrings, cassettes and so on. I was just using some worst case scenarios. Mostly what you replace is tubes, tires and brakes.

It depends on the conditions that you ride in.  My winter bike gets two years from a cassette/cable housings, a year for cables/chain/brake pads, and about three years for the rear derailleur.  And I'm pretty good about lubing and cleaning everything off.  Salt, slush, grit, and snow are incredibly destructive.

That's why I say use a beater where you need a beater. I ride in the wet but we don't get snow and the associated salt/sand/chemicals and so on. Those costs pile up on cars though too in those areas, I know this well from my former home in the sierras.

I ride an inexpensive bike with components that can be replaced cheaply in the winter, and then maintain the hell out of it.  It rides almost as nicely as my summer bike.  I can't just use a real beater, because the bike has to get me home.  It sucks to have stuff break or not work when it's dark, 10 below, you're sweaty, and there's a stiff wind blowing.

Jack

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #45 on: July 01, 2016, 08:34:56 AM »
Replacement parts are $5 each at the co-op, not including the time required to sort through the bins to find the right ones. That means I could replace an entire bicycle drivetrain (chain, chainring, cassette) for the same price as a single oil change on a car.

SeaEhm

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #46 on: July 02, 2016, 06:52:04 PM »
Replacement parts are $5 each at the co-op, not including the time required to sort through the bins to find the right ones. That means I could replace an entire bicycle drivetrain (chain, chainring, cassette) for the same price as a single oil change on a Ferrari.

FTFY


6 bikes doesn't seem out of touch for a bike enthusiast. 


Many people have multiple eating utensils or multiple pots/pans because each of them serve a specific purpose.

All bikes are not created equal.

Even within a genre such as mountain biking there are multiple different types of bikes for many different purposes. 

Metric Mouse

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #47 on: July 02, 2016, 08:44:20 PM »
Replacement parts are $5 each at the co-op, not including the time required to sort through the bins to find the right ones. That means I could replace an entire bicycle drivetrain (chain, chainring, cassette) for the same price as a single oil change on a Ferrari.

FTFY


6 bikes doesn't seem out of touch for a bike enthusiast. 


Many people have multiple eating utensils or multiple pots/pans because each of them serve a specific purpose.

All bikes are not created equal.

Even within a genre such as mountain biking there are multiple different types of bikes for many different purposes.

Sounds pretty spendy-pants.  I think it's pretty obvious anyone who doesn't use those bikes to make their living probably doesn't need six of them taking up space in their house. If each of my pots and pans and spatulas was 4 foot long and 30 inches high and cost a few hundred dollars, and I could only fit one of them in my kitchen at a time, I probably wouldn't have more than I could use at one time.

calimom

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #48 on: July 02, 2016, 09:34:30 PM »
Holy crap.  I have one steel cyclocross-ish bike, which I have a rack on.   It's pretty all-purpose.  Not a speedy road bike, but road bike-esque geometry the way I have it set up.  Very good commuter (I have a clip on bag for the rack).  Great for light off-roading/rails trails stuff.  Handles rain and snow well, although I'd worry about rust if I were routinely commuting in it. 

I also have to carry it up and down several flights of stairs to use it, the idea of having another one is exhausting.

Same here! One bike per person in our household. Anything more would be An Exploding Volcano of Wastefulness, to quote MMM himself. Of course, I have a couple more than the "allowed" one child, so there is that.

big_slacker

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Re: 6 Bikes for One Person?
« Reply #49 on: July 03, 2016, 08:12:44 AM »
Holy crap.  I have one steel cyclocross-ish bike, which I have a rack on.   It's pretty all-purpose.  Not a speedy road bike, but road bike-esque geometry the way I have it set up.  Very good commuter (I have a clip on bag for the rack).  Great for light off-roading/rails trails stuff.  Handles rain and snow well, although I'd worry about rust if I were routinely commuting in it. 

I also have to carry it up and down several flights of stairs to use it, the idea of having another one is exhausting.

Same here! One bike per person in our household. Anything more would be An Exploding Volcano of Wastefulness, to quote MMM himself. Of course, I have a couple more than the "allowed" one child, so there is that.

Mountain biking is one of the reasons I get up in the morning. It's stress relief, it's exercise, it's challenge, it's meditation. I have zero issues with having a dedicated MTB alongside my CX bike commuter. Unless you want to ride this on a CX bike. :D