The 'minimum number of bikes' big clearout thread

mpatts

I have over the years accumulated a mildly bewildering number of bikes. I'm thinking of selling a few, but wondering if I should sell everything and start again...so opening this up for thoughts.

I road race, cyclocross race, commute by cycle and love a bit of off 'trial riding'. I also like a bit of TT. I like old bike too.

What the absolute minimum number of bikes I could get away with, sensibly? For example, while I could commute on a TT bike, I need guards, and a rack, and it not being eye wateringly expensive to fix.

I'm thinking something like:

1) 1 Touring/commuter/retro bike (I love old stuff)
2) 1 Road race bike - handmade steel
3) 2x CX bikes
4) I FS 'semi fat' bike
5) TT bike

Open to ideas!

akh

That's like asking for advice on how many pairs of shoes you need. Last time I checked, it is perfectly legal to own no bikes whatsoever. I was shocked and disturbed by this, but I believe it is in fact true.

Not sure why you're looking to downsize unless you simply want to. You'll always lose money selling stuff off, just keep them and enjoy them. There's a never ending number of "yeah, but" and "what if?" responses that could be applied to any recommendation you get.

mpatts

Honest answer is that I find myself thinking more about what to ride than riding some of them. It’s not a money saving except ISS, it’s making sure I like every pair of shoes.

timothyw

Honestly, it sounds like you need a lot of bikes, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

But yeah, the solution to your problem is to sell any bikes that you do not love - this might mean selling all of them and starting again, but more likely means just selling a handful (and perhaps replacing them!)

joe2008

I just use one bike for everything I want to do.

I don't need a 'winter' bike. The British winter is usually just a colder, drier version of summer anyway - if it is wet and cold I might add an Ass Saver.

Wayne Plunger

I am up to three, was four but the mountain bike wore out, it was cheap as chips to quite that bloke with the tan.

I have a good carbon, an old steel with mudguards for the winter and an intermediate bike which gets left at the holiday home so I have something to ride when there.

Which I suppose begs the question, how many homes do you need???

Cheeseface22

An alternative question:

WHAT DO YOU NEED BIKE/S FOR?

Commute?
On-road group ride?
Off-road trek?
Competition (and which discipline)?
…and so on.

Make a list of occasions that you ride from most (e.g. commute, I guess?) to least (when was the last time you went for a proper TT?).

Perhaps you can write the bikes that you’d ride next to each occasion (upto choice of three bikes per reason, “absolute to go,” “the substitute“ and “does the job” per occasion) and see which bike gets the top mention. Then top 2, then top 3.

Bikes that don't get any mention, well, time to say goodbye.
Bikes that get one or two mentions, well, do you love them (hopefully not as much as your significant others, unless your bikes are your SOs)?
Bikes that get top 3 mentions (and also consider how many counts each top 3 bikes get; are then close or is one by far than the others?), well, they are your minimum collection.

That might narrow down your number of bikes.

meursault

The correct answer is n+1

What about a gravel?

Cheeseface22

This sort of question regularly float in any enthusiasts’ minds, regardless of the hobby or interests.

Keen car enthusiasts have multiple cars for different occasions.
Keen surfers have a quiver of surfboards for different surf conditions.
Keen fashionistas…
Keen cyclists…

Another alternative question:

WHY ARE YOU CONSIDERING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF YOUR BIKES?

WHY NOW?

Warning: The questions will likely to trigger some difficult philosophical or psychological battle that you have neglected for some years.

happy cycling!

keef66

Only you can answer that question.

I have just 2 road bikes; a light carbon one for dry days, and a slightly heavier alu one with guards for winter / wet / popping down the shops. I don't spend too much time deciding which to ride, the weather usually does that for me and I have a suspicion I ride the wet weather bike a lot more than the carbon one. Occasionally I think that having 2 bikes is a luxury because you can only ride one bike at a time, and I could easily get by with just the alu one like I used to. Then I think I'd get bugger all for a 6 year old carbon bike so I may as well keep it...

joe2008

Cheeseface22 wrote:

This sort of question regularly float in any enthusiasts’ minds, regardless of the hobby or interests.

Keen car enthusiasts have multiple cars for different occasions.
Keen surfers have a quiver of surfboards for different surf conditions.
Keen fashionistas…
Keen cyclists…

Another alternative question:

WHY ARE YOU CONSIDERING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF YOUR BIKES?

WHY NOW?

Warning: The questions will likely to trigger some difficult philosophical or psychological battle that you have neglected for some years.

happy cycling!

Why are you SHOUTING?

lakesluddite

I think the number of bikes to own is dependent firstly on the amount you can afford (and afford to maintain), secondly on the amount you have room for, and lastly (and perhaps more importantly) the amount you want.

Of course the other part of the equation is the amount you can get away with before the other half leaves you!

The amount I want is greater than the other parts of my particular equation (space being the main problem, closely followed by income!). I currently have a CX/Commuter (Cube Cross SL with two sets of wheels dependant on conditions), Best Road bike (Rourke Custom 853) and am in the process of building up a carbon aero jobby for Triathlon/TT (although sticking with drop bars and clip-on aero extensions given the terrain where I mostly compete - Planet X EC180).

This will do me for the foreseeable future, although if money and space were no object (and the fact I quite like being in a relationship) then I would add an Eroica ready retro beauty, a nippy flat-bar bimbler, and a full on TT bike. And maybe an MTB for real off-road stuff (that I never do!).

darkhairedlord

If you think you have too many bike you don't like cycling...

Vino'sGhost

lol too many? you havent even got a brompton, a tourer or a tandem yet lolol #longwaytogo

tlw1

I’m looking at a bike this weekend which will take me into double figures. Some zero sterling but high emotional value in there.

Still need more, much more

Ben6899

N+1, lad

big_harv

I walk. I am not a "walker" - implying hobbyist walker but obviously in my daily life I walk. I just checked and I apparently own 7 pairs of shoes.

Not counting the wellies.

rwoofer

If it makes you feel better I'm at 6 at the moment:
Best bike (Cervelo R3)
Winter bike (BMC GF02)
Commuter Bike (Genesis Equilibium, heavy steel Tiagra equipped but perfect for the job)
Pub bike ('92 Diamond Back Ascent, so not worried if it gets stolen)
XC MTb ('94 Specialised Stumpjumper M2)
Brompton folding bike

Bike no 7 is arriving in March, Fairlight Secan, adventure bike. Only real extravagance is the Winter bike, but wouldn't get much from selling it, so it stays.

mpatts

Some great advice here. For the record, my count is up to 16 yikes!

To answer a few of the questions:

Why now? Well, basically I’ve realised I own too much stuff, generally, and am having a bit of a clear out. I’

I love the idea of ‘what do I need them for”, I’m going to give that a whirl.

I’m definitely sentimentally attached to 4 - a 1970’s Raleigh 20, a 1978 Raleigh ti, a 1979 rourke, and my 40th birthday bike, a Columbus steel handmade Battaglin. I’m fortune to be blessed with space and an understanding family.

At what point do I mention I’ve got probably 30 set of wheels?

cougie

joe2008 wrote:

I just use one bike for everything I want to do.

I don't need a 'winter' bike. The British winter is usually just a colder, drier version of summer anyway - if it is wet and cold I might add an Ass Saver.

I held off against proper mudguards for the longest time. They're a game changer. So much nicer riding in the wet.

Cheeseface22

Just had the weekly email from British Cycling and the weekly poll result.

Last week's poll was: How many bikes do you own?

5+: 22%
4: 21%
3: 24%
2: 25%
1: 7%
0: 1%

I'm surprised to seethe majority of the voters (67%) have 3 or more bikes! I only have one and one is enough!

Road, MTB, and maybe a good race bike and what else does a cyclist need?!

webboo

Cheeseface22 wrote:

Just had the weekly email from British Cycling and the weekly poll result.

Last week's poll was: How many bikes do you own?

5+: 22%
4: 21%
3: 24%
2: 25%
1: 7%
0: 1%

I'm surprised to seethe majority of the voters (67%) have 3 or more bikes! I only have one and one is enough!

Road, MTB, and maybe a good race bike and what else does a cyclist need?!

At least three 3 piece tweed suits.

diplodicus

Cheeseface22 wrote:

Just had the weekly email from British Cycling and the weekly poll result.

Last week's poll was: How many bikes do you own?

5+: 22%
4: 21%
3: 24%
2: 25%
1: 7%
0: 1%

I'm surprised to seethe majority of the voters (67%) have 3 or more bikes! I only have one and one is enough!

Road, MTB, and maybe a good race bike and what else does a cyclist need?!

Road (nice), road (crap weather bike), TT bike, Full sus mtb and maybe xc mtb or cx/gravel should cover it.

veronese68

Cheeseface22 wrote:

Road, MTB, and maybe a good race bike and what else does a cyclist need?!

Pub/shopping hack, folder, downhill MTB, tourer, tandem, vintage... depends what kind of riding you do. The OP does a lot of different types of riding.

whyamihere

I'm currently on 7:
1. Super nice disc road bike
2. Still nice but cheaper rim brake road bike which is used as the turbo mule and potential race bike if I ever get round to doing road races.
3. Winter road bike (steel with mudguards)
4. Gravel bike
5. XC race bike
6. Short travel trail bike
7. Long travel hardtail for messing about on

I could fairly easily justify (to myself at least) a long travel trail bike, an SS MTB and a TT bike, but I don't have the space at the moment.

yiannism

3, an old MTB 10+ which i started, a good carbon road, and a decent HT

haydenm

It depends what disciplines you want to race/be fastest in. If your aim is to be really fast then you're probably more likely to accept a slightly more narrow/compromised bike (and therefore more of them for different niches).

I stopped racing enduro mtb last year, now I'm riding for fun I can enjoy everything off road on just the one bike. I want a really fast road bike so I have a light, aero bike which is compromised in terms of endurance geo. I think if I wasn't so bothered I could get a new Orbeo Terra which a few different wheelsets and it would satisfy my drop bar bike requirement...

luv2ride

5 here, though had 6 but that's on seemingly permanent 'loan' to my son:
- Good carbon disc bike (all but really wet weather)
- Better carbon rim brake bike (probably regarded as my summer bike)
- Cross bike with mech discs (currently set up as winter bike with 32mm tubeless tyres and full mudguards)
- Gravel disc bike for off road (was singlespeed, now converted to 1x11, ready for some bikepacking this year)
- singlespeed bike (pub bike, just love the simplicity and currently has full 'guards)

Am seriously thinking about thinning down to a good disc road bike, and a good gravel bike with 650b, and 700c wheels), and maybe keep the singlespeed, as recognise I currently have bikes that could easily duplicate "duties"...

Son is riding my old Tifosi CK7, which he's just bought some Cero AR24 Evo wheels for...sentimentally attached to it as first self-build and still rides brilliantly.

timothyw

Commuting is a big factor in how many bikes you can justify.

If you only ever ride at the weekend, then if something goes wrong with your one bike, you'd expect to probably be able to get it sorted for the next weekend ride.

If you need the bike to get to work everyday, then you need to have a backup for that bike, otherwise you'll be shelling out a small fortune on public transport (or worse than that, driving...)

Then factor in that I have no desire to commute in the wet on rim brakes and all of a sudden I need two wet bikes (so I have one to ride while I'm fixing t'other, because wet bikes need more maintenance anyway).

Then you see an unmissable deal on a high end frame and think, well, maybe I'll get a second best bike, as if something went wrong on the 'best' bike then I don't fancy riding that big event on one of my wet bikes....

Then you have a kid so you've hardly got any free time for bike maintenance anyway, and you see a nice deal on another new bike and think soddit, I can't be arsed with spending my limited weekend time giving that clunker the strip down service (or paying the shop to do it), I'll just get myself that nice new bike. And clunker isn't really worth selling so just languishes in the shed.

So yeah, I have a lot of bikes.

Beatmaker

I've got:

Winter bike/Gravel bike: Ridley X Trail Carbon
Summer special bike: Pegoretti Mxxxxxo
Race bike: Cipollini MCM
Track bike: Moda Fresco
TT Bike: Dolan Scala
Mountain Bike: Nukeproof Mega
BMX: Mongoose
Downhill Bike: Mondraker Summum
Hardtail: Nukeproof Scout
Hardtail: Boardman Pro 29er

Think I'll sell the BMX, Downhill bike and Hardtails as they get so little use. I can justifiy each and every one of the others though.

Alejandrosdog

Does nobody have a turbo bike?