I've come to the conclusion that five distinct styles of bicycles would satisfy my current lifestyle. Letting go of the Miyata 610 has broadened my bicycle horizons. That, coupled with acquiring a folding bike, testing a cargo bike, re-purposing the all-around Trek, and generally assessing the bicycles I own and the roles each play, 4 of my 5 bikes are likely keepers.
Touring Bicycle
Folding Bicycle
Dedicated Commuter Bicycle
Winter Bike
Cargo Bike
1. Rivendell Clementine
Though I ride the Clem-L (oh for heaven's sake Rivendell, please rename it back to "Clementine"!) the least, I've got the upright touring bicycle covered for multi-day jaunts, or riding across the country, again someday. I expect this bike to see me through the rest of my two-wheel riding years. For her current stock configuration, she, surprisingly, climbs hills and generally floats along with ease. Contrary to my first impressions, this bike is definitely growing on me!
2. Dahon Boardwalk
I never imagined a folding bicycle would become integral in my fleet. plus be such a good-looking, versatile machine! Tuck the bike into the back of our van; hop on and weave around traffic; heft on-board Amtrak or up escalators; adjust seat height for a visitor - whoa baby - so many possibilities!
3. Peugeot Saint Laurent
This white beauty is a sturdy, stable, and comfortable commuter rig that schleps my stuff to work, has extra capacity for errands, or can haul panniers for overnights close to home. Miss Peugeot fits me well and, understandably because I'm primarily a commuter, gets ridden 90% of the time.
4. Trek Antelope 830
This bomb-proof old mountain bike has filled multiple roles over the past 30 years, recently becoming a winter bicycle - a workhorse I'm comfortable subjecting to salted road conditions. Since I've become a regular cold weather commuter, the Trek is a perfect companion.
5. A Cargo Bike????
I would certainly love to round out my fleet with a cargo bike. While my current line-up could schlep gear, especially with the addition of a trailer, there's nothing like the carrying capacity of a dedicated mid-tail cargo bike, like the Boda Boda, one that's easy to handle but packs a punch for hauling almost anything. If I didn't own a car, this style of bicycle would be a worthwhile investment.
While my list is unique to me, yours, of course, should vary greatly. I'd love hear what styles you consider necessary in your fleet and why.
So glad to hear miss Clementine is working out I was a bit worried when you first got it that you would be disappointed after such a large outlay. One nice thing about working on used stuff is if all goes south there is not too much $$ spent. Someday when I have the room I would like to have a quiver of 5 to 7 bikes Currently I have a tourer (Nishiki Cresta) Sporty (Moto GT) and workhorse (Handsome devil) as the core
ReplyDeleteThe best bang for the buck is the Dahon. What a great introduction to folding bikes for 75.00.
DeleteEnvious of your collection. And jealous of anyone that owns a Riv :)
ReplyDeleteMy types worth owning are similar, but an adjustment for someone that mountain bikes often:
Commuter/Tourer
Off Road Tourer
Off Road day rider
Cargo!
Currently have my commuter/tourer (Soma Wolverine) and have a mountain day rider (Classic 93 Bridgestone MB-4) but am itching to fill the rest of the quiver.
Thanks for sharing your collection of bikes, they are great.
Thanks for sharing your bike love. What would you choose for a cargo bike?
DeleteThere are so many great cargo bikes - including electric. But I am old school and really like the https://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_dummy.
DeleteThe Big Dummy is great, but you might also consider an Extracycle. I rode one with electric pedal assist recently and it was pretty nice.
DeleteSorry, I meant Xtracycle.
DeleteFor me now the bike question is, will I get the use out of it. I now have three, my Genesis which does for touring and club rides, a Boardman framed MtB, which I dont ride that much and my Dahon folder which has been a great buy and is such a good ride. I was thinking of getting rid of the MtB but it's value is next to nothing, so its worth having for the occasional ride.
ReplyDeleteI agree on the older mtn bike. For me it's value was in converting to a salt worthy winter bike, and if it gets too rusty then I'll probably just buy another one. It keeps me riding when I otherwise might not.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I wouldn't mind a folder, especially after a train trip last week to Scotland when I saw so many.
ReplyDeleteFor me, my one bike, which is a converted mid-80s GT Timblerine, handily serves all of my needs: touring, commuting, all-around transportation. The one thing that it cannot due is fold and for that reason I've long thought about getting a foldable bike. I haven't bought one as yet, but like you've found, it easily goes places that a full-size bike simply cannot.
ReplyDeleteObviously, particulars on a commuter bike depend on one's individual commute. For getting stuff, I've found a trailer to be more useful than a dedicated cargo bike. Perhaps with the Peugeot or the Trek? Some trailers could be used with either bike. My own trailer has fittings that work best if you only use the trailer with one bike. However, the price for the trailer was right (free)...
ReplyDeleteSteve, I've considered a trailer, especially the economical Nashbar brand one that gets wonderful reviews. At this time I don't really need a trailer...or a cargo bike for that matter, but if money and space was no object, I'd get a midtail cargo bike - they handle amazingly close to a normal sized bike - and to be able to buy groceries without calculating limited space in normal panniers ahead of time, well, it's a dream bike for me.
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