 |
| Could this be the future of anniebikes? |
I've been struggling with whether it's worth owning five bicycles.
Sure, it's nice to have a backup commuter, a long distance rider, a folding bike is handy, etc., but at some point, it becomes difficult to keep up with maintenance. This conflicts with what I said last September, but since then I foresee a future living situation - and welcome at that - with limited storage and I've reconsidered what's a suitable number of bikes that fulfills all my needs.
How did I come to that conclusion?
I'm tired of seemingly having at least one bicycle under repair. And I say seemingly because I've experimented with different handlebars, added new grips just because, outfitted most bikes with mirrors, etc - in other words, accessorizing all 5 bikes takes a lot of effort, expense, and time. Add routine maintenance to the agenda and every weekend I've worked on one thing or the other. Once upon a time I owned two bikes, though primarily only used one - and I don't recall spending as much time fixing bikes!
What to keep?
On the bright side, the Dahon has new tires, chain, smaller chain ring, plus it's outfitted with front water bottle carrying and baggage solution, one of my goals for 2019. The folder has proven to be a keeper: comfortable, versatile, and small also means easier to clean up after riding in the rain - who knew? The regular commuter, Peugeot St. Laurent, will always need upkeep as it's older and sees the most miles, but is an integral bike: good on hills, scratched and old so I don't worry too much where it's locked, and could also double as a winter bike. The Rivendell Clementine is my long distance bike; comfortable, classy, hauls touring gear, and because it's newer, thankfully won't require immediate maintenance. Paring down also means I'd achieved keeping 3 step through versions, what I see myself riding as I grow older.
The caveat here is we aren't planning on moving anytime soon, due to personal needs and a tough housing market, so I'm not compelled to sell bikes. On the contrary, I still wish to raise the bars on Peugeot UO-14. It's delightful to ride a skinny tired bike and very lightweight. However, this exercise in thinking about simplicity is worthy, and of course, doesn't extend to only bicycles. I now know I'd be happier with a lot less stuff in my life.
Anyone else feel the call to pare down bikes?
I only have two bikes. But I find myself riding one of them all the time and the other just sits. So yes, I have been thinking of paring down my huge collection :)
ReplyDeleteMuch less stuff , yes and working on that. One caveat, bicycles are exempt from all consideration, even one little used can be considered a work of art.
ReplyDeleteHa ha. :)
DeleteI have an ongoing problem with adding/subtracting bicycles, and yes, I always want to pare down. Ideally, I'd like to have three, at most, but it seems difficult for me to actually stick to this (even if I don't count the tandem in the three). I know that if space were an issue, I could probably do it, but because we have the room for storage, it makes it difficult to stick to the "max of three" rule. Plus, there always seems to be something that pops up that I feel the need to try out. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that maintenance on so many bikes is less than desirable (both routine stuff like lubing chains and cleaning and actual replacement of parts as they wear or are no longer suitable). It's even worse because between the two of us we each have multiples. I often miss the days of having just "my bike" -- and it was the only bike.
I do think that more doesn't equate to happier or better though - both with bikes and with other areas of life. I want to have just one bike (or even two), but I haven't figured out a way to quite make that happen. That day may come at some juncture, but for now, I just try to keep things under control and not have duplicate bikes for the same purpose (note the "try" in there, because I'm not always successful).
My difficulty is perusing Craigslist every few days. I don't know why I do it, but had refrained I would've never discovered the beauty of a folding bike.
DeleteAh, yes... CL can be both a blessing and a curse. I try to keep from looking (it's much like going to the humane society for me... I can't stand to leave the animals there, nor the bikes I sometimes find), but as you said, sometimes those wonderful little gems are tucked away, just waiting for us. :-)
DeleteYes. Not only bikes, but all sorts of things. My wife and I have started down this path, and are finding that getting rid of things (even things we do not want) is harder than we thought.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I'm often overwhelmed with the amount of items I should get rid of...and how to do it. I'm tackling small areas at a time and giving stuff away. Saving those items for a garage sale that may never happen is not going to work for me.
DeleteI only wish I had stopped at 5 to maintain...
ReplyDeleteI'm down to two these days. A Brompton and a vintage MTB that I built up to be a sort of Rivendell bike- you know, supple upright ride:) After many years of all sorts of road and mountain bikes, I believe that I could get along just fine with only the Brompton. Touring, shopping, commuting, spirited road rides and flying all with one funky engineering wonder. I'm like you Annie, wanting and trying to live simpler with less things, a smaller home and non essential stuff- including multiple bikes.
ReplyDeleteChris, I would love to try a Brompton one of these days. Love the look and portability/fold ability. Folders are definitely growing on me! Bravo for only owning two bikes.
DeleteN+1 where N=4?
ReplyDeleteI'd love to reduce the clutter in my house. Unfortunately I live with a man who is a bower bird.
I feel funny about reducing the number of books we have though.
Ha, completely understand! My husband is the one that got me thinking that maintaining 5 bikes was ludicrous...except that I also point out he owns 5 himself, but only rides two... At least I ride all of mine!
DeleteKeeping things simple. A road bike and a rigid mountain bike.
ReplyDeleteYou mean regular riders don't have a (cough) "few" projects going simultaneously? I have been pairing back so I can get down to 5 lol. If I ever get a garage again its going to get out of hand. Good luck on your Journey Annie
ReplyDeleteThe difference is you can part with yours, I have trouble maintaining. In your eyes, my simple fleet.
DeleteOh man, I feel this -so- much these days. Like you, Annie, I am up to five bikes. While space isn't an issue (to a point), I loathe having to maintain so many bikes. And I'm trying to simplify things, hence my recent purge of bike bags. I realized that I had more than I needed/used, so no use in keeping them all.
ReplyDeleteIdeally, I'd like to purge one bike from the collection. It'll possibly be my Crested Butte. Much as I love the bike, it's never fit that well. I've had it as a "back-up derailleur'd" bike in case I couldn't use my Bantam. I put that to the test last week on a camping trip. While it didn't give me issues, I definitely felt the effects of pushing a "not the right size" bike for 30 miles. So, it can't possibly be the backup to the Bantam. Heck, my Raleigh Superbe is more comfortable riding for longer distances, so long as the route isn't too hilly!
So I'm going to think long and hard about this over the month. I tried to sell the Crested Butte once, and decided to not do it. I don't want to regret my decision, so I don't want to rush into it.
Best,
Shawn
http://urbanadventureleague.wordpress.com/
Shawn, you'd think that once a bike is fixed - and you can ride only one bike at a time - hence that maintenance should be done for a long time. Spread out riding over 5 bikes and theoretically maintenance time should be the same. But it isn't because each bike is unique and when you acquire older bikes there's a time period of getting a particular bike spinning well, racks set to personal standards, etc.
DeleteYou know the formula for the number of bikes you need, n + 1 = ideal number of bikes {where n = the number of bikes you already have]
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, it's a real thing! Though at some point, I think too many bikes can be a hindrance to enjoying cycling...
DeleteI've been struggling with this for a while but even more so recently. With Nova retired now we're busy doing things together and I have less time for tinkering on bikes than I did when I had the weekdays to myself. Also replacing our 1 vehicle with a new one in the near future I need more space in the garage as a buffer so I don't damage the new vehicle when shuffling bikes around. I dream about moving and downsizing or even living mobily and would like to be prepared for that even though the likelihood of either is probably slim. Right now I'm trying to get down to fewer than 10 for me. Nova has 4. On the positive side all of the bikes that are in our garage are ridden regularly and I am no longer just collecting.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you and Nova are enjoying your retired life. :) Bikes are just things, really - most of us could get by with much less stuff, right? I feel privileged to own more than one bike.
DeleteMy grandfather retired and began tinkering with bikes, which grew into a side business. Mostly, he kept busy with his hands. Randy, you remind me of him.