Its been asked before... too many bikes?!



KtecR

New Member
Feb 18, 2004
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A little background before I ask for advice:

I have been involved on and off in BMX racing since elementary, have gone through multiple 20" bikes but I really started back up exactly 1 year ago into the 26-29inchers and have become more serious than ever... this may be because I can actually buy my own bikes at a faster rate than when I was younger (ie. saving up for months to build a little 20").

Right now I have a 2004 Fuji Bordeaux (Great bike, veloce components, no real problems, could be lighter) and a 2005 Giant Reign 2 (Great bike, LX/XT components, no problems, couldn't be heavier) as well as a couple of BMX bikes from the past which don't leave their position. I use MTB as a recreational sport to get in shape and just have fun, but I am starting to get more serious into road biking. My question for you all is whether I should upgrade parts on the Fuji to make it lighter bike or would it be more efficient to just step up to an already lighter bike and use the Fuji as a training bike even though its only a mere year old.

If I were to upgrade the Fuji, what should I do first? I am guessing wheels and more carbon parts? If I should use it as a training bike, what is the best rule of thumb for buying the next bike, spend double what I did on my previous ride? Also, what is more adviseable, building or buying the bike?

I am sure a lot of people have come to this point where they feel that they should step the game up even if it is unnecessary. When I get involved in something I like to be completely submerged and somewhat obsessive about it, and cycling is no exception. That is why I am probably already considering a third bike in a little over a year. Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
 
Sounds like a real obsession. Great! I'm currently in the throes of the same. I have an '83 Peugeot, and it was pretty much top of the line at the time, but want something more up to date, and am working on building up a pretty decent KHS frame. If you are absolutely in love with your fuji frame, I would stick on the parts that make you drool. If not, go out and find the frame that you can be in love with, and start from there. I am a big fan of building up a bike from the ground up, including wheels. That's where a lot of the fun is for me.
 
Mpc350 said:
Sounds like a real obsession. Great! I'm currently in the throes of the same. I have an '83 Peugeot, and it was pretty much top of the line at the time, but want something more up to date, and am working on building up a pretty decent KHS frame. If you are absolutely in love with your fuji frame, I would stick on the parts that make you drool. If not, go out and find the frame that you can be in love with, and start from there. I am a big fan of building up a bike from the ground up, including wheels. That's where a lot of the fun is for me.
i love modifying anything that moves so I'm considering just taking that route. Plus, building a bike might start reaching price levels I don't want to venture off to. I've also considered beginning to upgrade parts on my bike continuously until ive reached a point where all I need is a new frame in order to have built a completely new bike. I've done that in the past with BMX as it allows a slow progression to what you want.


Mpc, thats badass that you still have your bike for 23 years
 
I'm struggling with this also. I have a Scott AFD501 that I bought while stationed in Germany back in '94. Its a steel frame with 105 components. It has served me well for many thousands of miles, but I just bought a '05 Litespeed Siena frame that is just calling out to be built. But my wallet is screaming NO!!!
 
There is no such thing as 'too many bikes'. There is only 'garage too small'.

I have one modern road bike, two 70's classics, a tandem, a mtn bike, my wife's mtn bike...

and I have developed an incurable urge to get a reproduction penny farthing. I figure a 52" Mesicek would do just fine.
 
camit34 said:
I'm struggling with this also. I have a Scott AFD501 that I bought while stationed in Germany back in '94. Its a steel frame with 105 components. It has served me well for many thousands of miles, but I just bought a '05 Litespeed Siena frame that is just calling out to be built. But my wallet is screaming NO!!!
Give your wallet to your wife/partner.

I was in the same situation a while back - I bought a frame and forks with the insurance money I got when my Specialized Stumpy got nicked. I hung it on the wall in my flat and decided to buy parts for it 'as and when' I could afford them.

2 weeks later I had a complete bike and a credit card debt of £900 ($1500) :eek::D
 
wheelist said:
Give your wallet to your wife/partner.

I was in the same situation a while back - I bought a frame and forks with the insurance money I got when my Specialized Stumpy got nicked. I hung it on the wall in my flat and decided to buy parts for it 'as and when' I could afford them.

2 weeks later I had a complete bike and a credit card debt of £900 ($1500) :eek::D
I already have a total of 4 bikes in my house, but only 2 of which I actually use. After endless calculation, the bike I would want to build will come out to >$3000... easily, so I've decided to just start shaving weight off my bike by buying new parts. Somebody tell me if I am headed in the right direction or should I look at buying other stuff:

-Carbon Seatpost. Shave Weight (currently ~370g Ritchey Comp) and dampen the ride.

-2006 Campagnolo Zonda wheelset. I guess the best place to lose weight (>200g) is rotating weight. Not the lightest wheels, but good for the money and I love the way they look. Also a good excuse for lighter tires.

-Look-style pedals. I currently ride eggbeaters but don't know if they are 100% efficient. I figure a wider platform would have a greater surface area in which i could deliver force to. Eggbeaters are, however, pretty light so thats a plus and I don't get hotspots like claimed by some people, so thats not why I am thinking about changing.

-Shoes. I currently ride with Performance Bicycle shoes (Forte) and they're good but the size does not fit me all that well (their sizes run big). I am thinking of the Nike Altea II (on sale at LBS for $140). How are Sidi shoes? Are they worth the money or are they just a hyped up brand?

All of this should come out to 1000 dollars or so. I will lose MAYBE 1lb but improve my ride a lot more I assume. Do you all think these 4 things are a good idea or should I venture my thoughts into other parts?
 
Ok, so having seen what my screen name is ------------> I have that name for a reason.

I currently have 10 bikes that I ride, but a new custom Cyclocross frame is on the way ( actually on the way - shipping confirmation received today), I have reached the point of just plain silly but I love the darn things.

Have at it.
 
thanks to toomanybikes you help me feel normal. i built a rack in our garage that holds six bikes. does not hold the tandem or the bent or the unicycle. and my wife still wants prefered parking by the door. with her choice of the day waiting. but we have enough now. except there is a real nice road bike tandem in the wack that i think we need. tis only 3000$ but we really do not need it. and what the heck is a cyclo cross?
 
aa9t8 said:
thanks to toomanybikes you help me feel normal. i built a rack in our garage that holds six bikes. does not hold the tandem or the bent or the unicycle. and my wife still wants prefered parking by the door. with her choice of the day waiting. but we have enough now. except there is a real nice road bike tandem in the wack that i think we need. tis only 3000$ but we really do not need it. and what the heck is a cyclo cross?


A cyclo-cross bike. Cyclo cross racing is a form of racing developed in Europe. Usually in the winter months, Grass, gravel and mud tracks. BArriers that require you to bunny hop or get off and lift the bike over, etc - great fun.

The bikes usually have cantilever brakes for mud clearance and enough frame clearance for tires up to 40mm.

There is a very popular series raced in the fraser valley each year with a stop in Fort LAngley.
 
so do these bikes have a road or mtn bike frame? what size tires? i see from pics that the handlebars are down turned ones. and they got the old brake style. wonder if i could build one out of spare parts?
 
You can never have too many bikes, only a shortage of time to ride them all.
 
I recently got a Specialized Tricross Comp, the local lbs (lifecycles in abby) only had 1 in stock and I snatched it up.

Its basically a road bike with a stronger frame and clearance for bigger tires and braze ons for touring/fenders. It comes stock with 700 x 32 tires.

However, i only intended to use it for commuting but I'd love to get into cyclocross when I'm back in shape. It looks like its right up my alley.

DSC_0001.jpg
 
aa9t8 said:
hey travdes
i live 10kms from the bridge. how much did harv ding ya?
My boss actually got it for me as an xmas gift. He paid about 2grand I believe.

Cool, I normally commute to abby 3 days a week (my office is near the new Abby hospital being constructed).. I normally go down #11, but lately I've been taking the trails and go up by MEI.
 
Hey guys and gals newbie here.

Just thought I would put y'alls minds at ease and let you know that i am the proud owner of about 50 ( yes fifty ) bicycles.
I collect old school bmx bikes and have just recently got into road biking.
I only have one of those so far a Blue RC4 and I must say I love it.
So when ya think you've got too many, just start dreaming about the next one.
 
My boss actually got it for me as an xmas gift. He paid about 2grand I believe.


wow!
my employer gave me 5% off my groceries for the month of december. for xmas

there is some killer hills in your comute.
i grow more and more confused. ya got your road bike, flat bar road bike, mtn bike, xcountry bike, your commuter bike, hybrid, and comfort, let us not forget full suspension downhill, and crusiers. and now we have cyclo cross.
what have i forgoton? bmx, recumbent, tandems, and unicycles? how the heck is a person to know what to buy?
 
Good question :) I have 1 rigid MTB, 1 hardtail MTB, and 1 cyclocross bike. Of the bunch the cyclocross is more fun but doesn't take the bumps as nice as my hardtail. That being said though, I also hated taking the hardtail up those big a$$ hills on my commute ;)

When I was out looking for a new bike in the fall I wanted a road bike just because I hadn't ridden one before and thought it would be fun to try. After about a month of research I read alot about these 'cyclocross' bikes being very tough bikes and although they are meant for racing make very good commuters because they can stand up to some abuse... plus they give ample room for fenders and bigger tires.

Originally I was going to buy the Kona Jake until my boss found out I wanted a new bike and insisted on getting one at Harv's so I choose the Tricross.

aa9t8 said:
My boss actually got it for me as an xmas gift. He paid about 2grand I believe.


wow!
my employer gave me 5% off my groceries for the month of december. for xmas

there is some killer hills in your comute.
i grow more and more confused. ya got your road bike, flat bar road bike, mtn bike, xcountry bike, your commuter bike, hybrid, and comfort, let us not forget full suspension downhill, and crusiers. and now we have cyclo cross.
what have i forgoton? bmx, recumbent, tandems, and unicycles? how the heck is a person to know what to buy?
 
i just remembered the mathematical formula for the number of bikes a person needs. it is n+1 whereas n is the current number of bikes that you own
 
I actually had to sell a bike recently, simply because I ran out of room to store them. Aside from my sons' mountain/road cross and his all-chrome low-rider (a real show-stopper, though slow as a snail in snow), I have a BikeE AT semi-recumbent (primary commuter), a customized 15 speed cruiser-trike, a Giant Stiletto chopper and a Firebike Bling Bling custom stretch cruiser.

:)