Titiritero
Retro Guru
Re:
I am into minimalism, and, like in other aspects of life, I noticed I had way too many bikes too, so rather than looking at more storage, in the last 2 years I have been slowly but surely reducing the bike stock.
I noticed I had too many because:
-space was running low, even though we have a decent sized bike shed, creating issues to store other things
-many of the bikes were not ridden for months, even though I cycle daily (and I'm not into collections or having things just to look at)
-many of the bikes were not riddable because they needed some little maintenance work but I was never finding the time to do it because other things were coming up
-the justifications I used to convince me and others of why I had so many bikes were all being defeated with a bit of logic (the "guest bike" that in the end no guest wants to use, the folding bike for the train but in the end a normal bike is also allowed and way more efficient, the replica of my first mtb that is nice but collects dust at the back of the shed, the spare bike that is not 100% mechanically sound, etc.)
Last winter I sold 3 bikes (from my in-laws, I just fixed them before I sold them), I fixed another one and gave it away as a gift to a girl that helped us in our wedding, and I still have one to sell, and another that will go to my parents place to replace the one I have there to ride when I visit them that will be sold. That will leave me in 4 bikes. Still, for my feeling, too many, but not ready yet to get rid of any of them (well, I would get rid of the folding one, but was free from the grandparents, gets used once a month on long distance train trips -folding bikes don't pay in Germany-, and it's 40 years old so I would not get anything from it if I sell it).
That will leave plenty of space in the shed (my wife has 3), but they are still too many. So I plan to re-evaluate the situation each winter and decide which one has to go next. And on the meantime, I have forbidden myself to look into second hand websites for more bikes (new nice ones are all beyond my budget anyway) to avoid temptation. Also, I don't do "upgrades". If a component, even if it's Shimano Tourney, still works, it means it's not so bad after all. And you would be surprised how long lasting the Shimano low range stuff is! When it finally breaks down then I give myself the pleasure of buying something nice...
An added benefit of having less bikes is that you feel more attached to them. And also, parts wear faster, so we can still satisfy our consumer craving replacing what breaks without piling up still more stuff, because the "parts bin" also takes a lot of space!
As Marie Kondo says, keep only what brings you joy!
I am into minimalism, and, like in other aspects of life, I noticed I had way too many bikes too, so rather than looking at more storage, in the last 2 years I have been slowly but surely reducing the bike stock.
I noticed I had too many because:
-space was running low, even though we have a decent sized bike shed, creating issues to store other things
-many of the bikes were not ridden for months, even though I cycle daily (and I'm not into collections or having things just to look at)
-many of the bikes were not riddable because they needed some little maintenance work but I was never finding the time to do it because other things were coming up
-the justifications I used to convince me and others of why I had so many bikes were all being defeated with a bit of logic (the "guest bike" that in the end no guest wants to use, the folding bike for the train but in the end a normal bike is also allowed and way more efficient, the replica of my first mtb that is nice but collects dust at the back of the shed, the spare bike that is not 100% mechanically sound, etc.)
Last winter I sold 3 bikes (from my in-laws, I just fixed them before I sold them), I fixed another one and gave it away as a gift to a girl that helped us in our wedding, and I still have one to sell, and another that will go to my parents place to replace the one I have there to ride when I visit them that will be sold. That will leave me in 4 bikes. Still, for my feeling, too many, but not ready yet to get rid of any of them (well, I would get rid of the folding one, but was free from the grandparents, gets used once a month on long distance train trips -folding bikes don't pay in Germany-, and it's 40 years old so I would not get anything from it if I sell it).
That will leave plenty of space in the shed (my wife has 3), but they are still too many. So I plan to re-evaluate the situation each winter and decide which one has to go next. And on the meantime, I have forbidden myself to look into second hand websites for more bikes (new nice ones are all beyond my budget anyway) to avoid temptation. Also, I don't do "upgrades". If a component, even if it's Shimano Tourney, still works, it means it's not so bad after all. And you would be surprised how long lasting the Shimano low range stuff is! When it finally breaks down then I give myself the pleasure of buying something nice...
An added benefit of having less bikes is that you feel more attached to them. And also, parts wear faster, so we can still satisfy our consumer craving replacing what breaks without piling up still more stuff, because the "parts bin" also takes a lot of space!
As Marie Kondo says, keep only what brings you joy!
