Today I have reached my goal...almost

[winjohn]

I have spent the last two decades buying up 80s and 90s MTBs, finding them dirt cheap on Gumtree, fixing them up and selling on while keeping (too many) that I really liked. I mostly limited myself to Specialized, Kona, Marin and GTs at the start but drifted into Saracens and Orange too.

I ended up with far too many OK-ish old MTBs, well sorted but not nice enough for the space they were taking up so last year I started with a plan to downsize but go up in quality. I gave away 4 Saracens to charity, sold the Oranges, gave away the old Muirwoods and Bobcat trail but bought a Team Marin. Sold one Zaskar but kept one. Sold and gave away four Rockhoppers, kept my own original from 1990 but also kept the 2 Stumpjumpers and today I have put the last piece of the jigsaw in place and bought a 1999 Explosif. I now just need to see the two Cindercones and the Fire Mountain and one Stumpie and I will feel the job is almost done.

Happy to have a Zaskar, a Team Marin, an M2 Stumpie and an Explosif, that should be enough for anyone.

 

[PanoIgano]

I found that I can be content with owning 5 good retro MTBs.

I don’t have space to store more and I know (had I owned more) with my time restrictions and the bad weather I wouldn’t ride them as much as I would like. This would be a let down for me as the purpose I building is to ride the bikes as much as possible.

You need to find a balance and have enough MTBs to rotate so that you can enjoy their different ride qualities. That’s how I see it.

 

[joglo]

Hi, just want to highlight a different aspect, yes, I love to have a choice of rides to pick. Just to me the quantity of bikes at home never made a huge difference, other in space (and other negative things).
To me it's more of the pleasure of collecting and getting hands on "new" ones. This is the thing I'm addicted, I must admit...,
and sure this only works if you can also let go bikes and keep an good overview of your stock.

 

[Twozaskars]

bought a 1999 Explosif

Ooh, the one with the blue Manitou forks off the 'bay?

 

[winjohn]

Yup

 

[Twozaskars]

Thanks for that, I was actually quite relieved when the offer declined email came through
Saved me having to start piling half/unfinished bikes on top of each other.

 

[winjohn]

I have been after an 853 Explosif for a while and when I saw this in my size I put in what I thought was a cheeky offer and it was accepted!
Clearly I was not cheeky enough...
What time did you put your offer in?

 

[Twozaskars]

I did 255 at 12:52

 

[HailieSipes]

I have spent the last two decades buying up 80s and 90s MTBs, finding them dirt cheap on Gumtree, fixing them up and selling on while keeping (too many) that I really liked. I mostly limited myself to Specialized, Kona, Marin and GTs at the start but drifted into Saracens and Orange too.

I ended up with far too many OK-ish old MTBs, well sorted but not nice enough for the space they were taking up so last year I started with a plan to downsize but go up in quality. I gave away 4 Saracens to charity, sold the Oranges, gave away the old Muirwoods and Bobcat trail but bought a Team Marin. Sold one Zaskar but kept one. Sold and gave away four Rockhoppers, kept my own original from 1990 but also kept the 2 Stumpjumpers and today I have put the last piece of the jigsaw in place and bought a 1999 Explosif. I now just need to see the two Cindercones and the Fire Mountain and one Stumpie and I will feel the job is almost done.

Happy to have a Zaskar, a Team Marin, an M2 Stumpie and an Explosif, that should be enough for anyone.

That's an impressive collection you've built! It's great that you're now focusing on quality over quantity, especially with classics like the Zaskar and Explosif. It must feel rewarding to see your collection come together after all the hard work. Do you have any specific plans for restoring or riding these bikes? As a Ph.D. candidate, crafting a well-researched thesis was a daunting task, and I needed professional guidance. Academized’s https://academized.com/buy-thesis-online buy thesis online service was my go-to solution. They delivered a custom-written, plagiarism-free paper that adhered to my specific requirements. The service was affordable and efficient, making my academic journey less stressful. I highly recommend it for students who need reliable thesis assistance.

I am happy for you. I wish I can also get it. hehe