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What do you think is the truly appropriate number of bikes to own?

15K views 156 replies 115 participants last post by  ghost_03 
#1 ·
Forget how many you want or how many you own. From a purely logical and reasonable standpoint, given how much you ride and how many different types of riding you do - how many do you think you should own?

I say three. One for on-road use that's practical for picking up groceries and getting places, one for off road use - getting to more remote places, enjoying the outdoors in general etc, and one for exactly the type of riding you like best - whatever that is - and this third one would be the less compromise, all-you-can-afford 'dream bike'.

In reality, I have four and would like to be at six. Here are three of them, the fourth lives in the parkade (bar bike).

 
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#9 ·
1 5"-6" 650b trail, AM bike;
1 HT 29'er;
1 rigid SS, 29" for off road;
1 rigid SS, 26" for indoor park;
1 carbon road bike;
1 titanium CX bike; AND

1 winning lottery ticket
 
#10 ·
Personally, I'd like to just have one bike that does everything but that's not realistic. So...
1. Gotta have a beater for commuting.
2. Gotta have a road/cross bike with high gears for road rides.
3. Gotta have a mtn.bike. A cross bike won't cut it around here. Trust me, I've tried.

If I really wanted to geek out -
1. Hardtail.
2. Full suspension.
3. Road.
4. Cross.
5. Beater mtn. with rigid fork or cross bike.
 
#11 ·
Pasted from velominati.com

Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
While the minimum number of bikes one should own is three, the correct number is n+1, where n is the number of bikes currently owned. This equation may also be re-written as s-1, where s is the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from your partner.
 
#16 ·
3 is the minimum number : 1 mountain bike, 1 road bike, 1 commuter.

And by commuter, I mean a bike just for casually riding around town regardless of whether you ride it to work or not. Personally, I won't ride junker bikes, so mine is a Surly Troll with a rear rack.
 
#22 ·
I think a bare minimum would be two - a road bike and a mountain bike. Beyond that would depend on where you live.

In or near a city I'd say 3 minimum. Add to the above an around-town/commuter/errand bike. Something single speed, fixie, or cruiser.. Something you can take to the store, a friends house, lunch, bar, etc and not have gotten geared up with SPD shoes and not afraid to leave it locked up. The key with one of these is to have it be nice enough that you want to ride it, but not so expensive you're paranoid about leaving it locked in a reasonable location. Quick release anything need not apply.
 
#27 ·
Two!

That way you have one while you are repairing the other.

I violate this rule but I am unreasonable. I like having a trashy SS commuter bike and a long travel FS as well a a short travel FS.

But I could happily live with a trashy geared hardtail and a long travel FS, using my hardtail for commuting and smooth rides and my FS for big technical rides and as a commuter back-up when the other bike it in service.
 
#28 ·
4.

Carbon road bike
Hardtail 29er
Fatty
Commuter

I have the first three. The commuter is something I would love to have, I just don't know if it would get enough use to justify it. Of course, now that I have the Necromancer, my HT may also be relegated to that very thing.
 
#29 ·
I think this is based on geography. For me, four would be nice. I'm missing the gravel bike to complete my collection.

- XC (racing) bike
- commuting bike / grocery getter (I actually have 2 commuters right now, one for summer and one for winter)
- gravel road bike
- road racing bike
 
#30 ·
For me it's 5.

Trail bike
Downhill bike
Dirt jumper
Road (or cross) bike
Townie / bar bike

I have couple more than this (singlespeed MTB, singlespeed road bike) but those first five I feel are important, and the other two are sort of superfluous (but still fun).
 
#31 ·
I've always targeted three for me (as others have pointed out, 1 road, 1 mountain, 1 for errands), but I like the OP's idea of the third bike being for the riding you like best. That actually might be my errand bike for me-- I spend a lot of time pulling the kids around town, or using it for short overnighters.

I was briefly thinking about thinning down to 2, but now I'm ballooning up to six. It's like a diet yo-yo.
 
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