were do you drawl the line? how many bikes are 1 to many?

[socal_jack]

I am down to 100 ish : at each locatoon ; there are 6 locations in 4 differemt States.

Reminds me of a quote on MTBR by Budhak; "and I thought I had a problem, you are at once both tragic and awesome". I kid of course, but nevertheless, WOW!

 

[bmxerpete]

Define too many When it comes to “regular” bikes I’ve got a couple of bmx bikes, a couple of mountain bikes, a road bike, a dirt jumper, a hybrid for riding around with my wife, and a gravel bike. And I do ride all of them. Then there’s about a dozen or so rat rod bikes, choppers, freak bikes, and cruisers. About half are rideable, the rest are projects. Then I have about 6 vintage/ pre war projects. Then there’s the vintage bmx bikes...
I have about 15 that are done and rideable and another 40 or so projects.

 

[bigb]

I like things with wheels. I can fit about 5 motor vehicles on my property without it looking like a junk yard and without parking in the street, but only 4 comfortably meaning with 4 I can always drive any one of them without moving another one out of the way. So I keep 4 motor vehicles and occasionally a 5th one but only temporarily, till one gets sold and brings me back to 4. That leaves room for some bikes. I have the same feeling about bikes, if I want a certain one I don't want to have to dig to get it out, plus I don't want to have them outdoors, so it's looking like my limit is going to be around 5 or 6. Up to 5 right now. So for me, if I can't get to something without moving other stuff out of the way it's too many. I made a rule a few years ago when I saw I was getting stacked up too much with stuff, now nothing new comes in without something going out.

 

[GeePig]

I have 4 bikes here on the farm, although one of these is a friends, plus I have two in my city garage, although one is just waiting to be sold in the spring.

I did have 6 bikes here on the farm, and 2 frames, but now I only have the 3 plus 1 and 4 frames, and it is a lot easier to hide frames than bikes. My wife remembers all the bikes I buy and sell, but I really have about 20 bikes because those 3 plus 1 and 4 can be reassembled in many different ways, without awkward questions. Other than my daily rider in the main part of the barn and the 1 plus 1 in the city garage, all 2 + 1 + 4 fit comfortably in my workshop.

See, it is not a bike, it is just a frame.

 

[Pauliemon]

I saw the Lovin' Spoonful here in Sacramento. Back in the six, six, sixties. Dudes could lay down some blues.

 

[musclebikemadman]

I have more then I need and I'm running out of space. My wife is all over me to sell some and make room in the garage for her car when the snow flies. I'm like a depression ear kid I do not like to let anything go I want to keep them all. I didn't have a lot of anything except fun when I was kid so now I'm making up for lost time. I think I have tamed the beast a bit I do not feel the need to buy every bike I see and like. In fact I have sold a few recently mostly to friends so I can stop over and ride them still. I also have been breaking some down to be cleaned up and greased as long as they are not together I do not consider them bikes hahaha. 25 complete riders and 12 in pieces. Not sure where the car will go.

 

[bigb]

I have more then I need and I'm running out of space. My wife is all over me to sell some and make room in the garage for her car when the snow flies. I'm like a depression ear kid I do not like to let anything go I want to keep them all. I didn't have a lot of anything except fun when I was kid so now I'm making up for lost time. I think I have tamed the beast a bit I do not feel the need to buy every bike I see and like. In fact I have sold a few recently mostly to friends so I can stop over and ride them still. I also have been breaking some down to be cleaned up and greased as long as they are not together I do not consider them bikes hahaha. 25 complete riders and 12 in pieces. Not sure where the car will go.

Why can't you build a bigger garage?

 

[Kevin B]

I had ten bikes but I just gave away my Schwinn S20 mountain bike. It was my least favorite for my purposes. Now I have nine cruisers. There are six cantilever cruisers, two girl's step thru cruisers and one aluminum NEXT cruiser. All are single speed coasters except one 3 speed cantilever. Here is a trick, I can justify these by making some of them in themes for the grandkids.
I really have about two I should liquidate.

 

[GeePig]

I have more then I need and I'm running out of space. My wife is all over me to sell some and make room in the garage for her car when the snow flies. I'm like a depression ear kid I do not like to let anything go I want to keep them all. I didn't have a lot of anything except fun when I was kid so now I'm making up for lost time. I think I have tamed the beast a bit I do not feel the need to buy every bike I see and like. In fact I have sold a few recently mostly to friends so I can stop over and ride them still. I also have been breaking some down to be cleaned up and greased as long as they are not together I do not consider them bikes hahaha. 25 complete riders and 12 in pieces. Not sure where the car will go.

We let two local farmers use some of our barn space to over-winter some of their equipment - most farmers here have enough space, but these are the only two that still have animals, which get first dibs on barn space in the winter. So there is my wife, facing these farmers, telling them they can decide where in the barn their equipment should go, but there will be space left to put her car if it snows. There was space left.

 

[JA331]

Many years ago I was diagnosed with OCD, old car disorder, then 10 years ago with old cub disorder (Honda cubs) and last year old cycle disorder.

I kept 3 of the cars including my race car and the cubs as they are on the mezzanine at work and not easy to get down. I got back into riding bikes because I have 2 young girls, one 10 and the other 6 and want to ride with them. During the last year and a half working on old bikes and riding them has kept me sane. Melbourne where I live has endured 6 lockdowns amounting to 262 days in all, a world record. It ended at midnight and people were out celebrating. A few months ago our state government put us into our 6th lockdown for as low as 10 cases a day to save lives and yesterday's daily number was almost 2300 and they ended the lockdown. Go figure!

I now have about 12 bikes, my late 80's restored Shogun MTB, a number of 26" cruisers, a 2021 SE Fast ripper (the bike I ride when I feel really lazy) and my favourite, the 2012 Kos Kruiser. I ride most of them. My wife isn't fussed as I'm fortunate I can keep most of the stuff at work.

 

[Tallbikeman]

N+1 is a meaningless term to most of us enthusiasts. Some one else imposes it upon us.

 

[Phil Fink]

I figure that there may be 3 parts to the question or answer, based on space (easily visualized), time (not spent for doing other things), and money (which can sometimes be exchanged for the other two).
When one recognizes that the too-many line has been crossed, it is often by more than just 1 bicycle, (or even bicycles alone).
We may read about people with many bicycles (and/or other items) to get rid of — but do not seem to have any realistic plan.

A book about junk recommended 5 categories: throw away; give away to family and friends; give away to charity; sell; and lastly, keep.
Many have a lot of trouble with the first 3 or 4.

Some have trouble with the selling part, wishing to sell XXX bicycles, yet without speaking to XXX people, and no shipping, and no looky-Lou’s, or adding requirements for whole lots of items.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I've got too many in my apartment. The amount wasn't an issue when they could be chained up outside, until people started stealing them. Inside, however... some gotta go. I'd like to get down to my one bmx bike, whichever is going to be my tow rig, two cruisers, one(hopefully)mtb, three roadbikes, my single speed I just [had] to built. I'm on the fence about the 02 Katai and one of the roadbikes. Then there's the cranbrook I wanna make a klunker and if I can finish it, the cargo trike. Plus I have a moped sitting in here.

As much as I love bikes, I really don't need all of them. Would be better if I could build a shed at my moms for the extras and the other crap in my apartment cluttering it up. If I could narrow it even further down, I would keep;

• 83 High Sierra street fighter to ride with my g/f or others
• 86 Olympic SS
• DK bmx
• Drifter¹ to be board track racer
• 86 Prelude kinda restomod
• Denali fake superbike build
• LaJolla

That leaves me on the fence about

• Fuji Tru Temper that was gonna be what the Prelude is
• Katai was gonna be a light wieght street fighter wih carbon

What I don't want

• Schwinn Probe
• Schwinn Link
• Nishiki Prestige
• Trek 800 Sport S/T

 

[GTHOtrod]

I figure 5 for me is my absolute minimum. Plus my daughters mtb. But I have no issue having tonnes more.
1, my OS bmx, I have my first race bmx, my Redline 600A, I got at 7yo. Plan to hang onto it even if I don't ride it.
2, my Bmx cruiser, my Redline PL26, the bike that got me back into bikes.
3, A Proper dual sus Mtb. For Shredding on local trails. Currently a 2015, Rocky Mountain I brought used for a great price
4, work bike for lunch time rides,
Currently 1985 Repco 5 speed 26 bmx.
5, Also need some sort of project/ build on the go, sourcing parts for, planning or dreaming about.
Currently it's several, being: Mbbo, orbo, a vintage mtb, and now two old 50s English bikes.
Plus my RRBBO16 Airship build.
I'm also keen to build up a cool beach cruiser.

Have unlimited outdoor space, but limited for indoor storage.
As others have said, If I can't grab it and ride it, something has to change.
Lucky I can work around my hot rod for building, fabbing etc, separate to my storage area.
I have moved many builds on, as I achieved what I wanted with them, but they would take riding time away from my favourites if a kept them. So away they went.

I love grabbing cheap/ free bikes for parts/tube donor's when I can. I usually get them working just enough for a test ride, Then strip to a bare frame. File all the parts in containers, then frames go outside into the pile.

 

[GeePig]

I love grabbing cheap/ free bikes for parts/tube donor's when I can. I usually get them working just enough for a test ride, Then strip to a bare frame. File all the parts in containers, then frames go outside into the pile.

Ah, you must be my long-lost brother!

 

[wvoldguy]

I have 4 right now, and I think that's 2 too many. My most recent rebuild of Big Red is my best and favorite. Right off the stand there was nothing to adjust or tweak; just go ride. I keep saying I'm going to take a couple to the LBS and try to sell them on consignment, but I haven't got around to it yet.

 

[BDC]

I'm good with six - four are mine, one for the Mrs and one for the Grand-kids when they come over to stay.
My main obsessive-compulsive is camera kit.

 

[deven_science]

An interesting question. I used to have more, but I bought a bike store rack set up, so bikes could be on the ground, and several up in a second layer. I forget how many fit high on the rack... maybe six? Anyhoo, I decided for myself that as long as they fit on or under the rack, I can keep it. Regular sized bikes fit the rack on top, and the stretches on the ground. That meant I had too many, and I sold like five bikes this summer/fall. I now have room for one more, and that's it. If I build or buy a keeper after that, I'll have to get rid of a different one. Also, I have to keep count of the stretched bikes, as they don't fit in the racks.

Okay, just went and counted. The rack has seven slots, so that means I can comfortably have 14 bikes. I currently have 13 back there, seven stretches and six road/step-through/shorter bikes. I'm a little scared of getting into hoarder territory, so I want to keep it all reigned in.

 

[GeePig]

I am really enthusiastic about working on bikes.

Meet Be(A)st, it is my current build off bike. Behind it is Ten Turing, my previous build off bike, which is a keeper as my city shopping bike to replace the bike I swopped with a family friend - where I gained Pigdog, the red and yellow thing with bent forks at the back.

Pigdog's forks are part of the Be(a)st build, it's wheels are on my neighbours bike - and his are on Ten Turing. Pigdog is a future build off and will have parts from Be(A)st, which will be back as a frame by the spring. Pigdog will later be a frame again, and the recycling will go on.

So I have many virtual bikes, and hence a very happy wife who is proud to show off my uncluttered garage and workshop.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

So I have many virtual bikes, and hence a very happy wife who is proud to show off my uncluttered garage and workshop.

My wife is happy with my messy catastrophe garage. If I'm collecting bikes, I'm not collecting other vices. I'm down to one or two of those...
Maybe three.