Downsizing: And then there was one

[fuzzalow]

To any who have downsized in real terms, I feel your pain. To all who have neither the need nor desire to downsize, you don't know what you are missing and be thankfully so at that. Downsizing can either be be viewed as a forced surrender or a reawakening. For me it is a reawakening.

The topic of having to pick just one bike is often discussed on this forum. A nice diversion to pick a favorite bike without the actual messy task of getting rid of all the first runners up. Going about the true task of downsizing is more like performing triage on your possessions, bikes and all. And if you're lucky enough to have leisurely acquired stuff over the years, taking stock of all the newly labeled as “junk” or “toss” you've accumulated over the years elevates one thought above others: "What was I thinking...". Buried in stuff, all brougt into your life, your house, your living space - piece by seemingly insignificant piece. Until, and only if, something interrupts the comfort and familiarity of repetition. I think, therefore I am. Huh? “What was I thinking...” Stuff. More stuff. Why?

I will reduce my bikes down to the one left standing: Pegoretti Marcelo. This is by both choice and necessity by consequence of a change in zip code. The 1 or 2 coveted bikes surviving triage that I will not ride will be disassembled, boxed and put into storage. Even still, there will be leftovers to deal with as tasks and as chores rather than preserved as cherished rides to be enjoyed in future days. Now reduced to the stuff of burden. Maybe those I'll put in a pile if I have room otherwise it's garbage pickup days.

Looking at a pile of stuff coaxes from me a silent vow to never do this again. And in fairness, it is easy to walk away from owning lots of bikes when you have already owned lots of bikes. Having been-there-done-that allows one the extravagance of being jaded. Mick Jagger once derisively quipped about the trappings of rock star materialism as "Rings around your neck".

As far as bikes, the tools needed to disassemble a bike are surprisingly few. The Vanilla was stripped down in less than 20 minutes using only the tools arrayed on the ground in the picture.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3UMIblPmV1g/U4UNTee6wwI/AAAAAAAAAkY/wsYaP8MDS_Q/s640/dsc00722.jpg

As the Haynes auto repair manuals would say after the final step - Assemble all parts in the reverse of their removal. Granted, assembling this bike from scratch would require a few more tools: BB cup tool to install the external cups and a chain rivet tool and hacksaw to shorten the respective chain and steerer tube. The tools here illustrate the bare necessities, which is how downsizing happens from a 5 foot tall tool trolley/tool chest to a toolbox! Forget to pack a tool and it is as good as gone.

Luckily, bikes really don't need much for many tools. And just the same on the human side of things, enjoying cycling doesn't have much need for many bikes. A reawakening and the denouement to a different perspective. Hey, why not?

[FlashUNC]

Hope the move's going well. We're going through the same process. Two frames gone, lots of parts bin stuff has gone that way too.

While some of it is difficult -- letting go of my Time was particularly tough -- I've found the process as a whole a cathartic and worthwhile one.

Really gets you to focus on what's important.

[AngryScientist]

i envy you. i too have just too much bike stuff. it's time to simplify. good on ya.

where are you moving to?

[54ny77]

hmmmm, what size frame do you ride again?

;)

[Vientomas]

Perhaps you should divest yourself of the Porsche too. I might know someone interested in it. ;)

[witcombusa]

Someone can "downsize" me after I'm dead.....

[fuzzalow]

Hope the move's going well. We're going through the same process. Two frames gone, lots of parts bin stuff has gone that way too.

While some of it is difficult -- letting go of my Time was particularly tough -- I've found the process as a whole a cathartic and worthwhile one.

Really gets you to focus on what's important.

Yes the move is going as well as could be expected but it can never be smooth. Thank you and all the best for your upcoming move also.

For all the rants and rails I have posted here on the corrosiveness of consumerism, in the clarity of hindsight while ensconced amidst piles of stuff - I was just as big a buyer of stupid crap as anyone. It is a rude awakening for what I thought I wound not succumb to as appearing just a pangloss for myself. Live and learn.

i envy you. i too have just too much bike stuff. it's time to simplify. good on ya.

where are you moving to?

UES

hmmmm, what size frame do you ride again?

;)

HaHa! When I find out how much more stuff I gotta get rid of, I'll pay you with bike frames in barter for an hourly rate for your truck!

[MattTuck]

Always a good exercise to think about what is truly important to you.

I always thought it would be interesting to be a monk... give up all material possessions. I wonder if there is a monastery somewhere that is made up of cycling monks.

[SamIAm]

I went from:
2 Weigles
1 Kirk
1 Bedford
2 Ellis
1 Sachs
1 Pacenti
3 Goodrich's
2 Serotta's
1 Mariposa

to

1 Ellis
1 Goodrich
2 Serottas

And it felt good, really good.

[oldpotatoe]

Yes the move is going as well as could be expected but it can never be smooth. Thank you and all the best for your upcoming move also.

For all the rants and rails I have posted here on the corrosiveness of consumerism, in the clarity of hindsight while ensconced amidst piles of stuff - I was just as big a buyer of stupid crap as anyone. It is a rude awakening for what I thought I wound not succumb to as appearing just a pangloss for myself. Live and learn.



UES



HaHa! When I find out how much more stuff I gotta get rid of, I'll pay you with bike frames in barter for an hourly rate for your truck!

What's UES?

[FlashUNC]

What's UES?

Upper East Side.

fuzz is one of those people. You know, New Yorkers.

[54ny77]

That, sir, is a deal! It's got an 8' bed, holds a lot of, you know, stuff. :banana:




HaHa! When I find out how much more stuff I gotta get rid of, I'll pay you with bike frames in barter for an hourly rate for your truck!

[PaMtbRider]

What's UES?

I was going to ask the same. Guessing upper east side (of Manhattan)

I see FlashUNC is a faster typer than I am.

[David Tollefson]

Someone can "downsize" me after I'm dead.....

Having been through the aftermath of this thought process a couple times (and one before she's dead...) I have promised my daughter that I wouldn't put her through the same thing. I made an anniversary gift to my wife to change my thinking and our house by getting rid of (whether selling, tossing out, recycling, whatever) one "thing" each day. And that doesn't mean taking out the garbage... It's liberating, it makes one think about just how much they "need" whatever item they're contemplating, and I've seen a bit of a change in the house -- reduced "clutter".

It hasn't included any bikes yet, but as I make more frames, I'm sure it'll come to that.

[MattTuck]

I thought that the American way was to buy a new, bigger house when your current house becomes too cluttered ;)

That, or build a barn to put your clutter in.

To me, there's a certain attractiveness to the idea of buying a house with a lot of stuff still left in it. Maybe there's a treasure in there, or atleast something with a good story.

[fiamme red]

I thought that the American way was to buy a new, bigger house when your current house becomes too cluttered ;)http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OJ95SFuvZ0/TlqD3Zl063I/AAAAAAAAALU/eZst_WDmZyg/s1600/IMG_0575.JPG

[gavingould]

i've really tried to get on board with the ethos of owning fewer, better things. it's working well with camera equipment (saying this as i continue to lust over a new one) and it's in progress with bike stuff.

[hida yanra]

What's UES?

way to mark yourself out as "bridge and tunnel folk" :P

OP- I feel you. Hope the move is good news to you and in the long view, for you?
Been a while since I lived over there, but my apartment is smaller now than it was then- huh, guess I'm doing it wrong.

[enr1co]

i've really tried to get on board with the ethos of owning fewer, better things. it's working well with camera equipment (saying this as i continue to lust over a new one) and it's in progress with bike stuff.

Good for you on your "stuff" downsizing and thanks for the reminder for me to do the same.

Have been pretty good with not buying and collecting stuff other than guitars and bikes.

Im did well with paring down on high end guitars- down from 5-6 of each to three acoustics and two electrics. Aiming for 2 acoustics and 1 electric by EOY.

Have actually started considering paring down my current bike stock in the next couple of years:

1- mountain bike (carbon hardtail)
1- Ti travel CX bike
1- Ti road bike, mechanical shift
1- Carbon road bike, elec shift

If I was forced to pare down to only one bike today, would likely move out the carbon and just hang on to the Ti road and possibly have SS couplers added to it.

[54ny77]

that sign cracked me up.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OJ95SFuvZ0/TlqD3Zl063I/AAAAAAAAALU/eZst_WDmZyg/s1600/IMG_0575.JPG

[oldpotatoe]

Upper East Side.

fuzz is one of those people. You know, New Yorkers.

I live in NoBo...

North Boulder...

[Waldo]

While you're at it, might as well go whole hog and sell the Vanilla. I'm sure there will be no shortage of takers :-)

[jblande]

this thread is making me think i need to sell the kirk and goodrich in my garage that are currently not being ridden...

[jh_on_the_cape]

A disassembled Vanilla (and going into storage) leaning against a Porsche is downsizing?

Wow. Life is tough on the UES!

Do you own your posessions? Or do your possessions own you?

My pattern is pretty typical: for a while I lusted after some toys, had no $$ but had the time to enjoy what I did scrape together. Then I had the $$, bought the toys, but did not have enough time to really enjoy them all.
Finally, I actually downsized (not just store) a bunch of stuff by selling on CL, here, etc. Did not get enough money to make a difference in my budget, but felt good not looking at the stuff and handing it over to someone who uses it. Now I am making more time to enjoy what I have.
Why not sell the Porsche and take some time off? Go cycling in Europe for the summer?

[tiretrax]

If I was forced to pare down to only one bike today, would likely move out the carbon and just hang on to the Ti road and possibly have SS couplers added to it.

That's my plan - and accomodate wide tires for gravel grinding, and, maybe, the Pegoretti, too.

Now, back to the topic - we're going to sell our house and are putting stuff in storage to stage it for the sale. I want to keep the stuff out permanently (donations or sale) and get a slightly smaller house - we have a junior and senior in high school. My wife tells me we need a bigger house. I guess we're going to take in borders.

[uber]

Best of kick in your next chapter. No reason why you can't
get another bike or Porsche in the future. Stay healthy and happy.

[NRRider]

Sounds like you just need a place to put your stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

[fuzzalow]

I went from:
2 Weigles
1 Kirk
1 Bedford
2 Ellis
1 Sachs
1 Pacenti
3 Goodrich's
2 Serotta's
1 Mariposa

to

1 Ellis
1 Goodrich
2 Serottas

And it felt good, really good.

Yes and I know the feeling. Moving towards this direction where less-is-more is more a gradual evolution and a progression of mindset. And it can be liberating.

Upper East Side.

fuzz is one of *those* people. You know, New Yorkers. (emphasis mine)

Ha! Where you will be living soon buddy is no different from mine. To some persuasions held by the knowledge-averse in the hinterland, we are both living in the land of radical socialist crazies.

Now, back to the topic - we're going to sell our house and are putting stuff in storage to stage it for the sale. I want to keep the stuff out permanently (donations or sale) and get a slightly smaller house - we have a junior and senior in high school. My wife tells me we need a bigger house. I guess we're going to take in borders.

Ruh-roh! Better you than me in that situation. Good luck with that.

Do you own your posessions? Or do your possessions own you?

Why not sell the Porsche and take some time off? Go cycling in Europe for the summer?

Re: possessions, it is always a little bit of both which is OK. But if there is pressure to "keep up with the Joneses" then unquestionably the possessions own you. And in some social circles, there is no entry into that social sphere unless there is agreement to play the same game and maintain the artifice. Utterly repellent to me but some seem to like it.

Sell the Porsche? Bah any car isn't worth bupkiss as soon as you drive it off the lot or after a few years. Better to keep it and just enjoy it yourself. I couldn't take off and go cycling in Europe; the car wouldn't get me enough cash to go.

[54ny77]

here's some otherworldly math of the costs of bike ownership (or storage, really) in nyc.

consider, a bike takes up approx. 12sq. ft. of floor space +/- (call it 6'x2' on the floor if leaned up against a wall, in a rear wheel or crank arm stand, etc).

the avg. manhattan sale price for a nice apt. is in the $1.5k/sq. ft. range. it can easily be multiples of that amount, depending on the where and what of the apt. and the building itself, but for argument's sake, let's keep it simple at $1.5k/sq. ft.

you can do the math on figuring out: a) how much the space premium really is, and b) what the true value of "n" is in the standard n+1 optimum bike quantity ownership equation. specifically, it's the number where one's wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend (who doesn't ride) throws down the ultimatum of, "it's me or the bikes!"

:p

[paredown]

One of the sobering experiences we've had was helping one of our neighbors downsize--not by choice--when the recession hit. He was one of the many thrown out of work when big pharma seriously downsized in New York state--and he went for two years without getting an interview.

Forced sale of house ensued and they have never really got back on their feet.

They had a standard trainer McMansion filled to the brim with stuff--and my wife and I spent weeks helping to sort and pack, stage garage sales (which don't work well in a recession), donate, sell online etc.

They still moved too much stuff...but it was heartbreaking for them since they were also really invested in their 'stuff'.

With bikes, for me right now--I feel like I'm still at the 'dating' phase. After not riding seriously for a number of years, I'm playing catchup, and trying out different bikes--but when I find my 'true love', I will downsize and sell the rest.

[weisan]

Downsizing is not simply an exercise involving liquidation of "stuff", that's part of it, but it doesn't tell the whole story.

It's a meditative journey, a revelation, an (re-)orientation about our whole approach towards life in general.

It takes time.

Different people get there at different times. Some people take a longer route. Others never did. That's the way it is.

It seeks to address several key questions:

What ultimately defines us? - Who am I?
Why am I here?
Why do I do what I do?
How do I proceed from here?

[k-mac]

you can do the math on figuring out: a) how much the space premium really is, and b) what the true value of "n" is in the standard n+1 optimum bike quantity ownership equation. specifically, it's the number where one's wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend (who doesn't ride) throws down the ultimatum of, "it's me or the bikes!"

:p

The "Official" version:
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.

[54ny77]

^^
now that was awesome. bravo! :banana:

[p nut]

Apologies in bumping a 2 year old thread. But just curious to see how everyone was doing with the downsize. Were you able to hold strong or was there a market correction/revert to the mean?

I starting paring down a while ago. I'm down to 5. Road, gravel, 2 mountain bikes and a fat bike. May be down to 4 by the end of the month.

I've not noticed any loss in joy/utility from selling off the other bikes. The main bikes are getting more use, which actually adds to the joy, when I see the number tallies on Strava.

What I'm having a hard time with is holding onto the specialty bikes, like the fat bike, which I ride mainly during winter, but usually left untouched during the summer time. But winter riding is so fun, that I'd really have a hard time getting rid of it. Maybe I should store it away along with my winter clothes, so I don't end up doing something rational.

[Ralph]

One reason I should just own one bike....with maybe an extra set of wheels is......I have a tendency to think of some of my bike stuff as too nice for every day use. To nice to get dirty, to haul on outside of car, etc. So consequently, I ride my old stuff, while my better stuff collects dust and gets obsolete or old itself. I need to just ride my bike no matter the conditions. hey....I know how to clean it up, replace bearings, etc. It's just how I am. My son is different.....he would take a brand new $10,000 road bike right down a muddy road.....something I would never do.

[chuckroast]

We relocated last June and I took it as an opportunity/signal to downsize. Sold two Serottas and donated an old Dawes to Goodwill.

Now I'm down to just one bike, a Serotta cross bike that I use as an all-arounder with fenders and two wheelsets (one set of slicks, one set of knobbies). The fenders have been great here in Florida, I don't care about getting caught in a shower or going out right after one.

To be honest, it's been kind of liberating, not having to think about which to ride. Maintenance is easier too.

Maybe it's N-1?

[wasfast]

Thinking about it on a bigger scale, beyond just bikes, I've found this site sobering and reflective. You don't have to agree but they make some good points as a counterpoint to "more stuff".

http://www.theminimalists.com/

The "Fight Club" quotes are especially poignant.

[josephr]

Downsizing is not simply an exercise involving liquidation of "stuff", that's part of it, but it doesn't tell the whole story.

It's a meditative journey, a revelation, an (re-)orientation about our whole approach towards life in general.

It takes time.

Different people get there at different times. Some people take a longer route. Others never did. That's the way it is.

It seeks to address several key questions:

What ultimately defines us? - Who am I?
Why am I here?
Why do I do what I do?
How do I proceed from here?


Who am I? - A guy that rides bikes.
Why am I here? - To ride more bikes.
Why do I do what I do? Because bikes are awesome.
How do I proceed from here? Buy more bikes.

[Louis]

You really haven't completed the downsizing effort until you're riding one (emphasis on the single digit) of these.

http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=42487&stc=1&d=1277999323

[witcombusa]

I'm still completely anti-downsizing and have to report on ZERO negative side effects. Please continue to purge all the stuff you've always wanted to keep prices down and volume high so I have more good choices out there...

Thanks for your continued support...:hello:

[Tickdoc]

I love this post because it represents a mindset I simply do not have.

(it also could directly influence those who do to place unloved gems in the classifieds):D

Maybe when I move again, if I move again, I will practice this silliness, but I have a feeling I would build a bike barn first.

Kudos to those who can, but I simply cannot.

[R3awak3n]

wait, didn't you just buy a Dogma?

I get it about downsizing and NY is certainly the place for that since there is literally no space. My wife is all about the opposite so we are going to move to a bigger place upstate (3 hours form the city) which for now will be a second home but hopefully in a few years will be our first home.

I don't have a lot of stuff (only 4 bikes and could easily make it 2 and I have been thinking about it). Bikes don't take a lot of space, unless you live in NYC. It is a whole another world out there when it comes to real estate and a test on downsizing and living minimal. If you don't your place will be so cluttered (like mine is because of wifes business)

[belopsky]

I've tried, gone down to 2 Salsa bikes, then sold both, bought an All City and built up a few projects for cheap (2 bikes for less than $100) and then went a bit crazy and built up a Pugsley and have a San Marcos and a Cheviot en route, and contemplating a Hillborne - I'm so dumb.

[fuzzalow]

Wow. My thread from over two years ago. Time flies and in many ways I used this place, and writing those posts, as a way to keep sane during a stressful, time compressed state of material possessions overload. That OP served as both cathartic and exhortative. And I would never want to go through that same experience again.

Downsizing was worthwhile and neccesary. It wasn't painful other than for the pressure of getting rid of stuff because in going from a house to a rented apartment all that stuff was a burden, a curse and it could not move with me. I hated those possessions as much as I hated myself at the time but looking back on it now I know that all that stuff was a natural occurrence from raising a family and living in the suburbs - even if I had somehow believed monastic living was what I wanted I could not edict that lifestyle on my family. Gotta live your life: This is America.

I'll confess that as far as bikes, I'm at a worse rate of acquisitions now than when I lived in a house in the suburbs: I've bought three bikes in three years while living in NYC. The Peg Marcelo I arrived with was sold and replaced by an Eriksen. I use a Brompton to get around town. Of course I will swear that I won't keep adding more bikes but no one would believe me. But I no longer have a basement and a garage to secret bikes into so I can't keep doin' what I'm doin' - in the suburbs I had 10 to 12 bikes in the house. So I'm capped at three in our apartment and will hold to that.

We chose to live in Manhattan. When this thread started there was much uncertainty over being able to find a home and restart a life here. But it all worked out. There was never a question about lifestyle as we are more citified than suburban but competing in Manhattan real estate was new for us and it was brutal. A high stakes, take no prisoners marketplace - people will stop at nothing to get a desirable apartment. We got battered & bloodied, learned the ropes and eventually got a great apartment. It was one of the most difficult things we had ever done and any marriage that can survive that experience I'd wager is a good one.

We don't live minimal however; we live pretty well and we know it. Both me and Mrs. fuzz know that it took a lifetime of doin' things right and having a little luck that helped us get to where we are now. But there was also a lot of risk involved in making a change - we would not have been happy in the 'burbs even if that was the safer thing to do so there's no way forwards other than to make a big move and go all in.

Thanks for raising this thread, even if it might be boring for the rest of you. I didn't mind looking back because I know that there was a happy ending. But back then it was more like staring into an abyss.

[sandyrs]

This is an interesting thread. There is no downsizing in my immediate future because I actively (if intermittently) race road, 'cross, and XC MTB. I also commute by bike every day in all weather (so I need a bike with fenders). So that's four bikes right there. I do some SSCX races too; that's five bikes. And I travel with a bike a couple times per year; I could race road on my travel bike but it doesn't handle very well as a crit bike and I only really like crits, so what would be the point of that? That leaves me at six bikes, but they all get ridden and have very little overlap, so I don't feel like it's excessive. I could probably squeeze commuting function out of the SSCX with some P-clamps and fenders, but that would require new wheels and more maintenance (current commuter is an old steel road bike set up fixed, so it requires virtually zero attention).

That said, I don't ever envision myself owning 20+ bikes like some of the folks here. When I own something I don't ever use, it gnaws at me.

[MattTuck]

This is an interesting thread. There is no downsizing in my immediate future because I actively (if intermittently) race road, 'cross, and XC MTB. I also commute by bike every day in all weather (so I need a bike with fenders). So that's four bikes right there. I do some SSCX races too; that's five bikes. And I travel with a bike a couple times per year; I could race road on my travel bike but it doesn't handle very well as a crit bike and I only really like crits, so what would be the point of that? That leaves me at six bikes, but they all get ridden and have very little overlap, so I don't feel like it's excessive. I could probably squeeze commuting function out of the SSCX with some P-clamps and fenders, but that would require new wheels and more maintenance (current commuter is an old steel road bike set up fixed, so it requires virtually zero attention).

That said, I don't ever envision myself owning 20+ bikes like some of the folks here. When I own something I don't ever use, it gnaws at me.


I bet you could rationalize your way to 20 bikes. You are young, so there is still time. :D

[Mzilliox]

This is an interesting thread. There is no downsizing in my immediate future because I actively (if intermittently) race road, 'cross, and XC MTB. I also commute by bike every day in all weather (so I need a bike with fenders). So that's four bikes right there. I do some SSCX races too; that's five bikes. And I travel with a bike a couple times per year; I could race road on my travel bike but it doesn't handle very well as a crit bike and I only really like crits, so what would be the point of that? That leaves me at six bikes, but they all get ridden and have very little overlap, so I don't feel like it's excessive. I could probably squeeze commuting function out of the SSCX with some P-clamps and fenders, but that would require new wheels and more maintenance (current commuter is an old steel road bike set up fixed, so it requires virtually zero attention).

That said, I don't ever envision myself owning 20+ bikes like some of the folks here. When I own something I don't ever use, it gnaws at me.

I think 6 is the right number... I'm at 4. got some work to do

[sandyrs]

I bet you could rationalize your way to 20 bikes. You are young, so there is still time. :D

That's true. There are so many categories I haven't covered!

Fat bike

Trail/Enduro

All Road Enduro

Summer gravel

Winter gravel

Autumn gravel

Gravel for those winters where it's not actually that wet and you can get away without fenders, but there's salt down so you don't want to use your nice bike

Road touring

Off-road touring

Fast cargo (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=2054102&postcount=4)

Regular cargo

Whatever a Kona Nasty Jake (http://cog.konaworld.com/barry-wicks-introduces-the-nasty-jake/) is

An Ibis Scorcher

Oh, and a proper pit bike (i.e. identical clone of my "A bike") for 'cross

That's fourteen more right there!

[unterhausen]

haha, 4 is the perfect number. I could live with 2, plus size mtb and gravel disc. Can't believe I just typed that.

You really need spares and minor variations. Nothing like working a bike over the night before a big ride because something happened to the bike that was on queue

[MattTuck]

4 or 5 seems about right to me, to atleast cover 99.9% of the terrain that is ridable.

1. Go fast road bike
2. Road bike with bigger tires - To serve as both back up to primary bike, and for rough roads. Fenders on this one probably.
3. CX Bike - Set up to handle gravel and CX. this or the previous one with rack mounts as well.
4. Mountain Bike - Full suspension probably, gives you the widest spectrum of riding that you can do on it.
5. (optional) Fat bike - Take your riding into the winter, no other bike in the stable can do it.

If you have drive train proclivities, then you can add in a few more -- but they don't help you cover any more terrain.

[Mr Cabletwitch]

Wow. My thread from over two years ago. Time flies and in many ways I used this place, and writing those posts, as a way to keep sane during a stressful, time compressed state of material possessions overload. That OP served as both cathartic and exhortative. And I would never want to go through that same experience again.

Downsizing was worthwhile and neccesary. It wasn't painful other than for the pressure of getting rid of stuff because in going from a house to a rented apartment all that stuff was a burden, a curse and it could not move with me. I hated those possessions as much as I hated myself at the time but looking back on it now I know that all that stuff was a natural occurrence from raising a family and living in the suburbs - even if I had somehow believed monastic living was what I wanted I could not edict that lifestyle on my family. Gotta live your life: This is America.

I'll confess that as far as bikes, I'm at a worse rate of acquisitions now than when I lived in a house in the suburbs: I've bought three bikes in three years while living in NYC. The Peg Marcelo I arrived with was sold and replaced by an Eriksen. I use a Brompton to get around town. Of course I will swear that I won't keep adding more bikes but no one would believe me. But I no longer have a basement and a garage to secret bikes into so I can't keep doin' what I'm doin' - in the suburbs I had 10 to 12 bikes in the house. So I'm capped at three in our apartment and will hold to that.

We chose to live in Manhattan. When this thread started there was much uncertainty over being able to find a home and restart a life here. But it all worked out. There was never a question about lifestyle as we are more citified than suburban but competing in Manhattan real estate was new for us and it was brutal. A high stakes, take no prisoners marketplace - people will stop at nothing to get a desirable apartment. We got battered & bloodied, learned the ropes and eventually got a great apartment. It was one of the most difficult things we had ever done and any marriage that can survive that experience I'd wager is a good one.

We don't live minimal however; we live pretty well and we know it. Both me and Mrs. fuzz know that it took a lifetime of doin' things right and having a little luck that helped us get to where we are now. But there was also a lot of risk involved in making a change - we would not have been happy in the 'burbs even if that was the safer thing to do so there's no way forwards other than to make a big move and go all in.

Thanks for raising this thread, even if it might be boring for the rest of you. I didn't mind looking back because I know that there was a happy ending. But back then it was more like staring into an abyss.


Super glad that it worked out for you! I'll never forget you and a couple other guys putting my bike back together for me after my divorce by sending me the parts I needed after my ex wife took them. Couldn't be happier that a nice guy is having everything work out! :hello: I still owe you a drink if you ever make it to Lancaster Pa

[Mzilliox]

4 or 5 seems about right to me, to atleast cover 99.9% of the terrain that is ridable.

1. Go fast road bike
2. Road bike with bigger tires - To serve as both back up to primary bike, and for rough roads. Fenders on this one probably.
3. CX Bike - Set up to handle gravel and CX. this or the previous one with rack mounts as well.
4. Mountain Bike - Full suspension probably, gives you the widest spectrum of riding that you can do on it.
5. (optional) Fat bike - Take your riding into the winter, no other bike in the stable can do it.

If you have drive train proclivities, then you can add in a few more -- but they don't help you cover any more terrain.

you must not ever carry gear on bikes, you forgot a rando or tourer. perhaps the most important in my fleet

I have:
2 x rando: fendered and carry gear, act as backup for roadie, commuter duty too! the most versatile of my bikes
1 x roadie: upgrading to 2 soon, one go fast, one go long and comfy with big tires and fenders and maybe a rack.
1 x cross: doubles as travel/gravel need one more cross bike, race specific

thats 6 ideally

[eBAUMANN]

Do it right and your "CX" bike can also be your gravel/rando, commuter, and back up road bike.
One of these days ill get there...i think im at 9 bikes now...i think.

[Gsinill]

Do it right and your "CX" bike can also be your gravel/rando, commuter, and back up road bike.

Exactly, I am not racing CX but my Focus Mares is my general purpose bike and serves for all the above uses where backup road bike translates mostly into rain bike.
All my road bikes are steel and I really try to avoid riding them in the rain.

[nmrt]

meh...it's all just stuff.
hoard it if it makes you happy. downsize if that makes you happy. it is just stuff.

[paredown]

... I didn't mind looking back because I know that there was a happy ending. But back then it was more like staring into an abyss.

Change is hard--but props to those like you that get on with it, rather than get paralyzed.

My wife's godmother knew she could not stay in her house after her husband passed--and she put her head down, and slowly worked her way through a lifetime's worth of possessions.

Now she is in a new very nice small house close to the grandkids, with only her favorite things and life is good. Meanwhile my MIL continues to accumulate and hoard even though she and the godmother have been friends for 50 years, and has seen how one can suck it up and deal...

[fuzzalow]

Super glad that it worked out for you! I'll never forget you and a couple other guys putting my bike back together for me after my divorce by sending me the parts I needed after my ex wife took them. Couldn't be happier that a nice guy is having everything work out! :hello: I still owe you a drink if you ever make it to Lancaster Pa

Yes I remember you. You today sound in a much better way than from two years ago and I hope that is truly the case. I was happy to help you out. If I am unable to collect on that drink then please remember to offer help to somebody else someday if you are able to do so. All the best.

Change is hard--but props to those like you that get on with it, rather than get paralyzed.

My wife's godmother knew she could not stay in her house after her husband passed--and she put her head down, and slowly worked her way through a lifetime's worth of possessions.

Now she is in a new very nice small house close to the grandkids, with only her favorite things and life is good. Meanwhile my MIL continues to accumulate and hoard even though she and the godmother have been friends for 50 years, and has seen how one can suck it up and deal...

Yes, it can be tough but in fairness to your relatives, I have Mrs. fuzz and didn't have to embark on this alone. I'm not making excuses for their situations but we are doubtlessly coming at the event of life changes from very different vantages. I'd guess that it is more encouraging to let go of possessions when there is optimism in looking forwards rather than holding on to belongings as tokens from a past life with no hope of it ever being as good as it once was. This view is also its own delusion: things were never as good as they once were but seem that way when magnified by the fear of the present. Sad but understandable.

Bikes are nice but ultimately less than trivial.

[NHAero]

I took an online downsizing class (http://www.nichedesignbuild.com/ecourses/downsizing) last winter that was really kind of fun and had week by week readings and tasks. Went through clothes, office and a ton of paper, keepsakes, kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff, the whole basement (biggest task), sold or gave away a bunch of bicycle stuff. What I didn't sweat are tools (mechanic, carpentry, garden). And I still have the bikes:
1 vintage road made for me in '72, with rack and fenders and toe clips and straps
1 modern road
1 FS 29er
1 hardtail 26er set up with studded tires for winter
1 early 70s Raleigh 20 folder
1 Big Dummy for commute and shopping and going to the beach
1 road fixed gear

Of course I could get by with fewer, but I have the space and they all get ridden.

[uber]

Fuzzalow,
I have always enjoyed your posts and views, and I am glad you are able to realize the liberating and happy perspective of downsizing. As a fellow Marcelo owner, I am happy that you chose it to be your "last man standing" even when faced with choices including that insanely beautiful Vanilla frame. I own two other road bikes, each a more "practical" choice than a steel bike, but I am pretty sure I would make the same choice as you did. I don't even know the reason for sure. If the covered Porsche is important to you, I hope you can hold onto that as well. I wish you much happiness with your new lifestyle.

[Mr Cabletwitch]

Yes I remember you. You today sound in a much better way than from two years ago and I hope that is truly the case. I was happy to help you out. If I am unable to collect on that drink then please remember to offer help to somebody else someday if you are able to do so. All the best.

Bikes are nice but ultimately less than trivial.


I'm in a much better place, actually remarried with another child on the way. my first born spends the majority of his time with me and I couldn't be happier. and I've managed to help out a half dozen or so people repair or build up a bike to enjoy cycling with their kids. I seriously can't thank you enough you gave me hope when I needed it most and I'll continue to use my parts bin and knowledge to help others ride all based upon your inspiration.

[MattTuck]

Do it right and your "CX" bike can also be your gravel/rando, commuter, and back up road bike.
One of these days ill get there...i think im at 9 bikes now...i think.

I think if you're willing to make some compromises, and invest in a couple sets of wheels, you can really do this.

Let's be honest, the specific fit/position of a given bike is rarely the reason you're riding it. Way more likely that you selected the bike with the right tires for the surface you'll be riding. Yes, you could keep 4 sets of tires at the ready (CX, road, some high volume gravel types, and maybe a flat resistant for commuting), and change them on a daily basis, but that is time consuming and a hassle, though I remember atleast one member on here that does this. I think a middle ground if you want to minimize the number of bikes, is to make some thoughtful additions in the wheel department, and think about which tires are going to make the most sense.

But I don't know if this approach is consistent with downsizing. Is 2 bikes + 1 or 2 additional wheelsets really that much better than 3 or 4 bikes?

[beeatnik]

I took an online downsizing class (http://www.nichedesignbuild.com/ecourses/downsizing) last winter that was really kind of fun and had week by week readings and tasks. Went through clothes, office and a ton of paper, keepsakes, kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff, the whole basement (biggest task), sold or gave away a bunch of bicycle stuff. What I didn't sweat are tools (mechanic, carpentry, garden). And I still have the bikes:
1 vintage road made for me in '72, with rack and fenders and toe clips and straps
1 modern road
1 FS 29er
1 hardtail 26er set up with studded tires for winter
1 early 70s Raleigh 20 folder
1 Big Dummy for commute and shopping and going to the beach
1 road fixed gear

Of course I could get by with fewer, but I have the space and they all get ridden.

NHAero, I like your rewriting the rules style.

aka

7 is the correct number of bikes to own.

[jlwdm]

I have always been really good at getting rid of things I do not use. I like to buy quality things that I hopefully will like for a long time and don't mind if they are expensive. I hate buying things that I don't end up really liking no matter how little they cost. If I don't feel great when I wear a piece of clothing the item goes off to Goodwill.

I have a potential problem now in owning a house that is larger than I would like. I bought a TV for the game room 16 months ago and it has not been turned on. I would love a smaller house, but this was not an option where I need to live.

I have three road bikes, but I think I could get by with one. I purchased a custom Serotta in 2007 and joined this forum at that time. Before joining the forum I never had a thought about owning multiple bikes.

When I moved to TX almost eight years ago I still had a home I was trying to sell in another state. So I bought the last CSI built and left it in the old location. Although I am not wild about the paint job it is a special bike and I would have a hard time getting rid of it. I currently have it set up on my Kickr.

Then over 6 years ago I won a custom Spectrum in a raffle on this forum so I went to the barn and got measured for a ti bike that I designed for the Seattle area where my family is - set up to handle wide tires and have fenders. Unfortunately, this bike has 50 miles on it in 6 years. I could not get rid of this bike though.

So I could live with one bike, but it is not going to happen at this time.


I find as I get older I don't need a lot of new stuff.

I have a three car garage and two bays are empty, but I have held off on the temptation to get another car.

I got my 18% off coupon from Silca last week and put a few items in my basket. Today I got an email that this was the last day for the coupon and I went in and emptied my basket and deleted the emails. I just did not really need the items.

I do have a set of wheels though that are over 18 months old and have never been ridden.


I enjoy going through the house on a regular basis to see what I can get rid of. I am sitting here looking at a shelf of CDs that don't get listened to very often as I stream my music. Can't quite get rid of some of them yet. I also still have a black and white printer that is not wireless sitting in a garage cabinet - can't seem to get rid of it. Maybe this is the week.


Jeff

[sasteelman]

Going through the same process but find it painful. Still have 3 bikes and a frame.

[jtbadge]

Going down from 4 to 3. Selling an all-road/rando/sport tourer bike (All-City Space Horse) and an endurance geo steel road bike (Lemond Maillot Jaune) for one custom fillet brazed cross/gravel frame (Thrive).

Still have an SSCX (Nature Boy Zona) and road bike (MX Leader).

Paring down further than this would be really hard.

[rileystylee]

I'm doing the opposite - currently building and renovating bikes and adding to the stable. 3 custom frames - rock lobster, cyfac and serotta but all acquired lightly used for a 1/3 of new price. collectively chepaer than a pegoretti for what i paid.
i'm going to collect and build more too :beer:
keeps me relatively sane in this mad world we live in:eek:

[galgal]

Wow. My thread from over two years ago. Time flies and in many ways I used this place, and writing those posts, as a way to keep sane during a stressful, time compressed state of material possessions overload. That OP served as both cathartic and exhortative. And I would never want to go through that same experience again.

Downsizing was worthwhile and neccesary. It wasn't painful other than for the pressure of getting rid of stuff because in going from a house to a rented apartment all that stuff was a burden, a curse and it could not move with me. I hated those possessions as much as I hated myself at the time but looking back on it now I know that all that stuff was a natural occurrence from raising a family and living in the suburbs - even if I had somehow believed monastic living was what I wanted I could not edict that lifestyle on my family. Gotta live your life: This is America.

I'll confess that as far as bikes, I'm at a worse rate of acquisitions now than when I lived in a house in the suburbs: I've bought three bikes in three years while living in NYC. The Peg Marcelo I arrived with was sold and replaced by an Eriksen. I use a Brompton to get around town. Of course I will swear that I won't keep adding more bikes but no one would believe me. But I no longer have a basement and a garage to secret bikes into so I can't keep doin' what I'm doin' - in the suburbs I had 10 to 12 bikes in the house. So I'm capped at three in our apartment and will hold to that.

We chose to live in Manhattan. When this thread started there was much uncertainty over being able to find a home and restart a life here. But it all worked out. There was never a question about lifestyle as we are more citified than suburban but competing in Manhattan real estate was new for us and it was brutal. A high stakes, take no prisoners marketplace - people will stop at nothing to get a desirable apartment. We got battered & bloodied, learned the ropes and eventually got a great apartment. It was one of the most difficult things we had ever done and any marriage that can survive that experience I'd wager is a good one.

We don't live minimal however; we live pretty well and we know it. Both me and Mrs. fuzz know that it took a lifetime of doin' things right and having a little luck that helped us get to where we are now. But there was also a lot of risk involved in making a change - we would not have been happy in the 'burbs even if that was the safer thing to do so there's no way forwards other than to make a big move and go all in.

Thanks for raising this thread, even if it might be boring for the rest of you. I didn't mind looking back because I know that there was a happy ending. But back then it was more like staring into an abyss.

Really glad that things worked out, Mr. Fuzz! This post/thread of yours does strike a chord with me. In late 2010, I had to give up my EV NYC apartment. Had lived there for over 15 yrs and accumulated quite a bit of stuff. Decided to get rid of everything and did so. With the exception of the books (lots and lots of books) which went into storage. Let go two out of three bikes. Really glad I kept the one, as riding that bike was the one thing that kept me sane over the next couple of itinerant years in NYC. Don't regret getting rid of the stuff. For the past 3 years have been in a Brooklyn nabe I love, the books are back where they belong. As for bikes, am back up to 3, which is really all I can fit in the apartment. Well, that's not quite true - make that 3 and a half bikes, as just got another frame. Anyone have a Campy group they want to get rid of...:)

[jwess1234]

I feel a certain pressure to downsize an maintain a small stable. I think part of it is some sense of "guilt" of not riding all the bikes as often as I would like. For instance, I'm riding my all-road Rock Lobster as often as my main road bikes.

I feel like this is borderline too much:
1-Scott Addict (primary road bike)
2-Cannodale Supersix (commuter bike and bad weather road bike)
3-Rock Lobster All-Road Disc (off road/trail/cross/ or road with diff tires)

Downsized and sold this year:
4-Felt Edict 9 (mtb wasn't using a lot)
5-Spec Allez Steel (commuter, that I wasn't too fond of)

Anyone else feel that guilt or need to downsize/be efficient?

[gomango]

I've sold 6 of my bikes this fall.

This includes one of my prized Chris Kvales. Another Kvale will be listed very soon. These are very difficult to part with of course.

The reason? Our oldest son has been invited to take part in a unique study abroad program starting in January and we are fund raising for him. He'll be in several countries including Germany, which will definitely be spendy.

I figure by the time I finish my downsizing, I'll be down to my Yeti SB, a BMC Monstercross, my Merckx Alucross, my Bilenky and my Hollands. If needed, I could additionally cull the Merckx and the Bilenky as the BMC is so darned versatile.

So no tears for me obviously. Plenty of neat bikes to enjoy around here.

[Duende]

Could really use some advice... Pretty much on topic.

Got a new titanium gravel bike Mosaic... love it! Has carbon wheels and rides like a dream. Super stiff front end and super confident steering. I attribute that to the head tube diameter, frame design, and the carbon wheels.

It rides so nice, that I'm thinking it could potentially also serve as my road bike. I would just buy a set lightweight road disc wheels for when I'm sticking to the pavement.

If I did this I could downsize to one bike (besides my daily driver) and sell my R33 Waterford... which is a TrueTemper S3 steel.

My question is.. Is this a dumb idea? Or is it better to keep both bikes... and to upgrade the Waterford with some carbon wheels? At 90Kg, is the carbon wheels going to get me where I want to be on an S3 frame?

[eBAUMANN]

Could really use some advice... Pretty much on topic.

Got a new titanium gravel bike Mosaic... love it! Has carbon wheels and rides like a dream. Super stiff front end and super confident steering. I attribute that to the head tube diameter, frame design, and the carbon wheels.

It rides so nice, that I'm thinking it could potentially also serve as my road bike. I would just buy a set lightweight road disc wheels for when I'm sticking to the pavement.

If I did this I could downsize to one bike (besides my daily driver) and sell my R33 Waterford... which is a TrueTemper S3 steel.

My question is.. Is this a dumb idea? Or is it better to keep both bikes... and to upgrade the Waterford with some carbon wheels? At 90Kg, is the carbon wheels going to get me where I want to be on an S3 frame?

Id say keep it around, good to have 2 bikes...as it sucks when something breaks on one bike at that perfect moment that puts a ride/event in jeopardy.

[giverdada]

turns out, my father in law died before he had stopped working, really, and after he had spent 40 years in the same house, building up the same garage, getting together three of all the good tools he would need to work on his beautiful MG-B in british racing green. it broke my heart to lose him, and see my lady lose him, and know that he had built so much time and potential and good life for the future, only to lose it all to cancer. **** cancer. it also broke my heart to go through his 40-year-garage, and get rid of all of his stuff. it was great stuff. it was stuff we would have used together. it was stuff he would have delighted in teaching his grandkids, my kids, how to use, and how to clean, and how to put away, but he never ended up getting the chance. so i felt like an inadequate, broke-ass chump to have been handed down a family heirloom, a two-door treasure trove of history and future, only to have to sell it all and give away the rest. i have no space to put anything. i own no land or space. i own bicycles and film negatives and a few pieces of sharp steel and sharper lens glass, and that's all. but the stuff in that garage wasn't 'just stuff'. of course, i know that it was, and i sold it like it was, but it was like raiding a tomb, where hopes got buried. we had to move my mother in law out of the house, and had to purge the garage first, and then the basement, and then the house. 40 years' worth of stuff. 40 years' worth of memories and family and marriage. sure, there were TVs that never got used after the girls left. there were party kits unopened. there were three sets of every socket wrench set. and it took up space. but as a person who can get lost in his own mind for hours on end, remembering, and feeling, and going through all of the meaning he has attached to a single object, all of those memories, it was a lot of stuff that had a lot of meaning, and it broke my heart to get rid of it. yeah, i'm weird. i stand in my parents' basement looking at paintings i did in high school when i knew nothing at all but thought i had some pretty important ideas. i can stare into a fire all night, just thinking and feeling. i can hold the same knife and enjoy its weight in my hand, just its weight, and draw meaning and pleasure from that. it reminds me of my grandfather, whose garage and worldly possessions we also had to purge after we lost him to cancer. and i know that the things we own end up owning us. but i also recognize, in an artistic or relic or anthropological kind of way, that there are objects to which i have attached meaning, whether actively or accidentally, and it hurts me to get rid of them. i know what it's like to burn the love letters of old girlfriends, but i'm not sure if that felt as beautiful as the re-reading i did of them before they were taken by flame.

whatever you do with it, make sure the fire you burn is hot.

[Duende]

turns out, my father in law died before he had stopped working, really, and after he had spent 40 years in the same house, building up the same garage, getting together three of all the good tools he would need to work on his beautiful MG-B in british racing green. it broke my heart to lose him, and see my lady lose him, and know that he had built so much time and potential and good life for the future, only to lose it all to cancer. **** cancer. it also broke my heart to go through his 40-year-garage, and get rid of all of his stuff. it was great stuff. it was stuff we would have used together. it was stuff he would have delighted in teaching his grandkids, my kids, how to use, and how to clean, and how to put away, but he never ended up getting the chance. so i felt like an inadequate, broke-ass chump to have been handed down a family heirloom, a two-door treasure trove of history and future, only to have to sell it all and give away the rest. i have no space to put anything. i own no land or space. i own bicycles and film negatives and a few pieces of sharp steel and sharper lens glass, and that's all. but the stuff in that garage wasn't 'just stuff'. of course, i know that it was, and i sold it like it was, but it was like raiding a tomb, where hopes got buried. we had to move my mother in law out of the house, and had to purge the garage first, and then the basement, and then the house. 40 years' worth of stuff. 40 years' worth of memories and family and marriage. sure, there were TVs that never got used after the girls left. there were party kits unopened. there were three sets of every socket wrench set. and it took up space. but as a person who can get lost in his own mind for hours on end, remembering, and feeling, and going through all of the meaning he has attached to a single object, all of those memories, it was a lot of stuff that had a lot of meaning, and it broke my heart to get rid of it. yeah, i'm weird. i stand in my parents' basement looking at paintings i did in high school when i knew nothing at all but thought i had some pretty important ideas. i can stare into a fire all night, just thinking and feeling. i can hold the same knife and enjoy its weight in my hand, just its weight, and draw meaning and pleasure from that. it reminds me of my grandfather, whose garage and worldly possessions we also had to purge after we lost him to cancer. and i know that the things we own end up owning us. but i also recognize, in an artistic or relic or anthropological kind of way, that there are objects to which i have attached meaning, whether actively or accidentally, and it hurts me to get rid of them. i know what it's like to burn the love letters of old girlfriends, but i'm not sure if that felt as beautiful as the re-reading i did of them before they were taken by flame.

whatever you do with it, make sure the fire you burn is hot.

I believe people can imprint themselves on material objects in a way.. Not getting all metaphysical on you or anything like that. But when a material object has been used... by a skilled hand... and cared for over time... that value can transcend the original owner an become something that can be appreciated by others. Like paying witness to a master almost.

I'm honored to play certain vintage guitars that I know were truly loved... same with bicycles... same with tools, books or records.

Attachments can hold one back at times, but there's nothing wrong with a few memories taking up some physical space imo. If one can make the room that is...