Please, please tell me that I’m not going nuts

[Louis]

Ok, I admit it, I tend to hoard bike stuff, but when you mostly ride 9-spd Shimano road components and like things like DT shifters and old-style Look pedals, prudently stocking up on spares seems like a good idea. (A quote from an e-mail I got from Sheldon Brown back in 2002: “You might reconsider the atavistic choice of down tube shifters.” I treasure that!) Note: I am not asking you to pass judgement on my choice of components. If I didn’t listen to Sheldon, I sure as heck am not going to listen to you.

Here’s the part that concerns me: I’m thinking of creating an inventory of all my “bike stuff” because it’s getting harder and harder to remember what I have and where it’s squirreled away. What if someone posts a Shimano BB7700 bottom bracket with 109.5 spindle in the classifieds? Do I need it? (Answer: No, I don’t have any DA double cranks. There’s all either Campy or 105 or Ultegra, and the DA crank uses a different spindle length than the 6500/5500 series.) Having a summary of all that junk down there in the basement, along with some info on what plays nicely with what would be nice.

So, what’s your verdict, Inventory, no not?

[coylifut]

i say give into the madness and inventory. it'll give you some piece of mind.

[Nil Else]

I'm exact mirror of you except I hoard Campy. I've been trying to do that too but I'm always too busy hoarding... especially since I'm hoarding mtb mechs as well now.

[dave thompson]

Louis:

Yer nuts. Now buy all that bike stuff I have. I'll put my inventory on 3X5 cards for you. Saves time. Time is money.

[H.Frank Beshear]

For those who don't know Louis, he's an engineer, makes understanding his post easier doesn't it :D :p .
Enjoy the new ride Louis hope to see it this summer sometime ;) .

[Blue Jays]

MS Excel works perfectly!

[handsomerob]

MS Excel works perfectly!

+1 :help:

[avalonracing]

Some things just shouldn't be 'improved'. I've yet to find pedals that I like as much as my old SPD-R pedals. The problem is that the newer Sidi shoes won't work with them. Damn!

[DarrenCT]

MS Excel works perfectly!

do that and its pretty easy Louis

[RudAwkning]

do that and its pretty easy Louis

Go crazy with it! Set up all sorts of pivot tables and formulas for cross compatibility of components. "Which ISO taper bottom brackets will work with which cranks using self extracting crankbolts, given a 42 tooth inner ring count on a 120mm spaced rear ended frame with non dimpled, ovalized chainstays......" :D

[AgilisMerlin]

I wish i knew where Frank's .....stash was................a cloud in the sky :banana:

[dirtdigger88]

I no longer have a stash- I un boxed all my stuff that I stored away and probably would never use- sold it on Ebay

paid for about 1/2 of my JKS that way :rolleyes:

Jason

[Peter P.]

You're not anal; you're organized.

Keeping a list of what you have is easier than rummaging through the box.

I have spare tires, tubes, rims, cables, rim strips, and brake pads. Sure wish I could remember where it was when I needed it, though!

You should also keep maintenance records for your bikes. It makes it easy to keep track of how long your chain/tires/gears last, whether you're spending too much money, and when it's time to re-grease something.

I keep purchasing records on Quicken to cover how much I spend on each bike, as well as generic stuff like clothing and tools. Keeps my costs in-check.

[michael white]

I keep most of my bikes in the attic. Whenever I start wanting more bikes or bike stuff, I just need to go up there and look, and it usually goes away. Somtimes I forget, though.

[Too Tall]

Ok, I admit it, I tend to hoard bike stuff, but when you mostly ride 9-spd Shimano road components and like things like DT shifters and old-style Look pedals, prudently stocking up on spares seems like a good idea. (A quote from an e-mail I got from Sheldon Brown back in 2002: “You might reconsider the atavistic choice of down tube shifters.” I treasure that!) Note: I am not asking you to pass judgement on my choice of components. If I didn’t listen to Sheldon, I sure as heck am not going to listen to you.

Here’s the part that concerns me: I’m thinking of creating an inventory of all my “bike stuff” because it’s getting harder and harder to remember what I have and where it’s squirreled away. What if someone posts a Shimano BB7700 bottom bracket with 109.5 spindle in the classifieds? Do I need it? (Answer: No, I don’t have any DA double cranks. There’s all either Campy or 105 or Ultegra, and the DA crank uses a different spindle length than the 6500/5500 series.) Having a summary of all that junk down there in the basement, along with some info on what plays nicely with what would be nice.

So, what’s your verdict, Inventory, no not?

Yes. Now take about 90% of it and donate to bikes not bombs.

All kidding aside keep what you reasonably expect to use near term or get rid of it. Personally, I have a few working drawers of cranks, shifters, useable wheels etc. that I "recycle" onto folks bikes who otherwise can not afford new OR these bits make great replacements for otherwise hard to find pieces....I'm guessing you are not like me thus the recommend to reduce.

[manet]

Louis,

as youths, my brother and i spent many an hour
out in the barn helping our dad straighten out used,
bent nails.

he was an engineer.

this was new england in the 70s.

[davids]

Sure!

Want to see my database of every record/CD I've ever purchased?

[taz-t]

Sure!

Want to see my database of every record/CD I've ever purchased?

uh.. yeah actually. Plus a 1-5 rating please.

- taz

[A.L.Breguet]

Hoard.
I'm on Campy 9 speed and will stay there for the immediate future.
Maybe we will see a retro line from 1 of the manufacturers someday. All alloy, no carbon. 8 or 9 speed.

[dbrk]

First, whenever anyone on this Forum feels like acquiring old or new bike stuff is something (anything) of a problem or your spouse wants to know why you need That!, please feel free to use me as your foil of sanity. Say to yourself or to her (or him), "Look, there is this guy who lives in the middle of nowhere in New York State who has..." Fill in the rest because I've likely done it, with all the folly and requisite stupidity that comes with spending money unwisely, piling up piles of useless (or -ful) Junk, buying duplicates without realizing it, or trying out X. Your folly may differ (hereafter, yfmd (tm)) but I'm usually good for most any neurosis, hobby habit, or whimsy you may need to justify.

Now, as for inventory: Inventory? I get way more pleasure out of opening one of the many crates filled with junk I don't need, won't likely ever use, and keep acquiring to find yet _another_ one, likely NOS or NIB, of something I thought I didn't have.

Of course here begins the rationalization of things that I particularly like, being the veritable etymology personified of atavistic (which for those of you who didn't like Latin means great-grandfather's grandfather): Some things are worth hoarding for the sheer pleasure finding them again once you have put them away with a vague recollection and then want to use them... How long will there be down tube shifters? I keep acquiring Campag 9pd indexers, which are virtual hen's teeth, even though they never break (unlike Ergo shifters, btw) and I have no project underway to use them. Also, Simplex tear drop retro frictions but not as frequently because they always seem to be around. The price has gone up but there are tons. There's not much fear that you couldn't get a NIB set of Mafac Racers but try finding a Super Record seatpost for less than $150. Now given what brifters cost ---my personal benchmark of rationalization, you see I say to myself, "...well, this Super Record crankset is still less than a set of new Record Ergo...", which just keep getting easier as the price of brifters goes Raphaing into orbits beyond my irrational cost/benefit calculations--- it's all a matter of what you like. Then again, really nice mini group of, say, Suntour Sprints that index beautifully in 6 or 7 speeds can be had for less than half the cost of pair of carbon waterbottle cages. But really it's not the cost because I know that I can rationalize anything as being too much or too little. We use the "it costs too much" either because it does (and that's a personal budget issue) or because we need a rationale. We can always invent a rationale. Trust your atavistic pal here for that. Nahh, it's what we like and what we like to _do_. I like collecting old junk. I have long shed any guilt drawn from the greater American ethos of Protestant feelings explained by Weber and I don't need a spiritual garage sale to feel better about my inner Zenness. I've thought about trying to list everything I have but I will leave that to the Probate court. In the meantime, I'm going to the basement this morning to find the better part of a Superbe Pro group for a Bridgestone that I just bought, don't need, and likely will ride about three times before I die (which, hopefully, will not be before spring so that I can ride first).


dbrk

[michael white]

Douglas,

got any extra Superbe Pro stuff?

I have lots but wouldn't mind having some backups for the backups . . .

[chuckroast]

Not only should you inventory, you should bar code for easy retrieval. Perhaps build a shed with racking. :D

No harm in having a hobby. It will make things easier at the estate sale.
:)

[AgilisMerlin]

http://www.kinetics.org.uk/assets/images/Superbe_Pro.jpg

[MarleyMon]

...
I have long shed any guilt drawn from the greater American ethos of Protestant feelings explained by Weber and I don't need a spiritual garage sale to feel better about my inner Zenness....
dbrk
you should have a radio show ala "Car Talk" - or at least a podcast.
"Bikes by Brooks, or Rummaging and Ruminating"

[dbrk]

you should have a radio show ala "Car Talk" - or at least a podcast.
"Bikes by Brooks, or Rummaging and Ruminating"

Not even my dog listens to me but you would? Somehow I couldn't imagine that. Now if you want to hear from someone who knows things, I'd bet that Johny knows that when things are atavistic they have something to do with previously existing phenotypical features preserved in the DNA. We Sanskrit types call that "karma", which need not run over anyone's dogma, to say nothing of your bikema and atma. Well, never mind, atmo.

This thread _was_ about being nuts, wasn't it? I hope to qualify since, as I see it, my dominant bike tendency genes have far less phenotypic plasticity than they do Simplexesque retrofriction pleonasm. Consider this sentence a free gift. (rim shot, please...)

dbrk

[WadePatton]

I hoard, no inventory. Makes for untold hours of fun rooting through the boxes. :crap:

Porno-whoops-er, photographic memory helps. I thought I saw that thing over here...

Gladly give parts to those who need them--hoping it's not a problem part that should have been dumpstered way back when. :fight:

Inventory--the new workshop and motivation should create the stimulation for the solution. :banana:

[Karin Kirk]

Louis, you're certainly not crazy (at least not for that reason).
I have a 13-page, 10-point font, Excel spreadsheet of every plant in my gardens, and keeping a record of things is part of the fun of collecting them.

If you have an urge to create an inventory, then definitely go for it! :banana:

[rwsaunders]

It's like a Y2K thing, in terms of squirreling away 9 speed DA parts. My Dad stockpiled water, rice, spaghetti sauce and ammo (9mm and 12 ga shotgun shells) back then, and he sat on the porch at midnight waiting for anarchy to arrive at his door step. It didn't happen that night, but he felt good about it. :cool:

[Johny]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_DNA

[Birddog]

Here’s the part that concerns me: I’m thinking of creating an inventory of all my “bike stuff” because it’s getting harder and harder to remember what I have and where it’s squirreled away.


As DBRK said, part of the fun is opening the boxes. It's a little bit like being able to hide your own Easter Eggs. OTOH, if you have a peg board wall with tools hanging on it, and the tools all have their own "police crime scene outlines" drawn around them, then you're kinda nuts.

Birddog

[rasterdogs]

...
This thread _was_ about being nuts, wasn't it? I hope to qualify since, as I see it, my dominant bike tendency genes have far less phenotypic plasticity than they do Simplexesque retrofriction pleonasm. Consider this sentence a free gift. (rim shot, please...)

dbrk

:banana:


Ok, this one makes me laugh! Rim shot, you betcha!
-JImD

[dbrk]

There are few minds greater than Berkeley Breathed. Here's the latest Opus, which coincidentally is all about collecting junk. Turnip Twaddlers? I got boxes of them right over here...

dbrk

[Ginger]

There are few minds greater than Berkeley Breathed. Here's the latest Opus, which coincidentally is all about collecting junk. Turnip Twaddlers? I got boxes of them right over here...

dbrk

Douglas, we missed you.



Louis, you're only nuts because you think of this NOW and not back in December. Spring is here. You've run out of time for that winter project.