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I used to have a lot more bikes and parts lying around. Many years ago, I was married and much more miserable than I realized. Anything to do with bikes was my sanctuary. I'd buy a part here, frameset there, etc...there was always a bike project waiting in the wings that I could flee to when I needed to get away. Many years of those behaviors led to just simply developing the habit of looking and buying. This place was AWESOME for that BTW.
At the height of my "problem", I had:
- Three project framesets
- 13 bikes
- 10+ complete groups in excellent and new conditions plus all sorts of spares
- 4-5 extra wheel sets, as well as every bike having its own wheels
In the last two years, I have done a lot of emotional labor, especially around understanding healthy boundaries with people at all levels of acquaintance. It's been really transformative and I've truly gotten to the point where I can recognize how much all things related to acquiring bikes had become a coping mechanism for a dysfunctional life. I sold off most of my group sets, saving only my favorite (7800!) for a future build. Made the hard decision to reasonably downsize my collection. It's still bigger than I need, but smaller than it used to be. The hard part has been getting rid of wheelsets...I deplore having to ship wheels because I never have the boxes for them so now there are several really nice wheels that have been orphaned after bikes were parted out.
I spend a lot of time on an e-bike commuting now. Still ride my bikes on the weekends. I tinker a LOT less than I used to. I've never been happier and more at peace with my life.
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My bikes are
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