The unbearable lightness of my empty garage. - Page 2

parris · #16 01-10-2020, 08:08 AM

I'm slightly struggling with paring down what I have for bikes. There are 3 that I just don't ride but I keep them for what they are... I actually built up a previously stripped bike to lend to my niece's boyfriend last summer but before I could get it to them they broke up. Another one is my old race bike that although it's got up to date components just doesn't fit me all that well. The final is a decent carbon bike that was part of a barter deal. It's good but I've just never clicked with it. The 3 bikes are a Bridgestone RB-1, Serotta Club Special, and Specailized Roubaix.

I envy people that can clean out easily.

skiezo · #17 01-10-2020, 08:49 AM

I am trying to get down to a three bike stable this year. Ill see how that goes.
I have 3 or 4 that will be on the chopping block and have one that is kinda in limbo land at the present time.
But I will be adding another at some point. Once I do that im not sure what will happen.
Oh to be at just a couple of bikes.

jpritchet74 · #18 01-10-2020, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erik$

I have been able to keep a couple road bikes at my parents place and this Christmas I bought an old cx at my inlaws' house. Great trick to keep it less crowded at home. Being roughly the same size as my wife has also been a solution to get a new bike through the door. But I do agree with the OP, it is a nice feeling to trim the stable. Some bikes are missed more than others.

This method has helped me greatly. My C40 sits at a friend's house in Hawaii for when I am there for work. Then my Extreme Power and Scott Spark are at my office in Colorado for when I am there for work. When I go to those places its "oh hello there beautiful..."

I couldn't bring myself to trim the heard, so I spread it out.

XXtwindad · #19 01-10-2020, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merckx

I've Kundera'd my way through a few bicycles in my lifetime, though no more than two at a time. I've concluded that it is profoundly satisfying to physically connect with one machine at a moment. When a lot of time is invested in turning the pedals, every minute increment of connection that we have with the machine becomes important. A fraction of a degree of saddle tilt, a millimeter or three of pedal spread difference, or where the brake levers are attached to the bar curve between various machines can distract from the simple pleasure of leveraging the body forward on two wheels. For some, it makes no difference. These lucky individuals can indiscriminately throw a leg over any bicycle and always come home hollowed-out, happy and hungry. For me, it takes a while to settle in so that I become the machine, or the machine becomes me. I've had the pleasure of riding a bicycle for a duration long enough to see it tossed into a dumpster. Once very expensive machines that didn't have one pedal stroke remaining.

I, too, hunger for a more streamlined stable. But "in the sunset of dissolution, everything is illuminated by the aura of nostalgia, even the guillotine."

So, when contemplating selling one of my customs steeds, there's that...

XXtwindad · #20 01-10-2020, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Here we are just nine short days into 2020 and I am down to just two bikes - my Kirk and my Ellis. It is a strange feeling, but nice...in a way. It makes it easy to feel good about obsessing over the minutae of those two - a Phil headset for the Kirk is finally in (had to match the hubs) and maybe I'll get a Phil BB for the DA cranks too (yes, they make them for 24mm outboard) - plus the Ellis is still undergoing some little tweaks here and there.. Dunno. I could get used to this.

Good for you. I'd like to get there. Much healthier place, methinks.

XXtwindad · #21 01-10-2020, 09:32 AM

This thread reminded me of one of my very first movie crushes. Talk about nostalgia...

zlin · #22 01-10-2020, 09:33 AM

put phone in pocket, open garage, take bike out, close garage, go for a ride - problem solved

texbike · #23 01-10-2020, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Here we are just nine short days into 2020 and I am down to just two bikes - my Kirk and my Ellis. It is a strange feeling, but nice...in a way. It makes it easy to feel good about obsessing over the minutae of those two - a Phil headset for the Kirk is finally in (had to match the hubs) and maybe I'll get a Phil BB for the DA cranks too (yes, they make them for 24mm outboard) - plus the Ellis is still undergoing some little tweaks here and there.. Dunno. I could get used to this.

Careful! An empty garage is like a vacuum - it'll suck stuff into it until it's full again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducati2

To each his own but the less I think about things the happier I am. I used to collect Italian cars, Italian motorcycles, bicycles, classical guitars, and archery equipment. Acquiring and coveting things became so time consuming and distracting. Like Tyler Darden said...The things you own end up owning you. I now have one car, bicycle, guitar, and bow. No more motorcycles and no more searching for something elusive, more perfect, better, etc. I now focus on the music and not the guitar, the ride and not the bicycle, the next shot and not the bow. But that’s just me, do what you like and be happy.

^ I LOVE this! I need to take the same approach.

Texbike

rallizes · #24 01-10-2020, 10:03 AM

it's one thing to get rid of some bikes

it's another to stop looking for them because you will soon find one

are you still looking?

that said, good to see the OP possibly getting a handle on what could be called a compulsion

merckx · #25 01-10-2020, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

I, too, hunger for a more streamlined stable. But "in the sunset of dissolution, everything is illuminated by the aura of nostalgia, even the guillotine."

So, when contemplating selling one of my customs steeds, there's that...

Don't let existential threats steal your soul.

azrider · #26 01-10-2020, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducati2

To each his own but the less I think about things the happier I am. I used to collect Italian cars, Italian motorcycles, bicycles, classical guitars, and archery equipment. Acquiring and coveting things became so time consuming and distracting. Like Tyler Darden said...The things you own end up owning you. I now have one car, bicycle, guitar, and bow. No more motorcycles and no more searching for something elusive, more perfect, better, etc. I now focus on the music and not the guitar, the ride and not the bicycle, the next shot and not the bow. But that’s just me, do what you like and be happy.

Woah man, this was deep. Love it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

This thread reminded me of one of my very first movie crushes. Talk about nostalgia...

Ha....guessing we're about he same age, I was big fan of Lena Olin also but nobody was taking the place of Cindy Mancini .....ha

NHAero · #27 01-10-2020, 10:54 AM

Favorite Thoreau quote:
A man is rich in proportion to the amount of things he can afford to let alone.
You, sir, have nailed it! However...

When I find a good home for my old Klein MTB I'll be down to nine bikes. They all get ridden. And they span a wide use range, because the bikes are transportation as well as recreation. Four get regular use. In addition, the Big Dummy goes shopping or to the beach, the ancient Raleigh 20 folder gets left at the ferry because I worry least about it being filched, the Nagasawa fixie is just for fun, etc. I'm debating about the Bilenky tandem, though, we didn't ride it this year. So maybe I'll get down to eight. I definitely am at the one in, one out stage though. If I get a coupled travel bike, the Anderson will go. It's hard to imagine something replacing the Firefly or the Nagasawa!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducati2

To each his own but the less I think about things the happier I am. I used to collect Italian cars, Italian motorcycles, bicycles, classical guitars, and archery equipment. Acquiring and coveting things became so time consuming and distracting. Like Tyler Darden said...The things you own end up owning you. I now have one car, bicycle, guitar, and bow. No more motorcycles and no more searching for something elusive, more perfect, better, etc. I now focus on the music and not the guitar, the ride and not the bicycle, the next shot and not the bow. But that’s just me, do what you like and be happy.