Fantasy solving for "n'

"allowed to"?

I currently have 7 in the garage. Plus 1 in the gym. Which of those I would drop from my collection depends on time of year and where my head/interest currently sits.

Sport road bike.

Tourer.

Gravel bike.

XC / bikepacking hardtail (can be rigid and has a choice of 29er or B+).

Full sus (140/140).

Fatbike (can be hardtail or rigid).

SS pub bike.

Indeed.  allowed by whom?

i have:

An old roadbike

A hardtail MTB

A hardtail eMTB

A fatbike

A utility bike built from a frame found by the bins and the pickings of my spares pile

I have:

Hardtail,

full sus Enduro rig

full sus e-bike,

gravel

commute single speed

dirt jump bike

Sold in the last two years: DH and road bike

would love a cargo bike to replace the 2nd car.

n = 1: hardtail

n = 2: gravel bike, full suspension trail bike (130-140mm)

n = 3: gravel bike, hardtail, full suspension all mountain bike (150-160mm)

n = 4: road bike, e-cargo/commuter bike, hardtail, full suspension all mountain bike (150-160mm)

n = 5: road bike, e-cargo/commuter bike, hardtail, full suspension all mountain bike (150-160mm), long travel “winch and plummet” e-mountain bike (170-180mm)

Problem with this list is that you need to sell bikes in order to move up the list. Rule number 1 is, don't sell bikes, just buy more.

You've also overlooked the fact that you need spare bikes. I mean, what are you going to do if your only suspension bike has a puncture? Ride a hardtail instead?

@thols2

Problem with this list is that you need to sell bikes in order to move up the list. Rule number 1 is, don’t sell bikes, just buy more.

That makes it more interesting. Changes the problem to "given your ultimate aim to have a quivver of n bikes, what is the best order to buy them in to maximise utility at every stage?"

You’ve also overlooked the fact that you need spare bikes. I mean, what are you going to do if your only suspension bike has a puncture?

Duplication is a trivial solution for integer multiples of n.

Yeah even in a fantasy I’m not getting rid of bikes, so this is the progression:

1. commuter

2. commuter & steel ht

3. commuter, steel ht and Alu road bike

4. Rusty old commuter, steel ht, Alu road bike, carbon full suss short travel

5. Rusty old commuter, rotting steel ht, Alu turbo bike, carbon full suss short travel, carbon road bike.

6. Rusty old commuter, rotting steel ht, Alu turbo bike, carbon full suss short travel, carbon road bike, 170mm full-suss e-bike

7. Rusty old commuter, rotting steel ht, Alu turbo bike, unused carbon full suss short travel, carbon road bike, 170mm full-suss e-bike, titanium rohloff belt drive fat bike.

edit: also access to OH blingy Brompton around the time of #4 and the family e-cargo bike around #6

@thebunk I'm guessing that the carbon full sus doesn't get used because the full sus e-bike is more fun?

@kramer I'm guessing by the time I get to #7 I'll be too old to ride proper bikes 😉

I have two after I gave away* (to a bike charity) my roadie and commuter. They are

1. really nice 130mm HT, it's enough of a competent trail bike that I'd be happy to trundle along the canal on a Sunday/ commute to work, do a lap of most trail centres in the UK, or long distance multi day adventure.

2. A really nice 160mm enduro bike that will do for big days out, fly-aways and parks.

I've no interest in roadie, gravel, touring or anything like that (I generally dislike drop bar bikes) so those two cover most of my base needs, and I've not got a massive list of "things that I really should fix, but won't because I want to go riding this weekend" or "TTRSFBWBIWTGRTW", which I think we can all agree really rolls off the tongue.

* Edit, I feel like I should explain. Having too many things gives me itch, so I try to keep it down to things that "I need". Owning 2  bikes makes me less stressed than owning 4. I agree that its weird, what can you do?

I get that Nickc - but not with bikes after all I need them!  Other stuff tho for sure.

Due to a very limited budget I only ever have one MTB at a time now so it always tends to be a "do it all" type. Currently a 170/160mm enduro shred sled which I definitely don't use to its full potential 🙂 so it may get reduced to either a FS trail bike with shorter/more lively geometry, or a 140mm hardtail.

If I had 2 then the other would be a gravel bike. Something for local bridleway rides where a MTB is way too much but a road bike wouldn't be the best choice. Following that I've been looking at a 22" BMX, again for local rides as we have some good DJ and park spots around.

@nickc

Having too many things gives me itch, so I try to keep it down to things that “I need”. Owning 2 bikes makes me less stressed than owning 4. I agree that its weird, what can you do?

Funnily enough (after starting this thread) I’m with you.

If I had too many bikes then they wouldn’t get ridden. A big bike for gnar, a hardtail for gentler stuff and winter, and a commuter/all purpose bike feels right to me.

My n = 4 as that's practical for the storage space I have.

1. Equipped commuter/utility bike.
2. Gravel bike.
3. Hard-core hardtail MTB
4. old Orange P7 cruiser.

The Orange will get the chop if something different catches my eye. I quite fancy a mini-velo at some point and I kind of wish I'd not got rid of the Genesis Day One when the Gravel bike arrived.

Actually thinking about it, this has evolved quite a lot from a couple of years ago when it was,

1. Genesis Day One commuter.
2. Road bike
3. Hard-core hardtail MTB.
4. Rigid singlespeed MTB.

Having too many things gives me itch, so I try to keep it down to things that “I need”. Owning 2 bikes makes me less stressed than owning 4. I agree that its weird, what can you do?

Same here, I hate having stuff lying around that doesn't get used much or has too much overlap so I end up comparing them/wondering which I should use! I did the same with guitars so now I just have the one that's good at most things. I find it stressful too!

“Same here, I hate having stuff lying around that doesn’t get used much or has too much overlap so I end up comparing them/wondering which I should use! I did the same with guitars so now I just have the one that’s good at most things. I find it stressful too!”

Same here! Electric 160mm full-sus for commuting, quick solo blasts or bigger local features, and away trips for gnarlier places; 160mm singlespeed hardtail for most local riding. And I’ve still got my old Brompton at work for whizzing around town.

And an acoustic bass guitar at home that I write everything on, a StingRay bass that I use in my band, and a Gretsch hollowbody guitar. I have about a dozen others but mostly because we need them for work purposes - if it was just for my music I’d rather have as few as possible.

Currently usable in the garage...

n1 - big old Enduro sled (mullet+, 150r/160f)
n2 - do it all HT (27.5+, 140f)
n3 - XC 29er FS (120r/120f)
n4 - bamboo road bike (flat bars)
n5 - pump track bike (26, 100f)