[Closed] n + x

My ideal number of bikes is one. Unfortunately I have two...

Currently have five bikes. Would like an EBike, and a little pump track bike for larks. And a new frame for the commuter singlespeed that I don't ride much, so that I can have a nicer bike I don't ride much. And a downhill bike would be nice

I have:
Hope HB.160
Cotic BFe 160mm
Dialled Holeshot jump bike
1990 Marin Palisades
1995 Trek 970

The HB.160 gets ridden 99% of the time, whatever the weather or the ride.
I keep the BFe as a convenient way to keep and move spare parts
The jump bike gets used 1% of the time if I go to the pump track - I'm not as good as I thought I'd be
The Palisades on loan to a mate as a pub bike - never used it in anger myself
The 970 has skinny tyres on as a "road" bike - not used it in years

So realistically I should have n-3 and keep the HB.160.

3 is a good number for me.

1 "good" full suss MTB
1 hardtail for muddy winter rides and family rides, does the offroad commute too when I am in the office
1 road bike for fitness and when the trails get too sloppy for even the hardtail, sometimes I do a road commute too

Any more than that and I run out of space and energy to keep them all serviced and maintained, as it is there are another 5 bikes that belong to the wife and kids that need storing and maintaining.

MTB
Road bike
Commute bike (which is also a Gravel bike)

Don't see the need for more TBH. I 'get' how n+1 works for some people but honestly I'm happy with three. I'd like a racy XC machine but I doubt it'd get ridden all that much.

Currently have:
29er HT
Touring bike
Good road bike
Old Road bike (now on turbo trainer)
Winter road bike
Cross bike
BMX

If I had money, would like to get:
Fat bike
Full sus enduro mtb, but i don't really have skills to justify spending that much.

If those 6 you listed are the only choices in category X, then 0.
I'd have 1 non-e transport bike if I had room to store it, something like an Elephant Bike or one of those Ofo surplus things probably thought I'd prefer a short wheel base, front box cargo bike.

n is currently 6 having given away the Anthem.

I'd quite like a vintage steel-framed bike as a town/shopping bike.
I really like the look of the Transition Spur but £6k for something that wouldn't get used very often is a bit much even for me.
If you could get a Fat Caad over here I might be tempted, but you can't.
I sometimes think about getting a 29er rigid SS, but that's a bit close to the gravel bike I already have and I'd feel disloyal to my Soloist.

So it appears that x is only 1. Strange times.

If those 6 you listed are the only choices in category X, then 0.

Not at all, what ever you want! They were just the bikes I currently want to acquire and don't yet own. Didn't word it very well.

Not a thread on Add N to (X) then?

N=7 X=0.

There’s a couple I’d like a go on, just to see (20” trials, pump track bike), but I expect I’ll be crap at using them so no desire to own anything else at the moment.

I have one bike to rule them all. I've never really wanted a collection.

The downside is that, if like now, it's broken and I'm grounded.

It might get an E-Bike buddy next year, but lets see if financial Armageddon comes first.

It could certainly be improved with a bit of Add N to X.

To the OP - zero for me, happy with what I've got

4 bikes, lowest I've had for a while and covers many bases. I could get more but struggling with space! Also only have one pair of legs...

So X for my is 0 and x is 4

MTB (rigid but have sus forks) - my 'fun' bike
Cargo bike - surly big dummy, really useful for local errands. Electrifying this would help, its heavy with kids and cargo on
Commuter - Arkose, could be my road bike or gravel bike as well. Used to get a lot of use, not so much right now
Brompton - everyone needs one! Doesn't get ridden often but so handy when I need it

I've had a fleet of different bikes in the past but these days I have condensed my collection down to 3 based on the riding I do.
A short travel light full susser for fast flowy woodland singletrack
A 150mm trail bike for smashing rock gardens in the Peak, Lakes etc
A gravel bike for winter, local tame trails, pootling, and the odd road ride I might do
Sometimes any one bike gets used almost exclusively, at the moment that's my woodland bike, but all 3 have their day

I have:
#1. Old (really old)MTB turned tourer / dad bike
#2. 29er ridgid inbred.
#3. 26" giant reign
#4. BMX dirt
#5. BMX park.

In an ideal world I'd like to update #1,#2 and #3 plus I'd like a slack hard tail and quite fancy trying a jump bike. An e-cargo bike for bonus.
So
x = 4 or 5.

N.B convention has it that in the case we are talking about as X is an integer you would use m instead of x.

Two here
- 160mm full-sus
- Hybrid (flat bars, 40mm tyres)

Works well for me.
I used to own drop bar bike, short travel full-sus, hardtail etc.. but realised the above two were my favourites and covered 100% of any riding i do, or would possibly want to do.

With two young kids I don't do enough riding to use any more than that anyway!

n=8, x is probably -3. But I don't like getting rid of bikes.

Hardtail
Full sus
Fat bike

Gravel bike

Summer road bike
Winter road bike
Commuter

Track bike

I don't think that's too greedy...

HT.

.
TourerShopCommuterGravel.

Does anyone else not actually like switching between/riding different bikes? I think im coming to the conclusion that im a N=1 guy.

Full suss
Hardtail
Road bike
bmx
Brompton
tandem?!!?

Pre-kids I had:

Full suss
Hardtail MTB
Rigid MTB

Now got:

Summer road
Spring / Autumn road (too nice for winter)
Winter road
SS road
Hardtail MTB

#roadiedouche 🙁

On the bright side though, I'm lighter, fitter and faster.

Would like another full suss, but can't justify it.

Does anyone else not actually like switching between/riding different bikes?

Depends on what riding you do. In my case I wouldn't want to use my dad bike in a bike park, or a BMX on a xc day out.

tandem?!!?

Yeah, especially one like this

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=emb_title&v=hui8406h-K4

Mines off-road hardtail.. I always ride captain.... it's tough to be stoker off-road! you're riding blind in total trust of the person in front.

As someone who has owned a cargo bike, I'd say that they are for riders who load up on a very regular basis. They take up a lot of room and are heavy, and unladen they aren't really great to ride because you want to ride it like a normal bike but it's not quite that because of the length. better to have a good allrounder and a trailer for the occasion that you need to load up.

I have 3 (road bike, commuter, HT) and that is spot on. If I had a theft and they all went I would replace the road and commuter with one really good all rounder (like a pickenflick or similar).

I think I am in more of an x+1 position, where x=number of bikes in bits.

Currently x=3.

I could do with a fat bike for my gradual tour of Cornish beaches and coastline.

I am definitely a quantity over quality cyclist, although i love all my bikes and they all serve a purpose. I think I am up to 13 at the moment the most expensive being £1,100 s/h but over half were less than £500, last 2 less than £75!

I am lacking a top end mountain bike, my best being a 5 year old Whyte 905, and I possibly have a bit of over lap with 5 different utility bikes. However this reflects the riding I currently do - ferrying kids and trips to shops rather than lads weekends away at trail centers! Maybe this will change in the future and I will treat myself to an electric enduro weapon but there really is no need right now.

The garage is now at capacity with the wifes and kids bikes, trailers and tag alongs so I can see some trimming may be required as the kids bikes grow but I cannot see me giving up on the Big Dummy which is my favourite bike.

One full bounce you, one hardtail and one, whatever the called gravel bikes a decade ago (Kinesis Decade Tripster).

Sniffing around the idea of a posher gravel bike but as I don't ride the 3 I have anywhere near enough, it would squeeze the Tripster out.

I can’t even work it out. Seem to be in a fix.

n (in working order) = 2 (or 3 if a kickbike counts) ie
- 29er - Longitude
- Traditional tourer - British Eagle
- Touring 26/20 footbike - Kostka G5 Tourstar

n-ish = 6 ie as above + 3 currently in bits/need of repair:

- 26” hardtail - Orange p7
- 26” Dutch utility/cargo bike - Batavus Personal
- Retro road bike - Raleigh Sirocco

So

X = n-ish-1 ie repair P7 and Batavus, get rid the roadie.

OR:

X = n+2 ie:

- a decent long-range e-cargo bike
- a decent new/used aggro hardtail with sliding dropouts (to replace the P7)

*Edit anyone else just feel like saying f it, get rid of all (including boxes of mudguard stays, saddles, seatposts, old rear lights, brackets, odd parts-with-no-memory, etc etc) to replace with one simple bike? I have this problem. I remember simple and very happy times just with 1 x ATB. This bothers me.

I'm aiming for just 2.
Ebike -probably cargo type- Currently its the PAckster 40
Standard mtb 26" 150mm cove stiffee. Which is really nice to ride, and it fits me.

Eventually maybe 2 ebikes, a cargo and an mtb.

N = 4 currently.

- Ragley BigWig (didn't get along with the only FS I ever owned), 29er, 150mm, 2.6 tyres. My 'big' bike

- On One 45650b, set up SS, for local razzing and winter slop

- Genesis Fortitude drop-bar SS monstercross. Soon to have full mudguards fitted. Might, at times, fit gears. Just built, not yet sure what it's for, but mucky commuting, utility duties, muddy trails & tracks, and possible rugged bike-packer.

- On One Pickenflick. Ti Gravel bike. For light, fast, fun local blasts and longer mixed-terrain days out. Does lightweight bike-packing. Also a second set of wheels with slicks for occasional road duties.

I seem to have covered the steel-frame MTB rather too well; those three bikes do have quite a lot of overlap, but I enjoy them all in different ways. There is also quite a bit of overlap with the gravel bike too! I could probably lose the 45650b (but enjoy it too much). And/or swap out the Fortitude for a more 'traditional' winter road/CX/commuter bike.

So, not sure what my 'X' is really. 🤷‍♂️

N=4 with a 26 hardtail, a 27.5 hardtail, touring bike and a carbon road. Looking to replace the touring bike with something a bit gravel friendly but might keep it.
I should really get rid of the 26 hardtail or at least strip it back to a frame for storage. And I want a full suss for next summer/

So N=4+(2-1) maybe?

Was doing quite well, n went from 6 to 3, but I accidentally bought a FS last month so back up to 4.
170/135mm FS 29er eBike
140/125mm FS 27.5er
100mm HT 29er with drop bars and 35c knobblies, 44/30 and a road cassette.
Rigid Ti 26er SS

Don't want any road or gravel bikes, don't have the stones for proper DH so the eBike is as gnar as I need really. The gap for me is probably between the FS and the 29er, quite fancy a nice light Ti 27.5, 120mm fork, nothing too aggressive.

So for me, x is currently 1.

Currently I have

SS MTB - Unit
120mm trail bike - Whyte T 129
Fatbike - Calibre Dune
Gravel bike - Arkose

Thinking along the lines of moving the SS and Fatbike on, using the T129 as a donor for a Marino HT and adding a 150ish 29" FS.

N=7 x=1, but not yet.

Full sus,
29+ hard tail
Singlespeed,
Road bike,
Gravel bike,
Commuter,
SS road bike.

All have been used in the last 2 weeks.

X would be an e-cargo bike to take the kids to school. It’s a 7km round trip twice per day and whilst we ride (and tow) when it’s good weather, it’s along a very busy road and up a fairly Steep hill (50mph b-road) , so we’re slow and vulnerable.

E-cargo with two kids seats would be perfect.

Fuel EX 29er
Ti Road bike
Orbea Terra Gravel bike
Scandal 29er hardtail

I thought the first 3 were more than enough but bought the Scandal as a frame on a whim and now love it, if I could only have 2 bikes it would be the Scandal and the Road bike so I guess it would be N-1

N=3 + X=2?

Bird AM9 160/150
Focus Jam2 6.8 Nine 160/150
Giant Defy 2015

Wouldn’t mind a Gravel bike like a Escapade or a fancy disk Road bike but more a want than anything.

Sold both my bikes start of lock down and thought I’d get the ebike and then pick up a trail bike when I could get some demos in, I didn’t expect things to get so crazy that the ebike wouldn’t come till September so ended up going for an AM9 but that’s sort of left me with an ebike and enduro bike that are a similar ish. No regrets mind as the aether9 wasn’t announced then, although I might have gone for that had it been available.