The myth of the all-rounder.

[JL]

I have always had a difficult time owning just one bicycle. It seems
that no matter how many times I imagine the most ideal bicycle model
and setup I change my mind after a few weeks or months and alter the
setup. My solution to this is to have more than one bike, set up and
designed for different purposes or types of riding. There is a
correlation with how much I enjoy bicycling and how many bikes I own -
they seem to feed off each other and both increase because of each
other. This trend changed a little when I found Rivendell. The
versatility of their bike gives the potential for one frame to take on
many different lives and for one bike setup to have enough crossover
into other areas that a near all rounder status can be reached. Has
anyone been able to achieve a one-bike-for-everything-I-need goal? I
think part of the situation is that with enthusiasts of anything the
line between need and want gets blurry.

Jason

[Eric Daume]

With my wannabe minimalist leanings, I kind of daydream about one bike, but I think I would spend too much time changing parts around: different tires for mountain biking, fenders for a rainy ride, a rack for a shopping trip, etc. Realistically, I'm just trying to get down to a core three (from five): a mountain bike that is easily convertible from single speed to 1x9, a road bike, and a commuter/child seat carrier/useful bike with racks, etc.

Eric

[EricP]

No, haven't been able to do that. And not sure I'd want to. For a
few simple reasons. First off, the weather here in Minnesota isn't
consistently nice. So having a bike I don't really care that much
about for bad weather riding (aka winter) is a good luxury. Then
there's travel. Nice to have a bike that can go on trips. Especially
if flight is involved. Not common for me at least. But have a
Brompton ready "just in case."

Lastly, there are times when I want a different ride. Not just the
feel of a different bike, but a different setup. Say from drops to
Albatross bars. It's easier to just grab a different bike than to
switch out bars/stem, etc.

Just personally unable to get down to one bicycle.

Of course, am the same way about guitars. Can't seem to get down to
that one "perfect" guit-box. So maybe that says more about me than
about the bikes and/or guitars?

Eric Platt
St. Paul, MN

[charlie]

I used to feel a little guilty owning five fully functional bicycles
and approximately a dozen more in various stages of disassembly.
My "parts bikes" are mostly used junk but I can and do use them for
parts from time to time. Most of my complete bikes are old stuff from
the 80's except for a newer recumbent and one touring style bike.
Actually I plan to sell three of them and reduce the herd to a single
speed commuter and my touring style "all rounder" bike. I could
actually use just one, probably the Atlantis clone with gearing since
I live in the mountains. My single speed is a partial commute bike
when I get to civilization but I'd like a folder (Bike Friday) for
that. If you ride quite a bit then you really do need a spare,
especially if you commute regularly. Tires wear, as do chains, wheels,
bearings etc. and its nice to have something that you can ride while
you service or repair your main bike. I suppose one could make a
mountain style bike or cyclocross bike do everything with the option
for different tires. I ride with fenders on all my bikes and ride
trails with my street tires since they are wide but then I'm not a
hard core dirt rider. I prefer to ride slow and precise in the dirt so
I don't need shocks. I guess it boils down to what type of rider you
are. My answer is yes, I could do all my style of riding on my touring
bike with wide tires.

[David Estes]

I could do it if I had to, and have an All-Rounder for just that reason.  It's basically a Hilsen with cantis and fancy paint.  I have two wheelsets for it, a 36h Phil with knobbies to turn it into a mtn. bike, and 32h Dura-Ace (spaced to 135mm) with 35mm Paselas for everything else.  I could get a third lightweight wheelset for road use, but I do have a "road bike" to handle my lightweight racer visions of grandeur.  I even have horizontal drop outs on it to convert to a SS or IGH if the need arises somewhere down the line.  When I ordered it, this was all thought out as I could only justify getting a custom bike if it could do everything. 

Luckily at this point in life, I don't "have" to only own one bike.  I have drastically cut down the number of bikes in the household (if five + a tandem could be considered cutting down).

--
Cheers,
David
Redlands, CA

"Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym."  ~Bill Nye, scientist guy

[Mike]

For many years I had two bikes--a mountain bike and a road bike. I
pretty much used the road bike for commuting and was fortunate that it
never got stolen while locked up outside of bookstores and cafes.
There were times when I was worried that someone would pop off the
stem, cut the cables and walk off with my STI shifter levers but it
never happened. This was in SF. Both bikes were well used and well
loved.

When I moved to Portland 3yrs ago I purchased a Surly Cross Check
which became my all-rounder. I did have the road bike, a Lemond
Zurich, and mountain bike, Fisher Rig, in the basement during this
time but never rode them. My CC was a great bike that I used for
commuting, running errands and would take out for long road rides. I
had it set-up as a "poor man's Rivendell" but I was never able to
quite get the position I wanted. I eventually got a Rambouillet and
about a year and half later a Hilsen. I've sold the Zurich and Rig and
so am down to three bikes--CC, Rambouillet and Hilsen. I think I could
get by with just the Hilsen but I can't see myself not having a
commuter/beater type bike which is the role my CC fills. Right now the
CC is set-up as a singlespeed with flat bars, front rack, fenders, and
Carradice bag. I commute by bike everyday regardless of the weather
and so the bike gets a lot of use. I lock it up in the bike barn at
the hospital I work at and have had no problems although I'd be
hesitant to lock up a Hilsen there, especially if it was my only bike.

I think for those looking to have one bike the Hilsen is a great call.
Or the SH. Me... I'm just too much of a consumer and bike nerd. I'm
pretty much doomed to always having at least two if not three on-hand.
I have. I'd like to just leave it at three . I may in the future sell
the CC and replace it with an LHT frame or maybe even a SH. We'll see.
For now I have what I need and am focusing on upgrading/changing some
parts on my Rambouillet.

--mike

[doug peterson]

Since getting an Atlantis in early 03, that's been my ride for 99% of
my mileage. I bought it for touring and liked the fit, ride, etc,
that I just didn't ride my other bikes, and don't do much fiddling
with it. It's overkill for utility riding and I am selective in where
I'll lock it up. Recently I dug out my 20+ year old MTB to use for
utility trips so I could lower my anxiety level about bike out of
sight.

dougP

[David Estes]

And you rode your mountain bike in the mountains yesterday (but with slicks just for kicks)!

[RoadieRyan]

Interesting I have always had this dream that goes in the opposite
direction, essentially an over sized automatic tie rack but for
bikes. I could press a button an slowly rotate thru the bikes..hmm is
today a commuter, cross, IGH townie, light steel Italian racer, or
should I just take the Bleriot again?

I guess that kind of goes against the simplicty thing huh?

> scientist guy- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Johnny Alien]

I don't think the all-rounder bike is a myth. I believe that there
are plenty of bikes that could cover the different types of riding I
do. The problem is that I want ten of those bikes.

[BPu...@aol.com]

   No, it makes total sense to me.

Bill

 

In a message dated 9/7/2009 1:14:43 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, rya...@hotmail.com writes:

I could press a button an slowly rotate thru the bikes..hmm is
today a commuter, cross, IGH townie, light steel Italian racer, or
should I just take the Bleriot again?

I guess that kind of goes against the simplicty thing huh?

[Robert Kirkpatrick]

I don't really think its a myth at all, though I guess really you
aren't talking about the bicycle. Using myself as an example I own
two bicycles, my Atlantis which I ride exclusively and then my old
Novara Safari (another all-rounder type) which I ride only if my
Atlantis is in the shop or has a flat when I'm already late for work.
I do think the backup bicycle is pretty essential for me for those
circumstance, but looking at my records its only gotten about a
hundred miles a year. I clearly could just use the Atlantis and take
the bus or something on those days, but I like the option. If I didn't
already own the Safari when I got the Atlantis I probably would have
just gotten a cheap garage sale bicycle for the back up purpose.
Anyway I guess what I'm saying is that for me I can see owning two
bicycles but I've never desired more. There have been occasions when
I've ridden the Safari for a couple of weeks in a row and its poor fit
leaves me sore and wishing my backup bicycle was as comfortable as my
Atlantis. If though I got another better fit bicycle I'd sell the
Safari.

-Robert

[Dave Craig]

One of the most interesting threads we've had . . .

I've grappled with the larger concepts of consumerism and voluntary
simplicity for much of my adult life. Spend any time in the developing
world and it's hard not to question why one really *needs* more than
one bike - let alone even one Rivendell at a cost of what many in the
world may not make in salary in a year.

I'll admit that I own many bikes and that I am seemingly always on the
verge of "one more." I use each of my bikes regularly for recreation
and exercise and I seldom drive, so my bikes also serve most of my
transportation needs. I've delighted in building up each of my diverse
fleet of 6 bikes from the ground up from bare frames. Along the way,
I've learned a lot about bicycle mechanics and solving build and fit
problems that I've applied to helping others with their bikes. I
volunteer at our College bike coop and I teach a College class on
bicycling. I'm lucky that my avocation has, in part become part of my
vocation. It has been the process of using and working on my bikes
that has been the important thing for me.

The question is often posed when one thinks about the value of
consumer goods, "If your house was on fire, and you could only save
********, what would it be?" In relation to bikes, my answer is "the
one closest to the door!" Luckily, most bikes are inherently cheap,
useful and efficient transportation. Every bike that I'd care to ride
is an "all-rounder" from that perspective.

Dave

[JoelMatthews]

I have two bikes right now, a loaded tourer and a commuter. Arguably,
one bike could handle both jobs, but I've not been able to get it
right.

The touring bike has Tubus racks, built to hold panniers tight and
low. Ortlieb and a few other companies make a grocery bag that works
well, but not as for multiple stops and loading as a basket or poteur
mount bag. Also, the long chain stays, tubing and larger wheels make
it a tab heavy and ungainly in my crowded urban neighborhood. It is
harder to squeeze in to a spot on a crowded bike stand and up and down
the back stairs to my 3rd floor condo. In the winter, Chicago snow
means salt and street grime galore on the street which wreak havoc
with the gears. Drop bars are great on tour riding on the open road.
I prefer riding upright with swept back bars in the city. The old
campy stradas, toe clips and straps are great for digging in and
pedaling for hours. Not so great when you have to stop and start many
times in a single ride (I stop for traffic controls).

My commuter is a single speed, porteur racked, swept back bar bike.
It is a couple inches short and pounds lighter than the touring bike.
Ride is upright, bars swept back. Pedals are flat with a half clip.
It is a muvh easier bike for city riding.

I guess I could re-jigger the touring bike for city riding. That
would be a lot of time and effort though.

[PATRICK MOORE]

The solution to this is to do as my brother does, and own up to 80 bicycles but never pay more than $100 for any one; his average is probably more like $50. So, $5K, that's the price of a top line, decked out Riv.

Among his keepers (since most flow through his garage almost like Heraclitus's river) are a 1960s Paramount track bike that I have coveted for years and that has ('s True!) room for 28s and fenders) and various other Paramounts and top echelon Treks, not to mention ti Mountain Bikes.

It *does* help if you live in the rich part of LA and have true scavenger skills.

--
Patrick Moore
Albuquerque, NM
Professional Resumes. Contact resumesp...@gmail.com

[cm]

In my experience, the one-bike-for-everything bike is more in the head
of the bike owner than the bike itself. The reality is that almost
every bike is capable of doing (almost) everything. The issue is
whether or not the cyclist is happy with that level of performance.
You can ride on the road, commute, mt. bike, tour, and more on a
mountain bike. I could ride my all-rounder for everything, though I
may not be able to ride with a group of carbon race bikes, mountain
bike with the FS crowd, or tour with tourists. But I am pretty happy
with the performance of the AR in each category. No matter what bike I
ride, I will never be the fastest, so the improvements in speed from
switching bikes is purely for my own ego.

A central component to a one bike is "making do"-- and that is
something that people seem to have forgotten.

As a side not, I currently have 7 bikes, 4 frames, and 3 unicycles.

Cheers!
cm

[Tim McNamara]

LOL! Point.

I have found that my all-rounder is... my All-Rounder. If you held a
gun to my head and said "pick one bike and lose the rest," I'd keep the
All-Rounder. Even though I've said multiple times "I should have gotten
a LongLow" (and it's probably true), the All-Rounder is my go-to bike
for the majority of rides. My other bikes are each ridden as an
alternative to the All-Rounder ("Should I ride the All-Rounder or the
(insert any other bike I own)?"). With the 559-32 Paselas it is a
superb riding road and trail machine. I just rode it 70 miles today
with Bill C and three others.

[David Estes]

You could have an Atlantis as a back up to your Atlantis!

Grant should just start sending me bonus money for all the business I send his way!

[David Estes]

With all the fires here in SoCal, I actually have a bike rescue plan in place.  Don't get me wrong, there's a family rescue plan as well.  You can have several plans you know.

[David Estes]

That was pretty much the topic of self-congratulatory conversation during yesterday's SoCal ride.  :-)

[PATRICK MOORE]

I disagree, to a point (or, perhaps that's after a point), with myself as a counter example. My custom Rivs will take, at most, a 35, 28 with fenders, and the wheels are small ones, 559 or 571. There is no way I could ride either of these, even with new tires, in the sandy soil of our bosque. There's even no way I could ride these on less soft off road surfaces, since they were built, per my instructions, for pavement riding only. 

In my own case (to continue talking about myself, which fascinates everyone, no?) the most versatile bike in the sense of, dammit!, choose one bike for everything and shut up!, would be the most extreme, the Redline Monocog 29er, since that *can* accept very fat tires with fenders, and also tires as narrow as you wish to mount (doubtless with disastrous results to the handling if below about 35 mm wide). 

Sure, one bike can do everything; you can climb Everest in a tuxedo. But it won't be fun. My idea of an all rounder is (1) that it be biased to do better either on road or off, and (2) that you accept compromises even with this bias.

Personally (me again!) I have: gofast (fixed); commuter (fixed); grocery and beater (fixed); and off road bike (ss).

[Bill Connell]

I've come to think that the all-rounder situation is only possible if
your riding is fairly limited. I consistently put over half my annual
miles on one bike; my Surly Cross-Check. That's my main commuter and
cyclocross racer and i'll take it on road rides that have light trail
or gravel riding. Of course, i also ride my Redwood on roads and easy
trails and gravel too, and it's my most comfortable bike for all-day
rides (like today's 70-mile lunch run w/Timmac and 3 others). But
there are lots of trails that are way more fun to ride on my mountain
bike. I rode that mountain bike as my only bike in dirt and road
setups for many years, but it wasn't a good road commuter. I also like
riding singlespeed/fixed in my daily rides, but for mountain or long
road rides i want gears. No single bike can possibly do it all, so i
basically use four (those plus my 3-speed).

So yeah, if you don't like to mountain bike, and want the same gearing
options on all rides, the all-rounder is certainly feasible, but
otherwise not.

--
Bill Connell
St. Paul, MN

[Dave Craig]

One doesn't putt with a driver . . .

I've ridden all three of my "all-rounder" Riv's in less than 24 hours.
Last night, I wore a suit and tie and rode my bike to a wedding. I've
only got one tie, one suit, and one nice pair of shoes, but I had to
think for a moment before I chose which bike to ride! The Atlantis
looked the nicest according to my five-year-old neighbor, so he
suggested I might look the most "dressed up" on that bike.

This morning, we were presented with a lovely day. My wife and I took
a long, dirt road ride into the mountains carting along a bunch of
water and lunch. Thinking I might like to do a little single track, I
naturally chose the Bombadil.

We returned from the ride, sat for a bit and then decided to head on
down to town for a beer at our local watering hole and then pick up
some groceries for dinner on the way back. Nothing like a single speed
for that kind of mission - the Quickbeam got the job done nicely.

Tomorrow, I head back to work with a need to carry a bunch of awkward
items to my office. I'm also picking up a wheel at the LBS at lunch.
Let's see, I'll need to take my truck . . . the Surly Big Dummy.

I could accomplish everything on any one of my versatile Riv's, my
Soma Smoothie ES or the Surly. Perhaps even the old Fuji fixie would
work. And ya know, I HAVE played an entire 18 holes with just a driver
and it WAS fun. Still, there is a joy and a sense of style in doing a
job well with just the *right* tool. The all-rounder isn't a myth,
it's simply just one way to enjoy the beauty of bikes.

Dave

On Sep 7, 6:11 pm, PATRICK MOORE <bertin...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Professional Resumes. Contact resumespecialt...@gmail.com

[Fai Mao]

Where the AR type bike also breaks down is if you use a bike for a specialized type activity.

A ddownhill bicycle and one for triathlon specific frame come to mind. My tri-specific frame is beyond even the MCFB bikes that you see everywhere and it is a steel frame. It was just hugely faster in a triathlon on that frame, even without a clip-on TT bar because it was made for a specific purpose. I tried to convert it into a commuteer and it didn't work very well. I doubt I could have even riden it on any kind of trail and have it remain in usable condition. Tour on it? You must be joking. But to go 110 miles at 30 mph while staring at the front tire; you bet!

 

--
Fai Mao
The Blogger who sometimes responds to comments

[Gino Zahnd]

On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 3:49 PM, cm<chrisp...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>The issue is whether or not the cyclist is happy with that level of performance.

Exactly. For me, racing cyclocross on a touring bike, or doing an epic
technical mountain ride in the Sierras on an "AR" bike isn't
acceptable. I could get through those types of rides on an ill-suited
bike, but it wouldn't be nearly as fun.

I have-and-ride five bicycles, all with a specific purpose (plus one
in the oven). They all get ridden every single week, with the
exception of my singlespeed CX bike, which gets ridden a couple times
a month until cyclocross season. Then it gets ridden a ton, and my MTB
doesn't get ridden much in winter. I've had the same number of bikes
for the past ten years or so... the bikes change, but that number
doesn't. And even the bikes have started hanging around over the past
few years.

If I had to only have one bike, it'd be a lightweight 700c cyclocross
bike with rack/fender mounts. But luckily I don't have to. :-)

[Esteban]

Yes - why would anyone want only one bike? They're wonderful!

When I think of my bicycles, I think of purpose: camping/touring; fast
road riding; long distance; commuting/grocery-getting child hauler;
off-road/knobbies; single-speeding... I suppose my Quickbeam can do
all those things. That's a credit to the QB design! But why not have
something special and dialed-in for each? Bicycles, even the priciest
ones, provide a great amount of joy for your money (especially
considering the price and maintenance of motor vehicles). So, why not
have a few (even a few all-rounders!) and enjoy all the little
differences?

And I'll always have my Raleigh 3-speed, because it was my those bikes
are my first true love (of bicycles, that is). I don't include that
in my count. With the Jack Browns on my Romulus, though, I give it
sinister glances every now and then - but I just remind myself I can
put on 25s or 28s to justify its presence hanging in my closet when
not on the road.

Esteban
San Diego, Calif.

On Sep 8, 10:45 am, Gino Zahnd <ginoza...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Doug Anderson]

I have room for four bicycles in the shed, which helps me keep the
number under control. The current collection is a custom Riv All-
Rounder, a Brookstone MB-1, a BSA 3-speed and my old mid 70's Ron
Kitching that I plan to convert to 650B. My wife, who rides more than
I do, has never owned more than one bicycle at a time and she keeps
them a long time. Her current ride is a steel Trek 730 step-through.

[PATRICK MOORE]

Gofast (fixed): light and geared slightly higher at 75".

Commuter: almost identical to #1, but with fenders, rack and panniers, lights, and geared at 69". Why not commute on the best?

Grocery and errand beater: for heavier loads or for locking up outside in dubious areas; otherwise, a very nice-riding, well-fitting road bike with fenders, heavier wheels and wider tires, and a 66" gear.

Off-road bike, ss 29er that is also pavement capable.

Others occasionally come and go, but these are the constants.

[William Henderson]

Yes, Atlantis.

wc.

On Sep 6, 8:27 pm, JL <subfas...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have always had a difficult time owning just one bicycle.  It seems
> that no matter how many times I imagine the most ideal bicycle model
> and setup I change my mind after a few weeks or months and alter the
> setup.  My solution to this is to have more than one bike, set up and
> designed for different purposes or types of riding.  There is a
> correlation with how much I enjoy bicycling and how many bikes I own -
> they seem to feed off each other and both increase because of each
> other.  This trend changed a little when I found Rivendell.  The
> versatility of their bike gives the potential for one frame to take on
> many different lives and for one bike setup to have enough crossover
> into other areas that a near all rounder status can be reached.  Has
> anyone been able to achieve a one-bike-for-everything-I-need goal?   I
> think part of the situation is that with  enthusiasts of anything the
> line between need and want gets blurry.
>

> Jason

[Seth Vidal]

On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 4:12 PM, William
Henderson<william.c...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Yes, Atlantis.
>
> wc.
>

When I bought an atlantis this was my goal. One bike to rule them all.
I bought davinci splitters for fast-swap of the stem/bars/etc. That's
all well fine and good. One day I had a flat tire when I came out one
morning and I realized I had no spare tube. Since I rely on my bike
for EVERYTHING I realized how kinda screwed I'd be unless I had
something else to use.

I've considered just having spares of everything, except the frame.
And, of course, I've considered just having a spare frame ;) but it is
handy to have an extra bike for when guests show up.

So I have 2.5 bikes: The primary bike (atlantis) the backup bike
(castro valley), and half of the tandem.

Maybe that backup bike will change over time. There's nothing saying
it has to be the SAME backup bike - just A backup bike. :)

-sv

[Dave Craig]

Doug has presented an interesting issue.

I wonder what we'd find if this question were answered by women. None
have responded thusfar to this thread. ARE there any female members of
this group??

My wife, who is a lifelong rider and who rides quite a lot, is quite
content with just two bikes - a Heron touring bike and a simple,
Specialized Rockhopper MTB. I asked HER whether she could get by with
one bike and she matter-of-factly said, "Of course, the Heron." I
suspect that this has to do with an emotional attachment to this bike
as much as anything else. As evidence, consider that when I bought my
Bombadil, she was more than a little disturbed that I would dare I
break up the Atlantis/Heron team we had toured with for a couple of
summers.

She uses her touring bike for practically everything and uses the MTB
only for occassional dirt rides and commuting. The MTB is set up with
1.5-inch tires, fenders, a kickstand and a rear basket. She told me
the other day that she might like to set it up again with fatter
knobbies for riding single track. Encouraged at this interest in bike-
related change, I suggested that I might take off the fenders and the
basket and . . . perhaps we could buy her a new Betty Foy for a
commuting bike? . . . She was horrified at the thought of taking the
"useful" basket off the Rockhopper and, while she indulged me by
looking at the Betty Foy online, she wouldn't commit to pulling the
trigger (certainly not a female choice of words, BTW). I believe her
last words on the subject were, "We'll see . . ." Weeks later, the
Rockhopper is still in commute mode.

As I consider my female bicycling buddies, students and acquaintences,
I realize that none of them have more than two bikes and that most
have just one.

Do women think the all-rounder is a myth? I have to wonder whether
they even care.

DC

[EricP]

Dave makes a great point. My wife has just one bike. In fact, that's
all she claims she wants. Sure there might be occasional lust for
getting a folder, but then it passes as we don't travel that much.

She also made an interesting comment to me this weekend about bikes.
She is an "off the shelf" person. Just one bike, basically stock.
(Well, except for rack, fenders, lights, handlebar bag.) In fact,
shopping for her latest bike, she decided against a Surly LHT because
too many parts would have to be switched out to make it "right" for
her.

On top of that, my spouse pointed out I have multiple bikes because I
"tinker" with them. (Just got a Schmidt hub and dyno lighting for my
Hillborne.)

That's a very fair assessment.

Eric Platt
St. Paul, MN

> > them a long time. Her current ride is a steel Trek 730 step-through.- Hide quoted text -

[David Estes]

Uhmmm, Lesli, now is the time to chime in...

On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 2:06 PM, Dave Craig <dcr...@prescott.edu> wrote:

I wonder what we'd find if this question were answered by women. None
have responded thusfar to this thread. ARE there any female members of
this group??

<cut>

 

As I consider my female bicycling buddies, students and acquaintences,
I realize that none of them have more than two bikes and that most
have just one.

Do women think the all-rounder is a myth?  I have to wonder whether
they even care.

DC

-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

[Eric Daume]

Tinkering is a good point. Of my five bikes, it seems that one or two of them are down for "service" at any given time. And sometimes I just completely swap two or three bikes' functions: "Hmm, the Crosscheck would really make a better single speed instead of a commuter, and the Gunnar a better commuter than a single speed..." Time to fire up the iPod and crack open a beer.

Eric

[PATRICK MOORE]

My impression is that women generally simply are not as interested in equipment as men are.

IBobwomen: is that true?

[David Faller]

Right you are.  Men are consummate gear-heads.  I have four bikes, only ride the Ram, yet I want more.  I think we just can't help ourselves...

[Ryan Watson]

On Sep 7, 2009, at 11:14, RoadieRyan <rya...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> Interesting I have always had this dream that goes in the opposite
> direction, essentially an over sized automatic tie rack but for
> bikes. I could press a button an slowly rotate thru the bikes..hmm is
> today a commuter, cross, IGH townie, light steel Italian racer, or
> should I just take the Bleriot again?

You mean something like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE4fvwTBtno

[Anne Paulson]

On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 2:06 PM, Dave Craig <dcr...@prescott.edu> wrote:

 

As I consider my female bicycling buddies, students and acquaintences,
I realize that none of them have more than two bikes and that most
have just one.
 

 

I have four bikes I regularly use: the Atlantis set up for touring, the crappy mountain bike with an Xtracycle, the Klein Performance for faster rides, and my favorite, the Atlantis set up for roads and fire roads. The Klein, I'm afraid, is not long for the rotation-- a Roadeo will replace it, though I haven't ordered one yet. And I'm hankering for a Bike Friday for overseas travel.

 

So I guess I'm not a typical woman, then.

--
-- Anne Paulson

My hovercraft is full of eels

[Seth Vidal]

On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 11:12 PM, Anne Paulson<anne.p...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> So I guess I'm not a typical woman, then.
>

I think it's good to not be a typical anything :)

I'm a little envious of you having two atlantises....

-sv

[JimD]

I guess if I had to, I could get by with 'just' my Riv Custom.

I find I ride it most of all and other bikes languish.
The 650b Saluki gets dusted off and ridden now and then.
The MCRB sits forlornly in the corner.
In the meantime I'm pondering how I might be able to wrangle a Roadeo.
I guess carbon's days are numbered around here.

I'm thinking more bikes is better than fewer

-JimD

[RoadieRyan]

Good one Ryan W I have seen that video and that is a bit more than I
had in mind but you gotta hand it to Japan for making such a cool
public bike storage machine.

Eric D

"Time to fire up the iPod and crack open a beer."

Love it, that is going to be my new shop motto.

For the record I have a Alu go fast, a Steel Almost-all rounder, a
heavy costco special MTB , from before I knew any better, that is the
errand/loaner bike, and then 3 project bikes (mixte, MTB, 10 speed)
that will go to other homes when (if?) I ever get finshed with them!
Ok I guess I do like to Tinker.

Oh and I am saving the pennies for a nice lugged Steel bike at which
point the current steel bike becomes an IGH townie/errand/commuter
bike.

Maybe my wife won't think I am such a nut when I finish the mixte
project for her birthday. I can hope anyway.

[Jim M.]

I like the idea of one bike but it doesn't work for me. I ride my QB
and my Legolas off-road as a fun change of pace, but if I really want
to go fast on technical trails, I take a mountain bike. I have the
same issue with fiddles and mandolins, though at this point, I'm
pretty content with about 4 of each, which coincidentally is the
number of bikes I have. Living so close to RBW is a bit of a hazard
though, as I wouldn't mind getting a Roadeo and a Bombadil.

[rob markwardt]

my magic number the past few years has been seven. When people gasp I
tell them "one for each day of the week". After a mini-purge I'm soon
to be down to 5 ...but I have another on the way (I'll share it when I
get it). I've kind of got the vintage bug so when I see an old beauty
I've been coveting in my size it's hard to resist...If somebody posted
a 63cm Jack Taylor Touring bike for sale tonight I'd probably take out
a loan tomorrow. In spite of that my Bleriot is the bike that is
becoming the "one". I really love riding it and it truly is an "all
rounder"...at least for me (but I'm still keeping the others :^)!

[james black]

On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 20:27, JL<subf...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Has
> anyone been able to achieve a one-bike-for-everything-I-need goal?   I
> think part of the situation is that with  enthusiasts of anything the
> line between need and want gets blurry.

Every time I'm about to start my ride and I discover that a tire has
gone flat or a spoke gone and broken, I am thankful that I have had
the good sense to keep more than one functioning bicycle.

One can spend a lot of time thinking about how, if one could have, for
example, three bikes, what's the best way to distribute their
functions to create that most efficient Venn Diagram that covers all
necessities. I've had the commuter UJB road bike, the fixed-gear
folding bike, and the custom cargo bike for the last few years - these
are pretty different from one another. But now I don't have an
off-road bike. None of them are quite enough beater-like for me to be
really comfortable leaving them locked up in the city. None is
presently set up for touring, and none of them have derailleurs, even.
Back to the drawing board? I need more bikes.

James Black
Los Angeles, CA

[Steve Kesling]

Hello Anne Paulson, please email me off group at akes...@pacific.nett about wanting a Bike Friday.  I have a couple, Steve

----- Original Message -----

From: Anne Paulson

To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 7:12 PM

Subject: [RBW] Re: The myth of the all-rounder.

[JoelMatthews]

> I have four bikes I regularly use: the Atlantis set up for touring

Anne, you beat me to the punch. I was going to say bike touring women
I meet while out touring myself typically have a touring specific
bike. Bikes set up to handle self-supported touring are not really
the best choice for riding around town or - this is just speculation
as I do not race (but well informed speculation as I know all to well
the speeds I cannot reach on a touring mule) - for riding in club and
other spirited recreational riding.

A good touring bike is heavier and longer than most bikes. So it is
not fast and will not turn or stop on a dime. The best touring rack/
pannier set ups hold gear tightly in place around axle height for most
of the day. If you had to, you could use a good touring set up to lug
work gear, gorcery shop, etc. But there are much better ways to do
this. A portuer rack or front basket are much better to use. For
example, the new Riv Sackville shop rack in a basket would be an ideal
commuting, shopping set up.

Arguably you could set up a bike with the Nitto big front rack with
panniers on tour and basket for commuting duty. But the Nitto rack is
not as good for distance touring as Tubus Tara or the Bruce Gordon
Front Rack.

It seems to me an important question here is whether the multiple bike
owner also owns a motor vehicle. I do not. If I had a car, maybe I
would not be so concerned about having a perfect commuter and could
use the touring bike for those times I want to ride around town
instead of driving.

[Bob H.]

Didn't have time to read the full thread, but here is my two-cents.

I often look at the bikes in my stable and wonder if I had to sell
them and retain one, which would it be. It would be a toss up between
my Co-Mo Norwester, or my AHH.

The AHH would probably win out, especially if I had couplers installed
on it :).

I originally bought the AHH with the "one bike" project in mind. It's
light enough to be trimmed down for faster club rides. It can carry
the loads and distance for brevets (it has several 600k's under its
belt). It has a dyno with lights for riding at night. It hauls a kiddo
trailer just fine. I can put in bigger tires for light dirt. It is
sturdy enough for light 1-2 day camping trips. If I had to keep one,
this would probably be it...

Bob H.
Knoxville TN

On Sep 6, 11:27 pm, JL <subfas...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have always had a difficult time owning just one bicycle.  It seems
> that no matter how many times I imagine the most ideal bicycle model
> and setup I change my mind after a few weeks or months and alter the
> setup.  My solution to this is to have more than one bike, set up and
> designed for different purposes or types of riding.  There is a
> correlation with how much I enjoy bicycling and how many bikes I own -
> they seem to feed off each other and both increase because of each
> other.  This trend changed a little when I found Rivendell.  The
> versatility of their bike gives the potential for one frame to take on
> many different lives and for one bike setup to have enough crossover

> into other areas that a near all rounder status can be reached.  Has

> anyone been able to achieve a one-bike-for-everything-I-need goal?   I
> think part of the situation is that with  enthusiasts of anything the
> line between need and want gets blurry.
>

> Jason

[Rick]

I agree that it depends on the cyclist's willingness to tolerate
shortcomings in an AR and that that willingness is probably going to
depend on how specialized your activity is.

I tend to think of bike utility as overlapping venn diagrams; there
are areas in which more than one bike is going to work ok, but the
more particular trips require a utility that is exclusive. Right now
I essentially have the AR in my Bleriot and a back-up beater
(paleolithic rockhopper). But I've been thinking a lot about getting
a new bike, and have come to the conclusion (basically through lots of
varied riding on my AR) that I actually want (not need) two more
bikes. (This topic is occasionally discussed at home and with
friends, and my conclusion is probably not the most popular one. In
fact, it is usually attributed more to my own personal foibles, and
not accepted for the logical and experientially-derived conclusion
that I champion.)

First and foremost, I need my daily rider/commuter, which can and has
subbed as a light tourer (bleriot) and moderate off-roader. Frankly,
it does almost everything I do regularly, and is a big whale of a
circle on my venn diagram. I don't do triathalons and am generally
not out to set any records, but I do still want (not need) a bike that
provides me with (the illusion of) a sense of speed, and I don't have
any inclination to modify the bleriot in this direction. So that's
another bike (roadeo?). But practically speaking, I also want
something that can take a heavy load in a pinch both in town and on
the trails for self-supported business, which the bleriot is not
totally up to (Atlantis/Bombadil?)

I'm leaving to the side my interest in the quickbeam and my long term
interest in (possibly) replacing the bleriot with the AHH for the sake
of making this seem a bit more rational. But with three bikes I think
I could cover my velo-universe, perhaps with some overlap but without
the "compromise" of just owning something that touches most of these
areas, like the Atlantis.

I'm also pretty sure that the energy that has gone into my ruminations
on this topic is symptomatic of a kind of late-period decline of the
roman empire mentality.

rbh.

[Mike]

It's funny, if I go out on my Hilsen I always end up thinking "This is
really the only bike I need." But then I'll go for a ride on my
Rambouillet and think "I sure am glad I have this bike too." as it
feels just a little more lively. I also have my Surly CC which I
commute on daily. The Surly has gone through so many changes since I
bought it. I guess if I had room for all the bikes I want I'd probably
wind up with a mixture of Rivendells and Surly.

I don't own a car, never have. Public transportation here in Portland
sometimes feels like a rolling MH/homeless drop-in center so I prefer
to walk or pedal everywhere I go. I commute by bike everyday
regardless of the weather. Funny that I do the least amount of
maintenance on my CC and it continues to roll smooth. If I had a good
secure space to store it I'd get a Big Dummy in a second but it's hard
enough taking my regular bikes down into the basement for storage. I
could definitely put a BD to good use.

I regularly consider selling the CC frame and getting a LHT or SH to
replace it. Right now I'm making some changes to the Rambouillet to
see if I want to use it as my rando bike next year. It'll depend on
how it handles with a HB bag. If it's the same as the Hilsen I'll
probably use it.

Every once in a while I'll be at River City Bicycles checking out
their bikes and get a twinge of lust for a Seven road bike or
something fancy. The twinge usually passes as soon as I leave the
store.

[Melanie]

How ironic! This past Sunday I was out on my nearly-new Bleriot
thinking, "You know, I just love this bike. It's really time for me to
sell/give away all the others and simplify my life (and storage
issues)." And up pops this discussion. Now I'm waffling again. I've
got 8 bikes right now, but I've had as many as 15, albeit dispersed at
the homes of various out of town friends with whom I wanted to be able
to ride. So I don't fit the "typical woman" profile either. And I
"waste" untold hours lusting after the equipment on the Riv web
pages. Ah, if only I could get a pair of those Jack Brown
blues ...............

Melanie

[Fai Mao]

Yesterday I said that the all-Rounder breaks down if you use a bike for a specific pupose like triathlon. I'd add to that today that everyone who uses a bike for more than recreation needs a cheap bike. If my Sam is out side then either my butt or hand is on the saddle. You don't lock nice bikes outside.

 

But, I don't want to ride an errand bike 25 miles for fun

--
Fai Mao
The Blogger who sometimes responds to comments

[thalasin]

Okay, I'll bite on giving the female perspective. I've been debating
the myth of the all-rounder of late myself. Still, not quite what
you're asking.

I have 7 bikes, most of them see regular action. Most of my riding is
of the commute variety, and for that I mostly ride fixed gears. I
have an old Surly Steamroller (Boston Baked Bean) and a mid-70's
Peugeot conversion. I also have a custom Jonny fixed gear that awaits
a new fork due to a debilitating toe overlap situation (long story).
I also have a 1976 Raleigh Supercourse (geared), a 1976 Raleigh Sprite
5-speed mixte, a Trek mountain bike (winter bike) and an orange
Rambouillet.

My story is n+1 when it comes to bikes. I talk myself into and back
out of an Atlantis on a daily basis. I also seriously lust for a
Sweetpea. In a "the house is on fire and you can only grab one bike"
situation, it would be the Riv. But I adore all of my bikes--they are
all very different and are set up differently and the variety makes it
more fun to ride, in my opinion. I tell myself I need to thin the
herd but can't bring myself to let any of them go. There are worse
vices out there, for sure.

I am not particularly mechanically adept, which is why I like fixed
gears so much. But, that still does not stop me from thinking about
bikes, looking at bikes, talking about bikes and loving most things
about bikes.

But then again, I don't think I'm a very typical female in that
regard--at least I haven't run across too many women that share my
sentiments.

Tracy
Denver, CO

[Jim Cloud]

Gosh, isn't asking a bunch of bike nuts if they could get by with one
bike about like asking Carrie Underwood (the main character on the
"Sex and the City" television program) if she could get by with only
one pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes? I do, by the way, have more than
one bike so I'm just saying...

Jim

On Sep 6, 8:27 pm, JL <subfas...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have always had a difficult time owning just one bicycle.  It seems
> that no matter how many times I imagine the most ideal bicycle model
> and setup I change my mind after a few weeks or months and alter the
> setup.  My solution to this is to have more than one bike, set up and
> designed for different purposes or types of riding.  There is a
> correlation with how much I enjoy bicycling and how many bikes I own -
> they seem to feed off each other and both increase because of each
> other.  This trend changed a little when I found Rivendell.  The
> versatility of their bike gives the potential for one frame to take on
> many different lives and for one bike setup to have enough crossover

> into other areas that a near all rounder status can be reached.  Has

> anyone been able to achieve a one-bike-for-everything-I-need goal?   I
> think part of the situation is that with  enthusiasts of anything the
> line between need and want gets blurry.
>

> Jason

[newenglandbike]

When I met my girlfriend, she owned probably about 20+ bicycles. She
had two Fat Chances, a Surly Cross Check (one of the first ones, I
think), a Schwinn Spitfire, some road bikes, Schwinn Fiesta cruiser,
and several other bikes that she'd found at yard sales. The bikes
lived in her basement and garage. She has gotten rid of most of the
yard-sale bikes since then, but there are still a bunch hanging
around. She now runs a vintage clothing store, and I think that
satisfies her need to collect things.

[Chilli]

I had at one time felt as though there was something that would fill
all my cycling needs, but I have long since abandoned that idea.
There are more reasons to have a lot of bikes than there are reasons
to have just one, and if they all get used and help supersede trips-by-
car, then as far as I'm concerned they can be said to be worth it.

For me, that means having a fast club-ride bike, a rain bike, a cx
race bike, a full-suspension mt.bike, my new and vintage steel to ride
with the wife, plus her road and mt. bikes.

That's a lot of bikes in the garage, but they all get used, and we get
great enjoyment out of them, plus they are cheaper to operate than a
car.

[James Dinneen]

Nice collection of bikes. I think an Atlantis would be the perfect addition. Then you would not need or want any more bikes :)                Jim D.         Massachusetts --- On Tue, 9/8/09, thalasin <thal...@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: thalasin <thal...@yahoo.com> Subject: [RBW] Re: The myth of the all-rounder.

[JoelMatthews]

> You don't lock nice bikes outside.

While I certainly do not lock my nice bikes outside all day while at
work or overnight, I have no problem locking them outside while I am
in a grocery store, restaurant, or at the movies.

On Sep 9, 12:48 am, Fai Mao <i.am.fai....@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yesterday I said that the all-Rounder breaks down if you use a bike for a
> specific pupose like triathlon. I'd add to that today that everyone who uses
> a bike for more than recreation needs a cheap bike. If my Sam is out side
> then either my butt or hand is on the saddle. You don't lock nice bikes
> outside.
>
> But, I don't want to ride an errand bike 25 miles for fun
>
>
>
>
>

> On Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 12:46 PM, james black <chocot...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> > On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 20:27, JL<subfas...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Has
> > > anyone been able to achieve a one-bike-for-everything-I-need goal?   I
> > > think part of the situation is that with  enthusiasts of anything the
> > > line between need and want gets blurry.
>
> > Every time I'm about to start my ride and I discover that a tire has
> > gone flat or a spoke gone and broken, I am thankful that I have had
> > the good sense to keep more than one functioning bicycle.
>
> > One can spend a lot of time thinking about how, if one could have, for
> > example, three bikes, what's the best way to distribute their
> > functions to create that most efficient Venn Diagram that covers all
> > necessities. I've had the commuter UJB road bike, the fixed-gear
> > folding bike, and the custom cargo bike for the last few years - these
> > are pretty different from one another. But now I don't have an
> > off-road bike. None of them are quite enough beater-like for me to be
> > really comfortable leaving them locked up in the city. None is
> > presently set up for touring, and none of them have derailleurs, even.
> > Back to the drawing board? I need more bikes.
>
> > James Black
> > Los Angeles, CA
>
> --
> Fai Mao

> The Blogger who sometimes responds to comments- Hide quoted text -

[cm]

I could easily (and have in the past) have one bike. Though I do have
a few of them (7ish) now. But, I also tend to ride one exclusively for
a few months and then suddenly change to the next one for the next few
moths. The one perfect bike? The one that does what you want it to do
the best while doing the other things the least worst. For me, for
years, that was an old Trek mtb converted to an all rounder/ touring
bike. I would say an AHH, Bomba, Atlantis or other touring or CX bike
would be it for me. I would probably choose my Bleriot or AR-- would
need to flip a coin or something. I just spent the last year riding my
AR exclusively; road, mountain, commuting, errands, touring. Loved it.
One bike is a necessity, multiple is a luxury.

"Beware of the man with one bike, he may know how to use it"

Cheers!
cm

[Esteban]

The best things about this thread are all the intellectual
justifications for multiple bikes. That and the idea that I'm not
alone in possessing a flock.

Esteban
San Diego, Calif.

[Tim McNamara]

I own four bikes, my wife has three and we have two tandems. Any one of
my bikes could easily be the only bike I owned and I'd be just fine.
The best compromise of the bunch would be (appropriately enough) my 1996
All-Rounder. It is well suited to every type of riding I do.

[EricP]

A coupla points. First, when getting back into riding, actually hoped
at the time to be a "one bike" person. That didn't last too long. If
only one, at least for me, here in MN, it would mean no winter
riding. Salt has a way of wreaking havoc on a bike frame. Let alone
bike parts.

As to locking up outside, my Hillborne is regularly locked out all day
when I commute. And it's usually locked up near a co-worker's
Bleriot. Then again, the argument could easily be made that these are
not "expensive" bikes. (Regularly see Colnago, Osell and other fine
bikes locked up outside.)

[JimD]

Well I guess one bike might fill my needs but I don't think it would
take care of my desires.

;>)

-JimD

[doug peterson]

I submit the following as evidence that the Atlantis can really do it
all:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28720636@N02/3054501471/in/set-72157609908249398/

IIRC, he has 3 sets of wheels: A standard touring set for most of his
riding; a set for the big honkin' snow tires (yes, you can fill in the
chainstays on an Atlantis!) and a set for CX racing. Not to be missed
are the photos of S24O aborted due to Alaskan weather.

My Atlantis has been in transit to a tour for a week now (separation
anxiety!) so I've been riding my ancient MTB w/street tires. It's
really a pretty good ride and I'm much more comfortable leaving it
locked up at the store or library for a while. So, OK, I'll make it 2
bikes.

dougP

> > car.- Hide quoted text -

[redlin...@aol.com]

I have been lurking for a few years...I'm a woman...I own 7 bikes.I think about bikes and parts more than is normal I"m sure. Just thought I'd chime in.Thanks for all you folks have taught me.
  Sorry I don't know how to cut the fat off the email.Happy wrenching!

Ronni

-----Original Message-----
From: David Estes <cyclot...@gmail.com>
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tue, Sep 8, 2009 5:31 pm
Subject: [RBW] Re: The myth of the all-rounder.

Uhmmm, Lesli, now is the time to chime in...

On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 2:06 PM, Dave Craig <dcr...@prescott.edu> wrote:

I wonder what we'd find if this question were answered by women. None
have responded thusfar to this thread. ARE there any female members of
this group??

<cut>

 

As I consider my female bicycling buddies, students and acquaintences,
I realize that none of them have more than two bikes and that most
have just one.

Do women think the all-rounder is a myth?  I have to wonder whether
they even care.

DC

-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

[Rick]

Howdy, Ronni. Is it me or do folks have bikes in odd numbers? Lots
of sevens and fives. Here's a noble attempt at the quiver of five:

http://www.symphonic-net.com/france1961/my%20bicycle.html

On Sep 13, 11:55 pm, redlinero...@aol.com wrote:
>  I have been lurking for a few years...I'm a woman...I own 7 bikes.I think about bikes and parts more than is normal I"m sure. Just thought I'd chime in.Thanks for all you folks have taught me.

> ? Sorry I don't know how to cut the fat off the email.Happy wrenching!

>
> Ronni
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Estes <cyclotour...@gmail.com>
> To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
> Sent: Tue, Sep 8, 2009 5:31 pm
> Subject: [RBW] Re: The myth of the all-rounder.
>
> Uhmmm, Lesli, now is the time to chime in...
>
> On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 2:06 PM, Dave Craig <dcr...@prescott.edu> wrote:
>
> I wonder what we'd find if this question were answered by women. None
>
> have responded thusfar to this thread. ARE there any female members of
>
> this group??
>
> <cut>
>

> ?

>
> As I consider my female bicycling buddies, students and acquaintences,
>
> I realize that none of them have more than two bikes and that most
>
> have just one.
>

> Do women think the all-rounder is a myth? ?I have to wonder whether