Rationalizing a Reduction; Encourage Me

[Ray]

I feel a bit foolish even posting such a message, having read in the
past so many that are similar. Bike-wise, I feel like one of the 1%,
although I am far way from actually being a true One Percenter. So, I
want to thin the herd, as it is so often phrased here, and am seeking
advice from the group. Actually, I am seeking encouragement, as well
as practical comments on the following reduction plan. Will I have my
riding spectrum covered without too much overlap?

Here is what I have:
An Atlantis, fully rigged and used for long-distance touring;
occassionally pulling a BOB trailer.
A first generation Quickbeam, rigged for city commute.
An Yves Gomez, rigged for city commute.
A Bleriot, rigged for any kind of riding.
A Canti-Romulus, rigged for roading.
An un-built, new-in-the-box, Single TT Hillborne, Orange.
A Rawland Sogn mountain bike, 650B (Used primarily on fire roads)
A Jamis IGH commuter (my "beater" for city commute in rain)

Here is how I see the garage after the reduction:
An Atlantis (Or, maybe the Sam) for loaded tours
An Yves Gomez for city commute
A Canti-Rom for "fast" rides
A Rawland Sogn for off-road

[cyclotourist]

I would say keep the QB for a while and see if you use it. It's unique and non-duplicate. If you don't use it, set it free.

Keep the Jamis for your commuter/beater. If it fits well and rides good, much less pain seeing it's top tube getting trashed in a bike rack. If you're like me, you're more apt to leave it locked up in shady parts of town and not stress out on it. Plus you probably wouldn't re-sell it for very much???

Sell the Bleriot and Sam. Both great bikes, but no need for them w/ an Atlantis and a Rom already.

If the Yves is a 60cm, sell it to me!

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Redlands, CA

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[Stonehog]

Ray, that sounds like a perfect garage-full of useful bicycles. I am shooting for my perfect set, too. Right now it looks like:

Hilsen for rando/road duty
Miyata RidgeRunner Team alba'd and basket'd for commute/shopping
Hunqa for mixed terrain/camp/tour
Kona Hei Hei for dedicated MTB

Brian Hanson
Seattle, WA

[PATRICK MOORE]

I sympathize -- one ends up with too much for one's real needs, be it
cycling or anything else. Still, having aquired so many nice bikes, I
personally would ponder this question for at least a couple of months
before I acted -- otherwise, you end up, as I did, getting rid of
bikes that, later, you feel obliged to replace because they really
were something useful.

I'd say ponder especially carefully about the QB -- I've read laments
by more than one previous owner about precipitously selling his.

This is what I've more or less come down to:

Gofast road bike
Very nice commuter
Off road bike that doubles (with other wheels) as tourer and "beater"
errand bike -- beater insofar as, were it stolen, I would only be very
upset and not suicidal.

Of course, there are all sorts of ways to combine duties:
commuter/tourer; off road/beater; road bike/commuter; etc.

And lastly, the real gravy: a (derailleur) tricycle.

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Patrick Moore, Albuquerque, NM
For professional resumes, contact Patrick Moore, ACRW
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Blazing high above your head;
But in you is the Presence that will be
When all the stars are dead.

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[Michael Hechmer]

Ray, you actually have two problems.  The first is which bikes to keep.  That seems pretty easy: the do everything Atlantis, the go fast Romulus, and the IGH Jamis for riding in real slush & muck.

The bigger question is understanding why this happened and how to keep yourself from repeating the problem (OK I own 4 singles and a tandem so I have some experience).  I would suggest you read Tolle's The Power of Now, or The New Earth to help with separating your desire and your Self.

If you really are a 1% er, why not donate some of these bikes?

Michael

[Mike]

I strongly encourage you to keep the Atlantis above all else. You
might want to keep the Jamis beater also since you live in SF and its
good to have a beater. As for road duty... that's tough. But you have
three capable "road" bikes--Bleriot, Rom, & Hillborne. I say keep one
of them for road duty. I say part with the Rawland, Yves and Quickbeam
and which ever ones you don't use for road duty.

I'm at 4 bikes--Hilsen, Bryant randonneur, LHT and Cross Check--after
selling my QB frame a few months back. I go back and forth with the
Cross Check but think I'd like to part with it. I really really love
the LHT too. Ideally I'd reduce to three--Hilsen, Bryant and LHT. But
I gotta say... I really kind of want to set-up a Hillborne. If that
turned out to be as stable with a load as the LHT then I'd think about
selling the LHT off. I'm I'm lucky a 60cm Hillborne will come up on
the list at the right time (ie when I have cash burning a hole in my
pocket) and I'll pick one up.

I actually finally pulled the trigger on a dyno hub and light which is
an obscene amount of money. Seems to be worth it though for my
randonneuring adventures. I hope so...

--mike

[PATRICK MOORE]

> I really kind of want to set-up a Hillborne. If that
> turned out to be as stable with a load as the LHT then I'd think about
> selling the LHT off. I'm I'm lucky a 60cm Hillborne will come up on
> the list at the right time (ie when I have cash burning a hole in my
> pocket) and I'll pick one up.

If you do get a SH, please describe how well it carries loads -- how
heavy and how disposed. I didn't find my SH very nice to ride with
either rear pannier or front pannier loads and I'm curious about
others' experience, to try to find out what I did wrong.

The SH wandered -- uncomfortably light front end -- with typically 30
lb rear loads on a (lowish-strut Logo), and with similar front loads
on a Tubus Tara lowrider I could hardly steer. I wonder what I did
wrong? That is very very odd because I carried up to 45 lb on the rear
of a light, 531 racing frame (stiff Fly rear rack) and, apart from
some initial tail wag (long, 45 cm stays) when accelerating from a
stop, it handled fine.

> I actually finally pulled the trigger on a dyno hub and light which is
> an obscene amount of money. Seems to be worth it though for my
> randonneuring adventures. I hope so...

SON/Edeluxe? I wouldn't say "obscene" compared to the price of, say,
Dura Ace or XTR cassettes ($200 ?#*#&@ dollars for a consumable
item????!!! That's obscene!) but yes, expensive. But the upper-grade
Shimano dynohubs (lube and adjust the bearings!) and the IQ Cyo are
very, very good deals: about $200 plus wheelbuild and they perform as
well as the SON/Edeluxe.

[Liesl]

I echo the comments about keeping the QB. I'm also glad to see the
Yves on the keep list; that one you can ride 'til you're Jimmy
Carter's age. As for a beater, while important to have one, they can
come and go. Good luck. -liesl

[Frank Brose]

GRAB The following:
Gomez
Rawland
Atlantis
Bleriot

Gomez because, Well, it's a Gomez.
Rawland because they can go both ways if need be.
Atlanis because as Mathew Grimm from Kogswell fame once told me, it's
one of the best designed frames ever built.
Bleriot because set up with the right wheels and tires will be just as
fast as the Romulus.
Just my 2 cents worth.

[Brian Campbell]

I would say pick a bike for each purpose and sell the duplicate/remainder. I recently went through a similar purge and ended up w/ the following:

Salsa La Cruz w/ Dyno hub, lights and rack to pull my daughters Burley Piccolo. This bike is also the dedicated commuter.

AHH for longer,rides etc.

Vintage Trek 710 w/ full Campy NR (keep a classic around)

Salsa El Mariachi 29'er mountain bike

Burley 26" Tandem for rides  w/ my son.

I got down from 9 bikes. The truth is that you really only need one and everything else is just preference. In my mind any bike can be a "city" bike or a "commuter" bike. It just depends on what you want to do and how you want to do it.

[Mike]

On May 5, 3:08 pm, PATRICK MOORE <bertin...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> If you do get a SH, please describe how well it carries loads -- how
> heavy and how disposed. I didn't find my SH very nice to ride with
> either rear pannier or front pannier loads and I'm curious about
> others' experience, to try to find out what I did wrong.

As long as it doesn't shimmy with a load it'd be fine for me. Even
when I've toured for a week I've never really carried that much stuff.
I don't see that as changing. Well, unless I somehow got a Big Dummy.
With one of those I'd tour with a lawn chair.

>
> SON/Edeluxe? I wouldn't say "obscene" compared to the price of, say,
> Dura Ace or XTR cassettes ($200 ?#*#&@ dollars for a consumable
> item????!!! That's obscene!) but yes, expensive.

Yup, a SON wide body and Edeluxe. And yeah, you're right when compared
to the price of DA and XTR components.

Ray, as someone else pointed out, the Bleriot could easily be as fast
as the Rom and more versatile. Keep the Bleriot and part with the Rom.

--mike

[ted]

Me, Im not really much for selling off bikes. I tend to keep em
around, so I may not be the one to listen to.
But if the Bleriot, Romulus, and Hillbone seem too similar to you,
cutting down to just one of the three sounds reasonable.
I would suggest dragging your feet and thinking long and hard about
selling the Quickbeam. If you haven't done so already, you should put
a fixed cog on there (with a lock ring) and give that a try. Riding a
fixed gear is definitely different and you might like it. In any case
if you part with the Quickbeam and later wish you hadn't you may find
replacing it with something you like as well difficult.

[EricP]

Yet another one to suggest keeping the Quickbeam.  While the bike could be replaced by a similar bike from, say, Surly, the Rivendell single speeds are special.  Then again, having a SimpleOne, I'm biased.

 

And, yes, keep the Atlantis.  As to the rest, I'm terrible at suggestions, since I have a tendency to rotate through bikes.  But think it through carefully.  Hate to see you sell and then want the bike back in a year or two.

 

Eric Platt

St. Paul, MN

[RJM]

I really like the list you are thinking of keeping.  I would definitely keep the Atlantis too.  The Sam you should be able to sell for what you paid for it since it is still boxed up I would think.

[Minh]

I know it sounds like a record but another one for keeping the quickbeam.  If it's overlap consider making the quickbeam into a city bike with albatross bars.  I think your list is pretty sound, i assume you want to keep the romulus instead of the bleriot for wheel size reasons?  I'd keep the bleriot just so i could ride some of the great 650b tires and i love the bleriots!

[charlie]

I own way too many also......a
vintage restored Campy race bike, V2 recumbent, Surly Trucker,
SimpleOne, brand new Sam Hillborne, the wifes MTB converted Xtracycle
cargo bike and about ten other old bikes and a ton of old parts etc.

I would keep the most versatile machine (Atlantis) and own extra
wheels for it plus all spare parts possible and ride the beans out of
it. I would also keep the QB for a commuter since its such a versatile
frame design. A Bike Friday should be on the list for real commuting
and you can take it with you everywhere so it won't get stolen....no
need then for a beater. The Atlantis can be used off road but a Hunk
would be a better all around keeper if off road riding is on your list
plus it would make a better touring frame also. Not such a fast bike
but as I get older I realize the fallacy of thinking like that about
bicycles.............

On May 5, 10:50 am, Ray <r.sh...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

[dougP]

Ray:

As an Atlantis owner, I urge you to NOT part with it under any
circumstances. It will do everything it's supposed to as well as 98%
of what all the other bikes will do (no bias there, eh?). I've had
mine now over 9 years & it does everything: on road, off road, loaded
touring, etc. (I've no need for a go-fast so that further simplifies
things). The only thing I "need" another bike for is one I can lock
up somewhere for a few hours & not feel suicidal if it's not there
when I return.

As to sorting the rest, it looks like you've got plenty of input.
Good luck with that. You may consider how you got into this
delectable predicament.

dougP

On May 5, 10:50 am, Ray <r.sh...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

[Mike]

On May 5, 8:33 pm, charlie <cl_v...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> A Bike Friday should be on the list for real commuting
> and you can take it with you everywhere so it won't get stolen....no
> need then for a beater.

I like this line of reasoning.

--mike

[Seth Vidal]

I would argue for a brompton over a bike friday. Bike friday's are
good for if you want a quasi-portable/foldable bike which rides more
or less like any other bike. However for real portability and a tidy,
quick fold - the brompton is significantly better

-sv

[Thomas Lynn Skean]

I have a buddy with two bikes... a Bike Friday and a Brompton. Oh, he may possess an old Trek road bike. But if he's ridden it since he got the first of his two folders it's news to me.

OP: your way forward is clear: Keep all your current bikes. And get a Brompton. H-type if you're tall. And a Bike Friday if you ever drive or fly to the start of a tour. I'm just here to help.

Yours,
Thomas Lynn Skean

[Beth H]

It's both a nice and slightly embarassing quandry to have: 9 bikes,
one butt.

I recently sold off my singlespeed (Redling MonoCog) after determining
that, much as I've anjoyed it, my knees can no longer handle
singlespeed mountain biking. That leaves the All-Rounder, the LongLow
and the Surly Big Dummy as my remaining bikes that are ready to ride.

Between the three of them, my bikes don't "so it all", but as a rider,
neither do I anymore.
I think the hardest part was admitting to myself that I had changed
enough as a rider to justify selling off the dross.

Beth in PDX

[Mike]

On May 5, 10:33 pm, Seth Vidal <skvi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I would argue for a brompton over a bike friday. Bike friday's are
> good for if you want a quasi-portable/foldable bike which rides more
> or less like any other bike. However for real portability and a tidy,
> quick fold - the brompton is significantly better
>
> -sv

I'll have to give those a gander some day. I know Clever Cycles here
in Portland sells a lot of them. What I like about Bike Fridays is
that people seem to do some serious touring on them. I like that. What
really changed my thinking about BFs was first meeting and talking
with this guy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335973@N00/4604952537/

And then after seeing this guy's photos I realized that you could do
some serious touring on a BF:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moralinefree/5511909015/in/photostream

None of this is probably helping Ray. But if he does sell off a few of
his excess bikes he'd have the funds and space for a BF or Brompton...

[Ray Shine]

Thanks to all of you who responded. I enjoyed reading all the posts. Beth, my wife would agree and disagree with your reply. She would be adamant in both cases, though: I do have too many bikes, and that proves the second point, having more than one butt, the other being at the top end of my torso.

The folder prospect I am respectfully dismissing. I have owned folders in the past, and rarely ever folded them. My entire commute is by bike, and I never incorporate public transit into that commute, so a folder isn't needed.  My employer has a large, and very secure and convenient bike cage in the basement garage of the building, so my commuter is never locked out on the street to a pole or meter. My second employer allows bikes to be brought right up into the work space.

Many have advised to keep the QB. I admit that I nearly left it on my "keep" list as well. Last year I removed the drop bars and replaced them with Albas, and that is a wonderful commuting set up. But, last year I also picked up my Yves Gomez, and equipped it with albas, a rack, and a wide-range double chain ring set up. That has become my favorite all time commute/short day rides bike, so it will stay in my garage. I'll need to fender it, however, if I dump the Jamis commuter.  For the time, I'll remove the QB from the list. Maybe go back to drop bars.

Many urge keeping the Atlantis. I agree. It was never in jeopardy.

Several urge keeping the Bleriot. I like it a lot, but it is a size too small, and my Rawland will give me the 650B experience. I will keep the Rawland for the handful of times each year that I ride off-road in desert sand conditions and very occassional day rides up Mt. Tam or in the Marin Headlands. I do have two sets of 650 wheels, and have commuted on the Rawland with a set shod in Fatty Rumpkins.

For the road, I like the Canti-Rom, and it was my very first RBW purchase. Fits like a glove.

Always welcome more comments. This is a very cool groupo!

---

From: Beth H <periwi...@yahoo.com>
To: RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sun, May 6, 2012 5:59:26 AM
Subject: [RBW] Re: Rationalizing a Reduction; Encourage Me

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[Philip Williamson]

As I watch the thread unfold, and see the suggestions of new bikes to buy, it reminds me of what happened when I went to sell my vintage camera lenses... I bought a digital body I could use with them!

Atlantis - keep it. If you had one bike and two wheelsets, this would be it. Buy two big locks for commuting. 

Quickbeam - I am prejudiced, but if you had one bike and two wheelsets, this COULD be it... :^) Fixed, with a front basket, this is your new beater.  

Canti-Rom, set up as fast and light as you can make it. 

Rawland set up as burly as you can make it. 

I'd ride three of these on fireroads, or commute on a different three. Flared drops all around. If they're all 700c, you could move a single dyno wheel between bikes, depending on need. It's a shame to sell an Yves, but... someone will love it. 

 Philip

Philip Williamson

www.biketinker.com

[Ray Shine]

That QB recommendation is a great one. Use it as my "beater."  As it is, the frame is already showing its age, and the paint chips and scratches are too numerous to count.  Good idea!  My only concern would be locking, but I have locks aplenty. I don't need but one lock at the work place(s) since those are both secure facilities. But the other city errands I must lock the bike to poles or meters, so I need to be cautious. But, it is beat up looking, and that always helps.  I could even consider keeping the IGF from my Jamis, and work that onto the QB.

---

From: Philip Williamson <philip.w...@gmail.com>
To: rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sun, May 6, 2012 10:04:34 AM

Subject: [RBW] Re: Rationalizing a Reduction; Encourage Me

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[James Warren]

Take the risk, use it, lock it, do your best. The "no reservations" utility you get out of it will add up to a positive thing that will make the risk worth it.

James Warren

jimcw...@earthlink.net

- Remember, my friends, it is better to feel fast than to be fast.

[Minh]

If you have one of the green qb's, i think that's one of the least flashiest bikes around--particulary if you don't have it too kitted out.  with alba bars and a basket it will look like a beater!

[EricP]

For keeping the QB as a commuter/beater, would also suggest going to nutted hubs.  Not theftproof, but often enough of a deterrent to the ne'er-do-wells.  Although it would prevent a dynamo hub. 

 

If deciding to IGH, a Sturmey Archer 3 speed would be the easiest to fit on the bike. (As has been discussed on this list numerous times.)

 

Eric Platt

St. Paul, MN

 

[LF]

<snip> I am seeking encouragement, as well

as practical comments on the following reduction ... <snip>

I think you will be happy with whatever you keep. I know I would be happy to ride any of them.

I'm chiming in to give advice on getting rid of the bikes you want to sell. This is a great time of the year to be selling. However, selling takes a big effort. If you don't have another job, then trying to get top dollar is probably okay.  If you value your time, and would like to have some for work, family, riding, friends, here one approach ....

View completed eBay sales for what you are selling (or something you feel is close) and aim to sell it for 20% less. CL is very time consuming -- ans. emails, showing, negotiating a price. It probably can work for such nice bikes. If you are selling them at 20% off, you will get motivated buyers and less aggravation. 
If you sell them online, such as thru a Google bike group, consider having them packed and shipped from an LBS and charge for it what it cost you. Unless you are an accomplished packer/shipper, it's probably not worth the trouble, and can lead to problems.  Same thing for ebay -- let em go for 20% less then the going rate, but hope for the best.

I'll bet you a nickle that you will enjoy biking and life more with fewer bikes. A 20% hit is a small price to pay.

Best,
Larry

[Philip Williamson]

I have a 3 speed S3X I'm willing to sell... :^)
A Sachs Automatic, too. Both were a lot of fun on the Quickbeam. I just rode a Nuvinci the other day that the local shop has on demo. FUN! Put a smile on my face, but I don't know if they come in 120mm. My SON has an allen-key nutted axle, and I believe PJW sells the special keyed nuts for them, too.

 Philip

Philip Williamson
www.biketinker.com

[Esteban]

See what happens when you count your bikes!?  I try to stay vague about it.

As others have said, the QB would be a fantastic no-thought commuter. You can install metal fenders if you have bolt-on Phil hub - or a bit janky but useful with SKS.  Maybe that could do the commute work that the Yves Gomez would do.  Sell the Jamis.  Hillborne is boxed, easy to sell, big-time overlap with the Atlantis.  Gone. 

As others have said, Bleriot and Romulus have some some overlap.  But the Romulus could be skinny-tired (28mm) spartan road bike, while the Bleriot could be fancy-fendered, front rando bag, Lierre-clad distance rando machine.  That Rawland is a useful bike! ;)  Nice to have an absolute gravel grinder with no worry about terrain for when the conditions or mood calls for it.  Bombing down Mt. Tam via RR Grade is fun on those Neo-Motos.

So, in summary (and this is kinda fun - thanks for the catharsis, Ray):

ATLANTIS: tour, ramble, town & country.  Ride to Big Sur.

BLERIOT: supple 650B rando-zeitgeist rig.  Ride to Pt. Reyes Lighthouse, taking the dirt path through Samuel Taylor.

ROMULUS: spartan road machine. Ride Seven Sisters/Alpine Dam

QUICKBEAM: commuter/city/lock-up workhorse. Ride to the Mission.

RAWLAND: Off-road adventure bike. Ride Hookooekoo trail.

To be honest, I'd hang that YG in storage for a future high-class city bike.

Esteban

San Diego, Calif.

[Chris Halasz]

One more vote of encouragement on the Brompton (not as pretty as my
Bleriot, but I use it a lot more), and one more vote of envy on the
Gomez.

Chris in Tucson