[James]

Is it just me, or is there some sort of inverse proportion that says the more bikes you own, the less will be running at any given time?
I was having this discussion with a coworker of mine, as I was lamenting the fact that all of my bikes seem to have one little issue at the moment, and that my only currently rideable bike is my singlespeed.
He had that same issue until last weekend, when he spent an entire day working on bikes, and was proud to report a 8/9 ridable quiver.
I'm quite a bit lower than that, probably 1/10 right now due to some issues.
I think the cause is, one bike has a problem, so instead of fixing it, I just go "oh, I'll just ride this one." And so on down the line until I've left with 1 bike that goes when I turn the pedals.
List for the weekend includes:
Swap cranks back onto backup road bike
Bleed brakes on two of the FS bikes
Finish installing new brakes on the hardtail
Install new fork onto the SS
Take the SS's old fork, install it on the steel bike
Front brakes on steel bike
Strip down main road bike (have to send the frame back)
Cut steerer tube on new fork for CX bike
And a couple of other things that involve me taking stock of what I need, and ordering parts for the weekend tomorrow.

I mean, I know I'm lazy, but I remember when I just had one bike, it was always rideable.

Anyone else notice this?

 

[Heidi]

Hmm, no, all mine are in working order. I have Derek to thank for this though

 

[TreeSaw]

Actually, all of mine are currently in working order too! :biggrin:

 

[OGRipper]

Yeah for sure. More parts = more parts that need attention, and the easier is it is to ignore and ride something else for a day. Some think that owning more bikes means less maintenance since each bike is ridden less but I have found that to be a fairy tale.

I'm currently at 5/6 but having said that it will probably change tonight.

 

[DRB]

I'm too lazy to read your entire post, so its amazing when I can find a bike to ride that half way works.

 

[RhinofromWA]

Seems like anything over 2 bikes and mine start to get englected....or ignored.

Trail/Commuter and DH is what I have now and my DH rig has been neglected/ignored.

 

[BurlyShirley]

I only have one bike. It usually works.

 

[KavuRider]

Same thing happens to me. Only one out of three is rideable right now.

 

[H8R]

and that my only currently rideable bike is my singlespeed.

Ding ding ding!

Yer learnin, kid.

 

[reflux]

I'm currently at 2/3. My fs has had a myriad of issues since May, and I'm just now getting around to looking into them. Thankfully one of my working bikes is my road bike, as I had the MS 150 this past weekend. Come to think of it, the bike had no reason to not be functioning, as last year's MS Ride was the last time I took it out on the road. Yeah, not good.

 

[James]

Ding ding ding!

Yer learnin, kid.

Just like I learn you at Halo?
I have it set up with an Eno hub, as the frame wasn't designed around SS, works great once it's set, but man, what a pain. Almost considering a dedicated SS frame. Either that or having Calfee hack off the rear end, and bond some track dropouts on there.
I'm also sad I didn't get the disc version, would look so much cleaner.

 

[Changleen]

3/3 working in perfect order. I very rarely let any problem go unattended for more than a day or so.

 

[OGRipper]

3/3 working in perfect order. I very rarely let any problem go unattended for more than a day or so.

I think I hear something breaking on your bikes right now.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Raleigh three speed: Working, don't know how to fix ovalized headtube.

pigboy's S-Works: Functional.

Specialized Rockhopper: Needs rear tire and tube mounted, rear shifting could use some work.

Bridgestone MB-3 Comp: Skips a little on the smallest sprocket and the big ring.

Road bike: Working.

Haro BMX: Working.

Unicycle: Needs air in tire.

Joker: Working.

 

[SofaKingBanned]

4/5 of mine work.

Tho only one is in really good operating condition.

 

[Bjern Fita]

i've go three but there's a nice spread. carbon roadie, giant rigid ss mtb and my sweet as peugeot modifed, painted and cold-forged road frame running fixed/ss. not too hard keep keep in operational condition.

the one that i can always ride? the simple, hodge-podge peugeot. keep it simple stupid!

what more could i want other than an AM/XC dually?

ten is too much. (please be aware i'm coming from a young-bloke-with-strong-legs pov. don't get me wrong, when i'm older with the associated disposable income i'd love to have more bikes than i can reasonably ride, but until them i'm pretty stoked with the current situation).

I envy you with the half-a-dozen + quiver but please don't try to tell us you ride the **** out of those bad-boys every other day of the week. no bragging but just ride what you've got, as often as you've got.

one is enough and if that's all you've got and you love to ride... you'll never have a mechanical that prevents you from hitting the trails (or the road).

 

[Reactor]

All my bikes work(4 +4 for the wife +2 for daughter). My neighbor thinks my garage looks like a bike shop.

 

[DHS]

you're life just sounds terrible. how about handing over a bike of 2 to me. i'll get them working and test them out for you.

 

[InsideMan]

I use my Demo9 as an all purpose bike, my friends call me the Manimal.

 

[zahgurim]

Mine all work. It's very very rare that something broken sits for longer than a day or two.

 

[goofy]

2/3 are working but i've decided to not get the third one ridable until the spring, because I need to buy a computer and protools for freelance work.

 

[SkaredShtles]

I only have one bike. It usually works.

Usually.

 

[peter6061]

I have been in the same boat before. But right now, I'm 11/11. Everything is rideable. Now, tuned up and in great shape, no. I'll just ride my SS.

 

[N8 v2.0]

It's so easy to just grab the SS when laoding up for a ride. No fuss.

 

[llkoolkeg]

Both of my bikes are in perfect working order for everything except steep, lift-assisted DHing. My Hayes XC/HD hydros cannot take the heat of me grabbing a fistful all the way down the mountain and tend to overheat/fade under such conditions but for other applications, I'm just fine. Ideally, I'd replace the brakes for something stronger and more reliable but at the moment, a new canoe has me fixated. I guess given the limited disposable income option option of new brakes for my bikes or a new canoe, I'm gonna vote new canoe.

 

[Jim Mac]

For once this season, all systems are go!

It is fairly true that the most reliable bike has been the Steelhead SS - no pivot slop, no leaking lines, etc.

 

[MikeD]

I'm trying to pare down to one bike (which started mis-shifting on the last ride...). I now have like 4-5 half-bikes and frames that I need to deal with and/or sell.

I'd like to turn my Sovereign into a singlespeed, though. Should have enough parts around to make that happen.

MD

 

[llkoolkeg]

FYI, MD/DC/VA monkeys, the Westminster swap meet is coming around again(got the email last night) to help you consolidate your quivers.

 

[I Are Baboon]

I have two bikes, but ride only one of them 99% of the time. It's got issues that needs addressing, but I ride the damn thing anyway.

I am conviced that no matter what I do, what parts I swap out, or what LBS I take my bike to, I will ALWAYS have issues with shifting and chain skip. I've stopped trying to fix it and just ride skippity skippity all the time. Fock it.

 

[BigMike]

My problem is i'm cheap, and when somthing breaks on one bike, I steal from another to fix it.

I totally agree with you though. When I used to only have one bike, it was always running. Now i'm lucky if I have 3/5 up. I think I have an extra plague, because even if I just get a flat, I change flats at work all day long, and when I get home, don't want to deal with it!

 

[Biscuit]

I'm 2/5 of the bikes I actually ride. One of those two has issues, but I still ride it.

And I completely agree. When I had one bike, it always worked perfectly. Now there is just too much to do, too much to ignore, and not enough time.

Just like I learn you at Halo?
I have it set up with an Eno hub, as the frame wasn't designed around SS, works great once it's set, but man, what a pain. Almost considering a dedicated SS frame. Either that or having Calfee hack off the rear end, and bond some track dropouts on there.
I'm also sad I didn't get the disc version, would look so much cleaner.

What makes the ENO a pain? I just got one and am working on building an ss. Haven't laced the hub yet.

 

[James]

I'm 2/5 of the bikes I actually ride. One of those two has issues, but I still ride it.

And I completely agree. When I had one bike, it always worked perfectly. Now there is just too much to do, too much to ignore, and not enough time.



What makes the ENO a pain? I just got one and am working on building an ss. Haven't laced the hub yet.

It's a good hub, and a great way to convert a bike to SS, it's probably mainly the fact that I've had to swap the tires on the SS 3 times in the last week, and it can be somewhat of a pain in the arse to set the chain tension perfectly. Then you have to worry about the wheel pulling sideways in the frame, then you have to re-set your brakes again. It may be an issue with the freewheel/chainring size and chainstay length on my bike that you might not encounter on yours.
Having said that, I'm considering maybe getting a disc version so I can clean up the look of the bike a little...

 

[OGRipper]

Then you have to worry about the wheel pulling sideways in the frame, then you have to re-set your brakes again.

Errr, isn't the Eno for bikes with vertical drops?

 

[James]

Errr, isn't the Eno for bikes with vertical drops?

The Eno Eccentric is, which is what I have, they also have just a regular Eno for horizontal dropouts. But when I tension the hub, it pulls the wheel crooked in the frame, i.e. not sitting in the dropouts equally. Gonna try taking a link out, that'll help it sit in there a bit better I think.
Had an issue today with the chain tension coming loose, I think it's just a matter of cranking down on those bolts a bit more though.

 

[Jorvik]

My trusty Cortina 4130 is always up and running. I wish I could say the same about my motorcycle. Why can't motorcycles be as cheap to fix as bicycles?

 

[CHOP]

4 bikes and up to about 3 days ago all 4 were torn apart for various reasons. All 4 good to go now though.

 

[HRDTLBRO]

Both my Gemini and f3000 need the front brakes bled...and I gotta throw a chainguide back on the Gemini, as well...my steamroller fixie is the only thing that works perfectly right now, and it sees the most use out of all the bikes I own. My Super Le Tour is in shambles, but it's a bit of a project bike...i've also got an old school ATX 990 that needs a new fork, but it should be a fun little trail bike once I get it running. I agree with BigMike...I spend all day working on bicycles, and it's the last thing i'd like to do when I get home...

 

[d-sop]

some grease here and there, once in a while, maybe tune the brakes. only got my p2, trusty as hell.

 

[A.P]

DH- Almost perfect. Suspension needs to be rebuilt on both ends (later this week) and I just put on a whole new drivetrain, new seat and front tire. Non-driveside crank is bent badly, but ive been riding it for so long I can no longer notice.

4X/trail bike- fork is 4 years old and cracked in 2 places. Temporary rear brake lever needs to be changed out, needs new bashring, chain is skipping bad, pedals are bent and bearings are crunchy. One of the reasons im skipping racing dual slalom this weekend to race downhill. Rear wheel out of true.

hardtail- fine. needed a new brake cable/housing yesterday and I put one on. The rear tire is a bit old and torn on the sidewall, could use a new ss chain, but otherwise the bike is solid.

 

[psychobiker]

1 out of three but this due to needing new drivetrain