I once tried to go from 2 down to one. Ended up with 3.

Now have 7. Although there is plenty of maintenance, it’s not too bad as long as I keep on top of it, and as each bike gets ridden less frequently, stuff lasts aaages.

I thought this was going to be a new bike thread. Disappointing.

I think this depends on how varied your riding is.

I currently have a short/mid-travel 27.5 full sus; a do-anything road bike with fat and skinny wheels; and a Brompton. Each does something really quite different.

I recently switched my MTB from a 27.5 hardtail to the full sus. It’s less versatile, in that I used to run the hardtail as a rigid singlespeed over the winter months.

I’m currently deliberating building-up said hardtail as a rigid singlespeed to run alongside my existing 3 bikes…

…and that’s how you end up with n+1.

(I also have to consider the three bikes that my wife and kids have between them!).

I need a road bike a road bike for zwift and winter use and a mtb.
Between those and four family bikes thats plenty to store and maintain.