It becomes ridiculous at n+n, where n is greater than the different number of cycling disciplines you ride.

Currently 4, the Trance and Solaris get ridden the most at the moment (torn rotator cuff means no dh or pump/bmx track). The Trance was built for xc and trail/enduro riding, but now with the addition of the solaris, the trance has stickier/tougher tyres and all the better for it.

XC 29er: Solaris
Trail Bike (Trance)
DH (Morewood Makulu)
4x (Morewood 4x)

Currently running at seven.
My 27.5 handmade by me HT with 140 forks
My Gary Fisher hookooekoo
an old retro Saracen Conquest
My beloved Pashley speed 5
Two raleigh pro burners and a 24″ Diamond back cruiser.
All get ridden the BMX’s are a weekend laugh the Pashley is my commuter, and when I feel like riding with the wife.
My 14 year old daughter already has 3 bikes, my son has a 29er and a bmx. my workshop is a busy place.
Way cheaper than a mistress!!!

The most spectacular example I’ve seen is a chap I used to work with had 64 in varying states of build. 14 of them were Alpine Stars Megas!

I’m currently on 6.5, the 0.5 being a unicycle. I’m debating another one but really, for the first time, in a while I’m happy with my fleet.

Re. S-1, I reckon I’ve got another 2 or 3 in the locker before I get to that.

If you count the unicycle as 0.5 I have 1.5….

For me its N=L-1 were L is the number of bikes that will trigger eviction by my live in landlord.

Currently N=6

The Perfect one
The Pretty one
The Versatile one
The Fat one
The Fast one
The Winter one

If I had my way there would be a Downhill one as well.

For me its N=L-1 were L is the number of bikes that will trigger eviction by my live in landlord.

the other version of that is N=D-1 where D is the number that leads to divorce

owner of 3, in a pile of 8, in a space that would suit a max of 4

by my math i should be able to get that SSRigid29r i cant stop considering

Main MTB
Old School MTB
MTB in bits
Road Bike
Hybrid
Pub / lock up in town and not care about bike

Still fancy a few more.

I a have 14 bikes. I have today decided there will be a number 15. I hope diverse is not the result but either way number 15 is being bought cervelo s5 or look 785 aerolight. I may have to sell a couple of old mtb’s just to help fund it but I am loath to do that even though I don’t ride them much simpler because they are so nice to ride.

Three different sussers for varying degrees of gnar and three different commuters for varying degrees of commute! Plus small bikes, plus KTM, plus that random bmx. I do not have a problem

I have-

LT HT – Main MTB
SS MTB – Not ridden in a while
Cross/gnarmac – As close to a road bike as I’m going for now.

Kind of toying with going down to two, I’ve had more bikes in the past but like having less choices. I’ll stick some forks back on the SS and see if it still has that spark.

It gets ridiculous when ‘n’ is the number of sheds you have.

On that basis I’d have 11 rather than 13, but given the 0.5s get ridden more than the others that seems a bit unfair.

You appear to only be thinking about off-road flat bar style bikes there. 3 bikes only gets me a road bike, TT bike and MTB – so what about when I want to ride on the road in the winter without ruining my best bike, race CX, or take my kids on the back?

I think having seen Mr O’s facilities I want a new man cave more than a new bike…
I think tinkering and building has as much appeal as riding for me, n currently being 3 is the lowest it’s been for a while with fully built bikes and I’ve been paid for one Ive sold so new frame is approved! Problem is now I think it would be more sensible to buy a fatty or crosser, or maybe all 3…

I’m glad there’s no SO to get these past!

So long as each bike does something different its fine. Its more effecient having a tool fit for purpose.

So
Nomad – summer riding and gnar.
Pp shan – winter riding and slightly slower gnarr
Giant Anthem -fast xc stuff.
Boardman Carbon -for the etape each year.

Mrs has a stumpjumper(for mtb) and an allez (for road)

I also have a part share in a trials bike 🙂

So all different so all fine.

Ridiculous would be having 2+ similar bikes

I like last 10 months I’ve bought 3 bikes

(I did sell one though)

I still feel I need a cargo bike (ute or big dummy) and a brompton, just because

It’ll be 9 bikes in our household when I pick up my new CX “cycle to work” bike on Saturday. Would have been 10 if the wife hadn’t sold her old road bike last week. 8 live in the mess that is the garage, however her new Roubaix lives in the house. I suspect it’s going to be getting my side of the bed and I’ll be relegated to the spare room.

My share of that lot comes down to:
Road bike (Cube Peloton Pro)
Mountain bike (29er HT Cube Attention)
Old mountain bike (26er FS Kona Kikapu)
Hybrid for shopping/pub/touring duties (Spesh Sirrus)
CX (Revolution Cross Sport Disc)

So my lot is worth less than the wife’s new road bike. Think this needs to be addressed

At what point does n+1 become too much?

Right away. As soon as biking becomes about owning more things, you’ve lost. I’d rather own a single bike and have limitless time to ride it than an ever-expanding box-ticking exercise in futile ownership. Don’t get me wrong, I can see why people want more than one bike, but the whole glib N+1 makes me feel a little nauseous. YMMV etc. 😐

but the whole glib N+1 makes me feel a little nauseous

do you prefer having 1 bike and the term “quiver killer”?

do you prefer having 1 bike and the term “quiver killer”?

Na, I just like riding. It’s not so much that I think there’s something wrong with owning more than one bike, it’s the whole slavering consumerism that ‘N+1-ism’ seems to encapsulate. You know, ‘I already own 375 bikes, but it’s only natural to want 376… so I’m using after a 650b+ rigid singlespeed made from wood’. It’s taking mindless consumerism and applying it to bikes.

I’d almost rather be an audaxer…

I’d rather own a single bike and have limitless time to ride it than an ever-expanding box-ticking exercise in futile ownership.

I think most of us would – but buying bikes doesn’t cost us riding time, and not buying them wouldn’t automatically give us a few extra days off a week. I wish it did!

As Stevemuzzy says – it’s all about being able to do things. All my bikes are very different, which allows me to ride differently and really appreciate it. It’s not about consumerism either as I hadn’t voluntarily bought a new bike since about 2006 until last November, when I bought a frame. On clearance… like every other bike.

I like different kinds of riding. I like doing rocky difficult stuff fast, I like doing long adventures, I like racing, I like road riding, I like track riding, and I like riding to work.

Nige,your man cave is a thing of infinite beauty, top,top job and one worthy of further inspection — I’m off to search for good bottle of red or smokey single malt 😀

Be good to see you Paul, no need to ply me with drink unless you have an odd request 😉
In fact I did a bit of a tidy & put up a load of hooks on one wall so now have all the spare frames hung up.

The whole project has been good for me as a way of escaping without being away from home.

N+1, at what point does it become ridiculous?

When you start to think…

I’d almost rather be an audaxer

*Goes shopping for number 7*

aracer- you misquoted me 😉

“Three. Anything more than three bikes (all different) is ridiculous. But then a hybrid might be nice for pottering about on so maybe four, then there’s the BMX for being a bit rubbish on so that’d be five… oh… I dunno Maybe it only gets ridiculous if you can’t afford it or you’ve run out of space to store them all.”

The paragraph is meant to be read all together, not chopped up to be deliberately argumentative. Although, to be honest, I couldn’t give two shiney shites what bikes you need.

Munqe Chick and I have 13 between us.

Currently shopping for a tandem, and I’m fat-curious…

And for the sanctimonious, I drive a 20yr old car (when I do drive, I commute by bike), my mortgage is peanuts and will be paid off several years early despite being a basic rate tax payer, and because I don’t get infinite free time to ride (especially with MC, we are on near opposite shift patterns) I like owning bikes that perform/excel when I do get to ride.

How many? Enough that you can keep riding, even when stuff brakes/needs servicing/warranty

Both mtbs were down last week, as cranks being warrantied on the SS and forks servicing/front wheel being rebuilt on the other.

Fancied an off-road ride, so used the crosser, which also doubles as a road bike with a tyre change.

I also have a commuter.

So, 4 – i think it depends on how many disciplies you ride.

I would probably have 3 if I didn’t commute or ride on the road or ride SS but it’s useful having a back-up because the bike industry is still pretty poor at sorting stuff quickly when it goes wrong imho

Only got into biking/cycling a few years ago and n+1 seemed ridiculous…

Now I have an enduro, road, commuter/hybrid..but I need a CX, perhaps a HT..

That’s one impressive shed MrO. What are hook things called that hold the bikes up against the wall?

I only have 4 in the workshop. I guess technically I have 7 but the 3 in the barn don’t count. Actually 8, I forgot one.

But I have more motorbikes than bicycles, so that’s OK.

Hang on… Crap I only have 8 motorbikes. I guess I need to buy a another one now or I might get mistaken for a cyclist.

When you wake up one morning and realise you’ve been running a bike shop for 20 years instead of getting a sensible job.

OK, I’ve Googled it and I’m still non the wiser. At the risk of probable ridicule… what’s N+1?

N = number of bikes you own

Number of bikes you want is N+1

N+1 is the number you need I believe, not want! 😉

No, n+1 is just what happens. Need and want don’t come into it.

penster – Member
That’s one impressive shed MrO. What are hook things called that hold the bikes up against the wall?

I got mine years ago from On-One IIRC Flinger is the make but they are pretty similar to THESE

it’s functionality overlap for me – I really can’t understand why anyone would want multiple hardtails, but whatever floats your boat.

btw – there is no excuse for having a hybrid, lack of critical thinking 😉

Should I get rid of the pool or the trampoline first? 🙂

Mr O – impressive shed (but far too tidy ffor me, you run the risk of being able to find things in there)!