Too Many Bikes

Right now, not counting my wife's 2 bikes, I have 6 bikes of my own in my garage. While 4 of them are actually fully equipped and ready to ride, 2 are in various stages demolition for parts. Not to mention my vast collection of wheels, components, and various bits and pieces. Of course, what do I want to do, buy another bike! Seems like my Haanjo Comp., purchased this year is not quite perfect. Maybe I should get a better bike -- a truly dual purpose bike. One that can ride fast with the boys on pavement, then perhaps with a switch of wheels, do great in the Rose Mountain Rumble ( a local NH dirt and gravel sportive on Sat.) Yesterday, I met another "old timer" at a local bike shop. Turned out that we were both retired veterans of the USCF Masters age group racing wars, and knew many of the same people. I asked him what he was riding at the RMR. He told me that he was riding his old road bike with tubular (sew up) tires. He went on to say that he has one bike, which he rides mostly on our dirt and gravel roads, and he didn't need another. Hmmmm. I happened to be riding my steel Lemond Washoe  retro road bike yesterday. Heck, instead of riding home on paved roads, I rode back on unpaved dirt and gravel. Not much different than riding my Haanjo. Only, the bike was lighter, faster, and more fun to ride. Maybe I already own the perfect dual bike -- a retro steel road bike, with modern components.

Update - I put a fresh pair of 28mm Conti 4000 IIS with Vitorria latex tubes on my HED Ardenns + LT wheels and took off for a 25 mile dirt and gravel ride in my area. The 28 mm is the largest tire that my Lemond Washoe steel road bike can handle. At that, I still had to deflate the tires to install the wheels. The main problem is the limited clearance of the Ultegra dual pivot road calipers. Not much room, and a potential issue when encountering mud and other road debris. The wheels and tires survived the ordeal of pot holes, rocks, washed out gullies quite well, but I didn't fare nearly as well. Despite under inflating the tires to 60/65 psi (well under the spec. of 115 psi) my hands, wrists, butt, lower back were all pretty sore after the ride. I even had a bit of a headache from the beating I took. By comparison, I did a 42 mile ride on last Sat. on my Haanjo Comp with 40 mm Maxxis Ramblers at 35/30 psi on a rougher route, with virtually no pain or discomfort. The bottom line for me is that the wider tires make a huge difference in comfort  and riding pleasure. Unless you are an iron man, with an iron butt -- 28 mm road tires, even under inflated with soft latex tubes, can't hack it for regular gravel grinding. My 28mm tire set up is quite nice on paved roads - especially chipped sealed - and for occasional forays onto dirt and gravel. I'll keep them on the bike for mostly paved rides. Also, I did notice that I was able to climb with slightly higher gearing compared to my Haanjo - probably due to the light weight of the wheels, tires, and high end steel frame.

Your experience matches mine.  I've got a road and a mountain bike and now 2 adventure bikes.  The Niner RLT 9 Steel is used primarily for what I call wilderness adventure.  It is set up for primarily off road riding.  I run WTB Nano 40c tires and the combination of the steel frame and big tire makes for a ride that is sublime.  My other bike is a Ridley X-Trail, with a carbon frame and is used for what I call urban adventure.  It is set up primarily for combined road/trail rides and for longer and hilly pure road rides,  It is, of course, much lighter and faster.  That said, I've used the Niner for pure road rides (using the wheels/tires from the Ridley) and have also used the Ridley for all day dirt rides.  On the Ridley I've used 38c, 30c & 28c tires.  The 38c were tubed so they didn't stay on long.  The 28c, Schwalbe Pro-One, were my event day tires for the Belgian Waffle Ride in April.  But the 30c, Schwalbe S-One, were my main training tire.  The are amazingly capable from pure road to some serious trail.  It's amazing what a couple of mms make.  So it's too bad you can't fit those on your bike as I think you would like them.  Even so, it's pretty amazing what you can do with a regular 28mm slick tire off road too. 

DrSpoke wrote:Your experience matches mine.  I've got a road and a mountain bike and now 2 adventure bikes.  The Niner RLT 9 Steel is used primarily for what I call wilderness adventure.  It is set up for primarily off road riding.  I run WTB Nano 40c tires and the combination of the steel frame and big tire makes for a ride that is sublime.  My other bike is a Ridley X-Trail, with a carbon frame and is used for what I call urban adventure.  It is set up primarily for combined road/trail rides and for longer and hilly pure road rides,  It is, of course, much lighter and faster.  That said, I've used the Niner for pure road rides (using the wheels/tires from the Ridley) and have also used the Ridley for all day dirt rides.  On the Ridley I've used 38c, 30c & 28c tires.  The 38c were tubed so they didn't stay on long.  The 28c, Schwalbe Pro-One, were my event day tires for the Belgian Waffle Ride in April.  But the 30c, Schwalbe S-One, were my main training tire.  The are amazingly capable from pure road to some serious trail.  It's amazing what a couple of mms make.  So it's too bad you can't fit those on your bike as I think you would like them.  Even so, it's pretty amazing what you can do with a regular 28mm slick tire off road too. 

Yes - "Horses for courses". Going back to plan A --- upgrade my Haanjo to a better gravel bike. Not that the Haanjo is a bad bike --- but now that I'm riding dirt and gravel more regularly, I guess that I can move up the bike food chain. Maybe the Chebacco? :http://www.gravelcyclist.com/bicycle-tech/featured-bike-joms-parlee-chebacco-as-used-at-2016-dirty-kanza-200/ . Parlee's HQ is just down the road from me in Mass.

The Parlee looks like a very nice bike.  It's somewhat similar to my Ridley as it looks like it has very road oriented geometry while still able to handle very large tires.  The Parlee does have though a slightly longer head tube and a shorter wheelbase.  Also, the Ridley can only fit a 38c tire on the back, rather a disappointment, though a 40c will fit in front.

https://www.ridley-bikes.com/be/en/bikes/allroad/x-trail/48/x-trail-c30-xtr-01bm.html

I must add that the Niner was mostly an impulse buy as I had only recently purchased the Ridley.  It was one of the 10 bikes that Niner sells annually to benefit IMBA, this year via eBay auction.  So I thought it was for a good cause and it came with a set of Blackburn bags too.  And a good price too.  Even so, I was 2nd guessing myself while I was waiting for it to be built and delivered as it seemed redundant.  But it fits into the lineup quite nicely and everything else about it has been a pleasant surprise.  And especially so as I've got some repair work to do on the Ridley - nice to have a backup.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2015/12/14/niner-unveils-2016-imba-edition-rlt9-steel-gravel-bike-nine-of-em-up-for-grabs/

The good new is that there seems to be a large amount of very nice bikes out there now and more being produced every day.

DrSpoke wrote:The Parlee looks like a very nice bike.  It's somewhat similar to my Ridley as it looks like it has very road oriented geometry while still able to handle very large tires.  The Parlee does have though a slightly longer head tube and a shorter wheelbase.  Also, the Ridley can only fit a 38c tire on the back, rather a disappointment, though a 40c will fit in front.

https://www.ridley-bikes.com/be/en/bikes/allroad/x-trail/48/x-trail-c30-xtr-01bm.html

I must add that the Niner was mostly an impulse buy as I had only recently purchased the Ridley.  It was one of the 10 bikes that Niner sells annually to benefit IMBA, this year via eBay auction.  So I thought it was for a good cause and it came with a set of Blackburn bags too.  And a good price too.  Even so, I was 2nd guessing myself while I was waiting for it to be built and delivered as it seemed redundant.  But it fits into the lineup quite nicely and everything else about it has been a pleasant surprise.  And especially so as I've got some repair work to do on the Ridley - nice to have a backup.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2015/12/14/niner-unveils-2016-imba-edition-rlt9-steel-gravel-bike-nine-of-em-up-for-grabs/

The good new is that there seems to be a large amount of very nice bikes out there now and more being produced every day.

Yes - I may just finish out the fall on my Haanjo; then start shopping for an upgrade next spring. By that time there should be lots of nice choices.

I'm curious what you're looking for that will "improve" over the Haanjo?  Lighter and faster? Different feel?  More stable or quicker steering? Other???

NoCoGreg wrote:I'm curious what you're looking for that will "improve" over the Haanjo?  Lighter and faster? Different feel?  More stable or quicker steering? Other???

Truthfully - The Haanjo Comp is a great bike for the money. With better tubeless tires that I already installed, not much to complain about. To answer your question though, all of the things you mentioned in your list; plus, lets admit this up front , looks and ascetics also come into play as well. I've just purchased a Ritchie Swiss Cross Canti frame set to be the heart of my Haanjo "upgrade". The bright red triple butted steel Ritchie should be lighter, better handling, and more compliant than the aluminum Haanjo. I also am a bit retro about brakes - I actually prefer canti., or short pull linear rim brakes to disks. They are lighter, easier to maintain, and actually have a greater swept area than disks; and work better in dry conditions. Also, I have a collection of high end rim brake wheels from my racing days, that I can use on the Ritchie; but not on the Haanjo. Here are pictures of the Swiss Cross Canti. from another website: http://theradavist.com/2012/11/beautiful-bicycle-chris-ritchey-swiss-cross/#1 . Of course, The Swiss Cross frame set costs about the same as the complete Haanjo Comp. bike. To anyone looking for a first real purpose designed gg bike, the DB Haanjo Comp is a very good choice. I'm gifting my Haanjo to my stepson who needs a bike like this for riding the dirt roads in our area of rural NH.

Congrat's on the new Swiss Cross. Those are beautiful bikes!  When you're building it up I'd suggest considering carbon for the seat post and handlebars.  I just made this change to one of my bikes and couldn't believe the difference in feel.  Sure it saved a few grams, but I did this purely for comfort and feel.  Because it's easier I first swapped the seat post to see how much it changed the ride.  After feeling the difference of a carbon seat post I went ahead and swapped the handlebars.

For the record, I'm a true believer in the adage that the right number of bikes is N+1 with a maximum of S-1.

N - the current number in my garage
S - the number at which one's significant other will leave

Cheers,
Greg

NoCoGreg wrote:Congrat's on the new Swiss Cross. Those are beautiful bikes!  When you're building it up I'd suggest considering carbon for the seat post and handlebars.  I just made this change to one of my bikes and couldn't believe the difference in feel.  Sure it saved a few grams, but I did this purely for comfort and feel.  Because it's easier I first swapped the seat post to see how much it changed the ride.  After feeling the difference of a carbon seat post I went ahead and swapped the handlebars.

For the record, I'm a true believer in the adage that the right number of bikes is N+1 with a maximum of S-1.

N - the current number in my garage
S - the number at which one's significant other will leave

Cheers,
Greg

Hi Gregg - I've been riding carbon seat posts and bars on my road bikes for years. On smooth roads, not much difference in comfort. They do take out some of the buzz on chip-seal and rougher stuff. I think tire choice and inflation, as well as saddle fit and construction, have a much greater effect on comfort. I recently tried out a Brooks Cambium C-17 saddle. When I took it out of the box, I shocked by the heavy weight. Almost sent it back. Put it on the Haanjo for a test ride. Big difference in comfort. Now I have one on my Lemond steel road bike as well. I've been shying away from carbon lately. Not because of cost, but they are a bit finicky to install. You have to be very careful on bolt torque, and use special paste to prevent slippage. I don't want to have to carry a torque wrench whenever I ride! Just saying ...

Damn, if 6 is too many then I must be a candidate for some kind of hoarder show. There are 19, well 20 if you count the granddaughters 16" wheeled hello kitty training wheel special. Then there are probably a couple more in parts boxes, if they had a frame to cluster up on. They kinda hang around when you build or resurrect them. Then there's no way you'll get anywhere near the money back by selling them so they stack up. I've tried to imagine just having 3 or 4 but which 3 or 4 always becomes the problem. Meh, I can live with it......and squeeze in a 20th....n+1 n+1 n+1

i12ride wrote:Damn, if 6 is too many then I must be a candidate for some kind of hoarder show. There are 19, well 20 if you count the granddaughters 16" wheeled hello kitty training wheel special. Then there are probably a couple more in parts boxes, if they had a frame to cluster up on. They kinda hang around when you build or resurrect them. Then there's no way you'll get anywhere near the money back by selling them so they stack up. I've tried to imagine just having 3 or 4 but which 3 or 4 always becomes the problem. Meh, I can live with it......and squeeze in a 20th....n+1 n+1 n+1

I suppose you have a point. But if I hung onto all the bikes I've bought .... I'd probably need to rent a warehouse. I rode my first race as a 15 year old Junior in NYC's Central Park in 1958. I've been buying bikes off and on ever since then --- that's a lot of bikes. Like you, I've found that selling bikes isn't worthwhile. So the option to is keep them, give them away, or throw them in the trash. Of the three options, I prefer giving them away - if I can find someone who can use the bike. Right now, I'm trying to end up with one good road bike, one good gg bike - which can also be a backup road bike with a wheel change, plus a few special purpose bikes. Here is what I'm targeting by the end of this month;
Road Bike - Lemond Washoe
GG and backup- Ritchie Swiss Cross Canti with 2 wheel sets.
Special Bikes- 20+ year old Canondale R1000 Tandem
                  - Dahon folding bike for guests and as a beater
In addition, my wife has an old Trek Madone Road bike, and a very old Canondale Mtn bike.
This inventory will keep my 2-car garage relatively uncluttered; and fill all of my riding needs. Of course, there are some damn nice new 2017 carbon gravel bikes being shown at Interbike. So, maybe I'll be looking for someone to adopt my new Ritchie Swiss Cross some day!
PS: Given the condition of our poor old knees, an electric assist may also be in my future garage!

bobknh wrote:Update - I put a fresh pair of 28mm Contis. The 28 mm is the largest tire that my Lemond Washoe steel road bike can handle. At that, I still had to deflate the tires to install the wheels. The main problem is the limited clearance of the Ultegra dual pivot road calipers. Not much room, and a potential issue when encountering mud and other road debris.

Shimano does make some longer clearance brakes, but not sure what their compatibility is.

i12ride wrote:Damn, if 6 is too many then I must be a candidate for some kind of hoarder show. There are 19, well 20 if you count the granddaughters 16" wheeled hello kitty training wheel special. Then there are probably a couple more in parts boxes, if they had a frame to cluster up on. They kinda hang around when you build or resurrect them. Then there's no way you'll get anywhere near the money back by selling them so they stack up. I've tried to imagine just having 3 or 4 but which 3 or 4 always becomes the problem. Meh, I can live with it......and squeeze in a 20th....n+1 n+1 n+1

Exactly. And then when you do build up something again, nothing is compatible, so you end up buying more parts again ;-)

Well, there is also buy a bike, upgrade the parts you want to change and then those parts trickle down to a bike you build so I alternate buying and building....it's the selling or getting rid of any that doesn't happen.

Slim wrote:

Shimano does make some longer clearance brakes, but not sure what their compatibility is.

FYI - I just put on some Conti 4000S in a 28c and saw the same problem with clearance. So I took out the trusty micrometer and found them to be almost 30mm (29.5 to be exact).  I measured two tires in several locations.  Tires are mounted on Mavic CXP33 rims which are on the narrower side.  In my case I was trying to squeeze these under some Campy Chorus 11sp calipers.  They fit, but there wasn't much room for gravel which might be stuck to the tire.

In comparison, I have some Panaracer 28c Gravelking tires which measure just under 28mm on the same Mavic CXP33 rims as well as Mavic OpenPro rims.

Cheers,
Greg

bobknh wrote:
Hi Gregg - I've been riding carbon seat posts and bars on my road bikes for years. On smooth roads, not much difference in comfort. They do take out some of the buzz on chip-seal and rougher stuff. I think tire choice and inflation, as well as saddle fit and construction, have a much greater effect on comfort. I recently tried out a Brooks Cambium C-17 saddle. When I took it out of the box, I shocked by the heavy weight. Almost sent it back. Put it on the Haanjo for a test ride. Big difference in comfort. Now I have one on my Lemond steel road bike as well. I've been shying away from carbon lately. Not because of cost, but they are a bit finicky to install. You have to be very careful on bolt torque, and use special paste to prevent slippage. I don't want to have to carry a torque wrench whenever I ride! Just saying ...

Thanks for the tip on the Cambium - I'll definitely check one out!  

I agree with your assessment on carbon, however I've found that using the anti-slip paste is also great for aluminum where I now use it in the stem/handlebar clamp area. I don't have to tighten the clamp as tight for a solid grip.

Cheers,
Greg