Welp, looks like I'm buying ANOTHER bike

[fallstoclimb]

I call myself a minimalist -- seriously!!! -- but I'm now actively looking at mountain bikes. Meeting up with a craigslist person on Saturday and I think there is a very, very good chance I will be buying a bike. That will put me at FOUR bikes, and my husband has FIVE.

I always thought people like this were ridiculous but now I've turned into one. Is there a support group?

[Nandy]

My husband and I have 35 bikes together, you've got a ways to go! Bikesbikesbikes. Still cheaper and more fun than a single car!

I think 9 is fine for a minimalist. Different tools for different jobs.

[Trek420]

I always thought people like this were ridiculous but now I've turned into one. Is there a support group?

Yes. And here it is! We're not so much a support group as enablers. We have 8 in our stable ... So far.

[fallstoclimb]

Are we sure its cheaper though??? I just sold my car this past year and uh lets just say that this mountain bike purchase will put my bike acquisitions of the past 18 months over what I just got for the car! (Of course, no gas, environmental benefits, etc etc etc).

I feel completely ridiculous about it, but also can completely justify each bike, and each has a very specific role. But, still, yikes....

[Nandy]

yeah, but you have 4 whole vehicles you don't have to fuel or insure, and the parts are way less! Also way less stress than driving!

I think the key is getting used bikes- they don't depreciate that much if you don't buy them new, and sometimes you find stupid good deals. I got my Dutch cargo bike for $475! That's, like, a few tanks of gas and it's saved far more than that by carrying things I would have otherwise had to use a car for. It's when you start adding in the fancy custom bikes it gets shockingly expensive, but at least they're way cooler!

Sometimes people are floored when I tell them how much my custom bike cost (or any decent higher end bike, really) and they're all "my first car cost that much!". I always want to reply with "so you're saying you bought a brand new car, designed specifically for your exact measurements, painstakingly and individually crafted by a master metalworker, with the best components in the industry, and you never have to put extra money in it just to keep it on the road, for $4,000 total? Or you bought a used crapbox of a car that you actually spent much, much more on and you think it's rational to compare it to my really fancy bicycle". If I were you I'd be all "yes! More space and cash for bikes!"

[fallstoclimb]

Sometimes people are floored when I tell them how much my custom bike cost (or any decent higher end bike, really) and they're all "my first car cost that much!". I always want to reply with "so you're saying you bought a brand new car, designed specifically for your exact measurements, painstakingly and individually crafted by a master metalworker, with the best components in the industry, and you never have to put extra money in it just to keep it on the road, for $4,000 total? Or you bought a used crapbox of a car that you actually spent much, much more on and you think it's rational to compare it to my really fancy bicycle". If I were you I'd be all "yes! More space and cash for bikes!"

Haha I like the way you look at it. I decided that rather than saying I have 4 bikes, I will tell myself I have a road bike, a mountain bike, a commuter/touring bike, and a backup commuter/beater/trainer bike -- which I can justify since I no longer have a car. So that doesn't sound SO bad.

[Blueberry]

I think we just enable. Different bikes for different purposes, right? I just bought a Brompton to make dealing with our bus service more palatable. Found one on sale! I can't talk - our stable is 11 between the 2 of us (though I should sell 1-2 that don't get enough love).

Of course, the day it was delivered, my med school changed their policy and they are requiring that all students have cars (because they suck at organizing rotations and consider a 1+ hour commute each way OK on top of an 80 hour work week - that's beyond unreasonable - it's dangerous). At least we can put off the car another 14 months (finishing up my coursework and Step 1). Not sure how students are supposed to "figure it out" (their words) - financial aid is expressly not allowed for car purchase. We'll be OK, but there are others who won't (and they are, at the same time, trying to minimize student debt to allow more people to go into primary care....).