Plus One

How many bikes do you need?

The answer is quite simple if you are a whore like me. However many bikes you own, plus one (or, was that 3?). I am always looking at the next bike...like right now I am fixated on getting a downhill bike...do I REALLY need one, well, if I am honest with myself, not really. But I would use one if I had it and it would probably make my every day ride last longer because of less wear and tear, at least that is how I say it when I try to make it seem like a good idea.

What's in your garage? This is mine and a buddies a few years ago.

Truth be told, I would want one of just about every type of bike...I really love bikes. I want a sexy custom steel hardtail, a fast light all mountain 29er, a dirtjump bike and a big tough plough bike. Then of course there are townies, cruisers, road bikes and cross bikes....yes, I want them all. I want a utility cargo bike, a comfortable tour bike and hell I would even give a fixie a try....I just love anything with two wheels.

As I said, I have been fixated on looking at DH bikes, the bikes on my list are the Banshee Legend, Norco Aurum, Devinci Wilson and Santa Cruz V10...those are lustworthy bikes, you can see why I can't stop thinking about them. But then I think that I really don't need a full on DH rig, let alone can I afford one, so I start thinking about picking up a used Banshee Scythe and building it up as cheaply as possible, because in reality I will not be riding this bike a ton, just for shuttle and park days which really come few and far between. Right now the Scythe is winning the battle in my head...who knows what will be winning next week though...it's quite the battle.

This bike is just sexy...the guy behind the bike...is fast!

As well I have been thinking about 29ers a lot lately, they just look like a lot of fun to ride. The issue I have had with them so far is the lack of strong forks and frames that are built to take the beating that I tend to dish out. This is all changing now with the advent of the Fox 34 and bikes such as the Norco Shinobi and the soon (I hope) to be released Banshee Prime are prime examples of what I am looking for in a 29er. I still want to see a 20mm axle for these forks as well as some better tire options, both of which I hear are coming in the next year or so. I was set to get a prototype Prime frame but sadly had to back out of the testing - I am not happy that I had to do it, but am pretty certain that when this bike gets released I will be picking it up.

All I hear are good things about this bike....WANT!

Then there are so many other bikes I would love to add to my stable as well, I think that Naked bikes are so damn sexy...I have loved custom bikes for years but have never been able to fully justify one, especially now that I know how good suspension is...but for a touring/commuter I think it would be amazing.

Pure sexiness....

If money were no object I would have all of them, but as it turns out money is an issue so I will rely on my awesome Banshee Rune and my old norco samsquanch frankenbike to get me around for now. Does that mean I will stop dreaming about a new bike? No way! I love spending days I should be getting real work done piecing together a new ride, who doesn't like doing that? And who knows, maybe one day all this thinking about bikes will pay off...a man can dream can't he?

The Rune...let's hope it get's a matching rear end soon!

So what is the answer to this age old question for you? How many bikes will be enough for you?