Both the bikes an the boats are mostly for fitness/recreation these days. Sold two kayaks, a canoe, a sailboat, and three bikes in the past three years or so. Replaced the canoe and one bike only. May continue downsizing as I can work up the motivation to do so. Seven watercraft and 4 bikes left.
Watercraft: Five kayaks, one canoe, one SUP
Bikes: Kona 9 speed “commuter”, Specialized 21 spd “hybrid”, Bianchi Ibex (80s MTB), Trek 24" kid’s bike
Part of the reason for the bike “accumulation” is that I don’t just ride them, I also enjoy tinkering with them. None of my bikes are completely original, and some have been built from the frame up. It scratches that “working with my hands” itch without the cost of woodworking, cars, motorcycles, etc…
2 Likes
One bike - same bike I had when my kids were small. I hadn’t ridden it for years until COVID when we started doing bike shuttles.
Actually pretty good exercise adding the bike ride to the paddle. I should still do it. 
5 Likes
You know you’re hardcore when you’re rockin the dry suit to go biking.
1 Like
I posted instructions for how I built the carrier. The hitch is the most complex but also important part of making it work well
:
I ride a little more than 2 miles each way to my most common launch point, but also commonly ride about 4 miles each way to a different launch point. There are lots of roads I would comfortably ride by bike that I wouldn’t ride with my kayak trailer, but it works great on side streets where I can just take the lane.
1 Like
1990 model Giant Butte mountain bike; chromoly frame is all that’s left of original bike. Everything else replaced at least twice. Shimano XT, 27-speed, with :-$-5÷٪7rim V brakes, Mavic 32 spk 26", Panaracer Dart front /Smoke rear. It’s all I need.
1 Like
Bikes, definitely. But we’ve been at that way longer.
Let’s see…. I have one MTB, three road bikes, one touring bike, and one gravel bike. 6 for me.
Hubby has one MTB….nope, make that two, three road bikes, one touring bike, one gravel bike, for 7. He also has a 1980s vintage touring bike he got off EBay years ago, that he has never ridden because it needed too much work. So I’m not sure if his 8th bike counts.
We have 7 boats in the “Boathouse”. He has an Eddyline Sandpiper 130 and an Eddyline Sitka XT. I have an Eddyline Skylark, an Eddyline Sitka LT, a Northstar Northwind Solo canoe brand new this spring, and a new to me 1997 CD Solstice ST fell in my lap a month ago. We also have an elderly Pungo that was mine originally, but is sort of fair game. So I’m winning the boat contest 4 or 5 to 2, but he has me on the bikes, 7 or 8 to 6.
The bikes are winning overall. 2 people, 14 bicycles, and 7 boats.
We keep saying we need to sell some bikes off. We each have a pretty sweet pre-2010 fast road bike we don’t ride anymore. And the touring bikes seem to just sit there (ah, the big plans I had!). Now it’s just the newest “endurance” road bikes and the gravel bikes that actually get ridden anymore. If I could weed myself down to 1 gravel, 1 MTB, and 2 road (keep the early season/rain bike and the Trek Domane) bikes, that should be plenty.
I realize skis aren’t part of this, but boy if they were!!!
3 Likes
What!?! You know you’re not a real paddler/bicyclist if you’re not N+1…
1 Like
Are we just counting pedal bikes? Because if so, boats. If not, it might be a tie, I’d have to do count to be sure. And I don’t feel like doing that.
It’s all I need dawg! Only ride em one at a time. I was thinking of getting a pedal powered kayak, but it’ll get all scuffed up on the trail.
1 Like
The only reason I have a stable full of kayaks is that It took a while before I could figure out what I wanted. As far as bikes go, I wish I had bought the Giant Sedona instead, because it has a stronger, lighter, more nimble frame. The bizarre twist of fate is that the frame and fork are the only pieces that survived from the original bike. Literally, except for the 4 cage screws (possibly the nut on the headset, but the headset races and stem has been replaced).
Ain’t that ironic, but the bike was my suggestion for a Christmas present in 1990, based on a budget. Upgrades were out of my pocket. I’m too stubborn to replace it because it has so many tweeks.
I also got a good deal on George Wahington’s ax. The handle was replaced, but I replaced the head because the old one was ground to nearly a nub. At least my bike is more original.
1 Like
Two road bikes and two sea kayaks.
I’m getting caffeinated right now in preparation for a group bike ride. Gonna ride with the young bucks who still have jobs.
Same number of each, one. A 2006 Valley Q boat and a 1953 Raleigh Sports 3 speed with front dyno hub.
My ‘93 Merlin has had everything replaced at least once, except the cranks, front derailleur, and canti brakes (which really should be replaced).
Been through countless chainrings, rear cogsets, chains, tire and tubes. I was obsessive about monitoring drivetrain wear, because I rode so often, all year ‘round. Now the bike has a flat tire from the latex tube’s valve cracking. It’s an easy job that I haven’t gotten around to doing.
I have no idea how that jumble gets in there. That should read Shimano V brakes. I like Shimano. But got away from their simple minded special pin for the chain and I switched to SRAM (?) Chains. I’ve done the same thing. Upgraded with “on sale” parts. Bent a wheel and built a new one using a Ritchie rim. Bought a light weight set from Performance, which I really liked. Then had to change for the 27 speed. So I bought and built on Mavic rims. The negative anoit Shimano is the guaranteed obsolecence. They alternated between separate brake and shifters to combined units. Started with push push shifters to finger thumb style. Still have all the wheels except the one that got trashed. I think the saddle is the most replaced part. Broke a rail on two, the current specialized was just too hard for me to get use to again. Put the low friction cables on it. Everything is better mant times over.
Wow what an awesome thread! I have 5 kayaks + 2 sailboats + 1 windsurfer, but I have so many bikes that I don’t name a number lest my dear wife figures out it is a bit over the top.
In the house and garage I have on display a chrome 1981 Schwinn, a 1988 Schwinn Prologue, a 1985 Colnago Victory, a 1978 Raleigh Competition Gran Sport (I’m naming them because someone asked about classic bikes), and a 1965 Schwinn Twinn Deluxe. (Boy that blue paint glows!) Then I have my riding bikes, specialized for different kinds of rides: a cyclocross bike for urban riding and exploration, a serious road bike, a climbing bike, mountain bikes …
I started out, as most people do, with a general bike, and loved biking so much I got bikes for specialized purposes. Now I have an injured knee and I’m getting passionate about padding, and I’m slowly adding specialized kayaks. Fishing, exploring small lakes, exploring large lakes, and soon multi-day trips down river trails near me. Life is great!
4 Likes
That’s hard core. Its good to have passion. I though old bikes had class. Everything looks the same today.
One more of my Vitus
I want to display it in a modern living room with high ceilings someday 
Check out this German mama bear, I would not have the guts but she gives me goose bumps.
Oh and she is pulling another one in the trailer
2 Likes
6 boats (5 kayaks, 1 sailboat), no bikes. Had a bad accident as a kid on a bike, I’ve been on them since but between crazy drivers and memories of the accident (I’ll go a mile out of my way to avoid sand) it’s just not for me.
1 Like
Currently one kayak. Someday we’ll add a sailboat to the picture but not yet.
The bikes are: fixed-gear commuter (specialized TriCross with dynamo front wheel, ENO rear), go-fast bike (Lemond Poprad, rebuilt from bare frame), SSMTB (Vassago Jabberwocky), backup/do-it-all (Surly Cross-check). The cargo/grocery-getter is in the middle of a rebuild (Raleigh folding twenty). Plus two tandems for the family. Wife and daughter each have two, my son is still growing so he’s not yet on the n+1 wagon yet.
3 Likes