The Stable

N+1 is the formula we all use to justify our bikes. Some of us are figures of blatant American consumerism, some are collectors and some try to explain it as practical. Most bikes have some overlapping abilities and are not really pigeonholed into one specific use. At 73 I'm still riding as frequently as ever if not as fast or as far. but I have developed a collection of bikes purely around the theory (or pretense) of practicality. My bikes are all of the multi use designs, which of course could mean I don't "need" them all, but that's poppycock. "Oh reason, not the need!" screams Shakespeare.

The Rivendell Hunqapillar is a heavy duty all terrain touring bike. Designed by Grant Peterson to be ridden on any terrain and field tested on the Continental Divide trail from Canada to Mexico,it's a wonderful machine that I've ridden thousands of miles fully loaded on self supported tours. It's also good around town, to work, the store and, despite being heavy, I've ridden a number of group rides at 15 mph or better. Riv's are incredibly comfortable bikes. They are famous for their fancy paint jobs and lugwork, but the quality of the ride is what keeps us on them.

After riding the Hunq for a season I HAD TO HAVE the lighter faster version. The Sam Hillborne from Rivendell was the best choice. The basic difference is in the tubing. It's lighter, the geometry is nearly the same, but it sports narrower tires and is not built to carry the load the Hunq will tote. It's a fun everyday bike, and is the bike of choice for charity/club rides or credit card touring. I'm not a fast rider at all, but I've ridden this bike on several metric centuries in less than 4 hours and run with group rides averaging 18 mph. It's only as slow as the rider and good for gravel, asphalt, rail trails, commuting,just about anything.

The SOMA Buena Vista is a modern take on the Mixte frame design. I built it as a brisk cafe racer to ride around town. The nice convenience of a Mixte is being able to step over the top tubes (something you appreciate as you get ah...more mature). This guy gets a lot of activity during the school year going to work.

Rivendell Yves Gomez is another take on the Mixte design. This is my "luxury" city bike. Like the Soma Mixte it's capable of riding a brisk group ride but it's really a classy, comfortable town bike.

The Brompton is the legendary folding bike. I've never had a bike that was easier to ride. It's surprisingly comfortable, this year I rode it in the 5 Borough Tour in NYC. It was 50 miles riding and I was comfortable all day. Folding as it does it's easy to transport by car, train, bus, subway or airline. Every thing considered, it will probably be the last bike I ride simply because it is so versatile, easy to transport, mount and ride. So, I'd like to believe I've reached the end of N+1. For now the selection I have is all I could want, certainly more than I need. But, Brompton did just release the G-Line model...