The Wheelsucker Explains Why He Needs Six (or is it Seven or Eight) Bicycles

The wheelsucker is well aware that the average North American owns about one bicycle (and almost never rides it). And the wheelsucker is aware that his family is concerned about his obsession with cycling, and that they reinforce their conviction that the wheelsucker is obsessed by frequently asking how many bicycles the wheelsucker owns.

The wheelsucker has six bicycles, at home, at this moment. And he has an explanation (ok, a rationalization) for each of these bikes.

One really nice, really light, really fast road racing bike: The wheelsucker has an all carbon 2009 Cannondale HiMod SuperSix. Depending on which wheels and seat are used, the bike weighs about 12.5 pounds. But the bike is so nice that the wheelsucker is very reluctant to actually race it in local crits (he does race it in hilly masters’ road races) so he has …

One primary race bike: The wheelsucker has a really nice, really light, really fast road racing bike that he can afford to crash, an aluminum 2009 Cannondale CAAD9. Most of the wheelsucker’s races are contested with this bike.

One TT bike: There are several time trials a year and the wheelsucker is considering trying triathlons, hence the really nice, really light, really fast, 2008 Cannondale Carbon Slice

One fixed gear/track bike. Track bikes and fixed gears are not necessarily the same, though both have a single fixed gear drivetrain. Track bikes have specific track geometry, aero track wheels and aero tubing. Fixed gear (fixies) may or may not have track geometry, track wheels and aero tubing. The wheelsucker uses a Cannondale Capo (an old non aero tubing track bike frameset) as both fixed gear and track bike, switching components in and out to suit.

One mountain bike. Everyone ought to have a mountain bike for going off road. Not that the wheelsucker goes off road much, but at least he CAN go off road with the mountain bike.

One travel road bike. After shipping a complete road bike in a bike box to Spain and back, the wheelsucker decided he wanted an easier way to travel with a road bike and bought a Ritchey steel Breakaway frameset and had it built up to be a really nice, really light, really fast road bike that happens to pack away in a not-oversized-for-checked-luggage suitcase. It is such a nice bike the wheelsucker could use it for a crit if the CAAD9 was not available for some reason.

That is the wheelsucker’s six bike story and he intends to stick to it.

But what about the Triumph 3 speed you ask? Well, someone gave him this old bike (free) this past weekend. The wheelsucker imagines it would be better for riding around town and commuting on than the mountain bike (no need for biking clothes and shoes) and it is an interesting very retro/classic look, so the wheelsucker could not turn it down and dropped it off at Champion Cycle to be fixed up. This should end up a somewhat nice, not light at all, not fast at all, commuter bike.

And that CAAD10 frameset on order? The wheelsucker looks away, and then not making eye contact says that he really wanted to be racing the new CADD10 (lighter-than-the-CAAD9) next year, in team colors and since it really is all about the look (team colors) he ordered one. Components from the CAAD9 will be moved over to the CAAD10 and the CAAD9 will be just a frameset which could be sold, or could be kept around in case the CAAD10 crashes badly.

But since neither the Triumph nor the CAAD10 are actually in the wheelsucker’s already very crowded apartment, he is sticking with the six bike story, for now.