Beyond Bike Lust: My Journey into Bike-Minimalism
Let me start this with the definition of "Minimalism":
Minimalism is all about owning only what adds value and meaning to your life and removing the rest. It's about decluttering and using your time and energy for the things that remain.
As someone who once owned sixteen pairs of wheels, I can certainly relate to the concept of clutter in one's life becoming overwhelming and occupying more mental space than it ought to.
Disclaimer: If owning bikes brings you happiness, and you have the space to accommodate them, there is no need to eliminate that joy from your life. However, if you suspect that cycling and bikes are taking up too much space in your life, this article may be applicable to you. I speak from a personal perspective here, so please take everything you read with a grain of salt.
As probably everyone does, when you become deeply engaged in a passion or hobby, you often search online or ask around for what's available. In the case of cycling, it's usually more parts, frames, gears, and accessories that you accumulate. I personally wanted to try everything out there, just to understand why there were so many different bikes and what was making people prefer one over the others when they say, “Oh yeah, that one just feels better than the rest.”
I gave myself a hard time to be able to do so, often buying expensive framesets and sacrificing other expenses as a result. I ate way more white rice or just plain pasta that I care to admit, but looking back, I'm not sure if I would have done things differently. Yet, after more than a decade of being constantly glued to every local eBay variant possible, it somehow started taking its toll on me. I was constantly thinking about the next project, unable to enjoy the many good bikes that I already had. Getting frustrated that I couldn't ride a bike because it wasn't “complete” since when you’re always on the hunt, you’also always missing that “last piece.” And at the end of the day, spending most of my time looking for new acquisitions behind a screen rather than outside on my bike.
The day I saw that the fire wasn't burning anymore was when I received a brand-new frame, which I was super excited about when I clicked that “order” button online. I let it sit in its box for weeks after receiving it. I wasn't busy or anything, just numb and not really looking forward to it anymore. It took me time and, somehow, some dramatic changes in my life to accept the idea that, maybe, I didn't need to constantly finding new bikes and having most of them sitting in a corner. Perhaps someone out there could enjoy it more than I did by having it displayed on a wall or in hidden at the back of a garage.
So, I began by getting rid of everything that made me uneasy while riding. Vintage carbon components, tubular wheel sets, frames with ridiculously small tire clearance, and so many pieces of gear that look good but are a hassle to ride. Again, this applies to me because my riding style isn't the softest around; however, for some people, it might not be an issue at all. You just need to know where is your comfort zone.
Then the harder part of this decluttering process emerged. Getting rid of functional bikes or parts that were perfectly usable without any restriction, but were merely gathering dust. I didn't need three extra pairs of Sugino 75 sitting here, waiting for a hypothetical project. Or yet another pair of hubs that I was eventually going to build one day. Selling all this was unpleasant, but the rewarding feeling of “I don't need to think about that anymore” is just so much better.
At the end of the day, I still have more bikes than I truly need, but at least now I only own the ones that I find it difficult to part with. The mental space these “projects” were occupying was astonishing when I think back at it, and honestly… I'm looking forward to decluttering even more a bit later.
Finally, I believe the hardest part was "getting the ball rolling." once it gets started, you'll find it relatively easy to detach yourself from constantly desiring the next thing. At least, that's what worked for me.
I’m not saying the way I did it is best, but, at least gave it a go.
🎞: Many
📷: Many
📍: Many
