I was struck by Ricky Garni's and Richard Sachs' notes about having too many bikes. I remember in about 1980, being an impressionable youth and meeting a guy who spoke about the importance of not being owned by one's possessions. I thought that was very profound. He added that he hoped that he never owned so much that he could not fit it all in his car. I thought "yeah! me too!" What I did not consider was that he was a teacher at a boarding school, so all he owned were his clothes, a small stereo and some books and records. Furniture and bedding came with the job. Meals were taken in the cafeteria. Also he owned a pickup truck, while I had a VW Rabbit. On-topic note: in addition to the Rabbit I had a pinkish Galmozzi like the one on the CR website. This is the bike I most regret selling. Anyway, I sold my mattress and bought a futon, and tried hard not to have too much stuff. My wife-and-two-kids life in suburbia is a lot different but I wouldn't trade now, just as I wouldn't have traded then.
All of this rambling brings me to a suggestion. Instead of the Cirque and Velo Rendezvous, perhaps there should be a big annual exchange. Bring a bike to swap, get a new bike to take home. If necessary there could be categories, so that a person didn't wind up swapping a Carlsbad Masi for a Raleigh Grand Prix, and of course someone would have to figure out the sizes, but I think it could work. In some ways the swap would be like putting all the bikes in a library and checking one out for a limited time. We often speak of being stewards for these bikes, maintaining them for future generations. The notion of communal ownership is a logical extension of this.
The benefits are clear: reduced karmic and psychic weight, more open space in your garage and/or basement, less money spent buying more bikes that will each get ridden less, and an opportunity to experience some of the fantastic machines from other peoples' collections.
I will start by offering my early '70's Limongi, and my 1980 Bob Jackson touring bike. The Casati is still in pieces. Who else is in?
Marcus Helman
Huntington Woods, MI