if you could only have six bikes...

[totient]

A friend who volunteers at Bikes Not Bombs tells stories of conversations there and says that a popular one is to answer the question "If you could only have six bicycles, what would they be"? I'm relatively new to having more than bike, and thinking it might soon be time to replace one of the two I have. But with what? The Cannondale is capable of so many things, and there are so many bikes that are better than it is at any one of them. I'd love to have a real touring bike, perhaps with integrated racks and/or a generator hub. I'd love a winter/rainy-day bike with long fenders, hub gearing and disc brakes. I'd love a modern lightweight bike for fast club rides. I'd love a cargo bike or long bike, something that would be up to grocery shopping without a trailer. I'd love a folding bike that I could bring on buses and trains without having to worry about what time of day it was or whether my particular bus had a rack. Add those to the Ciocc (which is such a joy to ride) and suddenly I'm at six, without really trying. And not all of these ideas are compatible. In the meantime, I'm keeping my eye on Craigslist.