I sold a bicycle today.
About a year ago, I decided I wasn’t enjoying my hoard of bicycles. I probably realized that well before this point, but it was a year or so ago when I decided to take it down to a single bicycle. and (if I feel so inclined) add back only the ones I really want in my life. I still have a ways to go. Selling things isn’t fun, at least not for me. But it’s been well worth it. Every bicycle I own represents a future drain on my time. Every single one. Even my every day bike – the one I know I’ll keep. It needs some work. Nothing major, but I’m tired of working on bicycles (no doubt due to the self-imposed commitment of working on bicycles). Hence the deferred maintenance, repairs, or improvements. So it is, with every sale, I’m reclaiming a bit of future time. I’m releasing myself from a self-imposed obligation. In some cases, I’m even able to put a bit of money back in the bank. But money is a renewable resource, time is not. Time is the real gold here. In a former life, time spent tinkering indeed was the point. But somewhere between having kids, and deciding I didn’t want to wait until I’m 60-something to retire, the tinkering lost it’s appeal.
This is not a condemnation of collecting things. Nor is it a recommendation to try to downsize. I can’t tell you what will or won’t work for you. And even if I could, it’s none of my business. But I am calling out the N+1 mentality: If we have to justify our acquisitions by way of a mathematical equation (one can never argue with the math, right?), perhaps our reasoning lacks conviction. Perhaps (as it was with me) we aren’t even clear on what the reasons are. And when said equation implies a potentially infinite quantity, this by-and-large guarantees that satisfaction will never be attained.
Truth be told, I don’t expect to actually pare down to one solitary bicycle. I’ve been able to identify the number which makes sense for me. And that number is subject to change. Not because I’m uncertain, but because a persons needs and desires are ever changing. In a future post, I’ll divulge my ideal number, and how I got there. For now, I’m going to spend a bit of time to decide and prep which bicycle (and camera) I’ll be using for Three Speed Adventure April.
– Wilson