....continued (told you I've too many)
2013 Defy 1 - bought as a winter bike in 2021. Faultless, easy to maintain. It's now sitting on my turbo trainer, where it shall remain.
2013 Boardman FS Pro 650 - The only bike on this list that is not still in my possession. I had 2 x Giant Talon hardtails previously, however an opportunity to move to full suspension arrived in the form my local Halfords having a crazy clearance sale, and so I ended up with this for peanuts. When I upgraded to the newer model (below), I brought a friend out for a spin on this as a sales pitch. He crashed, breaking both arms in the process. He did not buy the bike. However, upon hearing that it had tried to kill my friend, one of my colleagues decided to buy it instead. He has not broken any arms......yet.
2016 Boardman FS Pro Team - in many ways the same as the bike above, but with cable routing for a dropper post, which I convinced myself I had to have (because, you know, it was holding me back). Borderline indestructible, the biking equivalent of the Top Gear Toyota Hilux. It has it's limits, and will probably be replaced in 2025, but probably the best value for money bike I've owned.
I've recently had my head turned by lightweight eMTBs, and have been demo'ing this for the past few weeks - Specialized Turbo Levo SL. Great on the climbs (as you'd expect from an assisted bike), and the extra weight of the battery/motor is not that noticeable on the way back down, or when flying through the air. Lightweight/SL eMTBs I think are the sweet spot of assistance, without taking too much away from the playfulness that you have with a lighter analog bike. I'm also not getting any younger, and want to get as many laps in as I can whenever I do take the Boardman out for a spin, so this, or an equivalent (probably an Orbea Rise LT) will be the next purchase.
2016 TCR Advnaced 3 - the most recent addition, and my current winter bike. I didn't need this, but it was for sale second hand for silly money. It needed some (minor) work, but it was a carbon framed bike for less than €200, and well within my skillset to make roadworthy. I'd have been stupid not to buy it - this is the official statement I provided to Mrs Calps. Thankfully she was in agreement.
(Stock photo - not my bike).
I've also accumulated lots of spare parts/frames/wheels over the years. As I sit here typing this, I probably have enough within reach to build up one, if not two more, road bikes. Part of me thinks, if the bike obsession was lessened, there'd be a lot more cashflow to do all the things I've planned for the Z4. Oh well.......
