I’ve owned a lot of bikes, having been a bike-obsessed tinkerer since the early 90s.
Current Bikes:
Raleigh Twenty: 2008 – Present
This bike is the longest standing member of my quiver, celebrating 18 years together in 2026. I bought it off a friend for $100 and upgraded it significantly over the first couple years. In 2021, I made a second large investment in this bike with a new wheelset: Sturmey Archer 5 speed and dynamo with front and rear drum brakes.
I use this bike mostly for local errands and appointments where it needs to be locked up out-of-sight.
Rivendell Hillborne: 2019 – Present
Replacing my Soma Grand Randonneur, I committed to finally buying a Rivendell when the last couple Hillbornes were left from the 2019 batch. I feared it was my last chance to get a shorter wheelbase Riv. I immediately fell in love with this bike as a drop bar randonneur style bike, but right now (2025/2026) it’s set up as a flat bar commuter.
Rivendell Bombadil: 2020 – Present
This was an impulse purchase from Riv-list member Joe, as it was a rare opportunity indeed. It replaced my Clem Smith Jr, which itself had replaced a 90s MTB – so I went from lockable bike to my most un-lockable bike yet!
The prototypical ride this bike was bought and built for is the Seymour Valley loop, a ~50km gravel and light trail route from my doorstep. It’s now sporting drop bars, but in either configuration it’s perfect for this loop.
Stooge Scrambler: 2024 – Present
I’ve always been a mountain biker. It was my first love for riding bikes. I had hardtail bikes from the 90s through 2011, and then a string of full suspension bikes over the next decade. In 2021 I went back to a hardtail in an effort to simplify my MTB as well as find an aesthetic I aligned with more. In 2023 I took it a step further and bought a Stooge. The Scrambler is my third, as the first two were a little too large for me. The Scrambler fits perfectly and is a total blast on even the steep and technical black trails on the north shore.
Crust Evasion: 2025 – Present
This frame set fell into my lap when a friend, who’d bought it to build up, had some unexpected life stuff that forced a quick sale. I took the opportunity to both help my friend out and get a fun bike out of it.
Given my preferred type of ride is 4 or 5 hours of highly variable terrain, the combination of huge tires, drop bars, and a dropper post make perfect sense.
I am trying not to get too attached, though, as it’s only temporary – I have a replacement already on order for summer. It’s a bit small for me anyway.
Below are the bikes I’ve since sold:
Crust Wombat: 2023 – 2025
This is one I was convinced I would never sell because it’s just simple and pure fun every time I get on it. Ultimately I sold it because I wanted a similar feeling bike with disc brakes. I still worry I’ll regret it, though – the geometry is agile like a 90s MTB but updated just the right amount, and it’s surprisingly lightweight.
Bike Friday Pocket Llama: 2025 – 2025
I bought this bike because I believed it was my ideal commuter: combining the Brompton front bag (which I had a frame builder weld to the head tube) with wider 20″ tires and disc brakes. It actually met the brief perfectly, but ultimately I couldn’t figure out how to physically fit all my bikes in my space since this took up a lot more room than the Brompton it functionally replaced, so I sold it to a friend.
Rivendell Susie Wolbis: 2024 – 2025
When a fillet brazed Susie in my size, and my favourite colour, popped up in the local marketplace for a good deal I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try a Hillibike, despite not having the space for it in my quiver. I disassembled the Bombadil to get the parts together and built it up as an all-surface toodle and commute bike.
