Before I started building frames my garage was full of bikes. That problem was solved by selling bikes I already owned and replacing them with bikes I build.
Now I have a new problem and am very curious how other hobby builders handle it. How do you continue to build when the stable is full??
It is totally out of the question to carry insurance and sell frames when you are making 2-3 per year. The insurance companies won’t even quote it… Even giving them away as a used bike has high liability according to the insurance folks.
My simple question for everyone is what do you do with your bikes to allow you to keep building??
This isn’t just a hobby builder problem. I have frames everywhere that are various iterations of the models I sell or decided not to sell. Ride the bike for a minimum of 6 months, decide on changes and start working on a revised version. Once the new frame is complete move your parts over. Keep the old frame somewhere. It’s fun looking back at where you were vs where you ended up on a design.
My bike stable is in constant flux - I retire frames before I wear out tires which is an astounding first world problem if ever there was one. I don’t resell personal frames because I am usually trying out harebrained ideas with them, but I have no shame about parting out the components and reselling them.
I have dozens of bikes/frames (~30). Several are my own but many are from builders whom I respect and want aspirational frames around to remind me of what is possible. These are my muses!
“Luckily” I had no shortage of friends wanting frames when I was starting out. I figured if I trusted them to not sue me were the frame to break, then they were safe to give a frame to. Then I started charging cost of materials when they wanted a second one. Then eventually I hung out the shingle and got insurance but there are about a dozen old frames still out there being ridden, or at least hanging up in someone else’s garage!
You could also donate them to a place that builds bikes for various causes unless you think the frame is really questionable.
Another use is to do some destructive testing…for educational purposes. It’s really hard to brake a frame without serious machinery!
