Selling up and leaving the hobby - Your failure experiences?

d8mok said:

I’m more referring to free time than time left on earth. I’ve no doubt that people have far less time than me too. Since I can if I wish simply not work and let others deal with it. But the ongoing growth / battle to stay In business does require as much time as I’m happy to allocate to it.

If my interest has truly gone (still to be determined) , and time at a premium it’s logical to move the collection on sooner than leaving them sat for 15 years. May as well get half decent money for it all and spunk it on something else no doubt.

Plus the fact I hope to be making progress with the Spain plan in 5 years whether that be a second home there or complete move.

Of course if I fall back in love with the hobby I will simply take the bikes with me to Spain or keep them in the UK.

Short term I’m definitely going to see how the next 6 months go and if I miss the thought of leaving the scene and selling up.

I’ve got a Dekerf away at paint so when that comes back I really hope it sparks my interest again.

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WHat I was meaning is you could take time over each one and slow down, they'll still be there.
How about in 6 months (or during), contact the people you can flog to, give them time to really commit. Flog them, they are just old bikes and you have no attachment to them, as such as you say.
Then it'll be January and winter will be in full force.
Take time over the Dekerf, pace yourself.
And of course you have to keep a few for the meetups/shows, York/Malverns etc.
Then with the rest, flog as people need or want bits until you decide.
I know you say all in, but use that time for other things. Don't fill it with another hobby, it's just another time pit.

My bikes are now in my sheds, part in the loft and after moving house some erm 10 years back haven't been fettle as much, every now and again i check over them, ride them a little if the weather is nice. Not far though.
And chat on here. Help anyone that is local or needs something doing.
Spent lots more time with the family, so miss the riding with others* but that's probably not going to be a problem for you.


* The whole wide group of locals have done something similar as children have grown up demanding time.
That's you new hobby ;-)
P.S.. that and building small bike up, bigger bikes every 6 month, maybe quicker than you can build them.
Modify the old bikes for smaller sizes.


If they're not worth as much in a few years time, so be it, as you say you don't need the money. But hence get rid of the ones you know people want and will enjoy.

Alter plan as fits you in a few months.

Takingabreak said:

I'm thinking slot cars... https://www.pendleslotracing.co.uk/

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That was a big deal, back when I was a pup - Local hobby shop had a HUGE (to me, anyway) track set up

i don't think ebay would allow me to do that. i like to ride, build and remember

I'm in the reverse situation. I want get rid of everything in my life apart from my bikes. And muscle cars. And guitars.

I'm at a point in my life where I envy recluses and would love to become one.

But I keep my toys.

Maybe tame a wild animal as a sidekick. You know, Grizzly Adams style, but with bikes.

I genuinely think you would miss your bikes. You put so much time, money and thought into them so it’s more than just a bike in the making. It’s a well considered collection.

Besides who would I bring Krispy Kremes across the country to then?!

Happy birthday G!

I grew up with classic motorcycles (I'm 60 now) my dad was big into such bikes and it consumed our family entirely. Motorcycles were everything then some years back I had an irretrievable breakdown in my relationship with my father and turned my back on the hobby. He died a couple of years back and my brother is still into motorcycling but it is lost to me

Rekon im in the same situation,it would be hard for me to sell any though(anything up to 30 bikes now in various conditions},they are all hand picked from years of collecting some quite rare.iI try to have a turnaround ,one in one out,doesnt happen,oviously..Ive also ran out of space.My problem is the old adage that you can only ride one bike at a time,and my modern Mtb is completely adaquate,and the one i ride 90 per cent of the time.I offen get asked, "what are you going to do with all those old bikes",..not ,i like that or wow where did you find that,its no good if stuffs just hidden away collecting dust.might as well be in a bike museum?.

I have a dilemma with my '85 GPZ900, which has been off the road for a couple years. It needs some recommissioning, but it's pretty much impossible to find anyone interested in working on this thing. I've had it many years, and am loathe to get rid of it, so it sits under a cover in the garage, taking up space which I could use for bikes!

Sounds like enlightenment, not failure.
I have given away many possessions recently, and i find it so freeing. For me, accumulation of stuff has often been a surrogate for happiness in times when, in retrospect, things weren't going so well.

Money and space .. yes .. they tend to be the most important criteria followed closely by mortality (age and health). They concentrate the mind. Imagine your treasured components being roughly handled by a non-cyclist after you've gone