I’M IN trouble with the bank manager again. Not only have I recently acquired a new touring bike, the wonderful Dawes Nomad with the new Shimano Alfine 11 speed internal gear hub (phew, that was a mouthful), but I also heard Pashley were discontinuing a certain bike close to my heart so I got on the blower as fast as I could and bagged one of the last to leave the factory.

It’s a classic Tube Rider, in turquoise and orange; it has a Sturmey Archer 5 speed hub gear and is the ultimate beach cruiser bike.

I know there are certainly no beaches in Oxford and I don’t need it but I want it and I don’t think I could relax on my death bed without it, so there Mr Bank Manager.

But really how many bikes do you or I need?

Well of course you need your commuter. I ride for transport and not sport although it helps keep me fit, therefore I need something fast when I’m late.

I also need something good on a rainy day and after the recent bad winters I am seriously considering building a snow bike on the sly as well.

But then there are the days out with friends – ambling around eateries and drinking establishments obviously entails riding something slower and prettier, and this is where my classic bikes and now the newest edition to the family, my Pashley, come into their own. I want my bikes to bring an element of fun to the journey and if I gain some envious looks along the way all the better.

I know it’s very indulgent to have so many bikes but it’s like the old saying – you need the right tool for the job.

Too many Oxford residents just don’t understand how their lives could be transformed with a few good bikes.

Now I am not advocating they buy a better bike from a reputable bike shop; no I am saying they should buy three.

Okay, I know I have duplicate bikes, that’s because I am obsessed with them. I have three vintage folders, three town bikes among others, and I’m already amassing the parts for my second mountain bike.

I am completely unreasonable when it comes to my own bicycle possessions, but I think in reality if you really want to enjoy your journey, you need a change of wheels now and again.

If my house was burning down and I had to save just one bike, it would be so difficult to choose I would probably end up perishing with them (perhaps it would be the most expensive to gain brownie points with the insurance company, maybe it would be the fully equipped transportation bike for practicality reasons...).

Oh who am I kidding? It would be the prettiest of the bunch. After all, if you’ve got to choose one bicycle, make sure it’s the one you look best on, like I will on my new Pashley.