I have so many bike parts. Just in my dorm room alone, I have several pairs of pedals, a few handlebars, and a spare wheel just to name a few, and that’s before counting the stuff I actually need on my bike when I’m out on a ride. Back at home, I probably have enough parts lying around my basement to assemble two whole new bikes now I think about it. According to DSM-V, this isn’t a symptom of a hoarding disorder, as it is best explained by “restricted interests in autism spectrum disorder.” I think the clutter in the basement is a result of a lack of cleaning; I get so fixated on wrenching on whatever project I’m working on that the cleaning just gets left for later, leading to all my tools, parts, and consumables getting churned into The Pile, making it look like there’s a lot more stuff than there actually is. I did a big round of cleaning at the end of the summer, and its amazing how little space things take up when they’re packed in an organized manner. I also try to offer parts to people who need them for their projects, even if I just give them away for free. I feel guilty for every cool cheap vintage component I have floating around the basement; I didn’t buy them for paperweights, these components are meant to be used.

A sampling of the various spare parts in my dorm