Sunday, June 26, 2011

What's In a Name?

I am fascinated with the names that folks give their bicycles. There is Sue's Harriet, Dottie's Coco, Trisha's Kermit Allegra and Linda and the beautiful Constance by Velouria, Simply Bike's Bee and Fiona, and Knitting Lemonade's Adelaide. The list could go on...

Some bikes come with their own name like the Betty Foy and Oma.

Which leads me to the subject of this post. I wonder what's in a name... I've never thought about giving my bicycles a title (and I haven't branded our cars either). I am fond of all my bikes. I bought the 1984 blue Miyata 610 Grand Touring bike to travel across the country. I purchased the red 1986 Trek 830 Antelope because I wanted an upright style of bike with fatter tires. It has been around the world and many of its parts have been replaced. I bought the black 1984(?) Ross Mount Saint Helen's at a neighbor's garage sale only five years ago, ostensibly to use for parts (ha ha). I've fallen in love with the Ross because it's made me appreciate the ease of a step-through frame. So it's the Red Trek, Black Ross, and Miyata. So simple.

I name my pets (does that count?): Chippy and Smoky (don't ask what kind of pets they are...) We also have Sinbad and the Duke, and Hershey.

So why do you name your bikes? I'm curious.

4 comments:

  1. Trek Antelope!??!??!!? I've got one. 1990. White paint. Love it. Still going strong...

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  2. I like to name my bikes and cars because I think they have personalities, and in turn, purposes which suit their personalities. The names help identify this... I think!! For bikes especially, they are our friends and companions in our riding adventures, so they deserve to be named!

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  3. Thank you PaddyAnne. I've always wondered about the names.

    Ben - For an inexpensive mountain bike the Antelope has been the one I have ridden the most for about 20 years. I still tour on it. See the "Bike Camping" post. That's the Antelope bike. White sounds like a nice color too.

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  4. Just for fun :). And shhhhhh... don't tell anyone, but Harriet and Emma are the girls I never had.

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