Do You Name Your Bikes? If so, What and Why?

I would name my bike Fabio. My bike is riden by the the most beautiful man in the cosmos!

I never named my bikes but my wife has. "Mistres"

LOL, you two!

I think this is gonna be a fun thread.

At the risk of sounding sexist, I'm going to say that naming bikes (and cars) is more predominent with women than men. My wife always named her cars, and has continued to do so. Even though I agree with her on a name for whatever car is new, I don't really think of it by its name. When I had my frame painted, I debated on renaming (or rebadging as it were) it. It is a Performance frame, not the most glamorous brand. I considered several names to put on the downtube, but in the end chose to stick with Performance, since that's what it is. I'm not one to pretend to more than I have. I did have my daughter design a headtube decal using my initials. I also got to pick out some cool fonts for the graphics on the bike. So no, I don't name my bikes. But if I had the Rivendell that I want, its name would be Sam (Hillborne). Suggestion for yours: Boudica.

I have named every car I have owned and all my guitars. I don't know why it just makes them feel more like mine. And as a friend said I spend more time with them than my family or friends. I just bought my first road bike and was also wondering if anyone else named their bike.

Steve,

Wasn't Boudica that red-headed Irish warrior centuries ago? I have to go look her up online, I seem to remember that. What an awesome thought! Not the prettiest name, but fits the personality I was after.

Thanks!! [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif[/IMG]

Hi, KSwiss, and welcome!

Dear Hubby and I have always named our cars, too, so I guess it just seems natural to name my bike. Interestingly though, it might be sexist, because Hubby doesn't name HIS bikes -- at least not that he'll admit, lol.

I'm not even sure WHY I name my bikes; I mean, I don't name my blender or washing machine or whatever. But naming the bikes just happened naturally. I like Steve's suggestion of Boudica for mine -- except that she lost her greatest battle, I think, and I don't plan to do that, lol.

You'll have to post pics of your new ride for us. I'll be interested to know what you end up naming her!

Sierra

Sierra, Boudica just occurred to me, I had read about her some years ago. She was Welch: close enough. Even tho she may have lost, she was apparently a hero to her people. A strong warrior, that's what I was thinking. Glad you like it. The only car where the name really stuck with me was our 1974(?) Fiat 124 Spyder that we had when we were first married. She was Gina, and will always be. There was also a Gina II, but she was a bit disappointing. My current roadster is Black & Tan (guess why), but as I said, I don't really think of her by the name. Your weather may be damp, but our's is cold and windy. At least it isn't snowing. Cheers, Steve

"Do I name my bikes", No! I don't name the Mix-master either! Or the ironing board! [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/ROTF.gif[/IMG]

How ever I do name the boats I build. The names are unplanned. This one came about
from a comment on a web site when I mentioned doing a rather complex arrangement on
the halyard, the rope that holds the sail up. One member replied:

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I had a Mist Orange and Brown Datsun that I called the Pumpkin, as in "frost on the pumpkin". I had a Ford E-150 van with a SHO(Super High Output) 351 CI engine in it with incredibly low gearing that I called the Moose(0-60 in 45 seconds, but it could do that while pulling a tree stump out of the ground). After a night of partying in it, some of my friends coined it "Cheers". Now that I am older, I call my truck "Truck". My bikes are "Competition", "Centurion", "Mongoose"(MTB), "Univega", "Lotus", and "My Baby" (1986 Raleigh Super Course-see avatar). I suppose that I have lost a little bit of my creativity as I got older.

Hey, Steve.

Speaking of black and tan -- that is the basic color scheme of my bike, so I was thinking of calling her Guiness, which is the beer customarily used in that drink, I believe. But then it morphed into McGuiness, in honor of my oh-so-Irish Grandpa Flanagan. But McGuinness sounds masculine to me, too. Then I started thinking of Irish names, and Molly popped into my brain, then Molly McGuinness, and from that Molly McGuiness McGoo, which I love the sound of so totally that I may name a character in my next novel that. Obviously it's too much for my bike, though I could do like they do in the national dog shows, and give her a high-sounding 5-name title, and then call her Spot, lol. But I do like Molly.

I still like Boudica, too, because of the warrior queen history of it all. So the process is ongoing.

Thanks for the great suggestion. Keep 'em coming if you have more. [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG]

Sierra

Hi, Brad!

It's interesting that you name your boats but not your bikes. That kind of shoots down the theory I was forming, that maybe we name cars and bikes and boats because they take us places and thus become almost a pack animal for us. So much for that, lol.

Love the boat name, by the way! [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif[/IMG]

KD,

I wish my bike were orange and brown so I could call her Pumpkin; that's my favorite nickname for tykes! That and Munchkin.

The only car we ever named was our first, a 1960 Dodge with -- feeling old, here -- a push-button transmission, leather seats, and 3-light fins on the back. Classic, LOL. We named him Irving because it sounded nerdy like the car was (apologies to any Irvings out there). We tried to name other cars, but somehow it just never worked, the names didn't fit the way Irving fit that car. Great memories.

Top among my choices for the new bike so far are Boudica, Molly, and Lizzy (after the wonderful feisty, independent daughter in Pride and Prejudice). Maybe on her license plate I could put "Not-Tin Lizzy," LOL!

Thanks for the input. Have a good one.

Sierra, I like Molly, I think that's a fine name for your bike. BTW, now it's snowing (but not much, thankfully). Take care, Steve

Whenever I have named my cars in the past the name just comes to me the first time I drive the car. I am thinking this will probably be the case the first time I ride my new bike. I purchased it on Black Friday but unfortunately the bike shop forgot to order it so it still hasn't come in yet. Should be here this week and I can't wait. Like I said I'm sure when I get it and ride the name will come, I will also be sure to post some pictures as well.

Swiss,

That's usually how names come to me, too, they just come to me. But usually it isn't the first time, it's once I've noticed the 'personality' of the thing.

Can't wait to see your pics!

This is my new baby:

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How about "Magoo"?

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I know, I know, I am going to get my medicine checked!

Brad, Big Guy,

You crack me up!! I actually did consider McGoo, because I'm so cotton-pickin' near-sighted I'm just like him.... but the name is just too masculine.

And great work putting my baby on his glasses!!! [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/icon14.gif[/IMG] I'm gonna have to print that out.

Thanks for the laugh. [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

I am a firm believer in that if you don't worry about it, the name will just happen.
And you will be happier with the name when it does..

I built the full size version of this boat in 1986, 87, 88. It was in the yard and
destroyed by a tornado, 12/24/1988. The boat was blown into the side of
the house and ended up in the back bedroom. The boat was almost 26'
long and weighed over 3000lbs.

In 1989 I built this model of the boat. 1/5th scale, 62.5" long, 9' tall, and just
over 68lbs. It is fully functional.

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The name on this one is "Lost It"!