True Cost of a Supermarket Bike

[Elisa Francesca]

jacques wrote:

> Please forgive me for what I will say, which is useless, unkind and also far too easy after the
> facts, but I can't help it: After all the time you've spent posting and supposedly reading in this
> newsgroup, why did you go to a supermarket to buy your bike ?
>
> Please don't hate me
>

But Jacques, I only ever came into this newsgroup well _after_ I bought Myrtille, and as a
consequence of so doing. So if it hadn't been for her I would never have had the pleasure of your
acquaintance and that of the others. And if she hadn't been so problematic, constantly driving me to
ask questions and seek advice from these amiable experts, I might never have learned as much as I
did in the process. So you see, she is a karmic bike after all.

EFR Ile de France who'll only hate you if you drive a SUV into me %°

 

[Elisa Francesca]

David Kerber wrote:

> Anybody else give their bike a name?

I consider that any kind of Higher Machine deserves a name. They seem to me much more clearly
emanations of human intelligence and spirit than children are.

Generally, they name themselves after a while, but it can take a long time.

Desktop computer: Trismegisthos - the "Thrice Great", because he is 3 times more powerful than the
desktop that preceded him. This is also one of the names of the God Hermes, ruler of Information
Technology. Laptop computer: Iris - She has that wonderful Sony screen and is equipped for visual
work like e-photography, so named after the Greek goddess of the Rainbow. Palmtop computer: Luciole,
French for Firefly First kick-scooter: Silver Broomstick Xootr kick-scooter: Pipistrello, Italian
for Bat. Dutch Bike: Behemoth on bad days, Blue Bicky on better, but definitive name still pending

My parents have always driven named cars. Last I heard, they were driving Siegfried, who
signed himself by playing the eponymous opera on his radio as they were transitting through a
suitably Wagnerian landscape in skiing country. Their computers, too, are Bronwen (the White
Breasted) and Puck.

EFR Ile de France

 

[Elisa Francesca]

DiabloScott wrote:

> Just Zis Guy wrote:
> > >how many of you give your bikes (and/or cars) names?
>
> Mike Eddy Jed
> J.J.Maria-Angelica (RIP)

I'm still trying to find a name for my new Dutch bike, or rather, waiting for her to name herself.
At the moment, she still answers to Behemoth, but I'm hoping that might change.

EFR Ile de France

 

[David Kerber]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> writes:
>
> > This thread got my mind wandering in a completely different direction: how many of you give your
> > bikes (and/or cars) names?
>
> Heck, I've gotta call 'em /something/ when I goad or encourage them. Yes, sometimes I talk (in a
> certain sense) to my bikes like they were saddle horses. Like when winding up for a sprint: "Gimme
> some of that juice, <bike name>!" I realize bikes don't have ears or brains[*]. It's just for my
> own benefit. I'm just externalizing goading or encouraging myself. But, it works for me.

LOL! I do the same kind of thing with my arrows at an archery tournament: If one of them gets
out of the 5-ring, I tell it "I'm putting you in timeout until you learn to behave", and put it
into a different pocket of my quiver for a few ends. Purely psycological I know, but it helps
keep me relaxed.

....

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

 

[Claire Petersky]

"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> > In article <[email protected]>, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net>
> > writes:
> >
> > > This thread got my mind wandering in a completely different direction: how many of you give
> > > your bikes (and/or cars) names?
> >
> > Heck, I've gotta call 'em /something/ when I goad or encourage them. Yes, sometimes I talk (in a
> > certain sense) to my bikes like they were saddle horses. Like when winding up for a sprint:
> > "Gimme some of that juice, <bike name>!" I realize bikes don't have ears or brains[*]. It's just
> > for my own benefit. I'm just externalizing goading or encouraging myself. But, it works for me.
>
> LOL! I do the same kind of thing with my arrows at an archery tournament:

I also tell my bike not to fall over when I've leaned it up against something (and shake my finger
at it at the same time) by saying sharply, "Stay! Stay!". I also tell it not to fall out of the bike
rack on the bus nearly every time I load in there. The drivers think this is amusing.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com

Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm

Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at:
http://bookcrossing.com/friend/Cpetersky
My bookshelf: http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Cpetersky

"To forgive is to set the prisoner free and then discover the prisoner
was you."

 

[Elisa Francesca]

less'go wrote:

> Well, Elisa IDF, I actually bought a cheap bike at the mall, at a sports chain called Go Sport.
> Less than 200 euros w/baby seat installed. I've put about 700-800km on her since September and
> could not be happier. I just dropped her off for a little revision and TLC, and am confident that
> 15 euros and 2 days from now I'll be back in the saddle again, and happy about it.

From the shop names you're apparently France-based too. So let's hope one of the other posters, who
mentioned that French supermarket bikes are a cut above those in the US, was right, and that our
frames, at least, will hold up to upgrades. Go Sport is a little better than a supermarket though -
at least it is a specialized sports shop. I bought my bike computer at one branch of Go Sport. When
it did not work on my bike, I took it to another Go Sport for testing. It was fine, and in the
process I realized that I had installed it wrong, and it has been working fine since I took it home
and reinstalled it. So I can't complain about after-sales bike service at Go Sport. Cora and
Carrefour are a different matter.

EFR Ile de France

 

[Terry Morse]

Claire Petersky wrote:

> I also tell my bike not to fall over when I've leaned it up against something (and shake my finger
> at it at the same time) by saying sharply, "Stay! Stay!".

Be sure to follow that up with "good bike", but only when it obeys. When I return to find that it
has fallen over, I say "Look what you did!" It seems to sulk for a little while afterwards.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://www.terrymorse.com/bike/

 

[Claire Petersky]

"Terry Morse" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Claire Petersky wrote:
>
> > I also tell my bike not to fall over when I've leaned it up against something (and shake my
> > finger at it at the same time) by saying
sharply,
> > "Stay! Stay!".
>
> Be sure to follow that up with "good bike", but only when it obeys.

I agree. Consistency on your part is very important if you want consistency on your bike's part.

> When I return to find that it has fallen over, I say "Look what you did!" It seems to sulk for a
> little while afterwards.

Taking it out for a spin will cheer it up almost immediately, though.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com

Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm

Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at:
http://bookcrossing.com/friend/Cpetersky
My bookshelf: http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Cpetersky

"To forgive is to set the prisoner free and then discover the prisoner
was you."

 

[Kaputnik]

[email protected] (Tom Keats) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> writes:
>
> > This thread got my mind wandering in a completely different direction: how many of you give your
> > bikes (and/or cars) names?
>
> Heck, I've gotta call 'em /something/ when I goad or encourage them. Yes, sometimes I talk (in a
> certain sense) to my bikes like they were saddle horses.

I've tried naming them, but it never sticks. Don't talk to them, but after a hard ride they get a
pat on the saddle.

 

[Bernie]

Tom Keats wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> writes:
>
>>This thread got my mind wandering in a completely different direction: how many of you give your
>>bikes (and/or cars) names?
>>
>
>Heck, I've gotta call 'em /something/ when I goad or encourage them. Yes, sometimes I talk (in a
>certain sense) to my bikes like they were saddle horses. Like when winding up for a sprint: "Gimme
>some of that juice, <bike name>!" I realize bikes don't have ears or brains[*]. It's just for my
>own benefit. I'm just externalizing goading or encouraging myself. But, it works for me.
>
>When you've got a bunch of 'em, names help to differentiate them. Right now, my stable consists of
>ol' Pig Iron (the main, workhorse bike -- a Norco Bigfoot), Gertrude (the black mixte Sekine), Rudy
>(the white DF Sekine), and Cousin It (the Araya).
>
>
>cheers, Tom
>
>[*] or /do/ they? hmmm.
>
My aging Norco Bush Pilot is "Phoenix" because it's been resurrected a couple of times. It doesn't
even have the original frame. It's like that old Bridgestone cyclist told me once: "The wife says
the only original part is the nut holding the handlebars".

Bernie

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
DiabloScott <[email protected]> wrote:

> Just Zis Guy wrote:
> > >how many of you give your bikes (and/or cars) names?
>

Mike Eddy Jed
J.J.Maria-Angelica (RIP)

I'm bad about this:

Pinarello Pastiche Kilauea Beckle Bianchi ******* (still looking for a better name) Apollo XIII (the
Apollo Prestige converted to a fixie)

The Mikado, at the suggestion of a friend, was named Katisha, because in the G&S production, she was
on the old side, not too pretty, but had "an interesting left shoulder", much like the threads on
the left side of the rear hub. This easily trumped my suggestion of "Yum-yum."

The car already had a name: Tercel.

The cat, Vuvuc, is named after a disputed Scrabble play,

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
Kevan Smith <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 19:24:32 -0800, Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> from WAC Bennett Review of
> Arts and Literature wrote:
>
> >No, it's a fair question. As I have shown, all the good bikes are found at garage sales and
> >behind bike shop dumpsters.
>
> >Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni
> >Fan Club
>
> Ryan, I'm afraid I'm going to have to start a recall petition.

Does this mean you've joined the Club?

> All the good bikes aren't even found in stores. You get them directly from your team's
> manufacturer, and then you fiddle with everything until you have not only a good bike but .... um
> ... something else, too.

Er, Damn right! Actually, though, the best bikes are the ones you ask Antonio to build so you have
something usable for the mountain stages, and then re-label with your team's bike stickers.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Tom Keats wrote:
>
> > I'll go a half-step further, and suggest all the good bikes, as well as dogs & cats, are the
> > ones that naturally and seamlessly enmesh themselves into our lives without any effort on our
> > parts to seek them out. They, instead, find us. Kind of a "destiny" thing.
>
> You may be right, but I reached the age of 46 without ever being chosen or pursued by a bike.
> Perhaps I was cruel to one in a previous life, and am deemed fundamentally unworthy.

Don't listen to Tom. I chase bikes like dogs do. The difference is I am much smarter than dogs, and
so I frequently catch them.

I drove to 40km after a hot tip in order to pick up the ridiculous Bianchi, then recently put a
different fork and front brake on it (the brake was the goal, the fork was a means). I saw two
bikes behind a dumpster while on a ride, confirmed they were up for grabs, then drove back with my
car to nab them.

My first good bike, a Mikado tourer, was another garage-sale recovery. It attempted to hide
between a fairly bad Peugot and a very bad Apollo, but its protective camouflage and lack of
decals could not hide its qualities. I nipped it up, put ugly bar tape and an orange seat on it,
and gave it to my dad.

The Pinarello, admittedly, hunted me down, and then seduced me with its

fork, an orange seat, and yellow tri-bars. It will probably have green tires sometime this season.

I found the mountain bike (a Kona Kilauea) at my favourite consignment bike shop.

> Ah well, if my new bike, as I recently surmised, is a Lutheran, then perhaps it's a matter of
> Redemption by Faith Alone.

This is clearly your problem. Lutheran bikes are terrible. Why are all the good bikes from Catholic
countries? Because, as they, St. Paul, and the entire professional peloton aside from Jan Ullrich
know, Faith Without Works is Nothing.

And Jan seems to be learning,

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[Kevan Smith]

On Tue, 20 Jan 2004 21:12:42 -0800, Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> from WAC
Bennett Review of Arts and Literature wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, Kevan Smith <Kevan@mouse-
>potato.com> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 19:24:32 -0800, Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> from WAC Bennett Review of
>> Arts and Literature wrote:
>>
>> >No, it's a fair question. As I have shown, all the good bikes are found at garage sales and
>> >behind bike shop dumpsters.
>>
>> >Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni
>> >Fan Club
>>
>> Ryan, I'm afraid I'm going to have to start a recall petition.
>
>Does this mean you've joined the Club?

I don't join clubs that would take people like me, to steal Groucho's line. Or was it W.C. Fields?

>> All the good bikes aren't even found in stores. You get them directly from your team's
>> manufacturer, and then you fiddle with everything until you have not only a good bike but .... um
>> ... something else, too.
>
>Er, Damn right! Actually, though, the best bikes are the ones you ask Antonio to build so you have
>something usable for the mountain stages, and then re-label with your team's bike stickers.

ProCrit should sponsor a team outright.

--
[email protected]
Remove ambiguities and convert to specifics.
101

 

[Gary Smiley]

I never gave my bikes names. One of the nice things about the English language is that inanimate
objects don't have genders. If my bike had a name, then I would have to refer to it as "he" or
"she". But since it's just a machine, an "it", then I don't have to name it. I may refer to it as
"the Trek" or "the Raleigh", but that's it.

mark wrote:

> "David Kerber" wrote
> > This thread got my mind wandering in a completely different direction: how many of you give your
> > bikes (and/or cars) names? I've never done that, but a friend of mine back in college called her
> > car "Wendell", and Elisa calls her bike Myrtille.
> >
> > Anybody else give their bike a name?
> >
> >
> > --
> > Dave Kerber
>
> I've always thought that "Rocinante" would be a good name for a touring bike, but I've never
> actually called my tourer by that name.
> --
> mark

 

[Slartibartfast]

"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, Elisa.Francesca.Roselli@quadratec-
> software.com says...
>
> ...
>
> > I bought Myrtille, my first ever bike, in September 2002 at my local
>
> ....
>
>
> This thread got my mind wandering in a completely different direction: how many of you give your
> bikes (and/or cars) names? I've never done that, but a friend of mine back in college called her
> car "Wendell", and Elisa calls her bike Myrtille.
>
> Anybody else give their bike a name?
>

When I got my first XC racing bike it juist wanted to fly up hills and I thought to myself "This
thing runs up hills like an Elk". That made me think of the Monty Python "Miss Anne Elk" skit, so
after that I just called it Anne. Nobody got it though and every time I explained it I got realy
strange looks, but at least it gave me a chuckle. thats the only bike I've ever named.

> --
> Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!
>
> REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

 

[Eric S. Sande]

>I'm still trying to find a name for my new Dutch bike, or rather, waiting for her to name herself.
>At the moment, she still answers to Behemoth, but I'm hoping that might change.

Thursday could answer. Or on the other hand Sarah or Jane, my Peugeot is named Colette and my
Schwinn commuter is The RK.

But I would call a Dutch bike Gertrude, and I mean it.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly,
the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email protected]__________

 

[Elisa Francesca]

Ryan Cousineau wrote:

> This is clearly your problem. Lutheran bikes are terrible. Why are all the good bikes from
> Catholic countries? Because, as they, St. Paul, and the entire professional peloton aside from Jan
> Ullrich know, Faith Without Works is Nothing.

Thanks for that. I'm still giggling. %°>

For what it's worth, I think Myrtille has no religion, but is républicaine and laïque in the
particular French sense of those words. She's also a Virgo, serviceable and demure. She plans to
vote Socialist when bikes are included in the ballot, and supports the bike-friendly policies of the
current Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë.

EFR Ile de France

 

[less'go]

"For what it's worth, I think Myrtille has no religion, but is républicaine and laïque in the
particular French sense of those words. She's also a Virgo, serviceable and demure. She plans to
vote Socialist when bikes are included in the ballot, and supports the bike-friendly policies of the
current Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë.

EFR Ile de France [/B][/QUOTE]

I like Myrtille. Socialist virgo, just like me. And how 'bout bike-friendly Paris, getting better all the time, no?

Myrtille could be friends with my baby. Except that in Paris cyclists never even acknowledge eachothers presence, so there's little chance of that happening!

Sara

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
Elisa Francesca Roselli
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
>
> > This is clearly your problem. Lutheran bikes are terrible. Why are all the good bikes from
> > Catholic countries? Because, as they, St. Paul, and the entire professional peloton aside from
> > Jan Ullrich know, Faith Without Works is Nothing.
>
> Thanks for that. I'm still giggling. %°>
>
> For what it's worth, I think Myrtille has no religion, but is républicaine and laïque in the
> particular French sense of those words. She's also a Virgo, serviceable and demure. She plans to
> vote Socialist when bikes are included in the ballot, and supports the bike-friendly policies of
> the current Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë.

Heh. You've missed out on my longer theory (which I'm sure the presently absent Luigi de Guzman
would appreciate) about how Catholics have a natural advantage as serious cyclists owing to their
innate appreciation of suffering and mortification.

I'm not sure it would ever work out between our bikes, though I think the Apollo may be a
Presbyterian. I have a horrible feeling the Kona Kilauea is some kind of pagan. Certainly it has
attempted to turn me into a human sacrifice in several natural settings. I will desist in further
digression into this concept, as I already sound too much like an obsessed cat-owner writing a
newsletter in the name of their cat.

You say hairshirt, I say hill intervals,
--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club