Does Your Bike Have a Name?

[Velocivixen]

I used to drive a gray Volvo which was solid and felt like I drove a tank! So I named her (yes, it was a girl car) "Mineral" to suit her.

I have been thinking of a name for my bike other than the brand name). My bike is "Coastal Blue" so thinking of names.

I don't apply names to other inanimate objects in my life, and even my current car is nameless.

So, did you name your bike(s)? If so, what? Why did you choose that name?

[Crankin]

I call my bike "my bike." I could never see why people name inanimate objects.
If I am talking about my "other bike," I usually refer to it as "the Jamis," as opposed to the road bike, which is what I am usually talking about.

[Kitsune06]

Mine is Sunny because it's a coppery orange.
My first 'real' bike was Mz. Cakes.
My Huffy Hoopty was Maus because it was a realtank.

My CB650 motorcycle is Delilah
My CB350 is Lola

My little Chevy Tracker is "Simple Green" because it's green and not all that complicated. :)

[Aggie_Ama]

My road bike is named Miranda. My poor Gary Fisher that was just damaged was named Holly Golightly. But my latest bike needs sometime to tell me her name. I name all my bikes and cars.

First road bike- Fiona
First mountain bike - Tess
Cars - Currently have Gretchen, I have had Layla, Venus, Delilah and Jezabel. I refuse to name any of my husband's cars going forward named his last two trucks and both were totaled in car accidents.

[Velocivixen]

Okay...I see that either 1. I'm not crazy or 2. Others are possibly at least as crazy as me. ;)

All kidding aside, I do want to name her. Yes, my Trek FX 7.3 is a "she" despite not being a step through. I need something that infers adventuresome, sexy, solid and reliable.....hey...I'm describing myself!!!!

[Roadtrip]

Trek FX 7.3 - I drove from Cincy to Louisville to pick her up, so named her... Louisville

Specialized Ruby Elite - named her "Ruby", not all that creative I know!

Shannon

[Catrin]

It is interesting how some people name bikes and/or cars or not. I've never really named my cars, but bikes are a different story. My Gunnar already has a name and she isn't even built yet - but hopefully will next week. My mountain bike will have to tell me her name - it is just interesting how this works for different people.

[indigoiis]

I had a Huffy Strider as a teenager and it was called "Chrome Cruncher" for putting a dent in a fender of an idling car at a stoplight at the bottom of a hill (bike had no brakes - none that worked, anyway.)

Current bike that is my favorite even though it is too small for me:

Lil' Giant.

And even though it is small it is a mightly little beast.

The other (road) bike is a blue Trek and I have forgotten its name. That's awful, I know. I neglect it.

Mountain bike was "Supafly" but since I fell twice on it, once knocking the wind out of myself and once breaking my ankle, I call it "Lucky." As in, Lucky it hasn't been sold.

[Jolt]

I haven't named mine, but I suppose a good name for my current bike (not the one in my avatar--need to update that with a new picture!) would be the "Green Machine" because of the color and the fact that it doesn't pollute :).

[gnat23]

I name everything but the toaster, I think. See below. New bike showing up this afternoon will be added following the cheese trend...

Problem is, I think it makes it harder to sell when it comes time. :-(

-- gnat! (Anyone interested in buying Chevre? She's a gorgeous MTB!)

[shootingstar]

I have 4 bikes --but only 1 of them is named. Only named to distinguish from one of his bikes.

It's my Dahon folding bike --she's.."Baby Day". He also has a Dahon folding bike but an entirely different model, colour, etc. (and it's abit heavier). :rolleyes:
I call her a baby because she becomes smaller when I fold her up.

[Biciclista]

my husband named all his trucks so when we started riding bikes, they all got names too.
(read my signature!) :D

[hebe]

My bikes have names, but normally only in my head. My Spesh is Bella (short for Bellatrix) and my Marin is The Correspondent. Derived from some very tedious logic and cultural references which will almost certainly vanish in the translation. My name is Kate, the basket is labelled "Adie", and Kate Adie (http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/correspondents/newsid_2625000/2625875.stm)was the BBC's Chief News Correspondent and something of a groundbreaker for women in high-profile war reporting. I bet you wish you'd never asked now...

[Pax]

I name everything, heck I named the white moth that was hanging out in my shower for a couple of days (Harry). Current names:

Truck - Lucy
SUV - Bean
Scooter - Genevieve
Motorcycle - Sophia
Soon to be owned vintage bike - ??

[redrhodie]

My white Merckx is Sugar, the red one is Puddin', and my Soma DC DC is Princess Ice Boogie, or just Boogie.

[Grog]

I never named my bikes before, it didn't even cross my mind, but I'm with Catrin, maybe it's a Gunnar thing, my new bike has been baptized Berry Blossom. Berry because of the colour, and blossom because of the time of year at which it was "born." By the way Catrin our bikes probably met out in Madison, I'm pretty sure they were built at about the same time. :)

[LivetoRide]

My bike doesn't have a name; Nothing has ever come to mind. To me, nothing would seem right for mine, except for its actual brand name and model. :P I have a hard enough time picking out names for my cats!

[Catrin]

I never named my bikes before, it didn't even cross my mind, but I'm with Catrin, maybe it's a Gunnar thing, my new bike has been baptized Berry Blossom. Berry because of the colour, and blossom because of the time of year at which it was "born." By the way Catrin our bikes probably met out in Madison, I'm pretty sure they were built at about the same time. :)

Perhaps, they actually finished my frame in February - I just had to finish paying it off :D When did you start your build? I LIKE Berry Blossom, perhaps Ms. Rambler will be renamed "Plum Blossom" - which is quite appropriate!

[Grog]

Perhaps, they actually finished my frame in February - I just had to finish paying it off :D When did you start your build? I LIKE Berry Blossom, perhaps Ms. Rambler will be renamed "Plum Blossom" - which is quite appropriate!

Same for me, we "met" for the first time on March 3rd so including one week for shipping it would be about the same as you. But then the paint had to cure a bit, then I was away on vacation until this Monday. We had decided on the specs when I ordered the bike already, and they built it while I was away. We fussed over it a little bit the last few days and here we are!

To stay on topic: I like Plum Blossom! Our bikes will be like cousins.

[KnottedYet]

Perhaps, they actually finished my frame in February - I just had to finish paying it off :D When did you start your build? I LIKE Berry Blossom, perhaps Ms. Rambler will be renamed "Plum Blossom" - which is quite appropriate!

You can just add "Plum Blossom" to her name. I have a bike named "Crow Carmelita CrossCheck the Disco Queen." More names, more better. (at least sometimes) :D

"Ms. Plum Blossom Rambler" has a nice ring to it!

[Catrin]

Same for me, we "met" for the first time on March 3rd so including one week for shipping it would be about the same as you. But then the paint had to cure a bit, then I was away on vacation until this Monday. We had decided on the specs when I ordered the bike already, and they built it while I was away. We fussed over it a little bit the last few days and here we are!

To stay on topic: I like Plum Blossom! Our bikes will be like cousins.

Hmmmm, I do like that name better - she is hereby formally renamed. It was too similar to Ms. Explorer anyway. The repaired fork is to be delivered Monday, and they do already have parts of the bike partially assembled - I've no idea how long it will take them to complete the process. They are not slow, but they are no faster than they need to be in order to do a good job.

My fitter said there was a chance I might bring both bikes home on the same day - now THAT would be something! I don't see that happening though, I think Plum Blossom will be home first :cool:

Oooooh, I just saw Knotteds suggestion, I LIKE it - so "Ms. Plum Blossom Rambler" it is :)

[azfiddle]

I have been trying to name my new bike since I brought her home about a month ago...

She's a Specialized Ruby, but deep royal blue with a matte finish. So Sapphire might be a logical choice... but too easy.I instantly rejected my daughter's idea of "Bluebie" however.

I thought of Merlin - for the speedy falcon, but although he males are blue, the females are dull brown...and to me she seems to exude femininity. Not many things in nature are that color, but I have been considering Larkspur, for the deep blue-purple flower- or the Latin version of the flower's name, Delphinium.

Will take suggestions...

[KnottedYet]

Delphi, an oracle of glorious rides to come?

[Velocivixen]

I'm getting some good ideas here. I bought my bike October 28, just before halloween. Maybe name her fantasma - I think that's Spanish for ghost. Or something related to autumn...

[hulagirl]

Love this!

White Specialized Vita Sport = Abominable (Bumbles Bounce!)
Orbea Diva = Serafina (from Serafina Pekkala in "His Dark Materials")
Honda Fit = Igor
Hubby's Big Dummy = The Pequod (Moby **** ship)

[KnottedYet]

Hubby's Big Dummy = The Pequod (Moby **** ship)

That is the BEST Big Dummy name EVER!

I worship at your feet!

[hulagirl]

That is the BEST Big Dummy name EVER!

I worship at your feet!

:D I'm secretly trying to find him a patch of a white whale to put on the panniers!

[marni]

my one and only bike started out as pilot ( it is a trek pilot 5.2) but then became blue bike which became b b which also stood for a childhood stuffed toy bb bunny which was a big blue bunny rabbit so the bb became bebe with a french pronounciation ( bay bay) and I actually have her name on the top of the frame and on the down part of the outside or left half of the front fork. I can't remember where I got the name decals (somewhere online) but after 3 cross country rides, and another couple of years of lots of miles, I think we have a connection and I enjoy patting her on the seat and talking to her. She is my alter ego after all!

[Atlas]

I name everything. I think it's because I won't have enough animals (and no kids) to bestow names on.

The Surly Cross Check (we call it the Cross Chick) is Spooky. I had a dream I had a black and orange bike called Spooky and when I got my CC I got orange accessories so it'd be a Spooky bike.

The Motobecane is classy as all get out - emerald green, gold pin striping, original fenders, etc. so I named her Mary.

My Jeep Liberty is Margaret Elizabeth, Maggie Libby for short. My partner's co-worker dubbed her Mama Grizz which I also like.

[Pax]

This thread really gets me thinking about my soon-to-be new bike (the 1968-1970 Schwinn Breeze) is going to be a cool/sweet/fun ride and it's got the original black paint... any ideas??

[Trek420]

GT Outpost Trail commuter ~ Bradley
Mondonico Futura Legero ~ Menace
Motobecane Mixte ~ as yet unnamed, any ideas?

[snapdragen]

Mine were really hard....

my Terry road bike is Bleu (color is indigo blue) by Raliegh One Way is Una (it's a single speed) Car is just called Suby, or Suby-Do.

[Bike Writer]

This thread really gets me thinking about my soon-to-be new bike (the 1968-1970 Schwinn Breeze) is going to be a cool/sweet/fun ride and it's got the original black paint... any ideas??

Maybe it's a little lame but how about Breezy?

I don't have a name for my bike but I often say to my bike, "c'mon Girl, let's go out for a ride." And I do pat her on the saddle or give her bell a little ring now and again when I walk by.

I've never named my cars but I have named all of my boats unofficially anyways, meaning that I've never had the name applied to the boats, it's just how I refer to them.

I love reading about the names you all have given your bikes and some of the stories behind them :)

By the way, cool thread!

[amb]

This thread is great. I just started riding about 6 weeks ago and I was just thinking on my ride today that my bike needed a name. I've already decided she's a "she" but no name has come to me yet....I'll keep thinking.

[Pax]

This thread is great. I just started riding about 6 weeks ago and I was just thinking on my ride today that my bike needed a name. I've already decided she's a "she" but no name has come to me yet....I'll keep thinking.

She'll let you know... when she's ready. ;)

[Velocivixen]

I JUST FIGURED IT OUT!!! I will name my bike "Scout" after the little girl character in To Kill A Mockingbird! I relate to the girl very strongly. Scout in another way implies, to me, an explorer, upright, and so many other things....I ride my bike to explore my surroundings!

[macski]

I think Scout is perfect - as are many of the other names that show people's creativity.

I am very boring by comparison. I tried naming my bikes eg my flat bar Avanti Blade was Ava (not very original and even then it didn't stick and she is usually referred to as 'the Avanti). My Cannondale Synapse is 'the Synapse' and my Specialized Amira is 'the Amira'.

Azfiddle - I'm clearly not one to give advice on this topic but I like Sapphire for your bike. Perhaps because I have a blue burmese cat that I named Sapphire.

[hirakukibou]

All the bikes in our house have names -- although some are more inspired than others.

My Luna is named "Red" for obvious reasons.

My Fuji Supreme RC is named "Dragonfly." She was previously named "Blue" but last year on my birthday, my partner told me he secretly called her "Dragonfly." Later that day, a good friend gave me a beautiful card with a dragonfly on it. It was cosmic confirmation of the name. So, I put a small dragonfly sticker on her and the name suits her well as she is light and flies.

My 1987 Centurion Le Mans is "Centi."

My Fuji Sagres hybrid is "Rat Bike."

And my Fuji Touring bike is Tina.

Our bikes feel like family so it makes sense that they have names.

[nolemom]

I seem to have a weakness for mythology when it comes to my bikes. My first bike was Thor and my Madone is Hermes probably hoping I can take advantage of his speed.

[Thorn]

Scout is a very good name. May she guide you in your explorations.

Me?
Galanas (Welsh for blood money because she was bought with company buy-out money),
Edwina (S&S coupled bike that lives in a box "Put Edwina back in box (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086873/plotsummary)"),
Surly (generic name for my surly commuter),

And my new winter commuter will probably be Detritus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Discworld)#Detritus). The bike will be a Surly Troll, be used only in the cold of winter so who better to name it after than Pratchett's troll Detritus and his cooling helmet?

[Velocivixen]

It's so interesting to me as to whether or not you've named your bike, if so the name and how it came about. The poster above with "Dragonfly" had a great story!

I haven't told my bike her new name yet, so I'll have to "christen" her some how. I will honor her in hope that she will take me on many fun & safe adventures and along roads less traveled. As you may know, Scout is wise for her years. ;)

[Pax]

It's so interesting to me as to whether or not you've named your bike, if so the name and how it came about. The poster above with "Dragonfly" had a great story!

I haven't told my bike her new name yet, so I'll have to "christen" her some how. I will honor her in hope that she will take me on many fun & safe adventures and along roads less traveled. As you may know, Scout is wise for her years. ;)

Okie dokie...

My little red Ranger pickup is called Lucy because she's a redhead and I loved "I Love Lucy" when I was a kid.

The ostentatious SUV is called Bean because her manufacturer color name was "Cool Vanilla". Vanilla Bean... Bean.

My scooter is called a St. Tropez so I thought she needed a cool French name, Genevieve (pronounced with an over the top French accent) is pretty cool. :p

My motorcycle is an Italian made Moto Guzzi, and like the scooter I thought she needed an appropriately ethnic name, so Sophia.

Usually I wait a little while and get to know my bike/car/truck and see what she'd like to be named.

[Velocivixen]

@Pax, just so you know...I have a quirky sense of humor. I said that as tongue in cheek humor. ;)

[indysteel]

My Bianchi is named Sprout because she's little and green.

The Moots somehow acquired the name Nugget, but it morphed to Nuggie for some reason.

My Specialized mountain bike is named Betty, as in Brown Betty (cause she's brown).

I haven't fully settled on a name for my Jamis Aurora. So far, it's been Scout, but it hasn't fully stuck yet. I'd name her Katy because that's the trail I largely bought her to ride, but that's too similar to my own name. We'll see.

So, yes, I do name my bikes, although I can't say they're terribly creative. My husband eschews the practice, but he at least calls my bikes by Their Name.

[paiger81]

My road bike is "Oscar", my mountain was "Irene" and I'm also waiting for my hybrid to tell me his name. I feel it may want to be sports related....like "Rondo" or "Carmelo"....

[luv2climb]

I think I'll call my Sirrus hybrid "Strong Climber", because it climbs at least as good if not better than my road bike:p:D The bike is a good climber, not me.

[Velocivixen]

Those are some nice names. ;)

[Aggie_Ama]

I am leaning towards calling my new Specialized Epic Marie Laveau. My mom called her purple, lime green and black scheme Mardi Gras and those 29ers do seem to have some magic powers. Is it voodoo that makes them steamroll those rocks?

[kfergos]

When you spend a lot of time with any object, it seems to take on a personality. Vehicles more so than other objects, I'm assuming because of all the quirks those many moving parts can develop that make it seem to be an individual. I've named three of my four bikes:

Lucy - Jamis Xenith Pro, named after her former bike racer owner
Artemis - Custom Seven everything bike
Charlotte - Specialized Hard Rock converted into an Xtracycle

I also have The Red Bike, which doesn't have so many special, happy feelings for me and therefore doesn't get a name. :o

Question: Is this naming bikes a girl thing, or do guys do this too?

[ASammy1]

The pink 1988 Bridgestone Mixte is Bonnie, the blue 2011 LHT is Clyde, and the black/blue 2002 Trek 2200 is Onyx.

My husband's Trek 1000 is the T1000 Hyper Alloy Combat Chassis! :rolleyes:

[hulagirl]

I forgot to add - we even named our Digital SLR. "Agent Cooper" And yes, he likes apple pie! :D

[goride]

I don't name my bikes, I'm not that creative, but I need some way to refer to them. I call one road bike the blue bike (it's black and silver, but has bright blue handle bar tape), on the other hand, I call my blue road bike my white bike, because it has white handle bar tape. Besides, it keeps DH confused. I just refer to the hybrids as the gray or the blue hybrid. If I had a black lab, I would name it Spot.

[Pax]

... If I had a black lab, I would name it Spot.

:p LOL!!!

[Catrin]

It seems my bikes get far more personal names than my cars - probably because - to me - a bicycle is a far more intimate thing than a car. Perhaps I am just odd ---- well I AM, but that is beside the point :)

I think that the Jamis will just have to tell me her or his name, the Gunnar was different - but I've been involved in her design from the beginning. Her fork arrived today - so she will hopefully come home sometime this week :)

[indysteel]

:p LOL!!!

I have a friend with a cat named Dog. Her other cat, who is black, is named Snowie. She likes irony apparently.

[zoom-zoom]

We name everything in our house...kid, cats, cars...and bikes, of course.

My first road bike was Oby/Oberon, named after my favorite beer, Bell's Oberon (it was a pretty teal color like the beer label, plus I added orange bar tape to even further match the label).
http://www.aatiffany.com/images/bells%20oberon.jpg

When I started talking an upgrade bike our shop guy said bike #2 needed to be "Oby 2 Kenobi"...it stuck.

Now I'm eyeballing a cyclocross bike, perhaps by Fall. That one will be "Rule #1 - Cardio,"...my zombie apocalypse bike. :D

[trista]

I would feel weird calling my bike or car a name...although growing up, our objects had names. Our truck was "Red." Our boat was "GG"...

No, my bike is just "my bike". If I'm referring to my hybrid bike, which I only use when I take the kids on a ride in the Burley or the trail-behind, I call it "my bike" too, or if I'm differentiating between the two I might call the Hybrid just that or the Cannondale, and the Trek the Trek or the Roadie.

Our cars... the van is always the van, and the suv is differentiated by being called "the truck." or maybe "red", because it is red and the van is blue.

we are boring.

[zoom-zoom]

Question: Is this naming bikes a girl thing, or do guys do this too?

Guys do it, too. DH's first Roubaix was "Ruby" (back before Specialized made a women's version). New Roubaix is "Bones" (since it sorta looks like it has elbows). His mountain bike is "Lefty" (it has a lefty fork), his CX bike is "Frank" (named by our son), the tandem is "Double-Tap"...it doesn't have SRAM shifters, it's a Zombieland reference. :D