Does your bike talk to you?

[Tri Girl]

Just wondering if it's karma, or my bike saying "quit riding me freak- I need a break." I took Oscar out this morning for a nice 100 mile ride, and he had other plans: mile one I ran over a sticker and had to change a front flat, mile 3 the back tire blew out (never had that happen-there was actually a hole in the tire), got that semi fixed enough to get back to the car and then the front derailleur cable popped off and I couldn't get it fixed.
Grrrrrr... I left Oscar alone in the car (with the windows rolled UP) and went for a 2 hour run instead. Hope he had time to think about what he'd done. :p

Perhaps bikes DO have temperments and like some alone time as well...
Guess I get to buy those new tires I was thinking of, but now DH can't moan because I really NEED them now (I buy far too much cycling stuff). :D

Does your bike talk to you????

[Bad JuJu]

Holy mackerel, YES! This morning I got caught in a rainstorm--no lightning but buckets of rain--on my way back to my car. As I was passing the public library, I stopped to stand under the overhang for a few minutes and wipe the rain drops off my glasses. Also, it was raining so hard it actually hurt when the drops hit me.

Anyway, I couldn't get JuJu (yes, I use my bike's name as my TE user name :p ) to stand up against the building--she kept wanting to slip down sideways. So I figured she'd had enough fun, as had I, and I'd better get both her and me back to the trailhead, rain or no rain, before we decided to take a nap right there in front of the library. So off we went, and miraculously, the rain just then let up a little, so we finished in just a light shower. Hmmm, can bikes predict the weather?:confused:

[CR400]

If it did talk to me it would likely have a few things to say over and over.

First off "let's go for a ride, come on just a few miles at least" would be a daily demand. Then
"Is that all the faster you can go, I can go much faster then this pathetic speed." Grr!!!!
"Clean my chain its been a week, oh yeah get that cassette and derailler why your at it, ohh I feel much better now, thank you, opps you forgot a spot on my frame"
The one I hate the most " loose some weight so we can climb faster, ride faster and you're easier for me to carry for hours without a break." Now that is aggervating, I hope I raised a better bike then to be that rude.

[7rider]

Mine, in quite a mean-spirited mood this morning, says "You took that hill like THAT??? You don't deserve me!"
Well, geez, it was only, like, hill number 30. I was tired! :(

[Tri Girl]

Hmmm, can bikes predict the weather?:confused:

I don't know, but I do think they sense evil...:)


Wow- glad you made it back to the car in one piece!!!

[ladyfish]

Mine is probably saying "hey! did you forget about me? Let's go riding NOW!". I've been out of town for two weeks and didn't get much chance to ride the week before we left, either. So my bike is feeling lonely and neglected. That should change as soon as I get back home!!!

[Bad JuJu]

This is only a tiny bit off-topic: Did anybody see the episode of "Friends" when Phoebe got an adorable bike, but was afraid to learn how to ride it? Ross talked her into trying by telling her the bike was dying because she wouldn't ride it. Phoebe acted all sarcastic about his story, but then when he left the room, she hugged the bike and said, "Please don't die!"

I loved that episode!:)

[Tri Girl]

I love that episode, too! Too funny! :) What if Ross' story is true.....

[Trekhawk]

LOL - this is such a funny thread. I think my two road bikes get together and whisper about how slow I am .....if only she could push those legs a little harder I wouldnt feel so embarrassed. My new road bike tells the other cheaper road bike its alright for you but I was made for better things. My mountain bike just tells them to quit complaining at least they dont crash everytime they go for a ride:D

[Kitsune06]

Mine isn't thrilled with her new slick tires. We zip and zoom over the country hills (okay, sometimes she's dragging me and sighing as I grunt and snert and puff up to the top)... then she sees a little bit of poached singletrack running off into someone's woods. It's all over.
"Let's go! It'll be fun! There'll be rocks and sticks and trees *gasp* ANDDIRTANDFUNTHINGSANDYOUCANJUMPMEANDWE'D HAVE FUN!!!"
I look at her sternly and say "Not with your little thin smoothies, missy. Besides, I've got a bag full of groceries and it's 90 something out here."
"*whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine* But it'd be fun!"
"No." But by this time, I'm eyeing the trail, too.
"You know you want to..." The front brake squeaks a little as I start rolling forward onto the trail, and I have to pull her back onto the path and give a forceful pedal to get us down the street and out of sight of that... temptation.
"You'll pay for this," she grumbles, in her fashion.
True to form, as I'm creaking and groaning up that last huge gravel hill on our stupid gravel road, I try to shift to get a little more out of my burning thighs, and... *CHAINSUCK*. I pedal backwards, then try again. *CHAINSUCK*. GRR. MizCakes giggles merrily as I swear and pop off the bike to pull the worn chain off the sprocket and turn the pedals to get everything in its right place again.
"****!!!"
"That's my name, sweety," she smirks haughtily.
God, my bike has some **** attitude. Anyone else want to deal with her for awhile? :rolleyes:

[Cassandra_Cain]

Not merely talk, but long intimate conversations. Most especially on those tough solo rides.

Oftentimes my bike sounds like a naval commander "all ahead! What is the problem up there in the engine room! Arrrrrghhhh, put yer back into it, we can go faster....

[chickwhorips]

the days bloo doesn't want to go out she whines (squeeks) and so do i usually the whole way.
the days we are both having a good day you can hear us both going wwwwwweeeeeeeeee and no whining on either of our parts.

lately though because i've been running more she's sitting there whining because she wants to go out more. she doesn't understand what a bear can do to her or me but still she complains. though having her holed up for a while sure makes her want to go faster when she gets out.

[latelatebloomer]

"pssst....pssst....hey cutie.....over here......yeah, it's me. Get me down. Yeah, get me down. Let's you and me go out....it'll be good, real good.....I promise...."

and such an innocent blue, too:eek:

[MomOnBike]

William was whispering sweet nothings to me about long trips across the country while he was still on the show room floor.

Nowadays, he's mostly just bored with the same old routes we've been riding and has been complaining about not getting out more. Getting out involves crossing state lines, BTW.

Tonight, though, he informed me that no snot-nosed pre-teen on a knobby-tired bike was going to pass us and the engine had just better find some juice. He does that sort of thing all too often.

Yeah, my bikes often talk to me, but DH doesn't often like what they have to say - or that I'm an all too willing listener.

[crazycanuck]

On today's 6hr here in perth my legs said "oi, let's go and sit under the tree and read a book"...my bike said "WTF...let's keep going"....I had so much fun on ze bike today yer...Mr bike said "thank you..."

When i got home my road bike said "you're welcome for the help"...i'm here anytime you want to engage in some hot N steamy stuff..""


c

[Bad JuJu]

Looks like we've established pretty firmly that our bikes DO talk to us. So here's a question: when I get my Bianchi, will I have to learn Italian to understand her?:confused:

[KnottedYet]

No, I don't think you'll need to learn Italian. (but that could be a fun reason to go take an Italian class:D)

Bikes speak the universal language of bike-love...

[HillSlugger]

My current bike, the hybrid, never talks to me. The Specialized Sequoia Elite I test rode yesterday did talk to me and introduced herself. She told me that her name is "Sweet Elite" but that I could call her "Sweetie" or "Sweetums". She's not even mine (yet?) :( but I think we've already bonded. I hope I can bring her home soon. :)

[Tri Girl]

These are too funny! You all are making me laugh. :D

Glad I'm not the only one who hears "bike voices." DH looked at me like I was from Mars when I told him Oscar talks to me. hee hee... men just don't have the same bond with their machines I guess....

[SandyLS]

When you get that Bianchi you might just have to become tri-lingual, as I believe they are all assembled in Tiwan now with Italian made parts. My beautiful 2005 celeste Bianche Veloce, Serena, still whispers sweet nothings to me in a mighty interesting accent!

[KnottedYet]

Hmmmmm.... will my Waterford have a cheesehead accent?

(wisconsin is cheesehead, isn't it? or is that Minnesota?)

[Kitsune06]

That's Wisconsin, Knot... and honestly, if you were from Illinois, those'd be fightin' words. ;)

She will, btw, so when she asks you to refill her water bottle at the 'bubbler', she means the 'water fountain'...
she'll say 'wisCONsin' instead of 'wiSCONsin'
will have a giggle fit at you if you EVER think 60* is anything less than t-shirt weather
and won't take 'no' for an answer.

Huzzah for bullheaded Wisconsin girls! :D

[chickwhorips]

That's Wisconsin, Knot... and honestly, if you were from Illinois, those'd be fightin' words. ;)

or from minnesota they would be fightin words.

your bike will hate illinois and minnesota for no reason except for the reason of its just the way things are. oh and she will want to drink beer at anytime durning the day.

[KnottedYet]

Who could resist this beautiful face?

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m21/KnottedYet/100_0579.jpgOooh, "won't take no for an answer"....

I might not be able to wait until December. I might have to get her shipped out NOW!

[KnottedYet]

oh and she will want to drink beer at anytime durning the day.

That's cool. So do I. Maybe I could get her one of those head badges bike jewelry things with the beer glass. (Lemme see if I can find the link)

http://www.headbadges.com/index.html

But the new website she's doing doesn't have the beer glass one up yet. Some nice people jewelry, too.

[Bad JuJu]

When you get that Bianchi you might just have to become tri-lingual, as I believe they are all assembled in Tiwan now with Italian made parts. My beautiful 2005 celeste Bianche Veloce, Serena, still whispers sweet nothings to me in a mighty interesting accent!
*smacks forehead* Oh, brother, the languages keep piling up! When she was whispering to me at the bike shop, I coulda sworn she had a French accent.

Hey Knot, I've got a Waterford too--and she never says "yes"--just "yah" and "you betcha"! As in "Hey, Bad JuJu, wanna go do 40 miles this morning?" "You betcha!" Guess that's the midwesterner in her.:D

Now I gotta figure out what the Bianchi's name is....hmmmm......

[Kitsune06]

...Knotted... I can't say anything to that face, but sweet nothings... gotta close that window quick or I start feel all guilty and like I need to give Miz Cakes hugs when I get home. ...do bikes 'smell' other bikes on you? Do they give you the silent treatment when they 'just know' you've been eyeing another's seat 'n headset?
Oh my. :o



CWR, the 'reason' is that the Vikings are the most evil things on the planet (next to Da Bears and the Lions) and (fibs) from Illinois creep over our southern border to drink our beer and shoot our deer. Didn't they teach you that in little cheesehead school? ;)

Beer is actually frighteningly good early in the morning; my ex used to put it on cornflakes.

Beer:
It's not just for breakfast anymore.

:D

[chickwhorips]

knotted i figured you two would be a match made in beer heaven.

kit my stepmom decided i needed to go to a private school and so i didn't get that extra information, though it was bred into me quite well. Da.... Yoopers!

[Kitsune06]

Ya, hey, I can't think about der good ol' boys back in wisconsin wit-out tinking a' da' group 'Bananas at Large'. If ya ever find da tape/cd, it's 'too true'.:p

[colby]

Does your bike talk to you????

Definitely. I laughed out loud at the bike sliding down instead of standing against the building, that's happened to me and I did the same thing -- alright, then, let's go! I've also experienced "don't put me here, I'm not safe!"

When I ride alone, we keep each other company. It sounds crazy, I'm sure, but we "talk" about how far we've made it together, the things we'll do in the future, the places I'll take her in the future. When we go to a new place we haven't been before, we discuss the new territory. If we have to cross the street somewhere we haven't crossed before, we strategize the intersection. When we're on that last 2-3 miles, we talk about what a great team we are, and how awesome we are to make it this far. Hey, it gets me to the end feeling strong, I'll take what I can get! ;)