People have pet names for things, especially pets obviously. I’ve had dogs in my life called: Wink, Billy, Ben and Mo. Cats named Smudge, Chi Chi, Harriet (Hatty) and Herbydatious (Herby). For some reason I never named a car but I have given my bikes names. I think they are a bit more personal to you rather than just another form of transport. A bit more like a horse rather than a wagon. My three mounts of the roads are, Irma, Hagrid and Betty Blue. Irma was named after the Florida hurricane in 2017 that I sat through when I bought her. Irma is a BMC road bike that I rode from Los Angeles to Boston on in 2018. My first road love you could say. We were both very new, naive and untested for that ride, yet we made it EFI (every foot and inch) of the 3,400 miles.
After some time off after that escapade, I got properly fitted for a bike and bought a Giant Defy advanced 01. I named him “Hagrid” after the only giant I knew. Irma went into retirement but still sits there overlooking my continued cycling adventures. Hagrid took up the job and got me through the 100 miles and 10,000 ft of climbing from Vancouver to Whistler in the 2022 RBC Granfondo Forte. He also was my trusted companion for a 24-hour, 216-mile journey at Psych 48 in 2023. Hagrid is a nice easy bike to ride. For those who know bikes, it’s a pretty standard carbon size 56 road bike with Shimano 11 speed, Di2 Ultegra group set. For everyone else it’s a really nicely painted iridescent blue bike. This will also be my main bike for the Florida 500. Last but not least is “Betty Blue” named after my mother. Better is probably a bit small, like my mother. However again like Mum she is reliable, fun and easy to get along with. Betty Blue is an elegant Italian Pinarello F5, obviously blue, with a new 12 speed Di2 105 group set. Like most things Italian, the Pinarello is a good looker. Smooth elegant lines, clean design and understated sheer beauty. Betty is probably a little too small for me for the big climbs or long aero TT rides. However, she is a perfect spare utility bike or a great companion for a weekend spin and/or coffee ride which I’m sure, in the future, will be many.
I do have one other bike; you can never have too many bikes. This bike is still unnamed. It’s a 1980’s Colnago, I bought in Ireland in 202? It is a classic in the true sense of the word and again with great Italian design. My idea for this bike is to ride it from Lands’ End to John O’Groats (or reverse) with an old school friend who is a great cyclist. The bike and my school mate are both from the 80’s. Andy and I are both diabetic, he has had heart issues and surgery, I have an incurable lymphoma. So, what a great combination, two English old guys with health issues, riding old bikes on the oldest most iconic British ride and all linked somewhat from the 80’s. Anyway, that’s another story for another time when I’m sure the Colnago will get a name. Maybe John, who knows.
So, they are my road bikes, my trusty stead’s my cycling companions. I have slowly learned and am continually learning a great deal about bikes. It’s one of those wormholes that just gets bigger the further you go down.
