Tuesday, April 29, 2014

A Bike for All Seasons

Well, y'all may have noticed that I haven't been posting lately. That's because there's been a new addition to my little family.


She's an old-school aluminum framed mountain bike, with a front fork shock and big knobby tires... probably a 1998 model, but it looks like someone upgraded her crankset to make her a bit lighter and give her lower gearing. Got her for a mere $100 on Craigslist and spent the past few weeks fixin' her up. This picture was taken on her inaugural trip. Here's the view facing the other direction:


See that trail off in the distance? That was the easy part... before we got to the "highly technical switchbacks." Suffice it to say that our next trip will be on an easier trail!

But I'm absolutely thrilled, because now CatMan and I can get out and enjoy the mountains, which we haven't been able to do for a while. I probably haven't mentioned this, but CatMan has some nerve damage in his ankle leftover from a pretty serious mountaineering accident that he was in twenty-some-odd years ago.

It means that he can't really bend his ankle without setting off extreme pain. So walking is difficult for him, and things like hiking are pretty much out of the question. But he can ride a bike with no problem, so we're really hoping that the addition of the mountain bike to my "stable" will allow the 2 of us to enjoy the beautiful rocky mountains this summer.


Anyhow... this means that I now own three, count 'em THREE bicycles.


Now, there was a time that I would have considered this to be excessive, but here's the thing - all bikes are not created equal. They all have different purposes, and the older I get, the more I have come to believe that you really do need the right tool for the job.

Soooo... I now have Ruby, my road bike. She's super light with a carbon fiber frame and her job is to ride fast for long distances.


This photo was taken when she was brand new... she now has clipless pedals which require special road bike shoes. This bike is probably worth more than my car (which isn't actually saying much) but there's NO WAY I would ever leave her unattended. She even comes into the bathroom with me on pit stops!

Anyhow, the point is, this is NOT a bike you ride for running errands around town, and you also would NEVER want to take her down something that looks like this:


Then there's old Gertrude:


Gerty is probably over 30 by now. I bought her used from a friend of my Ex, and she's gone through several incarnations over the 20+ years that I've owned her. This photo is a few years old, she's now got more bags, a big comfy saddle, slick tires for less riding resistance, and ergonomic handlebar grips.

She's actually not a bad bike, but she's got a heavy chromoly frame (steel - probably weighs over 35 pounds). She's got old-school shifters that are sorta um... challenging to use, and I've got her outfitted with baskets for hauling stuff from the grocery store.

But old Gerty is the perfect bike for running errands around town. I can ride her in street clothes, and while it would be a major bummer to lose her, she wouldn't be worth much on the used market, so I don't have to worry too much about leaving her locked up someplace while I go shopping or whatever.


So there you have it, I've officially become one of those people, with a whole pile of bicycles.

The only thing now is that my new bike needs a name! I'm thinking it should be something rugged and gritty, that conjures up images of the back country... something in the Jeremiah Johnson or Rooter Cogburn vein, but with a feminine twist. Got any suggestions?


32 comments :

  1. The first name that came to mind was Sierra. Tori. Jesse. Lane. Billie Jo. Carly. Taylor. Hayden.

    Also, don't feel bad about the amount--they all have a purpose. And frankly, that's the point of "stuff". ;)

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    1. Oooo... those are great suggestions! I especially like Jesse and Sierra.

      And while I do sorta feel guilty about owning so many bikes, to be completely honest, anything that lets me spend more time with CatMan, and that lets him get back into the mountains that he loves and misses so dearly, is worth its weight in gold!!

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  2. I feel the same way about guitars that you feel about bikes. I also understand why you need the assortment that you do. I think you need to ride the bike a few times to get an idea, but if she's as tough as you make her sound, I think her name should be "Mother."

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    1. Ha! Well, I've also got 4 guitars... 5 if you count the one that's been made into an art piece hanging on my wall. Gotta admit that they've been a tad bit neglected in the past few years though.

      And as for "Mother" - hmm... is there some character that you're referencing there? I fear that word is a fairly loaded one for me, so I'm probably not gonna go there, but I'd love to know the reference. :-)

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  3. I've been wanting a 3rd bike myself - something cheap to ride in street clothes for errands and such. I haven't ridden much in the last couple of years due to a chronic foot pain. It's taken awhile to accept that I can enjoy short rides too!

    It seems that several old west ladies were named Annie or Pearl. Not very rugged names, but those women were tough.

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    1. Oh nooo... chronic foot pain doesn't sound good. Have you seen a doctor about it? Anyhow, having a "beater bike" is a great thing, bum foot or not.

      Annie and Pearl are both great suggestions. CatMan lived in Cripple Creek for a while and there was a very colorful Pearl in Cripple Creek history.

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  4. Congratulations on your new bike. I like the name Jesse.

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    1. Me too... I just have to decide if it's too weird or not since one of my best friend's daughters is named Jesse.

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  5. Rugged is good! I do think the male-identified names, like Jeremiah / Gideon / Ezekiel etc are just better. And Gerty is already taken. I would go for something like Beulah or Edna. (I would say Edith, but it's popular again).

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    1. Ha! Well, for me, the name Edith is forever connected to Jean Stapelton in All in the Family - so I wouldn't be able to ride her without thinking: Aaaaaarchie!!! :-) The others are definitely worth considering though.

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  6. Mountain biking is something I haven't tried. I think I'd try more bike touring first, since hiking IS an option for us, but this sounds great for you and CatMan -- enjoy!

    You have me beat, bike-wise. As of last night, I own 2.5 bikes (the 1/2 is our new longtail cargo bike, which Matthew and I will share). You are totally right -- different bikes serve different purposes.

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    1. Congrats on the longtail! In my next life (the one where I don't have food allergies and CatMan doesn't have a back problem) I'm definitely gonna try bike touring! As it is, unfamiliar food and sleep surfaces spell trouble for us. Le sigh.

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  7. Lurleen. C'mon, it's got a ring to it. Plus, it's my favorite name from The Simpsons. My grandmother's name was Pearl and she was a sweet, submissive, trembly-while-convalescing-constantly-on-the-sofa kind of a lady so I have a hard time associating that name with anything rugged.

    Ya know, I never thought of it till you posted this, but I own 2 bikes. The first one is one I never ride anymore--an old 10-speed circa 1970s, racer-style (sorry, I'm not a biking guru) and it's not very comfortable but I keep hoping my hubby will take an interest in biking and I think he could adjust this one to fit him. My other is my granny-bike--wide tires, wide seat--I'm a bike-around-the-neighborhood-in-my-street-clothes-but-ALWAYS-with-a-helmet girl and this fits the bill.

    When my husband and I got married, he was worried about how expensive his fishing boat was to own. I told him I didn't care as long as he USED it and enjoyed it. (maybe I should reconsider on our extra bike, but anyway ...). If you own stuff just to keep up with the Joneses or because you have hoarding issues, maybe you need to reconsider, but I agree with Megyn--if it brings you joy (not to mention physical and mental health) then what's the big deal? Actually, you could argue that by spending money on a bike, you are taking an active effort to keep your healthcare costs down. Come to me if you need to justify anything--I'm really skilled at it. ;)

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    1. Lurleen, I love the name but have to admit that I don't know the character from the Simpsons. And I totally agree, it's not excess if it's being used regularly. Sometimes I feel like my cycling "habit" has become excessively expensive, but when you consider the fact that I probably spend at least 8 hours per week on a bike, and it sorta takes the place of gym membership, vacations, car, hobby etc... I think it's a real bargain.

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    2. Lurleen is a minor character--a country singer with a guitar who has a thing for Homer. She's spunky and twangy. So maybe not the best name for your bike, but the name makes me smile. Maybe if we ever get a girl cat, I'll name her Lurleen.

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    3. Oh, the mind reels just picturing a country singer with a thing for Homer! I may have to see what I can find on You Tube!

      To tell the truth, I'm kinda leaning toward going simple on the name... something like Red.

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    4. I'm sure you can find one of her songs--something about "I finally bagged me a Homer"--not sure I have that exactly correct, but it's worth the viewing time. :)

      I like Red!

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    5. Oh my! I'm thinking it's probably not a coincidence that her name reminds me of the Dolly Parton song, Joleen!

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  8. I love that you give your bikes names! I'm going to have to get creative with my old Huffy. In the mean time, here are some suggestions for yours:

    Sundance, Hepburn, Dusty, Cody, Stetson

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    1. Oooooo, Hepburn! Katharine Hepburn is EXACTLY the vibe I was going for - like in The African Queen. Hmmm....

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  9. I have one bike--from the Gertrude family. I don't ride much; that's all I need. She works well for the mountain biking I used to do with my best friend in high school and of course for errands (though she's not as gussied up as yours--I still just use a backpack).

    How about Mattie, the gal from "True Grit"? Then there's Ree, the gal from "Winter's Bone," set in the Ozarks.

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    1. Gerty served me well as an only bike for many years. In fact, when CatMan and I did some dabbling in mountain biking 20 years ago she was my ride and we did just fine. I actually thought about re-outfitting her for mountain bike duty, but when I found this new one for such a steal on Craigslist I decided to take the plunge. I have to admit that the front shock and lower gearing is really nice, plus, aluminum is MUCH lighter than steel, which made it significantly easier to load into CatMan's truck and to, ahem, carry up some of those "highly technical switchbacks!"

      Mattie is actually on my list for that very reason. But I have a vet named Mattie so I'm not sure my brain can handle the mixed reference. Hmmm... much to consider.

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  10. I love your new bike and I agree with everyone else who says you shouldn't worry about having duplicates of the things you love and will use( says the lady who has 5 sewing machines)
    I second the name Lurleen...it has a tough lady image to me.
    Marie

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    1. Holy Moly! 5 sewing machines... and I can't even bring myself to use the one that I have... guess I'm just a sew-by-hand kind of a girl!

      OK, I have to go check out the Simpsons to see who Lurleen is!

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    1. Yeah... she's an oldie but a goodie. And she's even more luscious now that she has a big gushy granny seat!

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  12. Can't say I have any bikes, never had much balance for riding but knowing plenty of people who tour and use multiple bikes for different uses I completely understand. You don't use your car much so the bikes are a good investment.

    The only name that comes to mind, other than ones already mentioned would be Annie for Annie Oakley

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    1. I do have to admit that it felt funny to load a bike into the truck... kinda like missing the point, but suppose it's not much different than driving to a hiking trail. :-)

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  13. I'm the multiple bikes club with you. The Ruby is lovely! I love it that bikes never really die and it sounds like you'll have your collection for a good long while! I have a road bike as well, but as we have a lot of gravel trails around here I also acquired a hybrid last year.

    I'm pretty lousy with names, so no suggestions here. Have some awesome rides!

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    1. Yeah, road bikes don't do too well on gravel. There's one gravel trail that we sometimes ride on road bikes, but only for a mile or two, and it always makes me a bit nervous. And I have to say that Ruby was worth every single penny that I paid for her!

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  14. My husband has 3 bikes as well---mountain bike, road bike, and a hybrid which mainly is just used when someone without a bike wants to ride along with him. I've been told the formula for the perfect number of bikes is n+1, where n=how many bikes you have right now. lol

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