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As if it wasn't bad enough that we name our motorized vehicles, I was just reminded that I have also named my bicycles. Keep in mind, I AM a cyclist, so I am not just talking about some bike I use to get around here and there. This is something I RIDE!
The first bike I named was my last bike, and she was Christine. Just as with the cars, she named herself. Christine was good, though not great, and I actually did my longest ride ever on her: a 2 day, 170 mile charity ride to benefit MS that they hold every year in Phoenix. I hope to do that ride again on Amanda (see below). Sadly, the day I faceplanted onto the hood of a car and then the asphalt was pretty much Christine's last day. Her front forks were never quite the same after that. I COULD have repaired her, but I decided it was time to get a new bike, a better bike. And I am so glad I did.
Because the next bike I bought was Amanda. I have had Amanda for nearly ten years now, and she is, quite simply, the greatest thing on two wheels I have ever had. My friends often joke about Amanda being my girlfriend, and the jokes that get told sometimes get bizarre and sick.....but the parellels are, nonetheless, quite amusing. Amanda cost me a month's pay, and I have never once regretted it. When I traveled the U.S. for a year and a half back in 98-99, one of the first things I did was figure out how to get Amanda in the back of Babs, which was no easy task with everything else I had back there. And because I DID figure it out, I was able to ride Amanda in such diverse places as San Francisco, Chicago, NYC, Cape Cod, Boston (rode Heartbreak Hill, in the rain, on my 28th birthday!), DC, Seattle, Portland, and New Orleans. And probably several others I am forgetting.
This is a picture of a bike identical to Amanda. It is NOT Amanda, but simply an image I found on google. I often get stares when I am out on this bike, as it doesn't quite look standard, as you can see. Many people who knew nothing about bikes would tell me "That is a work of art!" I agree, but she performs even better than she looks. This particular model is no longer produced by Softride, but they do manufacture amazing bicycles. To this day, the only changes I have made to Amanda were replacing her petals with ones that lock into my cycling shoes. (Toe clips are dangerous....locking cleats are much safer, as they break away if you crash.) If you want to get a great, great bike, I recommend them HIGHLY!
The first bike I named was my last bike, and she was Christine. Just as with the cars, she named herself. Christine was good, though not great, and I actually did my longest ride ever on her: a 2 day, 170 mile charity ride to benefit MS that they hold every year in Phoenix. I hope to do that ride again on Amanda (see below). Sadly, the day I faceplanted onto the hood of a car and then the asphalt was pretty much Christine's last day. Her front forks were never quite the same after that. I COULD have repaired her, but I decided it was time to get a new bike, a better bike. And I am so glad I did.
Because the next bike I bought was Amanda. I have had Amanda for nearly ten years now, and she is, quite simply, the greatest thing on two wheels I have ever had. My friends often joke about Amanda being my girlfriend, and the jokes that get told sometimes get bizarre and sick.....but the parellels are, nonetheless, quite amusing. Amanda cost me a month's pay, and I have never once regretted it. When I traveled the U.S. for a year and a half back in 98-99, one of the first things I did was figure out how to get Amanda in the back of Babs, which was no easy task with everything else I had back there. And because I DID figure it out, I was able to ride Amanda in such diverse places as San Francisco, Chicago, NYC, Cape Cod, Boston (rode Heartbreak Hill, in the rain, on my 28th birthday!), DC, Seattle, Portland, and New Orleans. And probably several others I am forgetting.
This is a picture of a bike identical to Amanda. It is NOT Amanda, but simply an image I found on google. I often get stares when I am out on this bike, as it doesn't quite look standard, as you can see. Many people who knew nothing about bikes would tell me "That is a work of art!" I agree, but she performs even better than she looks. This particular model is no longer produced by Softride, but they do manufacture amazing bicycles. To this day, the only changes I have made to Amanda were replacing her petals with ones that lock into my cycling shoes. (Toe clips are dangerous....locking cleats are much safer, as they break away if you crash.) If you want to get a great, great bike, I recommend them HIGHLY!
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