Of Bikes, Rides and Names
I hadn't realized I'd named my bike until yesterday.
I met up with several of the guys from the velo, including my current favorites Dean, Steve and Pat, with a plan to put in about 55 miles (in the cold) and without a climb to avoid the cold cold descent. In theory, it would be a base miles ride. No pushing and shoving for place, no knuckleheads, just base miles.
Some of the other guys do not understand base miles, as evidenced by Elwood who thought a 20mph average in a 15mph headwind is "taking it easy" when in fact even for Elwood it isn't. He and Russel get excited every time they get on a bike, until they wear themselves out from all that excitement in the winter and bottom out in the spring. They kept ploughing on and I eventually decided they were smoking crack and slowed down. My favorites looked back and joined me. Steve started riding behind me and shouting shift changes like a regular coach or something. I cussed him soundly, then thanked him for the advice. Its a balance, the cussing and the thanking. My three years experience do not match his decades of cycling and racing, so I'll listen, and cuss, then thank. I got back in the game when the big boys calmed down post ridge climb (about a mile up Shinbone. I'd never been there before) and I got to suck down some gu. The boost to my energy levels was immediately apparent.
As we were finishing the ride, now at a pace more in line with the concept of "base miles" and all together, Steve and I got to talking about bike maintenance. His bike (name forgotten again, but she's a beautiful Colagno) he said had just gotten back from "the mothership" and was now shifting perfectly again. I explained to him that mine is a man. He visits the mothership and gets to shifting more in line with my demands, but never perfectly. Sometimes, he simply doesn't bother. Since he has the new wheel and cassette, he no longer shifts without me and this is a huge improvement over the last time he and I rode. As we spoke, I called my bike by name.
I've always known this name, and it belongs to something entirely *other* but, my bike has now taken some of the qualities I associate with that. My bike has gained the name Issgar.
Soon, I will be taking Issgar with me to meet the other ladies in the seed Cat4 team for some road riding. I have been informed I shall be working with one of the triathlete girls on drafting and pacelining. I've more experience with how to do that, how long to pull, how being in the front doesn't mean "push the speed." We will begin learning to ride as a team. This should be FUN. Fun, and Cold.
Issgar will probably enjoy it.
I met up with several of the guys from the velo, including my current favorites Dean, Steve and Pat, with a plan to put in about 55 miles (in the cold) and without a climb to avoid the cold cold descent. In theory, it would be a base miles ride. No pushing and shoving for place, no knuckleheads, just base miles.
Some of the other guys do not understand base miles, as evidenced by Elwood who thought a 20mph average in a 15mph headwind is "taking it easy" when in fact even for Elwood it isn't. He and Russel get excited every time they get on a bike, until they wear themselves out from all that excitement in the winter and bottom out in the spring. They kept ploughing on and I eventually decided they were smoking crack and slowed down. My favorites looked back and joined me. Steve started riding behind me and shouting shift changes like a regular coach or something. I cussed him soundly, then thanked him for the advice. Its a balance, the cussing and the thanking. My three years experience do not match his decades of cycling and racing, so I'll listen, and cuss, then thank. I got back in the game when the big boys calmed down post ridge climb (about a mile up Shinbone. I'd never been there before) and I got to suck down some gu. The boost to my energy levels was immediately apparent.
As we were finishing the ride, now at a pace more in line with the concept of "base miles" and all together, Steve and I got to talking about bike maintenance. His bike (name forgotten again, but she's a beautiful Colagno) he said had just gotten back from "the mothership" and was now shifting perfectly again. I explained to him that mine is a man. He visits the mothership and gets to shifting more in line with my demands, but never perfectly. Sometimes, he simply doesn't bother. Since he has the new wheel and cassette, he no longer shifts without me and this is a huge improvement over the last time he and I rode. As we spoke, I called my bike by name.
I've always known this name, and it belongs to something entirely *other* but, my bike has now taken some of the qualities I associate with that. My bike has gained the name Issgar.
Soon, I will be taking Issgar with me to meet the other ladies in the seed Cat4 team for some road riding. I have been informed I shall be working with one of the triathlete girls on drafting and pacelining. I've more experience with how to do that, how long to pull, how being in the front doesn't mean "push the speed." We will begin learning to ride as a team. This should be FUN. Fun, and Cold.
Issgar will probably enjoy it.
posted by WarKitty at
6:57 AM
2 Comments:
I'm smiling reading this...it's still too cold to ride outdoors here, though I try!
I have a new bike and have named her too. When you spend all that time with someone, it helps to know their name, right? :) Stay warm!
By
Anonymous, at 2/17/2007 11:59 AM
I'm not gonna say its warm enough to ride here... we trained in snow flurries today. It DID get up to almost forty degrees towards the end though:-D
It amuses me that we name our bikes, but it makes sense too. Like you say, if you spend all that time with one, it should have a name!
By
WarKitty, at 2/17/2007 4:06 PM
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