I name things. I have a mobile phone named Haley, a satellite navigation device named Tomasina, a car named Bing-a-bell (little person pronunciation of Miss Clavell) and a daily planner called Ian. These items help me through the day and I love them all.
Recently, I bought a new bicycle, having moved to a very hilly corner of Oxfordshire. A mountain bike. Goes up hills, and down, it does. Very sturdy. It replaces my old bike, named Joan of Arc. (See below for more on Joan.)
But I have no name for this bike. It needs one. My first thought for a name was Euripides, but I am not sure that it fits the new bike well enough. So please take a minute and submit your recommendation for my new bike’s name.
And now for a bit more about Joan of Arc, my faithful companion of old. She got me through the London Bike-a-thon. (By the way, I would recommend against using a folding bike in a 52-mile bike ride across London. Small tyres make for lots and lots and lots of extra pedalling!) Joan was a lovely companion and, in some ways, I miss her. She got me across London on many occasions. Below is a photo of her on Bow Road, in east London on her way to her new home. (My good friend Kim Sutton has taken in Joan, to help her get about.)
Three options
1. Mr. T.
2. Blue Stallion
3. Chuck Norris
Hello Liam –
Can you please explain what “the bike ride count” means? Is it the number of times YOU have ridden the bike?
Cycl-ops: for all your cycling operations
Lazarus.
the Lazarus phenomenon, as explained in detail on Wikepedia, refers to an event in which a person spontaneously returns to life. (ref. the Gospel of John)
To me this seems achingly appropriate for the naming of your new bike. Your bike will, to you at least, have a personality and surely the apparent reincarnation of J.O.A will help to soften the impact of her premature loss. Circle of life and all that. I know she hasn’t technically died, but lets face it, now residing in East London, it probably won’t be long.
Besides this, it sounds cool and has a z in it.
1. Cal Ripken
2. Leonard
3. Bora Bora
4. Stampede
5. Mushroom
6. Athanasius
7. Anselm
8. Bladder
9. Nunchuck
10. Pit Stain
Remember if Euripides Eumenides
Wow! There are some really brilliant suggestions here. Very cool. Thanks to all who have posted in.
I’ve received a few suggestions via email too, so I thought I would post them here:
1) Bike-O-Soar: because you and the bike fly over hill and dale.
2) Raleigh: because of your connections to both the Old World and the New World. Also, I think this name has a bit of a British feel to it, and it may even be the name of a current or former British manufacture of bicycles.
3) What about Hillary? People will think you’re being political, or that she’s a girl, but actually it’s in homage to Sir Edmund … mountains and all that. Or Mallory – I like that one for a bike! Yeah – my vote goes with Mallory the mountain bike.
Please keep the ideas coming as I hope to make a decision by next week!
If it helps my vote is for Cycl-ops!
I’m a bit too intimidated by all these marvelous suggestions to add any of my own, but I did want to shed a cyber-tear for Joan and proffer a high five of welcome to the as-yet-un-named mean machine of new…
No wait! I think you should call it ‘Freddie Mercury’…
x
How about Charles VII, for unwittingly causing the “death” of St. Joan.
Or it could just be seven, so no confusion with your 2 charles (although how you could confuse bike w/ kid, I don’t know…..)
Salem. It is the first name that popped into my head when I saw a distinguished, yet no nonsense machine that is your current means of two-wheeled locomotion.
I think it should be Sara.
Something tells me it might have the personality of a sailor. Sooo! Sailor it is.
This mountain bike needs a down to earth name. You know like the people who name their dog “dog”, “blacky” or “browny”. Also it needs a short two syllable word like a nickname you would call a friend. So, I’ve come up with the endearing name of Bluey. I hope the two of you have great times together.
I think a bike has a wandering type of personality…so I am thinking the bike should be named Sailor…I did like Charles II
Did you end up naming your bike at all?
If not, here’s a suggestion. Name it after a favorite actress/woman/female personality. Per long-standing naming conventions, all transportation devices are female. Note how people refer to their ships and motor bikes as “she”.
In keeping with the tradition, here are some suggestions:
1) Liz Hurley the Harley, or Liz for short. She will compete with Harleys, of course
2) “QE 3”. Why not? Might as well start a new generation right here.
3) Anne Bike-away.
4) Empress of Blandings. A royal name, also thrown about to show off your lit knowledge.
Hi CheekyMonkey –
Thanks for the suggestions. And sorry about the confusion … I guess I need to add an update to this post.
You can see the name for yourself and let me know what you think of it.
PEACE OUT DUDES
@ Skye –
Thanks for visiting and for the comments! You’re always welcome to come back and have your say again.
Peace out, indeed.
Well, your bike reminds me of the shiny silk worn by the lad in the famous Gainsborough painting…so you might call it Blue Boy. Or… you might could call it Gainsborough Best yet, however, is the name of the lad himself: Jonathan Buttall. Now Jonathan doesn’t quite do it, but BUTTALL…now there’s a name to sweep the uphill/downhill bumpy roads of Oxfordshire!
Thunder storm
thunder bird