CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: What Does Your Bike Mean to You?

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: What Does Your Bike Mean to You? http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: What Does Your Bike Mean to You? en Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:45:59 +0000 recombodna on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221&page=2#post-24652 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 01:03:02 +0000 recombodna 24652@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Jacquie you said a mouthful right there. I couldn't agree more! kaputnik on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221&page=2#post-24649 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:41:43 +0000 kaputnik 24649@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ My bike means I just ate a half litre tub of coconut yoghurt and I just don't care :) jacquie phelan on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221&page=2#post-24647 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:10:49 +0000 jacquie phelan 24647@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ My bike: the only thing between me & madness. Should I elaborate? O.K. Bike=sanity My mind's wheels are spinning faster than they can gain traction. Nothing seems to get done. I hop on the bike and "achieve" a ride. Sometimes a blockage will break free, and in this post-ride moment, a bit of meaningful work can be accomplished. But even if it doesn't, I was busy a) not shopping b) not hating my thighs--well, I sort of like them even in my worst self-critical moments...and c) inhaling new air. TwoWheels on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221&page=2#post-24646 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 23:55:37 +0000 TwoWheels 24646@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ What does my bike mean to me? In a word, Romance. When I ride my bike, all things are possible and all times are present. I am 16, riding my first bike, the one I built from spare parts, to my first girlfriend's house. I am a younger man, breezing down Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I am in my middle age, falling in love all over again with a land I never knew. When I ride my bike, I think of errands to complete, just to stay on it those extra few miles. I look for hills, just to go flying down them. I look at the sunset, and assure myself that one day, I will ride there, too. That's what my bike means to me. Smudge on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221&page=2#post-24325 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 07:17:13 +0000 Smudge 24325@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ My bike is a magic thing that takes me back to being a kid, I can go anywhere (pretty much) and I can forget job/bills/responsibilities for a while and just ride... It's also another lot of very nice toys on which to spend too much money! (sigh) It goes on.. I look at them and the engineer in me loves the utterly brilliant engineering design, I mean, just how efficient is a bicycle!? The diamond/two triangle safety bicycle is still being tweaked not bettered (quiet you decadent lot on the invisible chaise longue types ;-)) The history also fascinates me, emancipation, mobility etc, an amazing item :) Finally, where else could you hear/read "I have a naughty bike (specialized crossroads hub gears) which is punished by being hung upside down from hooks in the garage" and not only is it "normal", but we all understand :-)) chdot on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221&page=2#post-24324 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 02:10:22 +0000 chdot 24324@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ only(<a href="http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23761">learned to ride a few years ago, at the age of 24</a>)alice isn't alone - "<a href="http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article580779.ece">Nancy Durrant never learnt as a child so, at 26, she finds professional help and saddles up at last</a>" chdot on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221&page=2#post-23849 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:05:29 +0000 chdot 23849@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "now that he has red stripes (recent photo)" Expect to get spotted on a daily basis! onlyalice on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221&page=2#post-23848 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 20:26:49 +0000 onlyalice 23848@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Thanks for the welcome chdot and kaputnik! My bike is pretty recognisable in general especially now that he has red stripes (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alltheaces/5038999983/">recent photo</a>) - added those after I got into a scrape so decided to be as visible as possible. So I'm sure you'll see us around town, hopefully not doing anything stupid... gembo on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221&page=2#post-23786 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 10:57:55 +0000 gembo 23786@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I have a naughty bike (specialized crossroads hub gears) which is punished by being hung upside down from hooks in the garage. I have another one - a tank the EBC sold me when I first returned to this lark and it was right for about a month then it was too slow and too heavy, it gets an outing if the tow-along bar is in action. Sometimes I feel bad about hanging it upside down in the garage as it has done nothing wrong and is 150 years old by kaputnik's abacus [a device that can be used for counting quite big numbers] kaputnik on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221&page=2#post-23783 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 09:31:31 +0000 kaputnik 23783@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Well anth's peacemaker has done 5 years until it got frame-o-porosis. According to the oraclepedia, humans get that at 75, so I'd say 1 bike year = 15 hu-mon years. ruggtomcat on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23780 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 02:35:23 +0000 ruggtomcat 23780@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Bike years are measured in miles or neglect :) Cyclingmollie on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23774 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 01:17:38 +0000 Cyclingmollie 23774@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ If I was being smart I'd say I can't make out what my bike means because it uses this weird Taiwanese/Belgian/Italian hybrid language but it may be something along the lines of "get your fat a**e off me before I buckle". kaputnik on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23772 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 01:00:10 +0000 kaputnik 23772@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ My bikes opened a little door into a big world full of a whole spectrum of likeminded people who are all a little (or a lot!) eccentric and in the best possible way. They also mean that when I get up in the morning I'm actually looking forward to getting ready and leaving the house. They also mean that my colleagues at work think I'm barking mad but secretly harbour respect for me. They also mean I no longer have to get a No. 22 bus. EVER AGAIN. These things are all good. Cyclingmollie on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23770 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:51:03 +0000 Cyclingmollie 23770@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ My bikes mean (and can I include my turbo-trainer in the first two?) exercise; setting achievable personal goals; not having to drive to work; a way of coaxing the girls away from the TV (on their bikes); getting back into the country-side (you can take the boy from the bog etc.), contributing something on this forum and a great way to spend money. kaputnik on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23768 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:42:07 +0000 kaputnik 23768@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Wilkommen onlyalice - Leon's basket is very distinctive and will make for easy spotting chdot on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23763 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:25:28 +0000 chdot 23763@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ "I've been lurking a little bit" That's fine! You'll know it's welcoming here - and fun. "cycling just made me feel so much more confident" A common feeling - but still too many people are put off trying... onlyalice on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23761 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:10:19 +0000 onlyalice 23761@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alltheaces/4543945123/">My bike means an awful lot to me</a>. He's called Leon and he's nearly three. He's my first ever bike - I only learned to ride <a href="http://plaintrees.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/learning/">a few years ago</a>, at the age of 24, thanks to a very dear friend (and a defiant attitude). I don't want to seem too over the top, but I feel like you guys will understand, and honestly, the experience did change my life; cycling just made me feel so much more confident, and rising to the challenge of learning as an adult made me feel ready to take the world on. I definitely see Leon as a trusty accomplice now, or sometimes even as part of who I am, what makes me me. I love the independence of cycling - I don’t need fuel or money or anyone else, it’s just me and my machine and we can go wherever we please. AND ALSO Hello! This is my first post! I've been lurking a little bit. wee folding bike on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23749 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 22:29:39 +0000 wee folding bike 23749@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ I've got a '51 Claud Butler which is older than me. It's 531, bilaminated, pencil stays etc so nothing like a war horse. More like a Stradivarius perhaps. gembo on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23748 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 22:23:40 +0000 gembo 23748@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ SRD - apparently he wrote an autobiography too. Apparently section on spanking. I can't imagine it sold much? He was a good lecturer (my pal Ian McIntosh at Stirling also rated him as a tutor). SRD on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23746 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 22:00:34 +0000 SRD 23746@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ The book Sayer co-wrote with Philip Corrigan (The Great Arch: English State Formation as Cultural Revolution) is quite important, and probably under-appreciated. But, having now just looked at the titles of his most recent stuff, it does look a bit hard to fathom. gembo on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23745 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:56:49 +0000 gembo 23745@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Ze hir and mx Rugg[xxx]cat - nice but not English language. The sociologist I was talking of Derek Sayer wrote an apparently excellent book in 1991 which was an Excursus on marx and weber. That is not english either. How old are bike years - you know if a cat year is nine human years? I think my tricross is an old warhorse and my secteur a young pup recombodna on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23732 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:10:02 +0000 recombodna 23732@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ sage words amigo!! ruggtomcat on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23721 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:57:35 +0000 ruggtomcat 23721@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ " it gives me reason to be on this site and share humour and advice with each other." +1 to that! :D spytefear on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23716 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:21:48 +0000 spytefear 23716@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ My bike means I sleep longer not having to walk to work. It means saving money not getting the bus or driving. It means reduced blood pressure not getting frustrated with traffic jams. It means a stronger heart and lungs from pushing myself up hills and longer routes home than needed simply to get the off road route. It means I talk to people as I go to and from and in the changing room, people from all levels and walks of life. And last but by no means least - it gives me reason to be on this site and share humour and advice with each other. kaputnik on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23640 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:02:13 +0000 kaputnik 23640@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Like ships, my bikes are all hers and shes, but then I've got 5 shelves of books about the Royal Navy so I'm probably biased. Arellcat on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23639 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:48:55 +0000 Arellcat 23639@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ Rugg, I think it depends mainly on temperament, and secondarily on form. Two of mine are girls, while the trike is definitely a boy. ruggtomcat on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23600 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:52:51 +0000 ruggtomcat 23600@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ ooh, are 'bents she's or he's? I know my DF is a she but haven't decided about the fuego... Arellcat on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23595 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:38:54 +0000 Arellcat 23595@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ All my bikes are my weekday transport, my weekend transport, my exercise, a large accessory to social activities, and the source of inumerable parcels which my postie has no doubt clocked by now. "White jiffy bag with big black label. Ah, I know where this one goes. Bright blue polythene bag and parcel tape. Yup, I know where this one goes." All my bikes have well defined pronouns, except my Dahon which probably prefers the neuter forms. Dave on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23578 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:45:35 +0000 Dave 23578@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ The simplest solution would just be to de-genderise the language altogether, so that one set of words referred to male and female alike. If we start with 'he/him/etc', that will minimise the relearning required (while still delivering full gender equality)... ruggtomcat on "What Does Your Bike Mean to You?" http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2221#post-23563 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:48:59 +0000 ruggtomcat 23563@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ there are a variety of a-sexual pronouns thease days. Ze, hir, mx etc.