Originally Posted by eja_ bottecchia

She does get outside, but only on “special” occasions. That Bottecchia was a gift, new, from my Mom, who passed away 11 years ago.

It has a great deal of sentimental value and so I don’t want to risk anything happening to her. If I could own only one bike, I would gladly give up all my Colnagos.

BTW, I know that some in this thread have objected to calling a bike a “she.” But in Italian, the word for bicycle (bicicletta) is feminine. In the case of Italian bikes, calling them “she” makes perfectly good sense.