Polaris OBark

I don't, normally.

I usually refer to a bike as "The X", where X is the name of the manufacturer. If we have more than one, I might refer to the type of bike (eg mtn or touring).

I do have one exception. I assembled an off-road touring bike based on a frame made by Advocate called the "Seldom Seen", which is one of the characters in Edward Abbey's famous novel. The family derisively (and unfortunately, accurately) refers to it as the "Seldom Ridden."

In general, I tend not to anthropomorphize inanimate objects.

With pets, I name those who respond, and shy away from common human first names.

Iride01 

No!

I only named my boat because it made talking on the VHF about where and what you were doing easier. Otherwise it would only have been a alpha numeric.

I think naming a bike is some of the intimacy livedarklions was resolving not to do come 2023! https://www.bikeforums.net/22751011-post12.html

livedarklions

Think of all the Hollywood Ten had to sacrifice for refusing to name their bikes!

Koyote

My bikes have names printed on their downtubes...Those are good enough for me.

That's one of my favorite novels, but the overt sexism is cringey. Ditto the racism, but that's slightly less prominent.

Ditto. I've always found that to be weird.

Iride01 

Huh?

The famous/infamous Hollywood Ten from 1947?

Fahrenheit531 

No.

Chuck Naill

Never crossed my mind and now I can't stop thinking about it....LOL!! Just kidding.

seypat

Usually my vehicles and bikes go by something about the color. Ol Blue, Big Red, Little Green, etc.

livedarklions

Yes.

The joke is a bit obscure, but it'll suddenly crack you up at 3 a.m.

livedarklions

Serotta called the shade of my Atlanta "Big Boy Blue". If I had to actually name my bike, I couldn't do better.

alcjphil

I don't, but I am storing a bike for my ex girlfriend. She is named "Dana" My ex rode her on a full trans Canada tour and will never give her up

tomato coupe

Do you give human names or nicknames to your bike ?

Yes, but it's an unpronounceable character that the forum software can't render.

79pmooney

I've had two bikes that I one day simply realized they had names. My Mooney. Pete. Year two, just starting a ride and about two miles from home, starting over the bridge. Don't know where it came from. I've never known a Pete. Peter, yes. Brother, uncle, the builder of the frame ... but none of them ever went by Pete.

And longer story, Jessica and Jessica J. (Jessica J in my avatar photo.) I picked up a trashed sport Peugeot frame at an "as is" sale for $20. Hit by probably an SUV with real damage. I knew when I bought the frame that it would get "Team Dumpster" on the down tube it it panned out and ever saw new paint since without me , that bike was guaranteed seeing the steel recycle dumpster of the coop that evening. Spent $105 for fork, French seatpost, brakes and bits. Had seat, cockpit, wheels. First ride - wow! As much fun as my old racing bike.

Two weeks later found the chainstays were both about to break behind the bridge. (Oh, so that's why straightening the dropouts was so easy!) Did a creative CF and epoxy wrap using my old boatbuilder tools and skills. A couple of month later I was listening to a woman named Jessica talk of her pre-recovery days as an addict. She talked of expecting to be found in dumpster multiple mornings because of the people she'd screwed. "That's it! Team Dumpster's name is Jessica.".

Jessica got painted a year later at the same time and with the same paint as my first TiCycles. Team Dumpster in block letters and Jessica on the top tube, located to disguise the dent. Now Jessica had several drawbacks. I didn't trust that abused frame to be safe torquing fix gear up tough hills, then blasting down. So it stayed on the flat ground. The dropouts, while horizontal, were so short that I had almost no options for different cog sizes with out messing with the chain links. BB was so low that even with cranks so short my knees weren't happy, I hit pedals routinely in corners. I needed a new bike inspired by Jessica with that fit, BB up where it belonged and a really good dropout to make road cog changes (wheel flips) easy.

So, 8000 miles later, I called TiCycles and asked Dave Levy to secure a place in line for this new bike; to be fix gear only, 120mm, titanium because I so loved that ride. Super long road-style dropouts. 3rd WB under the DT, conventional seatstays if he could do it. (Wishbones are his trademark but I love the super clean look of conventional track bikes and was thinking of turning the rear brake around to forward of the seatstays like he did on my first bike. Abandoned that when I realized I needed the caliper to be as close to the top of the wheel as possible to minimize height change as the wheel is slid forward and aft. Forgot about the conventional seatstay request until Dave handed me the unfinished and feather light frame with these elegant fastback stays!)

When I placed that phone call I knew this bike was to be Jessica. But she needed a marker to indicate she was not the original. Jessica 2 or II seemed dumb. Then - flash! - "J". My last initial. Jessica J. A neat decal of red lettering went on the top tube. But sadly, I kept rubbing it off with my knee. Well fork got replaced and years later pained with a script Jessica J on the right blade. She's happy. (And very much a "she'. Pure race handling and feel. The best of the best of the metal 1980s race bikes only with 1900s drive train technology. A joy to ride but - I have to treat her gently but firmly or the ride gets quite wild!)

Reflector Guy

The same question gets asked often on automotive forums. No, I've never had a bike (or a car, or whatever) with a name. Or a gender.

Reynolds 531 

In my automotive world, to be labeled a "Car Namer" is a horrific insult.

cinelliguy 

Nope. I'm also in the no naming category.

Guy

indyfabz

Can’t wait for spring to arrive.

Hyperventilate

while living within our unit single quarters there were a number of communal bicycles available for use, those had names.

From what I can remember, there were:

547
Becky
Beatrice
Feathers
V

Polaris OBark

It was quite literally a copy/paste thread title from this. (Post 50 in the "ickiest thread title of the year".)

05 fuji

Either “the bike” or “my bike”.

Rolla

I don't name my bikes, guitars, wrenches, or lawnmowers. They're all just tools.

Darth Lefty 

My commuter bike is definitely a C-3PO. My new mountain bike is very likely a Leroy Jenkins

livedarklions

I don't anthropomorphize things, and I don't give them names. My cast iron pan, however, is a bit crusty, and makes fun of all of the other cookware.

badger1

Family forum. Reported.
J/K, but there is a most excellent syntactic joke embedded [speaking figuratively, of course] in your post. Of course, it takes a peurile mind such as mine to appreciate it!

freeranger

My (and wife's) road bikes came pre-named--has LeMond on the downtube. My mtn.bike just goes by initials--GT (Gary Turner).
I don't name our bikes, nor my guitars.