I don’t remember naming my bikes when I was a kid. I remember the bike types, colors, and perhaps even a specific adventure, or jump, or modification, but names, nope. Nada. Zipparoony.
ROSCOE therefore, must be my first. In which case it was only six (6) years ago, then, that I must have begun this “tagging habit.” Funny. Roscoe (the first, I might add) is, and was (keep reading) a Trek Domane. Original frame red and white. Current frame, stealth black. That’s him there on the left, and in that other “snowbank shot” above.
AFTER I moved up here to Markleeville the shop discovered a crack in the frame and Trek being Trek, replaced it. Because it was two (2) years later they no longer had the red and white color scheme and so Roscoe II was born. That’s him there on the right.
ANYWAY, I’m not really sure why then, or for what reason, I gave him a name, but I do remember why I chose the name Roscoe. Roscoe Fanucci, actually. I was in the surgical center (maintenance) and the nurse called out “Roscoe. “Roscoe Fanucci.” And this dapper Italian gent (even in a gown in a surgi-center bed he looked distinguished), I’d say in his 80’s, responded in the affirmative.
I said to my wife. “That’s a cool name.” I’m going to name the Domane that. After all, he (the Domane) thinks he’s italian. Okay, my Mom had this Walter MItty thing with her first VW bug. I can’t explain it but obviously the apple didn’t stray too far from the tree.
ROSCOE does think he’s Italian.
BULLITT was an easier one. In a roundabout way. There I was at our corporate offices in Novato (former job) and I had brought my new Trek Fuel up for a mountain bike ride in China Camp. I’m showing the bike to Matt, our engineer and business analyst, and he says “Wow, cool colors. Those are the same colors (the Gulf Oil/Heritage livery I’ve since learned) that Ford used in some of their racing cars back in the day, including on the same model that Steve McQueen drove in Bullitt.
I had ridden this bike for a couple rides prior and it was cool. It glided over things. It floated. It looked GOOD. It thinks it’s Steve McQueen. Bam, Bullitt it is. Thanks Matt!
BLUE, the Wild Mustang of Markleeville, as you might imagine, thinks he’s a mustang roaming the California Alps. He’s a Trek Project One Emonda and is named after Blue, the leader of the Pine Nut herd of wild mustangs living not too far away from here. Mustangs – resilient, strong, willful, good going uphill or down. Seemed like a good fit. The paint scheme, with the the blue lettering also worked.
LAST but not least, my newest addition to the fleet: a fatbike named Farley Schlanger. It’s a TREK Farley 7 so as you’ve guessed, the Farley part was easy. Although I was thinking about naming it Beast. I had just sold Beast (a Trek Rail 5) to a friend of mine and so I was contemplating Beast II. But then my wife, knowing my weird fascination with cool names, told me about a reference in a book I’m reading (The Athlete’s Gut) and there were two names. One was Schlanger. And Farley Schlanger was so named.
I mean look at him. Is that a Farley Schlanger or what?
And what a fun ride. Ordered him in November of 2020 by the way, and just picked it up last Saturday. Supply chain issues, you know?
CAN’T wait for snow. Before that, some Pine Nut sand should be fun. Can you say “slide over the silica?”
MY wife does the naming thing, too, and so I have to give her her due in this here post. So I’ll close with Daisy and Bessie. No reason for those names she said, other than “they look like that to me.”
SOMETIMES it’s just that simple.
HOW about you? Bike names? Stories? Hit me!
