General Cycling Discussion - I have a bike that I just don't like

I know this probably sounds like it is an episode for the Twillight Zone or I am smoking some funny tobbacco, but I have this bike that just has a strange energy about it. I don't know that a bike has a soul or not, nor do I really care, except I would liek to get a long with this bike, but there is just something about it that I don't like. I ride it, I've ridden it for a couple weeks in France, used it as a commuter here in the States, but there is just something about this bike that I avoid it if I can. I have other bikes that I am completely into, they perform for me like nobodies business. Some of these are ones I pulled out of the alley and built up into a fixed gear, but I have a one of these that is sort of like the one I'm talking about, it just doesn't groove me. I just seem to clash with this bike, but I use it, so I really can't just dump it, I do have $ invested in it, it's my touring bike, and need to get straight with it, cause I don't want to get out on a tour and have the bike clash with me the whole way.
Can you get a exorsism for a bike's spirit? Am I just crazy and in need of some professional help? Do inaimate objects have souls?

No, inanimate objects do not have souls. There's some debate whether animate ones do.

However, it sounds like your bike is haunted. Call the ghost busters.

Ghost in the machine.

What are you talking about? You didn't give specifics. Could it be fit or gear spacing?

Joe

I was never on the same plane as my Fuji Newest.
It always sent bad feelings into my sitting muscle.
I'm hoping to hit it off with my new Gunnar Road Sport.

Am I on drugs or something? What's going on?

... I've ridden it for a couple weeks in France, ... Well, there's your problem. Your bike probably picked up some bad mojo over there. Who's bike woudln't? Sounds like you may have been a tad touched as well, but this thread was about your bike. ;)

Do inanimate objects have souls?

Trick, circular question. The root, "anima" is Greek for soul. So inanimate = no soul.



There's some debate whether animate ones do.
Only amongst the illiterate. See above.


Perhaps your bike isn't as inanimate as you think. It moves, doesn't it? OK, OK, it moves with your help, but think about it, you move with its help, too. Scary man, I know.
Is the bike new? Perhaps it did something bad before you had it and has been cursed since. If new--perhaps a just pink-slipped factory worker placed a spell on it before he took a powder. Consult various priests and shamen for diagnosis. Or bring your bike in to roadside psychic with a neon palm reading sign in the window. Ask her if what she can tell you about the bike by reading its bottom broacket grease. Incantations can be sung over the bike, spirits vacated, auras clensed, etc. etc.

Or maybe it is just the gearing.

If it gives you the heeby-jeebies so much, post some pics and we'll take it off your hands. We'll lowball you, of course.

Sometimes bikes just don't work out. I've had a few that I just never got along with.

Are you sure your washed the b.o. out of your clothes?

Only amongst the illiterate. See above.


Ooh, direct hit! :o

[QUOTE=Anthony King]Trick, circular question. The root, "anima" is Greek for soul. So inanimate = no soul.

anima=latin, psuche^=greek

Oddly enough I feel the same way about GT bikes... I don't know what it is, but there is just something about them.... I have no experience with them of course, never ridden one, only seen a few, but I cannot stand them.
D

Oddly enough I feel the same way about GT bikes... I don't know what it is, but there is just something about them.... I have no experience with them of course, never ridden one, only seen a few, but I cannot stand them.
D :eek: Even pre-Pacific Cycles buyout GT's??? Sacrilege!

give me the bike

Can you get a exorsism for a bike's spirit?

Um, I'm sure someone somewhere would perform an exorcism for you. But I kind of understand. I got hit pretty badly on one of my bikes. I still have the (albeit bashed up) frame, but I can't even bring it in my house. I leave it in the back of my car. It's definately got some bad mojo.

I say sell it and get a new one. No reason to ride a bike you don't like.

Get rid of it. Don't stay together for the sake of the kids. It will only end messily and in tears if you don't do something about it now.

No exorcism will help in this circumstance.

Bikes are like women (for men): sometimes the ride just isn't what you thought it would be. And while French girls are often wonderful, perhaps it's just too worldly for you.

I suggest selling it to Stephen King. It'll be featrured in a hardcover by Christmas. ;)

Well, there's your problem. Your bike probably picked up some bad mojo over there. Who's bike woudln't? Sounds like you may have been a tad touched as well, but this thread was about your bike. ;)

Ever been to France?

Find someone who wears long, flowing, flowered skirts, who has changed her name to Willow (doesn't work if her parents named her Willow), and who owns an assortment of crystals to which she attributes some kind of power. Maybe she can take care of your bike.

Protect yourself and the rest of the world. You do not know what you're dealing with. Ship it to me immediately. I am experienced with this phenomenon and will place it in a location where it can not harm anyone.

Same deal with my new mountain bike - I wore out my old frame, so I bought a new similar but higher quality frame and transferred all the parts over. My old bike was awesome, man, I loved that bike.

My new bike flat out sucks, every time I ride it I feel like it's trying to deliberately spite me, I think it's possessed or something.

I know this probably sounds like it is an episode for the Twillight Zone or I am smoking some funny tobbacco, but I have this bike that just has a strange energy about it. I don't know that a bike has a soul or not, nor do I really care, except I would liek to get a long with this bike, but there is just something about it that I don't like. I ride it, I've ridden it for a couple weeks in France, used it as a commuter here in the States, but there is just something about this bike that I avoid it if I can. I have other bikes that I am completely into, they perform for me like nobodies business. Some of these are ones I pulled out of the alley and built up into a fixed gear, but I have a one of these that is sort of like the one I'm talking about, it just doesn't groove me. I just seem to clash with this bike, but I use it, so I really can't just dump it, I do have $ invested in it, it's my touring bike, and need to get straight with it, cause I don't want to get out on a tour and have the bike clash with me the whole way.
Can you get a exorsism for a bike's spirit? Am I just crazy and in need of some professional help? Do inaimate objects have souls?

Did you ride thru doggie do? Check the tires and underside of the frame. ;)

Well, there are a lot of funny, witty people posting here!

But as for your question, I think you can get a bike that just doesn't fit for some reason. I'm talking hard stuff, like frame geometry, saddle, stiffness, whatever. (no ethereial stuff, leave the crystals and Enya music at home.) Bikes are expensive, so try to find the problem and fix it.

Otherwise, it's time for a new bike. Make sure the new one fits better.

Interesting topic. While I don't think bikes have souls, i think there are some intangibles that seem to make one bike preferred over another. I have two basically identical Trek 4300's that i ride every day. I have ridden each of them almost exactly the same amount of miles, a little over 4000 miles each in the last 16 months.

They are the same frame size with almost exactly the same components. One is an 03 and one is an 04. The 04 i bought new and the 03 i picked up on ebay. For some reason, I always prefer to ride the 03 that i bought on ebay. It isn't in nearly as good of shape, yet riding it just seems more natural. I have NEVER had a spill on it. While the 04 has dumped me on my arse, head and just about everything else. I have had 3 pretty significant crashes on it. Meanwhile, like i said i have never had a crash on the other bike although i probably even ride it a little more and it is supposed to be an identical bike.

The frames spec out the same and i have Brooks saddles on both. Yet the older bike just seems more natural when i ride it. I feel like if given a choice I would likely get rid of my newer, nicer 04 if i had to. Wierd.

Find someone who wears long, flowing, flowered skirts, who has changed her name to Willow (doesn't work if her parents named her Willow), and who owns an assortment of crystals to which she attributes some kind of power. Maybe she can take care of your bike.


Even better... find a space queen named Willow with a LARGE trust fund.

Ever been to France?Yes. I would never go back. Give me Germany, Austria, Switzerland or Italy any day. I especially liked Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I loved Bavaria. Rothenburg was georgeous too. I even saw the Glockenspiel in Munich.

. I even saw the Glockenspiel in Munich.

I wouldn't say that too loudly or Haagen Das will want to to show you his Glockenspiel.

I wouldn't say that too loudly or Haagen Das will want to to show you his Glockenspiel. :eek: Oh no! Can't have that. He's already describing his turds. :D

DON'T GET ME STARTED ABOUT MY ALL-TIME WORST BIKE PURCHASE!!!! :mad:

The "guilty" bike: A Mongoose "Pro" "Crossway 350" (2000).

To put it mildly: This flaming piece of cycling GUANO is the WORST piece of cycle s*it the planet has EVER SEEN!! :crash:

Even HUFFY couldn't do worse!!! :eek:

The thing began by handling like flaming dog dung with the original POS suspension fork !! :(
I replaced it with a rigid fork: It STILL handles like pony plop!! (P-U!!) It weighs a TON...the components are about as bottom- of-the- barrel as would ever darken a LBS's door...the original Cheng Sh*t...excuse me, Cheng SHIN... tires failed early (The front one had a defective bead. It slipped, causing a blowout after only 107 miles!! The tire was so damaged, it could not be re-used!!) The stock saddle is cheaply-made BUTT-TORTURE...I could go on-and-on... :mad:

It's SO BAD, in fact , I wouldn't give it away to my worst enemy!! MY LBS DOESN'T CARRY THIS BRAND ANYMORE, EVEN!!

Wonder why??? :p

http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~bob/calvin_bicycle_0001.gif

"Crossway 350" (2000)[/color].

To put it mildly: This flaming piece of cycling GUANO is the WORST piece of cycle s*it the planet has EVER SEEN!! :crash: Any bike under the umbrella of Pacific Cycle is not worth owning. It's Walmart stuff. That's why I stated in a previous post "pre-Pacific Cycle buyout of GT" as GT bikes were once a very innovative companay. Then the founder died and they were bought by Schwinn and blah blah blah.

The moral of the story is don't buy anything from Pacific Cycles as it will be a peice of scheiße.

DON'T GET ME STARTED ABOUT MY ALL-TIME WORST BIKE PURCHASE!!!! :mad:

The "guilty" bike: A Mongoose "Pro" "Crossway 350" (2000).

To put it mildly: This flaming piece of cycling GUANO is the WORST piece of cycle s*it the planet has EVER SEEN!! :crash:

Even HUFFY couldn't do worse!!! :eek:

The thing began by handling like flaming dog dung with the original POS suspension fork !! :(
I replaced it with a rigid fork: It STILL handles like pony plop!! (P-U!!) It weighs a TON...the components are about as bottom- of-the- barrel as would ever darken a LBS's door...the original Cheng Sh*t...excuse me, Cheng SHIN... tires failed early (The front one had a defective bead. It slipped, causing a blowout after only 107 miles!! The tire was so damaged, it could not be re-used!!) The stock saddle is cheaply-made BUTT-TORTURE...I could go on-and-on... :mad:

It's SO BAD, in fact , I wouldn't give it away to my worst enemy!! MY LBS DOESN'T CARRY THIS BRAND ANYMORE, EVEN!!

Wonder why??? :p

"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?"

Any bike under the umbrella of Pacific Cycle is not worth owning. It's Walmart stuff. That's why I stated in a previous post "pre-Pacific Cycle buyout of GT" as GT bikes were once a very innovative companay. Then the founder died and they were bought by Schwinn and blah blah blah.

The moral of the story is don't buy anything from Pacific Cycles as it will be a peice of scheiße.

Their world headquarters is about 2 miles from my house. :rolleyes:

Guess I don't have to worry about my old GT getting stolen :).

No, you must come to terms with your bike and break it in.

right now it dosent respect you, it sees you as weak, and powerless.

Take it on a long hard ride, and make some adjustments. You must break the will of your bike, and then it will then respect you. Once there is respect, then it will comply.

There must be trust, with out trust it will just push you away.

kinda like teenagers......


cough cough*/