FMadridRN

I notice I have a tendency to say "Heya! Ya!" under my breathe when Im struggling up an incline, while pumping my legs on the pedals. Just enough that i can get over the hump. I noticed this when my Pandora cut off and I could hear myself lol So weird. I felt like I should have a whip to get the Bike going. Mind you, I have a hybrid, so I have to kinda duck down to get focus to the legs.

What things do you do, that you find, as your own way of riding?

apollored

I Say come on baby you can do it! when struggling up a slope lol.

CraigB

I use only the highest quality oats in my bikes' feed bags.

Myosmith

Can't say I ever talk to my bike, except to curse things that stop working correctly at inconvenient times. I do mutter under my breath things like "Oh, b___s____, you're not dead yet" or "h___ yeah" when climbing. BTW, do granola bars count as high quality oats?

Rhodabike

Years ago I used to occasionally see an eccentric character riding around my old neighbourhood in a cowboyish outfit with the plastic head of one of those childrens' bouncy horses attached to the handlebars. I wonder whatever happened to him?

Mithrandir

Rode off into the sunset?

Mark Stone

I was riding with Mrs. Tractorlegs once and I said the very same thing, but she misinterpreted, thought I was referring to her, thought I called her a horse, and I still have the bruises to prove my story is true.

Homeyba

I don't ride anything with a brain of it's own so I don't treat my bike like it has one.

Mr. Beanz

According to MW online dictionary, a "steed" refers to a horse. I've heard people call heir bikes a steed for years and years now. MOF, I posted a ride report about a month ago using "she mounted her steed". Also many many riders have called their bike collection a stable, for years and years....so am I curious "now"? Nope, pretty common thing.

Do I treat my bike like a horse. I feed it hay and give it carrots once in a while but other than that, Nope.

phread59

I ride mine hard and put it away wet. Oh wait a minuit that's ME! Oh well I guess I'm ready to be put to pasture. I'm heading for bed soon.

Mark Shuman

RoadTire 

I put on my black mask, do a running cowboy mount yelling "High-Ho Silver! Away!"


Seriously. I really do. Ask anyone who denies knowing me.

Chitown_Mike

I'll say things like "Yeah! Come on, get some!" Or chant some random Marine corps cadence I learned years ago from running with friends who were in the Corps, but other than that, not really. But that usually comes out going up hills, during sprints, or when my leg is cramping to a point that I have to stop riding and walk.

nkfrench 

The hardest part is getting that bike to roll out the front door if it is really early in the morning or looks like rain. She snags her pedals on everything. I have to push her.
When she really doesn't want to go out she will flat herself in the parking lot before group rides.

"Rhubarb"'s favorite treat is a nice soapy shower on the driveway complete with cleaning her drivetrain and getting fresh lube.

Most of the time she is impatient and wants to trade me in for a better rider. She hates it when I do stuff like put panniers on her, decorate her for Christmas, and she greatly dislikes my beloved HiVis attire. I get lectures from her about stomping on her pedals like a 10-year-old would do smashing ketchup packets.

High-performance bikes can be so temperamental !

Mark Stone

Been there!! "Honeybunch" does the same thing!!

vesteroid

You folks are scaring me

Rx Rider

pics now.

I find myself chanting 'push push in the bush' over and over again. I'm sorry what was the question?

indyfabz

Wonder if anyone else got the reference.

I prefer "Who's your daddy?!?!" And when a bike reaches the end of its life, it's off to the glue factory.

Dad 2 3

I have to reign her in now and again while descending!

epiking

You know you got "it" bad, when your bike has a name...and you use it. My favorite is a few cowboy like clucks to pick up the pace.

DTSCDS

I tried the "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can." once. Trying to psyche myself up. As I ran out of gears and steam before I ran out of uphill my chant changed to "Are you sure you really want to? Are you sure you really want to?". Then it was "What were you thinking? What were you thinking?"

After that I stopped talking to myself while on the bike.

Thanks for dredging up painful memories.

bgraham111

On my first long ride (62 miles) years and years ago, I started to sing alternate words to a well known horse-based song...

I've been through the desert on a bike with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
La, la ...

And "Bike with No Name" became my bike's name.

Mr. Beanz

If I am really trying to do something, I don't talk to my bike at all. I more shout obsceneties at myself. But I'm not really sure if it's in my mind or out loud.

Mark Stone

That's funny, because I listen to Christopher Cross' song "Sailing" and sometimes sing it when I ride, relating its words and sentiments to bicycling - - "find the joy of innocence again" -- "It's not too far to sanity, at least it's not for me . . . When the wind is right you can sail away, find serenity. Oh the pedals can do miracles, just you wait and see"

Rx Rider

It's got a nice beat BUT you can't dance to it.

RichardGlover

So, I try naming my bikes, but no matter what I name them, I always call them 'Bessie' when I'm trying to coax a little bit more effort out of them. Come to think of it, when I owned cars, I did the same thing.

Lucky you don't have scars.

A favorite of mine while climbing. On group rides, people younger than me (most of them) look at me strangely; people my age and older chuckle. Pity that such a great story about perseverance and self-reliance isn't read to children these days. But not surprising.


I sing on my bike. A lot. My favorite songs for riding are blues, show tunes and lounge songs - Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, etc... Songs that work well singing solo a cappella.

To date, the best long-distance cycling song I know is "Don't Fence Me In":
I get strange looks and comments from people I ride with. I'm used to it.