Naming the Bike

Stock photo of a Windsor Super Carrera

The very first bike I ever took on a cross country trip was named Killer. It was a Windsor Super Carrera and Killer just seemed to be the appropriate name. This bike took me from Ithaca, New York up into Canada and back down to Connecticut. It also carried me from Sarasota, Florida to Wakefield, Rhode Island.  When I moved from Sarasota back to Connecticut, I tried to sell Killer in a tag sale.  When a buyer offered me the full asking price, without even trying to talk me down, I raised the price, saying I had mislabeled it.  When the buyer agreed to the new price, I kept raising it till he went away. It was then I realized that I didn't really want to sell Killer.  So I carted him up to Connecticut with me.  Although I haven't used him in years, and the price for bringing him back up to speed would be prohibitive, I still can't seem to part with him.  He was in my truck heading off to the dump when once again I changed my mind.  Thus Killer stays, in my garage, waiting to become a decorative wall ornament, or chandelier...or something.

I like pretty much anything with two wheels.  Unicycles don't have enough wheels and trikes have too many. Motorcycles and bicycles are JUST RIGHT.  Kind of Goldilocks and the Three Bears thing.

I haven't felt the need to name a bike since those two trips.  To be honest, I think it was the scope of the trips that gave me that need. Although I've taken little two day, 90 mile ish trips since then, nothing has come even close to what I'll be attempting in June.  Now the need has once again presented itself.  It's as if the bike and the trip are one, but they both need their own name.

What's in a name? Well, to me..EVERYTHING.  My given name has had several versions of pronunciation, some approved some highly DISAPPROVED.  Having gone through this myself, I personally have always been careful to pronounce another's name exactly the way he/she would like it to be pronounced.  A person's name is a statement of who that person IS. 

This is me. Take me as I am. 

So when it came to naming the machine that would become a part of my very being for 30 to 40 days this summer, I did not take the task lightly.  Killer just doesn't seem to fit any more.  Killer is in my garage and part of the fabric of my past. Something new was needed.

Air Force 1 was a heavy contender.  It suggested a power and reliability that I would need on this trip.  On the other hand, the name was already taken.  My nephew recommended Road Killer. I liked this name a lot, but it just didn't roll off the tongue and left a sort of unsavory food image in your head.  I then tried Gee Force 1. This worked well.  The only nickname that I like is "Gee" and kept the spirit of what I was going for in Air Force 1. 

But there was still something missing. The name needed to be a full expression of my life as it currently is, and you can't paint that picture without including my wife.  So a few more generations of names were toyed with until we finally arrived on the name that would evoke the idea that without the support of my wife, this trip would not be happening.  This trip is not about me conquering the country on my bicycle, it is about my wife and me embarking on an adventure which we will share and revel in.  Thus, we combined elements of both our first names to create the Jenard. 

The inspiration behind the bike.

And, unlike Air Force 1 which is the name of ANY plane the President is riding, the Jenard will always be the Domane 6.2, Gee Force 2 will always be the Fuji and Gee Force 3 will always be the Camber.  This to me, seems to be the best policy to avoid any confusion at all.  

Addendum:
As of April 15th, there are three quivers in my arsenal and they are named as follows:
Jenard -  is a Domane 6.2
Rootbeer - is a Madone 5.2
Gee Force 3 - is a Specialized Camber

I will always be grateful for ALL the bikes I have ridden in my life time, but my current repertoire is particularly suited to the task ahead of me. I feel very lucky to have them and hope to do justice to their awesome capabilities.

A note about Rootbeer: On Rootbeer's maiden voyage, I felt like I was travelling back in time.  Rootbeer has the same feel and responsiveness as my first long distance bike - Killer.  Killer was a Windsor Super Carerra.  The wheel base was short and the bike was quick and responsive.  Rootbeer had the same feel as Killer.  It brought me back to my first major ride from Ithaca up through Canada and back to Connecticut.  I loved riding that bike, and Rootbeer feels like Killer reborn into an ultra light carbon frame.  Life is good!

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at portlandm2o@gmail.com. 

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