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13 Bicycles I Have Loved or Admired

7/4/2011

16 Comments

 
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It's true. This week, I've got bicycles on the brain. It's well and proper road cycling race season, and I'm caught up in the rush. Heh. I got to thinking about the role bikes (and other, similar modes of transportation) have played in my life, so I thought I'd share

13 Bicycles I Have Loved or Admired

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The streamers make it look speedy.
1) Ah, yes. Nearly every bike lover emerges from such humble beginnings. I don't know if I had a Radio Flyer, but I definitely had a tricycle similar to this one.

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Beefy.
2) In time, I needed something beefier. The Big Wheel fit the bill.

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How did I manage to steer this thing? Eep!
3) When I finally graduated to a more grown-up bike, I had one similar to this. I don't recall the make or model, but I do recall the saddle being broken when well-intentioned family members tried to "adjust" it for a visiting friend of the family's kid. Grrr...

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Coaster brake. Huffy. Yellow. Ack!
4) From an early age, I wanted to keep up with the big boys. To that end, pictured here is the first bike I saved up money to buy: a Huffy Pro Thunder. And yes, it was the same color as the bike in the photo. I'm moderately sure it's been involved in a Huffy Toss event somewhere since I last saw it.

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How this thing doesn't sink into the sand, I'll never know.
5) I quit riding for a while, but when I was a teenager in Florida, I decided I wanted another bike. My parents got me one of these: a beach cruiser. It was massively heavy and as a result I didn't get much mileage out of it. Still, it provided some fond memories for me - especially since my mother got one of her own to ride for a short while. She soon gave up on that. Florida is too frickin' hot.

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Not my exact bike. But very, very close.
6) Before my first wedding, I wanted to lose weight. I found a Murray similar to this one, and thought: What better way than to buy a new bike and tootle around on it in my spare time?
Oh, right. I still lived in Florida. Ugh. I rode it enough to get myself down to a size ten, though, so I guess the plan worked. For a short while.


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Not going to win any races anytime soon.
7) The bike I currently own is this one, a Legnano town bike, which my hubby purchased for me in 2004. I'm riding it more than ever before, and I'm enjoying it more than ever, too.

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Color-coordinated. So Italian. I love him.
8) Speaking of my hubby, here he is with his Masi street racing bike. No, I don't ride it, but I love it all the same.



And now, on to the bikes I admire from a distance. Sigh.
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9) I freely admit - I don't know jack about bikes when it comes to technical aspects. However, this bike, the Specialized Tarmac, was used by both of the teams I was watching closely last year: Saxo Bank and Astana.

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10) Pictured here is my boy Fabian on his Specialized S-Works Shiv - a particularly sleek time trialing bike which he used in 2010.  I still think this is one sharp looking machine, no pun intended. (And the bike's not bad either. Heh.)

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Cancellara. Robust.
11) Fabian again (of course) on his Specialized SL-3 as he prepared for Paris-Roubaix this time last year. Bike frames can actually break on the cobblestone roads, so the bike has to be extra-strong and remarkably robust to survive. Just like the riders.

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12) This year, the team I'm following most closely is of course Leopard Trek. They are riding this model: the Trek Madone 6 Series. Isn't it lovely?

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Cancellara putting his Madone through its paces. Purty.
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Sleeeeeek! No?
13) And, finally we have another Trek model, the Speed Concept 9 Series for time trials. This bike costs more than my last car did, and it looks fast when it's standing still.





And there we have them: 13 Bikes I Have Loved or Admired.













So you see, I've loved bikes for pretty much my whole life.
















And be they friends or family, I've loved cyclists, too.
















And let's be honest:









Can you really blame me?

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My Facebook Friend and Leopard Trek rider, Davide ViganĂ².
16 Comments
Darla M Sands link
7/4/2011 08:32:05 am

Great list! It made me want to get out my own bike. I'm with you on not liking to ride when it's ghastly hot. Thanks for the eye candy!

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Sandra link
7/4/2011 08:32:36 am

great Thursday Thirteen!!

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Harriet link
7/4/2011 08:51:13 am

Wow! Nice 'bike' :)

Have a great day!
http://harrietandfriends.com/2011/04/april-is-national-child-abuse-prevention-month/

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Brenda link
7/4/2011 09:11:19 am

I like bikes too. :) Happy TT!

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Claire link
7/4/2011 09:29:11 am

I loved my Big Wheel! Oh, and cyclists are pretty sweet too. ;)

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Paige Tyler link
7/4/2011 10:05:45 am

Have to admit, I'm not a huge bicycle fan. Probably because i'm not got at riding them. LOL! We do have spinning bikes, though!

Love the eye candy!

*hugs*
Paige

My TT is at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

Reply
Alice Audrey link
7/4/2011 12:03:20 pm

Your first few bikes covered my own bicycling history. It's uncanny.

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CountryDew link
7/4/2011 12:21:20 pm

Definitely lovin' the last bike. I noticed your bike pictures are not what I remember "girls bikes" being - they usually didn't have the bar in the middle.

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Kimberly Menozzi link
7/4/2011 12:32:54 pm

@Darla - You're welcome for the eye candy - and I'm glad to know I'm not alone in hating to ride in the heat! Ugh!

@Sandra - Thanks! :)

@Harriet - I know. It's lovely, no? ;)

@Brenda - Yay! Bike lovers! :)

@Claire - The Big Wheel was awesome - especially the "brake" which could make you spin in a circle. Way cool! (And yeah, I enjoy the boys on bikes, me...) ;)

@Paige - Not being good at riding a bike would definitely be a deterrent to enjoying them, for the most part. LOL!

@Alice - Well, they *are* classics, after all. ;)

@CountryDew - Glad you like it! :) But yeah, I didn't own a "girl's bike" when I was a kid. I preferred the boy's models. Besides, I didn't wear a skirt when I rode, so why would I need the lower bar? <shrug>

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Shelley Munro link
7/4/2011 02:55:06 pm

I had a trike when I was young but didn't own another bike until about four years ago. I ride most days, although I think a fancy racing one would be lost on me!

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Janice Seagraves link
7/4/2011 05:16:18 pm

I had a bright red metal tricycle too when I was very-very little. My daughter's was pink and plastic. Gees, everything is plastic now.

I wanted to tell you for a while that I have to do a google search to find your website for the TT. Could possible add your website to your google profile?

Thank you so much.
Janice~

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Maddy Barone link
7/4/2011 06:11:57 pm

Nice selection of bikes! Something for everyone!

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Tatiana Caldwell link
7/4/2011 10:30:41 pm

There are some really cool bikes on this list. #10 and #13 especially caught my eye, and my youngest child was just riding #1 in our basement!

To be honest though - I'm not a big bike rider myself. Being deaf in one ear, my equilibrium is a little bit off and I've fallen enough times to make me a little fearful of the activity, to tell the truth. So these days my favorite bike is a stationary one. ;)

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Kimberly Menozzi link
8/4/2011 04:12:34 am

@Shelley - I'd never be able to do justice to a racing one, either. I do, however, hope to get as close as possible to a few of them this May at the Giro d'Italia! LOL!

@Janice - I think we all had that red trike at some point in our childhoods. Although I'm now trying to remember if mine was red or purple? It seems to have been a purple one... Hmmm...

As to finding the website - I'm pretty sure that I have it listed on my Google profile. I'll double-check to be sure, though. Hmm...

@Maddy - I have to say, I was surprised at how many bikes I've had over the years. And I couldn't resist sharing the gorgeous racing bikes too. :)

@Tatiana - I dare say that falling off is a bit of a deterrent to enjoyment on a bike. But I love that your littlest one is enjoying riding around on a trike! Squee! :)

FWIW - I'll be devoting some time this summer (I think) to riding the stationary bike my mother has at home. I can't really ride where she lives, so that's my only option. I have to get back in the habit, though, otherwise I'll have no street cred whatsoever when 27 Stages is available. Heh.

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Xakara link
8/4/2011 04:48:36 am

Wow, those treks are nice! I have to say, nothing beats the big wheel. It is the ultimate childhood transportation! :)

And loved the last pic!

Happy TT,

~Xakara
<a href="http://xakara.livejournal.com/99259.html">13 WIPS</a>

Reply
Adelle Laudan link
8/4/2011 06:54:11 am

Last night I was thinking of buying a stationary bike for exercise. It would be a good way to build up my stamina.
Fun list Happy T13!

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