We have been
waiting for Spring for so long, and looks like we finally got it. Sudden and intense, it is here!
On April 1st we dusted off the
Motobecanes for the first time since late November, and since then I have been riding
Marianne all over town and beyond. She just seems like the perfect spring bike - maybe it's the colour and the speed?
Oh yes, and the cherry blossoms on the handlebars.
Marianne is so happy to roam amidst the flowers. She has been asking me in a quivering voice to remember these good times and not to get rid of her despite having other mixtes. Indeed, how can I get rid of her when she matches the blue flowers so nicely!
She just is the very image of a spring flower.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I get rid of a bike I've grown fond of these days is to give it to someone else who will take it in and treat it right. I sell bikes I don't care about but giving the great ones away seems to ensure the appearance of the next longterm flame. Of course I seem to find the room to keep most of my favorites but when I give something sweet away to someone who appreciates it I get gifted a matching set of hisnhers Raleigh Roadsters or somebodies pricy custom frame experiment that didn't quite live up to expectations... Is that karma or bikema? Anyway, I don't think you can give stuff away fast enough if you are trying to get back to one of something.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of bike karma : )
ReplyDeleteJust don't ride too fast or the blossoms will be flying back behind your ears!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Marianne looks like the perfect spring bicycle. Something so sweet and airy about blue mixtes.
ReplyDeleteI cycled by those same type of blue flowers today, too. You are my true bicycle soul mate :)
Dottie - that's hilarious that we photographed the same flowers today! I think there is a mixte collective unconscious out there.
ReplyDeleteSteve - Thankfully, I am a long way from breaking any speed records... though I did raise the saddle some more on Marianne and now she is faster than ever!
It is lovely weather, indeed! Though I must admit that the local Multi-Use paths have become a tad crowded... It is nice to see people out and enjoying the Sun, though congested ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to brighten up a spring day! I've been sidelined by a broken leg since my tangle with snow-covered railroad tracks on Feb. 9. The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home, but I'm on crutches - not on my bike! Your photos help take my mind off the misery. I'll be back in the saddle soon.
ReplyDeletePlease relay my apologies to Marianne. I take back that idea of turning her into a fixie. The Mercier may have her quirky (and very French) charms. But anyone who can so reflect the flowers is really an elegant lady.
ReplyDeleteI went for a nice and interesting ride yesterday:
http://transwomantimes.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-climbed-arc-of-bridge-from-mainland.html
She does match the flowers perfectly :)
ReplyDeleteI understand how attached you get to bikes, it's so hard to really seriously think of getting rid of them after you've ridden them and put time and energy into working on them.
"It is the time you have wasted on your rose that makes her so important." (From the Little Prince)
Astroluc - Yesterday (Saturday) I foolishly thought that I'd go on the Charles River trail, but it was impossible! I turned back and rode around on the roads with traffic instead, trying to choose streets that were in the shade.
ReplyDeleteJustine - As my cycling skills improve (seems to have happened radically over the past week in some ways), I appreciate more and more the things that used to frustrate me about Marianne. I'll be right over to read about your ride!
portlandize - As I type this, I have a "Little Prince" pen pouch lying on the table next to me...
Saint-Exupery is probably my very favorite author, I have to say. Did you know Japan has a Little Prince museum that is basically a little village? Our friend sent us a pen from there and a notepad :)
ReplyDelete"..... Indeed, how can I get rid of her when she matches the blue flowers so nicely!"
ReplyDeleteIndeed!! ... All's well that ends well! :)
Regards.
Lemony
bikecommuter - I am so sorry to hear that! Heal quickly, and my bikes send positive thoughts your way.
ReplyDeleteportlandize - No, I had no idea about the Little Prince village : ) But of course there would be one in Japan!
gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteI just ordered one of those bags from Harris last week. It's scheduled to arrive tomorrow and I am anxious to have a look at it.
ReplyDeleteMatthew - Ah excellent! What size/colour?
ReplyDeleteI was torn between the 7 and 11 liter bags. In the end chose the 11 liter along with a bagman support. Color was a tough choice too, the pictures of the black bag on eco-velo made it tempting. Of course I crumbled and got the green. It may look a little funky with the other colors on my bike.
ReplyDeleteThis is the best the best set of pictures of "Marianne" yet. It's obvious that the photographer is seeing her subject in a very different light, now. Happy riding.
ReplyDeleteCorey K
Matthew - I always end up choosing green as well; it just seems like the right colour for bicycle bags! The Zimbale green is notably brighter than Carradice green, but I like them both.
ReplyDeleteThanks Corey... and just a bit of foreshadowing: She will get even better looking in future pictures due to some recent changes : ))