Guest poster Don Blount has been musing about the names cyclists call each other.
They are so numerous that I cannot remember many, but here are a few:
You could start with Fearless Frank, FF for short. He rides down hill like a man without fear. His epitaph should be: He never touched his brakes.
Then there is Ex Trez, the former club treasurer. This guy is 70 years old but rides like he is 40 years younger.
CB or Cherry Boy, a retired farmer, whose family grew or grows cherries.
Leadbutt for obvious reasons, I think.
Lonerider, who often puts in megamiles on his own. He also disappears from club rides as he goes off to do his own thing.
Grasshoppa – I am not sure about this one.
The Good Dr. Carl, not to be confused with the Evil Dr. Carl.
The Anti-Gravity Girls, two strong women riders whose name says it all about their climbing abilities.
Rocket. I have been told that he was fairly fast back in the day. He claims that he still is, even at 206 pounds.
And Capt. Hawk, sometimes shortened to just Hawk. He is a former Navy and airlines pilot. He said he was given his nickname during his Naval days when while flying a mission looking for enemy ships that a crewmember remarked that he looked like a hawk looking for prey.
That nickname stuck. He said the only people who called him by his given name “David” were his wife, always a sign of trouble, and people who did not know him real well.
That’s the thing about these nicknames — everyone who has one, likes it.
One of the funniest conversations I have heard while out on a group ride happened when we met someone who followed our Yahoo group conversation.
One rider proudly introduced himself: “I’m Cherry boy,” he said. “Hi, I’m Leadbutt,” said the other. I was just flummoxed.
And if you are wondering, I am occasionally referred to as “The Editor. That is after all, what I do in my day job, but that has not really stuck — nor am I hankering for a nickname that would stick.
Hawk said that to have a nickname, you have to do something really memorable or boneheaded. I usually manage to avoid both (knock on wood).
What about your club? Is it full of nicknames too?
Yup, there are plenty of nicknames in our group. Here are some memorable ones:
Spitfire – she is a short and light rider that will drop you in a second
GhostRider – This one came about from putting very strong sunblock lotion on her face
The Bullet – a fast and strong rider that just keeps going and going
Evil Eye Mike – Not sure, but that is what he calls himself
The two towers – two solid tall riders
The hammer – fairly obvious
Our group has a ton of nicknames. Some of the ones I know the stories for:
“Crash” – one of the first nasty crashes in our group.
“Wrong Way Will” or “W3” – still can’t follow a cue sheet.
“Wheelie Bill” – left his front wheel on the side of the road after a ride.
“SteF’Nie” – when climbing up hills, all we hear is “F this” and “F that” and “stupid f’n hills”