The Naming of the Bike

That pretty little bike on the side bar of this blog is my sweet and beloved Trek 5200 WSD (women's specific design), also known as Leo Fianna. She has seen me through the majority of my life as a "real" cyclist. I bought her from one of my workout leaders my first year of Team Danskin. The woman I bought the bike from took amazing care of her and was just looking to make some room for more bikes in her collection and thus, I became the owner of my first big girls bike. Now its more than just tradition for cyclist to name their bike. Captains name their boats...other people name other things...ok, so I couldn't think of anything else people name in the same way but I know there are some more things and you get the idea. Cyclist name their bikes and my beauty is named Leo Fianna.

She- and yes she is a she, I mean, come on, she has pink handlebars and looks like a girl- get gets her name from the fact that I am a Leo, she was bought during the Leo time for my Leo birthday, the previous owner was a Leo, and she's fierce like a lion- roar! She's tough like a Leo, a little cocky, stubborn at times, tenacious, and loyal. Yeah, that's my girl! She's a beaut'

The second half of her name comes from stories of the the Irish mythological warrior of Fionn mac Cumhaill (anglicised as Finn McCool). I grew up with children's books about Fionn and how he outwitted the ogre and created the Giant's Causeway, the 'stepping stones' to Scotland. Fionn was a warrior, hunter, intellectual, and tree hugger. His most loyal and fierce warriors were known as the Fianna. To be a Fianna, one had to pass many tests. These included, not being wounded while standing in waist-deep hole with only a shield while other warriors threw spears and being pursued through a forest without noise, without disturbing the ground, and without leaving a trace of even a piece of hair. The Fianna also had to be skilled as a poet as well.

And that my friends is why my little carbon queen is known as Leo Fianna.