Ok, Gimli it is!

Recently, I decided to to name my singlespeed bike "Sam".  Sam just seemed like a good name.  This brought up the obvious question of, "What should I name my geared bike?"

At first, I couldn't think of anything.  I was very uninspired.  Then I thought about myself, my style of riding, what I like to do on the bike and finally about what my bike looks like.  At that point, it hit me...Gimli!!!  If you are not a Tolkien geek, you won't even recognize that name.  You can find the basics on the character Gimli here.  If you are dying to know more about Tolkien dwarves in general and you have huge amounts of unused time on your hands, you can go here.  If you actually click on that link maybe you should consider getting a job or exercising or something else reasonably productive.  Exploring the amazing world of Middle Earth is not normally considered "productive".  Fun, but not productive.

Ok, so when I think of Gimli and cycling at the same time, I am reminded of one specific trait of your typical dwarf.  Dwarves were known for being able to cover large amounts of ground in relatively little time under a heavy load.  Basically, they had great endurance in extreme situations.  This does not quite describe me yet, but I would like it to.  I want to be able to do rides where I just go and go and go.  I want to do the kind of rides that really amaze the average person ("You rode how far?  Are you sure it wasn't a motorcycle?").  Any rides like that will be on my geared bike, hence the name "Gimli".

Also, when I think about how my bike actually looks, it is really nothing fancy.  It is a rather ordinary gray with some black accents.  In the LOTR movies, Gimli is certainly not "fancy".  It is a little difficult for me to picture exactly what his outfit looked like.  In reality, Gimli the bike is nothing really special either.  It has more to do with determination, stubbornness and a willingness to suffer to get what you want.

Lastly, I am a Tolkien geek and I have always had a fondness for Gimli.  I seem to be able to identify with him so my main ride gets the "Gimli" moniker.  Enough said.