In this article, we will look at the 8 best names for a bike and one cringeworthy type of name to avoid.
Nothing is worse than naming your bike, only to find out later that everyone thinks it’s kind of a dorky name. So without further ado, let’s get started.
the best names for a bike
Good names for a bike should be simple. The best names are usually brand name (“my Specialized”), manufacturer-given name (“my Rockhopper”), or bike type (“my mountain bike”). But you can come up with much more creative names for your bicycle. Just know that people may roll their eyes at dorky puns or sexualized feminine names.
your bike already has a Name
More often than not, these are the best names for a bike.
Using the brand name is probably the most common way.
Examples are Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Canyon, Diamondback, and many others.
The bike will also already have a manufacturer-given name like (Trek) Marlin or (Specialized) Rockhopper.
The benefit is that these names will never sound dorky to other people (or to yourself in a few years).
To test this, tell your boss: “I rode my Trek Marlin to work today”. She will probably say “Good for you”.
Then try telling her “I rode Rebecca to work today.” She’ll probably wonder if you rode on a horse into town or, even worse, on a woman. Either way, it’s bad news.
Bronco
Bronco (and Mustang) are amazing names for a mountain bike.
It is also deserving for any bike that bucks and tries to throw you off like a wild horse in a rodeo.
It can even be extended to any bike that seems to have a mind of its own, mountain bike or not.
If you want to explore this theme a little more, put on some old country tunes and go down the rabbit hole of great names for rodeo horses.
Slow Train
Some bikes feel like taking the slow train to town.
Especially old steel framed single-speed cruiser bicycles deserve this name.
They are slow, heavy, and have wide a turning radius.
Rat Rod
A Rat Rod is a custom hot rod with a deliberately unfinished (and often rusty) appearance.
A bicycle doesn’t have to be falling apart to earn this name.
It can be a bike that has a few blemishes but runs otherwise perfectly – or even be a performance beast.
Old Reliable
You know that bike you have that isn’t exciting at all but always gets you where you have to go?
A bicycle that never seems to have any mechanical problems while your fancy road bike or MTB needs to go to the bike shop for yet another checkup.
These bikes are usually overlooked and unpretentious workhorses that are always on standby if you need them.
Old Reliable is the perfect name for bikes if they get you out of a pickle time and again.
Pegasus
Pegasus is the winged stallion in Greek mythology.
He was trusted with carrying Zeus’ thunderbolts during his time on Mount Olympus.
Your bike may not be a deity, but it will surely carry your stuff very well.
Another fun fact is that wherever Pegasus’ hooves touched the earth, a water spring would burst.
If that’s not a great excuse to ride through puddles and yell “Giddy up, pony”, I don’t know what is.
Cadillac (or Mercedes Benz)
My German grandfather used to call every four-wheel walker a Mercedes Benz.
For the longest time, I thought all his friends must be pretty wealthy.
Then, on his birthday one year, his elderly friends came to visit. One by one, they worked their Silver Arrows up the stairs and into the house.
That’s when it clicked for me and my grandpa got a kick out of lifting the veil.
So why not start a similar prank with your own two-wheeled Cadillac or Mercedes Benz?
The bike can be very modest with a little bit of chrome or fully decked out to earn the nickname.
You can even be more specific and call a mountain bike your G-Wagon or a full-featured commuter your Escalade.
Phoenix
Phoenix is another animal from Greek mythology.
It’s the firebird that dies in a show of flames only to be reborn from the ashes of its predecessor.
So if your bike got into a crash or two or always seems to break down only to come back with shiny new upgrades and improvements, then this is a great name.
If it’s red, orange, or red – it makes an even better name for a bike.
avoid women’s names for bikes (and please don’t call the bike she/her)
This may be a point of contention, but human names (and especially female names) are bad names for bikes.
Especially, when simultaneously calling it a “she”.
You may agree or disagree with me, but a lot of people will find the following statement very cringeworthy:
“I rode Samantha downhill last night. I was really giving her but she made it down okay”.
As a general rule of thumb with anthropomorphism: Only give human-style names to objects and animals that can react to that name.
Will Bella the puppy react to her name? Absolutely. Will Alexa respond when you ask the device to play your favorite song? Yup. Will your bike come to you when you call it? Nope.
As much as we all love our bikes, they are not girlfriends or boyfriends. They are just bicycles.
Come up with your own name
Half the fun in naming a bike is to come up with a unique name that only fits your bike.
Something that makes your bike truly special.
Ask yourself: What is the reason why I bought THIS bike?
If you can find a name that summarizes that reason, you have a winner.
If you have a commuter bike, keep in mind that you may use this name in front of other people at work. If it’s NSFW, you may want to keep it to yourself.
Speaking of work, we wrote the article Is it embarrassing to ride a bike to work which looks at some pitfalls between bike culture and corporate culture.
Make sure to check it out next.
