2manyoranges
Senior Retro Guru
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Trivial really - but feels very serious sometimes. They are emphemeral things...but vested with huge memories and emotional content. And they are going...they don’t last. They get stuck on, peel off, fall onto trail and mountain and decay. Gone.
My ProFlex last year went to France, to Les Deux Alps, Mint Sauce stickers applied on it. Gosh it tugged at my heart strings to leave the stickers on, since that year was the first one without my wife, taken by cancer at the age of 30. But once applied, that’s it really - so they stayed on and went to France, hopefully to stay on the frame.
It’s a bit weird that stickers are invested with stuff, but I remember carefully thinking about where they should go, then carefully applying them: ‘I ride therefore I am...’ ‘...ride slow for fear of riding past dreams...’. A one-minute stop on a tough ride, and it’s great to see the words. Makes you think. And that was the idea, well done Jo.
And of course Harrison.
He’s my favourite really. But Summer comes a close second. When you have verglas on your handlebars, it’s good to see Summer on the top tube. She’ll be back soon enough.
All my new builds have a Burt sticker somewhere. My son’s 2108 Sender has a banana on the top tube. He loves it. My friend Yves has one on his helmet, so it goes around the Alps. Each of my numerous 2020 and 2021 model hardtail builds has Harrison or a ‘planet’, as do the Transitions. I thought it was only me, but then a friend said...looking at the sticker just applied to a Ragley....’wow that brings it all back....’
(Shout out to Kaz whose generosity last year meant a great deal..)
But of course they are being ‘used up’ - keep them? Use them? Leave them pristine in a packet or ride with them. What does it matter? Actually...quite a lot...
My ProFlex last year went to France, to Les Deux Alps, Mint Sauce stickers applied on it. Gosh it tugged at my heart strings to leave the stickers on, since that year was the first one without my wife, taken by cancer at the age of 30. But once applied, that’s it really - so they stayed on and went to France, hopefully to stay on the frame.
It’s a bit weird that stickers are invested with stuff, but I remember carefully thinking about where they should go, then carefully applying them: ‘I ride therefore I am...’ ‘...ride slow for fear of riding past dreams...’. A one-minute stop on a tough ride, and it’s great to see the words. Makes you think. And that was the idea, well done Jo.
And of course Harrison.
He’s my favourite really. But Summer comes a close second. When you have verglas on your handlebars, it’s good to see Summer on the top tube. She’ll be back soon enough.
All my new builds have a Burt sticker somewhere. My son’s 2108 Sender has a banana on the top tube. He loves it. My friend Yves has one on his helmet, so it goes around the Alps. Each of my numerous 2020 and 2021 model hardtail builds has Harrison or a ‘planet’, as do the Transitions. I thought it was only me, but then a friend said...looking at the sticker just applied to a Ragley....’wow that brings it all back....’
(Shout out to Kaz whose generosity last year meant a great deal..)
But of course they are being ‘used up’ - keep them? Use them? Leave them pristine in a packet or ride with them. What does it matter? Actually...quite a lot...
