Pedal Strike

A few weeks ago someone asked me what the patch on my bag was about.

“What’s ‘pedal strike’? Like a band or something?”

Due to the fact that I keep my blog/hats/personal life details far farrrrrrr away from law school, I managed to mutter something about what pedal strike is, fixed gears, bicycles, and something about a nickname.

…Yeah…um…what? Nickname? No one calls me “pedal strike,” even though it’s way easier to pronounce than my real name. Okay, granted, if I was actually okay with letting people at school know about my life, it might have been easier to explain. But I still find myself stumbling over words when people ask me about the “pedal strike” thing, even though I’ll smack it on hats, websites, and even bikes.

I’d hate to call it a “brand,” mostly because it sounds so pretentious. “Logo” is only marginally better; it still seems to smack of commercialized bullshit and the implication that I should be handing out [figurative] blowjobs to get people to like my stuff. And I don’t like to, because I’m selfish and lazy and deluded enough to think that I’m better than that.

Although that’s completely not true, because my ego totally blew up when I saw “pedal strike” on the Freddy vs. Jason alleycat flier. Staring at it was almost better than that post-coital smugness you feel before you pass out in bliss. And while relationships based solely on how well you get along with the other person [or, activity in this case] between the sheets are never a great idea, no one said they weren’t fun. At least for a little while.

Not that my relationship with my hats, sewing machine, “creative side” has devolved to that point yet. My fling with “marketing,” “brands,” and “labels” was always just that though. So I might be sticking “pedal strike” everywhere these days, but I’m going to justify that by saying that it’s more personal than just a “brand,” it’s about me. Me, myself, and I.

Masturbation? Maybe. But hey, at least I’m not handing out blowjobs.

Tags:   brand · cycling caps · logo · marketing · pedal strike4 Comments