05.22.2012 | 12:43 am
It was the fall of 2006, and I had somehow wandered my way back to Ft. Collins, Colorado and my good old standby job as a bike mechanic at Recycled Cycles. After working odd jobs throughout most of the western United States for the past few years, I was uncomfortably bike-less. I’d been forced to borrow bikes from friends and family, and it was high time I started pedaling my own two-wheeled machine.
When a co-worker suddenly left for the winter to pursue the life of a ski bum, he gave me the bike he’d salvaged from the “graveyard” out back. A beautiful, old, lugged, steel frame 10 speed. Pretty beat up, a little rusted out, and a touch too small, but I was completely thrilled with it!
I stripped it down, degreased everything, repacked the bearings, and tuned it all up. Here’s the finished product:
That thing was rolling smooth and looking clean! After putting the finishing touches on it in my kitchen one evening, I strapped my helmet on, hopped aboard my new bike, and flew across town to Maria’s house, fueled by the joy of pedaling my very own rig!
* * * * *
This was shaping up to be a pretty big fall: not only had I just built up my own bike, but much more importantly, I had recently begun dating Maria. She’s an opera singer, and the first time I heard her sing (it was also the first time I’d ever heard opera) was the first time I realized what mountains sound like: a beautiful sound that fills every inch of space, no matter how small or how huge, resonating from a single source. A lone voicebox speaking the soul the only way it knows how.
The night I pedaled to her house was a night of all-around shock. Her family was shocked that I had actually pedaled the six miles across town and was happily planning on pedaling the six miles back home at the end of the night, and I was shocked that they were so shocked. It was a mini cultural collision as they repeatedly and genuinely expressed concern and offered to drive me home, while I tried to express the fact that I really, truly prefer to travel this way.
Maria summed the whole thing up when she explained that she had always just assumed, for whatever reason, that when people get their driver’s license they just sort of stop riding bikes. She had always loved bikes as a kid, but as soon as she hit 16, this love just fizzled out. Not consciously or intentionally, but simply because this was the assumed norm. The second she told me this, my brain started spinning through ideas and plans quicker than the two wheels that had carried me to her house earlier that evening.
* * * * *
It was late Saturday night and snowing. The Christmas rush was on and we had been cranking out new bike builds all day long. Christmas in a bike shop is a unique phenomenon: it’s freezing, icy, and snowy, yet there are as many people buying bikes as there are in the spring and summer.
I was one of the last people in the shop, and I had just finished polishing off and de-rusting the front fender. I bolted it to the fork and put the front wheel back on (the rim of which had also been recently de-rusted and polished). I stood back and examined my 20 hours of late night scrubbing, cleaning, rebuilding, overhauling, polishing, and steel-wooling. The rusted out piece of work-a 1975 Schwinn Suburban-I had dragged out of the snow-engulfed graveyard two weeks earlier now stood before me a resurrected creature. There’s nothing about this bike that would necessarily make it a particularly special or desirable bike, but in my eyes, this machine was a thing of absolute beauty.
Early Christmas morning, I drove the bike to Maria’s house. In complete stealth mode, I carried it to the porch and positioned it right in front of the door. Tilted the handlebars so they and the front wheel flirtatiously smiled up at whoever opened the door first. Then I left.
A few hours later, Maria called with all the excitement and surprise in her voice I’d been hoping for. She loved the bike and had already pedaled it around the block! She was thrilled, and I was relieved-the first round of gift-giving can be an intimidating thing to a clumsy lover like me, but she loved the bike, now it was up to me to keep things rolling.
* * * * *
Since discovering the beauty of bicycles, and realizing the incredible fact that people really do pedal well beyond the early years of trikes and big wheels, Maria has fallen in love with life as a bike commuter. We ended up getting married in 2007, and since then, we’ve pedaled our bikes together in everything from midnight San Francisco rainstorms to burning Santa Fe desert summers. Old railroad tracks in southeast Idaho and heart-breakingly beautiful evenings in Denver, Colorado.
The best part of all is that she is now a two-wheeled missionary herself, spreading the gospel of the bicycle wherever she rolls.
Maria, on the right, and her best friend, Sarah, out for a ride.
by Nick Lindsey
PS from Fatty: Don’t forget, the contest to win a trip and a bike, all while fighting cancer, is still on. Click here for info on the trip, then click here for information on the bikes, and click here to donate. Thanks!
Comments (12)
05.21.2012 | 5:04 am
For me it was a very basic reason, for my health. In the fall of 2009 I weighed close to 500 lbs. I had no idea my weight had climbed so high, but there it was. There was a weight loss competition at work which I joined and proceeded to lose almost 60 lbs. over the next 6 months.
It felt good. I was simply watching what I ate, but it didn’t seem like enough, I had to get active. I was still 430 lbs, and there was no way I was going to run. The truth was even walking from the car to the door would find me short of breath. Then I found Fatty’s blog and I thought to myself, that’s it!
I remembered the freedom riding in my youth had afforded me
and figured I could have fun and get healthy and lose weight all at the same time.
Now my dilemma was that I didn’t have a bike. Sure there had been an old one sitting in the garage several years and several moves ago, but that was long gone.
I had thought about getting a road bike, but thought that with my weight that probably wasn’t a good idea.
I decided to go with a name we all trusted from our youth – Schwinn. I found a deal on a Landmark Cruiser and got it.
I was excited when it arrived and couldn’t wait to assemble it and get riding. That’s when reality set in yet again – I was very out of shape and could barely ride 3 miles on my new bike before I was spent, but the funny thing was, I didn’t mind it because I enjoyed riding! It brought back all those feelings of freedom from my youth.
I’ve stuck with it, often getting up at 4:00 am to get in rides and am loving it. Six months after starting to ride again I actually completed a Sprint Triathlon here in Las Vegas!
Thank you Fatty, you were the inspiration that got me back on the bike after a 20+ year hiatus.
PS from Fatty: Don’t forget, the contest to win a trip and a bike, all while fighting cancer, is still on. Click here for info on the trip, then click here for information on the bikes, and click here to donate. Thanks!
Comments (21)
05.16.2012 | 8:14 pm
In yesterday’s post, I told you about the contest I’m starting to raise money for LiveStrong: a trip to Utah, where I’d take you on some awesome riding. Road or mountain biking, your choice.
I also told you that before going on this riding binge, I’d have you professionally fitted by the good folks at SLC Bicycle for the bike you’d be riding.
What I didn’t tell you, however, was that the bike you’d be getting fitted for would be your bike. And I don’t mean that you are going to have to fly your old and busted bike out here to ride.
No.
I mean that when you get here, you’re going to be riding on a brand newIbis bike of your choosing, outfitted to the nines and beyond with ultra high-zoot Shimano components: Dura-Ace (if you pick a road bike) or XTR (if you pick a mountain bike).
Yeah, really.
And here’s the thing. There are a ton of different kinds of riders, with a ton of different riding styles. And the rides you choose to go on when you are out here — road, mountain, or something with a bit of both — should have the right kind of bike.
So you get to choose what bike you want from Ibis.
And when you get here, it’ll be built and ready to go by the gurus at SLC Bicycle, who will make it fit you so great that you’ll wonder whether this bike was made with dark magicks.
So let’s recap in brief what you win, because I suspect that you may have a short attention span:
- An awesome couple days (with me) of riding in an awesome place in Utah…
- On your brand new Ibis bike…
- With super high-end Shimano components…
- All built and professionally fitted for you at SLC Bicycle.
In other words, I am giving away the Cyclist Fantasy Vacation. Of course, to win it, you’ve got to help me raise money for the fight against cancer by donating to my LiveStrong Challenge page (or getting others to donate to your own Team Fatty LiveStrong Challenge page).
So that’s the short version. Now let’s get specific.
What You Can Win
Check Part I of this contest description for information about how we’ll choose places to ride, how we’ll get you on a plane, stuff you to the gills with bratwurst, and so forth and so on.
Today, we’re talking about the hardware you can win.
Here are the choices you have, bike-wise:
Silk SL
The Ibis Silk SL is the Ibis go-fast, weigh-nearly-nothing, drop-dead-sexy road machine. Just look at it:
Oh mercy. That looks as elegant as it does fast as it does sexy.
You have lots of color choices, too, which should give you something to consider when you make your choice.
You should know: I have one of these, built up as my single-speed road bike. It weighs less than thirteen pounds. I have to tether it to the bike rack to keep it from wafting about in ambient air currents in the garage.
Mojo SL
I remember the dark days. When the first iteration of Ibis disappeared, and I thought I’d never see another brand-new Ibis bike again.
Those were bad times.
And then I heard Chuck Ibis was back, and there was going to be a new Mojo.
And then I saw that new Mojo. And it was good. And then came the Mojo SL, and it wasn’t good. It was spectrafantacular:
Ibis was back. No, it was more than back. It was backity-back, with a side order of back. With extra fry sauce and a hint of lime.
This is about as close to being a perfect mountain bike as you can get without having other bike companies complain that you cheated on the exam.
Plus it’s made of carbon, making it freaky-light. So if money’s tight, you could make a diamond out of your Mojo SL [Note: I do not think this would actually work and do not recommend you try].
Tranny
Full suspension not your thing? Maybe you travel around and want to bring your bike with you? Or maybe you want to set up a mountain bike singlespeed?
Then the Ibis Tranny is the bike for you:
Thanks to its “slot machine” adjustable length chain stay, the Tranny breaks down small for packing, or tensions up easy for single speeding. Or just rides awesome if you want a light, strong carbon hard tail for mountain biking.
Hakkalugi
Pronounced “Hock a loogey,” the name of this bike is reason enough to own one, just so you can say “Ibis Hakkalugi” whenever you feel like it.
But that’s not the only reason you might want this bike. No, far from it. Race it in cyclocross. Or ride it on single track and gravel roads and the pavement. Turn your commute into an adventure with this bike.
What’s Going On That Bike of Yours
So you’ve got yourself an almost unendurably beautiful Ibis frame. Now what? Well, you outfit it with the sweetest components on planet earth, that’s what.
If you’re setting up a road (Silk SL) or cross (Hakkalugi) machine, Shimano is going to hook you up with Dura-Ace 7900 components, across the board. Along with PRO carbon stem and bars.
You are going to be luxuriating in the smoothest, most wonderful drivetrain you could ever imagine, my friend.
As for wheels, you’ll have your choice of Dura-Ace wheel sets: WH-7900-C24-CL, WH-7900-C50-CL, or WH-7900-C35-CL.
And if you choose a bike that’s more at home on the dirt, Shimano will set you up with XTR M980 components. You want to know something about XTR, simple and direct? There’s nothing better. It’s wonderful.
What’s awesome about Ibis, Shimano, and SLC Bicycle
I’m a lucky person. I get to meet a lot of very cool, interesting people. And sometimes, I get to meet cool, interesting people who are also just genuinely great people.
That’s how it is with the friends I have at Shimano, Ibis, and SLC Bike.
None of these companies have any particular affiliation with LiveStrong. None of the companies have any evidence that their helping me out raises their profile or sells more stuff.
But these companies have helped me. Time after time. Willingly. Cheerfully. They don’t make me beg.
They just do the right thing. No, let’s be more specific: they both do the kind thing.
Plus, they make (or build, sell, and maintain) top-notch bike stuff.
Keep that in mind when you go shopping, OK?
Here’s Whatcha Gotta Do
Let’s wrap this up now with a quick recap (i.e., a copy-paste) of the instructions on how you enter this contest to win this mind-boggling clutch of prizes:
For every $5.00 you donate at my LiveStrong Davis Challenge page, you’ll get a row on my magically deluxe spreadsheet.
The more you donate, the more rows you get on the spreadsheet.
Once the contest ends (on June 22 at midnight, MST), I’ll randomly (using random.org, natch) choose a row on that spreadsheet. Then I’ll contact you.
[A note for my international friends: I only have so much money. If you win the contest, it's your responsibility to get to the U.S., and I'll fly you the rest of the way, OK?]
And what if you’re already a member of Team Fatty and are raising money for your own LiveStrong Challenge? Well, just keep on raising money — and maybe donate some more into your own account — because the money you’ve raised as part of Team Fatty counts toward your entry in this contest, too.
So, please donate. You might just win an awesome trip, and an awesome bike — custom-fitted to you — to ride during that trip.
PS: See, I told you this would be a prize worth waiting for!
Comments (43)
05.16.2012 | 11:53 am
Dear Reader,
Due to some extra unanticipated additional awesomeness, I am having to do some rewriting of today’s post describing the secret second part of the contest I described yesterday.
I’ll get that post up late this afternoon, or quite possibly this evening.
It will be worth checking back for.
In the meantime, please feel free to speculate on what the second part of this awesome prize will be. Better yet, please feel free to go ahead and enter the contest, so you have a chance of winning something I absolutely guarantee any bike lover would enjoy.
XOXO,
Fatty
Comments (20)
05.15.2012 | 11:31 am
A Note from Fatty: If you’ve already read (or are not currently in the mood to read) all the hoopla around this contest and are now in the mood to just get on with the entering of said contest already, click here to donate (in multiples of $5, please) to my LiveStrong Challenge page. Thanks!
I am a deliberate and thoughtful person. For example, it is no accident that I live where I live — I picked this place because it is an unbelievably wonderful spot to go bike riding — whether you like road or mountain biking.
Furthermore — and your mind may reel at this — it is no coincidence that I ride bicycles a lot. I do this because I like riding bicycles. And, believe it or not, I write a blog about biking because I like sharing stories and talking with people about bikes!
Your head is spinning right now, I know. But I’ve got one more for you. I spend quite a bit of time and effort putting together contests to raise money for the fight against cancer because I hate cancer.
Whoah.
And today I’m excited to tell you about a new contest. One that takes all these very subtle and complex nuances of my very deliberate, thoughtful self, and combines them into something so spectacularly awesome that it’s going to take a couple days to describe.
That’s right, this contest has two grand prizes, but I’m only going to tell you about one of them today.
Fight Cancer, Ride in Utah With Fatty
Hey, I’m not interested in starting any fights here, but I think I could make a pretty good case for Utah being the most awesome place in the world for cycling.
And if you win this contest, I’ll do my level best to prove it to you.
We’ll get on the phone and talk. I’ll find out what kind of riding you like to do — road or mountain biking. We’ll talk about what level of riding you like to do. And how long you like to ride.
And then I’ll start telling you about some ideas for rides you might enjoy.
For example, maybe you’d want to ride The Alpine Loop:
Or maybe you’d want to go mountain biking at what I’ve called the best place in the world, Tibble Fork, which includes the unbelievable Joy Descent:
Or if you’re feeling like doing an epic all-day road ride, we could head out and ride Mt. Nebo.
Or maybe you would rather go see a different part of Utah than my hometown. In that case, we could go to Moab.
Or we could go to Saint George and ride Gooseberry and / or Little Creek:
Or the Guacamole Trail:
Or we could go to Moab. I hear there’s some good biking there.
But Wait, That’s Not All
Once we’ve figured out where and what you want to ride, we’ll figure out a time that will work for both of us (frankly, this will probably be the most difficult part of the whole shebang, but we’re smart people and will find a way, somehow).
Then I’ll fly you down / up here, and take you to SLC Bicycle Company, where you’ll get professionally fitted on the bike you’ll be using for this trip.
Yep, a professional fitting, on a top-flight bike. So the bike you’ll be riding on this trip will be the most awesome-fitting ride you’ve ever had.
Which also means you won’t need to bother bringing a bike with you.
Then we’ll head out riding. I’ll bring The Hammer along if you’re a woman, so it won’t feel like you’re on some weird creepy date with a married guy.
And if you’re a guy, I’ll see if some of the Core Team can come along for the ride, because they’re a lot more interesting than I am in person.
And then, after we ride, we’ll have brats. Unless you’re a vegetarian or something, in which case I’ll make my vegetarian burritos, which are almost as good as brats.
And I’ll put you up in a hotel so you don’t have to sleep on my couch.
And then, the next day, we’ll ride some more.
And afterward, you and I will agree that this has been the single most awesome vacation, ever.
There are a lot of cycling meccas in the world, OK? But Utah is my cycling mecca. And if you win this contest, it will be your mecca too.
Seriously, That’s Not All. In Fact, It’s Not Even Close To All.
I believe I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I was only describing the first half of the prize for this contest today.
Tomorrow, I will describe the second half. And I believe that at that point you will like this contest even more, and the idea of winning it will make you lose sleep at night.
I apologize in advance for your upcoming sleepless nights.
Why This Is Important
I believe very strongly in the good work LiveStrong does. I’ve said — many times before — that I received help and inspiration from them, firsthand, when Susan was starting her second big fight with cancer.
And more recently, I got to see up close — during the LiveStrong Assembly — some of the great ways LiveStrong puts our fundraising dollars to use.
People who are fighting cancer need help, in a variety of ways. And LiveStrong does an amazing job of providing that help.
So for this contest, I wanted to show that I am not just an observer and facilitator in my support of LiveStrong. I wanted to show that I’m willing to spend my own money and time to help LiveStrong in its mission.
So yeah, this contest is gonna cost me. Airfare, hotel, etc. won’t be cheap. But it’s totally worth it.
And not just because we’re going to get some awesome riding in, either.
How the Contest Works, And to How to Enter
For every $5.00 you donate at my LiveStrong Davis Challenge page, you’ll get a row on my magically deluxe spreadsheet, which I have affectionately and cleverly named FriendsOfFatty.XLS.
The more you donate, the more rows you get
Once the contest ends (on June 22 at midnight, MST), I’ll randomly (using random.org, natch) choose a row on that spreadsheet. Then I’ll contact you, and you’ll start yelling and stuff (which will be totally OK, because I’ll be contacting you by email) and we’ll get this ball rolling.
[A note for my international friends: I only have so much money. If you win the contest, it's your responsibility to get to the U.S., and I'll fly you the rest of the way, OK?]
And what if you’re already a member of Team Fatty and are raising money for your own LiveStrong Challenge? Well, just keep on raising money — and maybe donate some more into your own account — because the money you’ve raised as part of Team Fatty counts toward your entry in this contest, too.
Yep, that’s right, you can join Team Fatty and get other people to donate on your challenge page, and you might win this prize. In other words, keep up the good work you’ve already started.
So, please donate. You might just win an awesome trip to ride with . . . me.
Not to mention the second half of the prize, which will make it really spectacular.
More on that tomorrow.
Comments (26)
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