Wherein I Get Desperate to Lose Weight And Give You a Chance to Win My Superfly 100
Back in December, I made a serious effort at getting into the 160s, by doing a contest where a whole bunch of us tried to lose ten pounds by Christmas.
It didn’t work. Not for me, anyway.
So, in January, I tried another motivational trick: I bought myself the mountain bike I’ve really, really been wanting to ride and race this year: The Gary Fisher Trek Superfly 100, but with the provision that I would not build that bike until I got to my racing weight (158 pounds). (Go ahead, click that picture to the right to see the larger version of the bike. It’s beautiful.)
So far, that hasn’t worked. As of this morning, I still weigh 170.4 pounds.
Honestly, I am getting desperate. Race season is close, and the bike I’m ridiculously excited about remains in a box.
So, today, I’m going to do something extreme. Specifically, I’m going to take that carrot I got for myself (the Superfly 100), and add a little stick. And a deadlilne. Namely, if I don’t get down to 158 pounds one month from today (June 3, the day before my extremely climby racing of the 100 Miles of Nowhere), I am going to give this bike away to someone.
Here, I’ll say it again, in large, bold, red, italicized text, just to drive home the point and attract the attention of people who might have skimmed over that previous paragraph:
If I don’t get down to 158 pounds by June 3, I am going to give my brand new, never-been-built, valued-at-$4929 Superfly 100 to some lucky winner. (17.5″ size, just in case you’re wondering)
Oh, and just to give me an extra little incentive, I’m going to throw in the (also brand new) wheels I’ve bought to upgrade this bike, which I am now going to switch back into big red bold italics, so I can be as shrill as possible about what I am potentially doing to myself:
If I don’t get down to 158 pounds by June 3, I will also give away my brand-new Bontrager XXX Lite TLR Disc 29s ($850 per wheel, for a total of $1700) as part of the Superfly 100. Which means this bike has a value of $6629.
Yes, that’s right. This isn’t Trek giving away a bike. I haven’t found a sponsor who is going to do this for me. This is me, the guy who makes about enough writing this blog that it almost-but-not-quite pays as much as getting a second job at a fast food restaurant.
I have one month to lose 12 pounds. Or I’m giving this bike — the full suspension bike I would rather have than any other mountain bike on the market right now — away.
Here’s how you can be part of the action.
The Rules
If I don’t get down to 158 pounds by my morning weigh-in of June 3, I will give my still-undridden Superfly 100 to a person who has donated at my LiveStrong Challenge page. Every $5.00 you donate buys you a row on my spreadsheet, and I’ll pick a row from that spreadsheet at random on June 3.
If, however, I do get to 158 pounds by June 3, I keep the bike and the wheels. And of course, LiveStrong keeps the money you donated.
So there’s a little bit of a risk here for you. It’s not a bad risk in any case, because — even if I manage to lose the weight — you’re still donating money to help LiveStrong in its critical mission of helping those who are fighting cancer.
I will ship this bike to anywhere, inside the US or out. Although if you’re outside the US, paying the Customs is your problem. Fair enough? Yeah, I kinda thought so.
Oh, and here’s a rule for me: I’m not allowed to cheat by using sudden-death dehydration techniques, whereby I lose a big chunk of weight on the last day of the contest by riding for six hours without a drink. I’ve got to lose the weight honestly. Toward that end, from now until June 3, I will report my weight daily.
So. I’ve got one month to lose 12 pounds. More to the point, I’ve got one month to lose the same 12 pounds I’ve been wanting to — and failing to — lose for the past five months. Do me a favor by really holding my feet to the fire now. Donate some money and maybe you’ll get an extraordinary mountain bike out of the deal. Or, maybe you’ll see me get to keep my bike and know that you were part of why I (finally) got down to racing weight.
And either way, you’ll have helped me raise money for the fight against cancer. So click here to donate now.
Comment by Grizzly Adam | 05.3.2011 | 10:14 am
That’s a big carrot. I wish you well in your quest. Oh, and I’ll bring some cookies over.
Comment by Lisa | 05.3.2011 | 10:21 am
Only if you promise to ride that one the next day for the 100 Miles of Nowhere should you drop the weight. (I suppose that only works if you have the time to build it.)
Comment by Brandy | 05.3.2011 | 10:44 am
ballsy! Love it! You can do it Fatty.
Comment by Nic Grillo | 05.3.2011 | 10:53 am
Wow. This is big. As much as I would love to win that bike, the thought of taking it away from you is pretty depressing… Here’s to hoping you lose the weight!
BTW, pretty awesome to have Lance crash your server!
Comment by Justin L | 05.3.2011 | 10:57 am
If i donate i feel like i am betting against you, and thats not very cool. It makes me feel bad. Your my hero
Comment by Hergules | 05.3.2011 | 11:06 am
OK…. but you have to promise NOT to go on the Spanish Beef diet….
Comment by KM | 05.3.2011 | 11:07 am
I’ll start mailing you fresh baked goods daily. What’s your mailing address again? It will test your will power and only make you stronger. I don’t know what’s wrong with the rest of these folks wishing you well. I’m donating for an Epic Fail….come on complacency! Seriously, good luck…meh.
Comment by NYCCarlos | 05.3.2011 | 11:08 am
So… Being 6′1″, I have to ask… think trek would trade me for a larger frame if I won?
Comment by Dan in Sac | 05.3.2011 | 11:13 am
I hate to win a that awesome bike in such a manner but…… HERE IS TO YOUR FAILURE! Now, let’s see if we can ride that 5 month/170 lbs plateau for 30 more days.
Oh, and remember to ‘listen to your body.’ Don’t overdue out there.
Comment by dude | 05.3.2011 | 11:13 am
I hate 29ers.
Comment by Greg Furry | 05.3.2011 | 11:28 am
I am entered now I think a comment a day with a delicious dessert of the day is appropriate. MMM how about some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Muwahah ahaa.
Oh, wait. I now weight the exact same as you as of this morning. Probably not a bad goal for me either. Probably better to use my time watching what I eat and exercising than taunting you.
Good luck Fatty!
Comment by Travis | 05.3.2011 | 11:32 am
I lost 50 lbs in 100 days since the beginning of the year. You can totally do it. It’s all about creating a caloric deficit each day. Go to the LiveStrong website to the MyPlate tab and set up an account for the food journal. Keep track of the calories ingested and the calories spent. If you create a caloric deficit of 1000 calories a d ay you can loose 2 lbs. per week. It wasn’t hard at all. Just shear will power. You can do it.
Comment by Jacob | 05.3.2011 | 12:04 pm
I’ll gladly bet against you. I like your posts but I don’t know you personally and would gladly accept benefits that are the results of your personal failings.
Here’s what I’m going to do with the bike when I win it:
A: The fact that 170 is 12 lbs over your racing weight suggests that you’re a good bit shorter than I am, so I may sell the bike, keep the wheels and then buy a comparable bike to replace it. I’ll even buy a slightly cheaper bike and donate the difference to the same charity. Scrap metal is bringing crazy good prices now.
B: Or I’ll just keep that bike. I road bike, but I live 1/2 mile from the nearest pavement, meaning I have to walk my bike a mile round trip every time I go for a ride because the road is too sandy. After winning the bike, I will construct a backpack bike rack and will ride your bike to the end of the dirt road where I can switch over to my road bike. Then, it won’t matter that the bike is a little too small.
Feel free to use the image of your wonderful mountain bike being turned into just a mule for me to get my road bike to the pavement more easily as incentive to reach your weight loss goal. If you need a little more imagery, I probably wouldn’t wear the mountain bike while I biked around on the paved roads. Instead I’d probably stash it in the weeds in the ditch next to the road at the intersection where I usually leave my flipflops when I put on my bike shoes.
Comment by Mike Roadie | 05.3.2011 | 12:05 pm
For Memorial Day I will be sending over a case of cheesecakes!!!
Comment by Jimmy Jo Bubba McDowell | 05.3.2011 | 12:06 pm
I thought it was going to be “If I don’t make weight AND you lose 7% (12/170) of your weight, then you’re eligible to win the bike.” That would’ve been more interesting.
Comment by Rica | 05.3.2011 | 12:09 pm
Here’s a deal for ya – if _I_ lose 12 pounds this month and _YOU_ don’t, will you buy me a Trek/Gary Fisher Collection WSD 16″ Mamba? ;)
Comment by chad | 05.3.2011 | 12:23 pm
Hmm… your 17.5 won’t fit me. So, when I win your bike I think I’ll sell it (I’ll keep the wheels). I’ll use the money to buy a truck load of cupcakes!
Comment by Nathaniel | 05.3.2011 | 12:27 pm
Ha! I also need to lose 12 lbs by June 3 in order to fit into an outfit that I plan to rock for a race on June 4. Guess we’re in the same boat! I look forward to reading your weight-loss chronicles for ideas!
Comment by Dave M | 05.3.2011 | 12:35 pm
Fatty,
I hope you get to keep the bike, but I’m donating just in case you don’t make it.
On a side note, I was reading the current issue of Mountain Bike Action and there is a picture of Andy Hampsten at the NAHMBS wearing a fatcyclist hoodie. Way cool.
Now go eat a grapefruit.
Comment by Angie | 05.3.2011 | 12:47 pm
I’d feel bad if I won your bike. But I know you’re not going to let that happen. You will show strong resolve and you will lose the weight. You will find strength in seeing the number on the scale drop and you won’t cheat. You can’t, now that you’ve made it public! So… that means I am not going to bet that your will power is weak, because I’d surely lose. I will however donate to your page…because I want to. But, Fatty, don’t put me on the spread sheet. I don’t want to take your bike away from you.
Angie Sokorai
Comment by MattC | 05.3.2011 | 12:59 pm
Very cool contest Fatty! Now THAT is how you inspire yourself! And sure, your 17.5 frame is a bit small for me, but I’m SURE that any decent LBS that sells Trek would work a deal trading it in for a bigger frame. Especially given this story, and that they could verify where the frame came from (ie: not stolen…though it would probably feel that way). I guess I will have to toss a few bucks to your page for this one. Right after I eat some incredibly delicous white chocholate macadamia cookies. Mmmmhrrrrhjmmpphhh. YUMMY! But wait…maybe a quick bowl of Heath crunch ice cream before I I click the LS page…slurp/gobble/smack….mmmmmmm. What’s that Fatty? You’re trying to LOSE weight? Ooooh..sorry bout that. Good luck (not really!). Hey, wait…what’s this Snickers-Almond bar doing lying here by my friend’s keyboard? I’d best help him out and take care of this for him. Rip (oops, just the corner tore off…what the hay? Stoopid wrapper!) RIP! Gobble, gobble…mmmmmmm. I’m such a giver. Hey…what do you know…it’s lunch time!
Comment by CF | 05.3.2011 | 1:15 pm
You can do it, Fatty! Start counting calories and burn them all on the bike!
Comment by Miles Archer | 05.3.2011 | 1:20 pm
I might enter, but there’s no way I would accept that bike from you.
Comment by Miles Archer | 05.3.2011 | 1:21 pm
Yeah, what Jimmy Jo said!
Comment by LauraS | 05.3.2011 | 1:28 pm
I’ll enter, but I can’t take that bike from you. If I win it, I’ll have to find some kind of painful yet embarrassing way for you to win it back again. It will involve losing 12 pounds.
Comment by Dale | 05.3.2011 | 1:37 pm
Oh man my DREAM BIKE !!!
I will send you a cake and cookies to celebrate
Comment by Bobby McMillan | 05.3.2011 | 1:52 pm
time to man up Fatty. I lost 17lbs in the month of April, i did it, so can you. now keep your hand out of the cereal box!
Comment by Anonymous | 05.3.2011 | 1:59 pm
You are a freaking genius! I would loose 5.5kgs for my most prized possession!
Comment by laurab | 05.3.2011 | 2:05 pm
Just gave you 1 entry for each pound you need to lose- good luck to you- hope you get to keep it!
Comment by Jack | 05.3.2011 | 2:30 pm
I’m in! But I have a bad history of putting together bikes, especially at Christmas. SO if I win, you’ll have to assemble it, and ride it to my doorstep to deliver it (all 2500 miles). By that time you’ll have lost 12 pounds and can ride it back home. Deal?
Comment by Jenni | 05.3.2011 | 2:47 pm
Done. I hate betting against you, but I still did it.
Comment by Dave | 05.3.2011 | 2:53 pm
Fatty if you have to give the bike away you can always replace it with this. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1368113/Go-print-bike-The-technology-enables-run-working-cycle.html#ixzz1HbhkcVs4
Comment by Guy | 05.3.2011 | 2:54 pm
I really want to win this bike, but I would also like to see you hit your goal, I read the book 4 hour body by Timothy Ferriss and it changed my body makeup, good luck to you Fatty!
Comment by Rick | 05.3.2011 | 2:59 pm
My conscience is torn… On one hand donating to LiveStrong is a good thing to do but the possibility of taking the bike that you worked for and payed for… I cant do it…
Comment by T Foster | 05.3.2011 | 3:21 pm
That is around $552 per pound. Now that’s motivation! I know you’ll make it, but I’ll throw in a few bucks anyway.
Comment by Obstinate Roadie | 05.3.2011 | 3:27 pm
I’ll play along — and I’ll gladly accept your bike if you lose and I win since I don’t own a (rideable) mountain bike and you own very many of them. I might even ride it. I might even wear a sleeveless jersey when I ride it. On second thought, that would be taking it too far!
Have you considered going on the cheese diet? One wheel of cheese a day. It does wonders for your waistline.
Comment by aussie kev | 05.3.2011 | 3:44 pm
i’m in (4 rows )
If i win —- you can keep the bike
Allez Cadel
Comment by Charlie | 05.3.2011 | 5:19 pm
I’m in. But here’s the deal. In the (extremely) unlikely event I win it, I’ll race it at Leadville. If you beat me (extremely likely), you win it back. I’ll feel guilty racing you on it, but unless you take an unscheduled trip into the woods again, I’ll feel like it’s a fair enough bet.
Comment by Clydesteve | 05.3.2011 | 5:51 pm
A double batch of homemade oatmeal/ peanut M&Ms Monster Cookies are on the way, Fatty!
We put in extra green M&Ms so the would be irresistable!
Comment by stuckinmypedals | 05.3.2011 | 6:16 pm
You can do it, Fatty! I want to see photos of you riding that beautiful bike June 3rd!
Comment by Cyclin' Missy | 05.3.2011 | 7:25 pm
Love the bike, but love you more. You can do it! Go Fatty!
Comment by Duper | 05.3.2011 | 7:49 pm
Why are you putting so much pressure on yourself? That’s a beautiful bike. It was meant to be ridden by you. So go ride it. And enjoy it. And love it. And savor it. Between your work, your family and all that you do to fight cancer, you deserve it dude! And if you need to put some pressure on yourself, use that bike to ride in more races and events to keep spreading the word about all of the good work that you are doing, and that of everyone who is a member of Team Fatty. I say, just ride, and the weight will take care of itself.
Comment by Walter | 05.4.2011 | 2:17 am
Good luck Fatty!! You can do it, but just to make sure, I’ll chip in a few rows on your spreadsheet as extra motivation.
Walter
P.S.: have you considered going low carb? I lost 17 lbs (coincidence?) over the past coupke of months after reading Gary Taubes’ book “Good Calories, Bad Calories” and giving it a try for health reasons, not weight loss reasons. I’m training for the Pan Mass Challenge (pmc.org), and have found (so far, at least) that I can train efffectively by eating carbs from about 1/2 hour pre-ride through about 1/2 hour post ride. Anyway, just a thought.
Comment by Mike | 05.4.2011 | 6:47 am
Cool deal. I meant to write and tell you I read this cycling blog where this fella wrote an entry about the “diet of overindulgence”. Nice juicy cheeseburgers, all the chips and guacamole (with its salty, spicy creamy combo), beer, pancakes, peanut butter that you get out of the jar with double stuffed oreos. Whatever your craving, just eat as much as you can today and you wont want it tomorrow! Awesome huh? The guy that writes the blog is a genius. What was his name……???
Comment by rich | 05.4.2011 | 8:28 am
Ok, I’m in….would feel bad taking your dream bike, but figure that’s the motivation right?
Besides, there’s a guy in my neighborhood that picks up the cans and his bike is kinda worn out. If it helps, you can imagine him riding your bike with a garbage bag and a bunch of cans balanced on the top tube (probably rub the paint right off) while he pedals away in his boots and jeans….yep, I’d have to put flat pedals on it for him
Comment by chtrich | 05.4.2011 | 11:26 am
When do donations need to be made by to enter?
Comment by Good Luck | 05.4.2011 | 12:28 pm
I know your pain all too well. I would like to go from 165 to 153. I got to 157 once, then back to 167. It’s not from lack of riding, just bad diet I think. All it takes is a few bad meals a week, and it adds up big time. But I know how important it is to lose weight and ride a bike, so I understand your desperate bet. I’m not a huge fan of “forcing” donations, but OK.
Comment by Aaron Harrell | 05.4.2011 | 2:25 pm
Hmm, I could spend a lot of money sending pizza and beer to your house, and still not even come close to the value of that bike…
Comment by LIz | 05.4.2011 | 7:15 pm
Well, from the beginning I thought you should just be riding that bike and to heck with the weight loss. I did enter, anything for you, but I can’t take the bike if I were to win. I would give it right back to you. If you want, you could send me whatever bike it is replacing. I’m sure that is ten times nicer than anything I ride.
Good luck!
Comment by Med School Odyssey | 05.5.2011 | 2:58 am
You’re insane.
Best of luck to you, crazy bastard.
Pingback by Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » An Open Appeal to Someone With a Really Expensive Camera | 05.5.2011 | 2:00 pm
[...] For those of you wondering whether I’m on track to keeping (or giving away) my still-boxed Superfly 100, I am now posting my weight every day at the bottom of the sidebar on this site. Since I’ve [...]
Pingback by Twitter: Lance Armstrong | jivory7 | 05.5.2011 | 8:33 pm
[...] Example of a promotion: @fatcyclist: Help me lose weight and fight cancer, maybe you’ll win my brand new $6629 Superfly 100. http://fatcy.cl/superfly100 [...]
Comment by Cookster | 05.5.2011 | 10:50 pm
keep at it. I had a promise to myself about getting a fender guitar when i lost 30kg, only 18 months later and 5kg to go.
Comment by eclecticdeb | 05.9.2011 | 11:35 am
I’m in. While I’d be giddy with excitement if I actually WON the bike, I’d feel horrible about taking it from Fatty. Just HOW horrible is TBD. :-)
Pingback by Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » Evidently, My Body Wants to Give You My $6600 Superfly 100 | 05.11.2011 | 1:00 pm
[...] You can read the details here, but the basics are easy: Go to my LiveStrong Challenge page and donate some amount of money, in multiples of $5.00. For each $5.00 you donate, you’ll automatically get a number in my magical Excel spreadsheet. Then, if I don’t get to 158 pounds by my June 3 weigh-in (and I don’t get to cheat by using dehydration or other tactics, and I don’t get to round down, so my weight has to be 158.0 or lower), I’ll choose a number at random (using random.org to pick the number), and that person wins the bike and the wheels. [...]
Comment by Chelsea | 05.14.2011 | 12:40 am
I’m a fat cyclist too! But I’m a girl… so I’m wondering how in the world this would work…. hmmmmmm…very enticing though :)
Comment by Grego | 05.18.2011 | 8:44 am
Well, I’ve just entered one of your comps for the first time.
Not going to look into what Hong Kong customs might charge me.
19 inch ta :o)
Good work.
Pingback by Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » You Can’t Have My Superfly 100…But You CAN Win My Other One | 06.1.2011 | 10:37 am
[...] That’s an important number, because it means I’m going to get to keep that Superfly 100. [...]