Tour de Fat's Car For Bike Trade Blog
WHAT IS THE CAR/BIKE TRADE?
It's when one fortunate soul hands over their car, title and keys to the Tour de Fat altar in exchange for a bike. Not just any bike, a New Belgium, fully-loaded, hand-crafted, Fort Collins-built commuter bike. There's 13 Tour de Fat stops - surely one near you - and that's 13 car/bike trade opportunities. It's about weaning yourself off the petroleum teat. It's about becoming a better, sexier person. It's about rediscovering the cultural thrill of public transportation. One year's time is the minimum commitment – commuting is your sentence.
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Photo reblogged from Following My Folly
The other day I was on Facebook and I came across my friend’s, Samy’s, profile message. She’s one of many friends who are discovering how much fun biking can be, but when setting out on her maiden voyage as a bike commuter to work, she felt she had failed.
I’ve attached the conversation as a photo so you can see how the story goes. One thing’s for certain when bike commuting: it’s still a commute and you have to plan accordingly. If nothing else than better health and cardio, you will become a much better manager of your time —I mean, you’ll become adept with “real time”.
- At first it feels like a HUGE burden: “If I take my car, it will only take 10 minutes as opposed to 20!” But then you start to prep for the trip earlier, often the day before, so it’s one last thing you think of and you can head out.
- You slowly learn not to pack everything up in your day to allow for the ride.
- Then, as time goes on, you learn to appreciate how time slows a bit and you start noticing cool things about your neighborhood— even clearing your head and sorting through all the dirty laundry we pack in it. The whole neighborhood opens up and your awareness of everything starts to build.
It’s at that time where Maslow’s upper echelons of the Hierarchy of Needs comes into play. With biking, you start to develop a sense balance in your life. It takes time.
Heck, it’s taken me (at least for the car-for-bike trade purposes) 6 months to come to that realization because of forcing my hand in this endeavor because I made a promise to do this. I committed. This comes after years of conditioning to the contrary; running from place to place as if I was a rat clinging to the last piece of trash in a flooded sewer.
(Nice visual, eh?)
I mean, it usually takes us until our mid 30s to put things into perspective, but the bike literally took 6 months to all those lessons I learned over the last 30 years, practicing, experiencing, just sucking it up and DOING it. That’s half the battle.
*Going back to that hierarchy thing: I think part of this ‘epiphany’ comes from doing what for centuries we were born doing— moving around, migrating, adapting, exercising…. Getting in touch with our roots, not rooting our collective asses in front of the TV or computer— THAT’s what centers us.
In one way, our move from life centering around cars to biking back to life is like mourning a breakup; you go through the anger/frustration and sometimes you want to cry. You’ve put in a lot of money and time into that relationship. Sure it’d be easier to hop in a car/run back to that person but, after the daily practice of not being around that person/car, you realize you’ve still been able to carry on, and you’ve grown. It’s life, just different, and an adventure all the while.
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Photo reblogged from Following My Folly
You have to wonder when certain things get into your head, how they transcend other facets in our lives. I think that’s especially true of any major milestone we face!
This one was certainly no exception. For the last week and a half, I kept staring at my chain thinking: I need to clean you. You’ve been put through the ringer and I need to take care of this. TODAY was my wake up call.
You never want to have things fall apart before warranty just as you don’t want to feel like you’ve past your prime at age 50. I’ve had my bike for 6 months now with no major issues to report (it’s built to take on challenges of the road from weather to potholes) but maybe the Colorado Native didn’t think it’d have the hills, rain, dirt, bad roads and scary drivers to contend with like I’ve had, it started to hiccup on my way to work.
“NOOOOOOO! PLEAAAASE Hold on till I get to work today!!!”, I plead with the chain as it uncharacteristically tried to fall off my chain ring, as though I was making deals with the devil in order to keep the shadow of death from being cast on me.
It cracked with every 3 cranks of my pedals beneath my feet. Something’s wrong and I’m just lucky my commute is relatively downhill and I can coast in.
The odometer is lying, mind you; There have been a few rides where I rode without it tracking my miles and then there’s that time one of the stupid sensors moved and didn’t want to talk to the odometer. Stupid sensors…. Do I feel a little robbed of my 1000 mile marker? Maybe a little, but it will roll over that marker, OFFICIALLY, today, if the bike is willing to let me mash those pedals, or, I just suck it up and save that morsel for tomorrow after I hop a bus home or get a carpool back and not cause more damage and leave it to chance.
So, true as in life, I am forcing myself to step back and take care of myself before things break down and burst into flames. We all need a little TLC now and then to get us through the daily grind as well as the major milestones. *It’s not the age… it’s the MILES! ;-) May you put in as many fun-filled miles as you possibly can squeeze out of life. Happy trails!
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Photo reblogged from Following My Folly
Look at my new t-shirt #representing my “ecologically-sound, super-calli-fragalistic biking adventure/lifestyle, given with love by @M0to!! Yes, life is more fun with a bike between your legs. #tourDeFat #carforbiketrade #bikesd
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Photo reblogged from Following My Folly
You like how I redecorated my office this morning? I call it, “Forgotten Lock”. I feel that it really ties the cube together. #bikesd #commuting #biking #arforbiketrade
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Hey gang! I wanted to give y’all a quick update. I’ve been meaning to, and you know how life gets a little in the way…ALL GOOD THINGS (just all at once!)!!! Here’s a snapshot of one busy life made better by bicycle: pointed me towards a great new job, new vistas, new opportunities to better my community, and gaining a better perspective on life and how precious it is.
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Hey gang! I wanted to give y’all a quick update. I’ve been meaning to, and you know how life gets a little in the way…ALL GOOD THINGS (just all at once!)!!! Here’s a snapshot of one busy life made better by bicycle: pointed me towards a great new job, new vistas, new opportunities to better my community, and gaining a better perspective on life and how precious it is.
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Hey gang! I wanted to give y’all a quick update. I’ve been meaning to, and you know how life gets a little in the way…ALL GOOD THINGS (just all at once!)!!! Here’s a snapshot of one busy life made better by bicycle: pointed me towards a great new job, new vistas, new opportunities to better my community, and gaining a better perspective on life and how precious it is.
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Hey gang! I wanted to give y’all a quick update. I’ve been meaning to, and you know how life gets a little in the way…ALL GOOD THINGS (just all at once!)!!! Here’s a snapshot of one busy life made better by bicycle: pointed me towards a great new job, new vistas, new opportunities to better my community, and gaining a better perspective on life and how precious it is.
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Argh! March!
My road bike got stolen and so I got kinda bummed… it was so strange to walk back to the place where I had locked it up and see it gone. I definitely wondered if I had actually ridden it that day, and then I started on the path of wondering what I did to cause that to happen. But no one really asks for their bike to be stolen. That is totally on the head of whoever made the choice to do that.
So, I have been solely riding the black sheep the rest of this month for all my bike adventures. And I decided to also cover it with rental insurance. ALSO, I want to take the opportunity to give props to Warm Planet Bikes at the 4th and King Caltrain station… this has made my commute much less stressful as I can take the black sheep there and park it with them inside for the day. As I work a lot of overtime, I don’t have to worry about my bike anymore. It is safe and sound with the friendly folks at Warm Planet.
It has actually been a real joy to ride the black sheep in the spring rains here in San Francisco. The brakes are PERFECT. I feel like I am being saved all the time. And I get the toughness points for riding in the rain. And its pretty sweet to feel the mist on my face.
Looking forward to adventures in April!
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took the ol Black Sheep into my local bike shop, which was unexpectedly busy for March due to the crazy warmth. I told the owner what needed to be done (springtime tuneup, minor fender repair), and as I walked out, I heard him say to the mechanic, “this thing is rock solid, I love working on it!” My Black sheep is closing on two years, and I’m thinking I might need to get some new tires soon. Anyone else have to replace the originals yet? Also, I might get the front tire respoked at some point, and if I do that, I might consider one of those light-hubs, since it’ll be all ripped up anyhow. I guess I’m wondering what non-stock alterations people have made to these bikes. Thanks!
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Link reblogged from FoCO Bike TradeR
The Swetsville Zoo near Fort Collins, Colorado
Yes, it’s still open and it’s not dead yet as these pictures attest from last week before the big winds and snows came to visit us again:
The castle building (defended by a metal dinosaur) can be seen as you come in the main entrance of…
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Link reblogged from FoCO Bike TradeR
The Winter Break is now over! Today I start the Spring semester at CSU with “Plants and Civilization” and “Introduction to Astronomy”. The Astronomy class is in the same lecture hall right after the Plants lecture so my commute is going to be fairly efficient. It’s also in the same building as the…
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Link reblogged from Following My Folly
Kenton Hoppas, a bicyclist-videographer extraordinaire, came to San Diego’s Tour De Fat this past October and gave us a few clips to sink our lips into. I don’t know about you, but when I see the Tour in action, it feels like the biggest hug, the greatest kiss, and the best feel-goodiest place on earth.
Why not?! The Tour encourages us to 1) have fun 2) ride a bike 3) reduce our impact and benefit our community 4) be a better person and help others be healthier/happier too! The power of community is people-powered. (amen!)
As the bike stands as a testament, all good things come from being outdoors, sharing your best person with others, caring for our environment (doing what we do, just differently), staying active = a happier person.
I’m proud of the work we’ve done with the San Diego Mountain Biking Association; working to promote biking to all ages and developing good relationships with land managers to improve our trails for all people. We want to create more opportunities for kids to exercise and experience nature, and have a darned fun time doing it. We are looking to bridge the gaps between the different park user groups as well as within our own biking community.
I really thank New Belgium and the Tour de Fat for making a stop in my town, San Diego, for the last few years, and making a huge difference in our community.
This year, they pedal their people-powered party to San Diego on Saturday, September 29th, 2012! A new car-for-bike trader is wanted and I know you are interested! It’s one of the main comments I hear as a bike trader: “I wish I could do that!” SOoooo, here’s your chance!
So please watch this clip and feel the excitement! Questions about being a car-for-bike trader, the obstacles/highlights or even about mountain biking? Just ask!
Happy trails, ya’ll! (AND MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!)
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Link reblogged from Following My Folly
Greetings pedal-files!
This month has certainly slipped quickly away but not before I send off a few bike blogs to whet the appetite. I was stopped by a lady who wanted to ask me about my BlackSheep bike and what exactly was a “commuter bike”.
Good question.
I mean, isn’t the purpose of a…
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I traded my car for a bicycle July 9th 2011. New Belgium Brewing Company’s “Tour de Fat”, is a traveling circus of all things bike related. There were slow bikes, tall bikes, long bikes, four wheel and two person bikes. It was a spectacle to say the least. The culmination of the festival was the giving away of a new bike in exchange for a used car. The bike was custom built by Black Sheep Bicycles in Colorado, The car My Acura 2.5 TL mass produced by a machine in Japan. I was one of eleven people across the US chosen for this program, but my story is a little blacker than the others. My Black Sheep was ill the day I took her home. After leaving the festival, I went to work (I paced myself…) on my beautiful new Black Sheep. Placing my bike on the stage in the corner of the bar that I work at, I told everyone how amazing my new bike and lifestyle were.
On my ride home from work a mere 7.5 miles with just shy of 1000ft of elevation gain my front light gave out. A sign of the darkness to come. After checking the wires and calling the manufacturer, I removed the light and replaced it with a battery powered one. I rode the bike for the next three days to and fro. Then the front disc brake started catching. Not being a bike mechanic, I took my bike to our great local outdoor shop. They checked the front wheel and deemed that the disc brake and wheel itself were out of true. After truing the wheel and adjusting the disc, I had the bike back in two days.
I brought the bike back to the same shop the next day. The front hub now seemed to be grinding. The mechanic noted, “It felt as if you took a cheap Walmart hub, and overtightened it.” He got on the phone with the manufacturer, I left. I came back the next day, riding the bus, committed to my pledge. They were going to send the front wheel back to the manufacturer for repair or replacement. (I paced myself…) Here begins my wait.
I am a lover of the Bicycle! I have several. Before the Tour de Fat, I was a fair weather rider. My cycle of choice for commuting was a Dawes Lightning Cross that I bought from the local bike shop near my work. I had it tricked out with city slick tires and a bell. I rode it all over. The first winter I had it, I realized my need for a rear rack and panniers. Nashville winters are generally mild, but wet. My attire into work was very different than what I wore on my ride home. I needed those bags.
It is a good thing I had that bike. Having traded my car, not having the promised Black Sheep, I rode the Dawes. Three weeks later I got a call from the outdoor shop that my wheel was in and would be ready the following day. I rode the bus to pick up my bike on my way to work. Having gotten comfortable riding the cyclo-cross position this bike seemed very awkward to ride, especially climbing. I found myself walking it as much as i rode it.
After struggling with the bike especially loaded, I noticed the internal hub skipping gears, and eventually slipping quite seriously. I bruised my knee when my foot slipped off the pedal one night. I took my wounded Black Sheep to the the shop I purchased my Dawes. With in the hour, they sent me on my way and my bike rode nicely, for two days. It again was skipping over gears, but no longer slipping out of gear. I rode my Dawes for the next week until I had time to bring my bike back to the shop. The mechanic informed me that these internal hubs are nice but being new technology had a long way to go. With 11 speeds and only one adjustment point, it was exacting to get them just right. I went to work on foot.
That night he brought my bike to me at work. I placed it on the stage, told everyone of the trouble I had been having with it, and how great my car free lifestyle was. On my ride home, a chilly night, I was riding hard. There is a climb about a mile from my work, that is easily the steepest climb on my return trip. About half way up the hill i was giving that Black Sheep my left foot followed by my right then left… then a crack followed by the worst grinding sound followed an almost immediate stop. Knowing limping this Black Sheep home would take and hour, I coasted back to the bar. I removed the Fat Tire bike that hung on the wall for display, and rode it the same route home.
I rode the display bike back to work the following day and explained to my boss, who thought it had been lifted without the staff noticing, why I had borrowed it. I took the Black Sheep to the shop by my work that day, and then returned the next day to inquire about the status. He informed me they were to send my wheel to the manufacturer, but that they informed him it way take up to a month as the had “quite a few of these” that needed to be repaired. (I paced myself…) After six weeks. I stopped into the shop. Six weeks with no issues on my Dawes. They were busy at the shop, and I asked my mechanic to call the manufacturer at his earliest convenience. He called me the following Monday, and informed me that my wheel had been sent, and received, but could not be located. I was frustrated.
I rode through the rain the sleet and the snow. well not snow. It didn’t snow here this year. That’s another story. I rode everywhere, and everyday until I got a call from the shop. The manufacturer had found, fixed, and shipped my wheel that day. it showed up to the shop three weeks ago. I rode the bus to work that day early, so when my wheel arrived i was could be waiting for it. It was like opening a birthday present for the second time. It had been such a long while since I had ridden it. My mechanic installed it in no time, and sent me for a test ride. I was riding my Black Sheep once again. Then realization set in. She was still sick. The hub would shift up but not down. He removed the wheel from the bike to look it over. The hub was filthy and covered in grime. He then looked at the wheel and saw it was well out of true. (I paced myself…) He immediately called the manufacturer but could not get in touch with anyone who know anything about the wheel.
I have had my Black Sheep back now for one week. I ride her everywhere, everyday. She is not as she originally came however. Instead of dealing with the complications of the internal hub I opted to have a nine speed derailer put on it. Also deciding that this bike is by no means a commuter bike, I have stopped treating it like one. This bike is an able cruiser at best. I have removed the rear rack to expose the beautiful lines of the bike, and replaced it with a front basket in black to match the bike. I also chopped the handlebars so the are not 8 inches narrower, making climbing doable. I ride it when I am not in a hurry, and on my shorter trips, but still favor my Dawes as a means of transportation.
I would like to thank New Belgium Brewing Company, especially Matt Kowal for all his support along the way, and for paying to have the conversions done on my Black Sheep. I hear the Car for Bike Traders at this years Tour de Fat will be able to choose their cycle to meet their needs. A genius idea. Hell, I might apply I could use a new commuter bike. But that is not the end of my story. I will continue to ride until I am not able. I believe that cycling is not only the key to our global environmental crisis but also the obesity epidemic. I promote cycling awareness with my synchronized meadow biking team, The Green Angles. “Angles are messengers. We have a message. Wear your helmet.” Remember when you rode just for the fun of it? Today, go for a longer ride, or take a different route, but listen to me when i say, “pace yourself.”
Chris Sweeney
Nashville, TN
On our way to the produce placeOn our way home(we got caught in the rain but didn’t mind)
