Tour de Fat Bike Winner

I don't recall seeing this discussed here.

http://articles.redeyechicago.com/2012-07-31/news/32965932_1_road-b...

Elmurst guy wins the $2500 . . . buys Fuji Cross bike at Performance in Lombard . . . with accessories, what was he in for, $700? Does he pocket the rest? Is there some sort of process for verifying that he actually gets rid of his car?

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on August 7, 2012 at 5:05pm
Permalink Reply by Vilda on August 7, 2012 at 5:10pm

Nope

Permalink Reply by MK on August 8, 2012 at 3:46am

Looks like it's all in store credit so he can buy supplies year round. Or maybe a trailer. 

Permalink Reply by Bill Bushnell on August 8, 2012 at 6:46am

My name is Bill and I was the one selected for the Tour de Fat car trade this year. I often lurk on the forums without posting, but I'd be happy to answer some of your concerns and questions.

Yes, the car is gone. They picked it up the Tuesday after the event, which was the first available time slot for the tow company. New Belgium works closely with Vehicles for Charity to handle the sale of the car. All the proceeds from the sale are going to West Town Bikes.

The article had some minor inaccuracies I'd like to correct. The amounted awarded is $2,250, not $2500. It's not much of a difference, but you can do a lot with $250.

I'm working with Performance Bike because they are my local bike shop. I now know a lot of the guys on a first name basis there and they are excited to hear about my biking. Yeah, they are franchised, but the guys working and running the store are bike lovers.

You're absolutely right that the bike wasn't a $2,000 bike, but that would have been incredibly impractical. The money is all store credit and it is designed not just to buy a bike, but all the accessories that would be necessary to reliably bike every day for the next year, through all seasons. I've bought the bike, fenders, a rack, good front light, rear light, panniers, pedals, jersey, bike maintenance supplies, "summer" tires, and various other odds and ends. All of these things cost money, but without them, it makes biking as a primary form of transportation much more difficult.

To someone that bikes as much and for as long as many of the Chainlink members, this may not seem like a big deal, but for someone that has only started commuting by bike this year, it's a huge adjustment. I'm rather disappointed in the critical response I've seen for what I thought would be celebrated in the bicycling community. They are giving former car owners everything that they might need to be successful in biking with the hopes that it changes their lives and that they evangelize it.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on August 8, 2012 at 6:49am

Congratulations Bill. Thanks for stepping out of the shadows and shedding some light on this.

Bill Bushnell said:

My name is Bill and I was the one selected for the Tour de Fat car trade this year. I often lurk on the forums without posting, but I'd be happy to answer some of your concerns and questions.

[snip]

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on August 8, 2012 at 7:18am

Yay Bill! When I heard about the prize I was confounded - who would really want a $2k commuter anyway? Commute on a bike you can't leave locked up anywhere? That seems insane to me. I'd much rather have 10 $200 bikes. I'm really glad you found a sensible solution to this problem. Congratulations.

The Tour de Fat was amazingly great this year. There is still a lot of summer left, but at the rate things are going that is a strong contender for Event of the Year. Yay New Belgium! 

And h makes a great point - it makes for a far more compelling story for someone who lives in a place such as Elmhurst to go Car Free. It is pretty easy in the city. In the suburbs - not so much! We should be celebrating and congratulating Bill, not giving him a hard time.

Permalink Reply by Bill Bushnell on August 8, 2012 at 7:28am

No harm done. I've dealt with worse.

Commuting in Elmhurst is going to be tough because we have very little bike infrastructure and most drivers aren't used to dealing with bikers. I've already started talks with one alderman here about improving the infrastructure and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I wasn't the only one he's spoken to about it.

I am trying to take the challenge seriously and live up to the intent of it by being car free. There are some times when I may ride along with someone, but only when they are already headed my way and the trip is not realistic by bike, like going to see family in Elgin or Arkansas. Unless it's an emergency situation, I plan on not driving for the next year.

Being in the suburbs, we have a lot less public transit options as well, unless you want to take Metra to go either straight East or West, and only when the bikes aren't blacked out. It's going to be a challenge, but I think I'm up for it!

That is the proper link for my blog and I will be updating it over the next year. If you want to follow my adventures, I encourage you to follow the Facebook page (facebook.com/ForwardAtSpeed) or subscribe to the email updates.

Wish me luck!

h' said:

Hey Bill,

Thanks for speaking up. Sorry if my cynicism took any of the wind out of your sails.

Appreciate the clarification, and wish you luck! I'm coming up on 10 years since going car-free, but to be perfectly honest I don't know if I could make it work living in Elmhurst.

Permalink Reply by Bill Bushnell on August 8, 2012 at 7:38am

Thanks! I also work in Elmhurst, but on the opposite side of town from where I live.

Chris C said:

Congratulations Bill and good luck on your endeavor. 

 

The article mentioned a 7 mile commute.  What town do you work in?

Permalink Reply by Bill Bushnell on August 8, 2012 at 8:01am

I had not yet joined them, but it sounds like perhaps I should. I'm sure they would have a vested interest in improving the cycling infrastructure as well.

Any advice to make this upcoming year go as smoothly as possible is greatly appreciated.

Michael B said:

If you're not already you might want to join the Elmhurst Bike Club. They're a very active organization with great members. It's always nice to have allies.

Permalink Reply by Michael A on August 8, 2012 at 8:16am

Being car free does not mean you have to use your bike exclusively. When I was going car free I used every means available. Cycling took care of a lot of my transportation needs. Sharing rides with teammates and friends, public transportation, the occasional taxi and igo car sharing took care of the rest. 

There are a lot of other costs to commuting by bike other then the bike itself. There is the cost of locks,bags, lights, helmets, and the proper clothing to keep you comfortable and safe all year. Tires, tubes and normal wear and tear on a bike over the year also can add up.  

I applaud you for giving this a go. There is a HUGE feeling of accomplishment once you ride to work in weather you would normally not step outside in. 

You can find a lot of encouragement and advice on the chainlink, but since it is is a public forum you will also find a lot of bike bigots and just general trolls with nothing better to do then tell you that you are doing it wrong.

Permalink Reply by Bill Bushnell on August 8, 2012 at 11:12am

Unfortunately, none of the pace bus routes are of any help to me.

I think I would primarily use a trailer for going grocery shopping.

h' said:

My brother lives in Elmhurst (On Hillcrest off of Butterfield) and I get out there from time to time via Metra or CTA/PACE, or less and less frequently by bike, so I'm kind of familiar.

Is there a Pace bus that is helpful at all for your work commute?

What do you see yourself using the trailer for most often?

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on August 8, 2012 at 11:42am

I've found that a cheap used kiddie trailer works very well for groceries in town -things in the burbs may be different.   People tend to give a rider that is pulling a trailer a lot more respect and don't buzz you nearly as much.  This may be due to a belief that there is a child within it.   I'll take that -I have an inner child inside me...

I basically just chuck all my groceries into the the trailer.  I've even asked a grocery to not use any bags and to just throw the groceries into the cart so I could wheel it outside to then fill the trailer.   It's a bit harder to carry the stuff in but it saves on a lot of bags.   Most grocery stores don't like this though.  It makes them uneasy.

The BOB trailers are pretty darn neat -but I'd be afraid to park one in the city due to theft concerns.  A cheap kiddie trailer is not a super big deal to replace.   Locking a trailer up can be difficult sometimes. 

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