Klunkerbell working the the camera at Tour de Fat chicago 2008!

Posted: June 30th, 2008 under Chicago.
Comments: none

Posted: June 27th, 2008 under San Francisco.
Comments: none

July 19, 2008 Golden Gate Park

9:00am
BIKE CRUISE-ADE
REGISTRATION BEGINS

10:00am
BIKE PARADE DEPARTS

11:00am-11:30am
RIDERS RETURN FROM BIKE PARADE, HUNKER DOWN, TAP THE KEGS AND
LET THE FESTIVUS BEGIN

11:00am-11:30am (Revival Stage)
WELCOME ANNOUNCEMENTS, HOUSE RULES, and INTRODUCTIONS

11:30am-12:00pm (Revival Stage)
ACT #1 “SLOW DOWN or THROW DOWN”: Annual Slow Ride Competition

12:00pm-12:20pm

NANDA - Acrobaticalists
Followed by circus tricks and amazing feats WORKSHOP

12:20pm-1:30pm (Music Stage)
1st BAND: PAPERBIRD

1:30pm-2:00pm (Revival Stage)
ACT 2: “Carpocalypse Now”: Funeral Procession and Interpretive Dance Exorcism and Contest

2:00pm-2:30pm
THE SPROCKETTES - PORTLAND’S ORIGINAL MINIBIKE DANCE TROUPE

2:40pm-3:25pm (Revival Stage)
2nd BAND: Mucca Pazza

3:30pm-4:00pm ACT 3: “Would you Trade Your Car for a Bike?” (Revival Stage)

4:00pm “THANKS FOR COMING TO TOUR DE FAT!”

Posted: June 27th, 2008 under San Francisco.
Comments: 3

Here it is, highlights from the 2008 Tour de Fat in Chicago.

Posted: June 26th, 2008 under Chicago.
Comments: none

This year’s inaugural Tour de Fat in Chicago was spoketacular! Check back soon for videos, pics, and the Reverend’s ramblings.

We’d love to hear from those of you who pedaled. Post your comments, links to vids, and bikefilled testimonials.

Posted: June 23rd, 2008 under Chicago.
Comments: 11

We are still looking for volunteers to help monitor the compost-recycling stations and help fellow attendees minimize waste by sorting recyclables and compostables properly. Your friendly assistance will help the event come as close to Zero Waste as possible and be rewarded with tokens good for beer and/or food. Call me at 773-203-3453 any time to get involved. - Mike

Posted: June 19th, 2008 under Chicago.
Comments: 1

When my wife, Allison, told me of seeing the post on Chicagoist.com
about Tour de Fat, we were both excited for a bicycle ride with
others. It was only when we read the rest of the information that we
looked at each other with nervous excitement. We have been discussing
what life would be like without a car for some time now. Our Jeep, a
trusty and sturdy 2001 Cherokee Sport, was once our backbone. It got
me to work, it got her to nursing school and in early 2006, it helped
us find the perfect apartment in Chicago where we would be close
enough to our jobs that we could ride our bikes or walk.

My job as a UPS truck driver has me behind the wheel of a semi truck
five long nights per week, amassing more than TEN THOUSAND MILES per
month.
As I approach the morning rush hour into the city in a UPS truck, my
view of the skyline is often obscured by a ring of choking smog.
The morning drivers are ruthless, often driving over-aggressively,
cutting, weaving, riding the shoulder, flipping each other off.
The last thing I want to do after work is join this group of angry,
smog monsters.

July sees us moving into a new apartment, within walking distance to
bus stops and L stations. After the management explained the $200 a
month parking fee there, our dinner conversations have revolved
around, “what do we do with the Jeep” and “can we live vehicle free”
for the next few years… or forever.

This challenge is now reality, as we both knew the Chicago Tour de Fat
was the perfect opportunity to rid ourselves of the Jeep and accept
the full-time freedom of living without a vehicle. I am as active in
the beer community as I am in the Chicago cycling community, so seeing
New Belgium Brewing’s involvement made me even more excited. I know
about the brewery’s wind power and bicycle programs and consider
myself truly lucky when I get my hands on a bottle of La Folie!!!

Signing our Jeep over to charity and pledging to live vehicle free for
a year (oh, believe me, one is just the beginning) will hopefully
inspire others in Chicago and other cities to do the same. I look
forward to being a “spokes man” and am excited to keep in touch and
plan on immediately starting a blog to publicly document my adventures
in “vehiclelessness”. It is a win, win, win situation, as we will be
helping a worthy cause, stop adding to that smog cloud and reap the
benefits both physically and mentally from bicycling!!!

I will be the proudest (and safest) bicyclist on the streets of
Chicago on a handbuilt Black Sheep Commuter, showing Chicago (and
beyond) that living vehicle free can be a reality.

Maybe someday, that smog cloud will disappear.

Cheers
Joe M.

Posted: June 19th, 2008 under Chicago.
Comments: 1

Alright everyone it’s time to download the docs you will need for Tour de Fat Chicago!

You’re going to need to download and sign the Waiver (PDF). Don’t forget to bring this bad boy with you to the event.

Where am I, and where are we going? This Map (PDF) will give you a clue.

Ride On!

Posted: June 19th, 2008 under Chicago.
Comments: none

The 2008 Tour De Fat hits the road with some serious bling. An art and engineering feat made almost entirely of reused material.

Check out the backstage peek.

Posted: June 17th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 2

Join the enlightened and em-pedel-powered souls that traded their gas-chuggin’ vehicles in favor of the far superior and eco-lovin’ bicycle.

How?

Watch this. Get inspired. And YOU could be among these coveted spokes models.

Posted: June 6th, 2008 under Chicago.
Comments: 8