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Here’s some wise words from the Executive Director of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, the group that does so much to make sure that the Tour de Fat in Seattle goes off without a hitch, and is thanked for that graciously with your beer dollars.

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The gas-less Gasworks was pedalicious. Link us your photos and fun. Ride on!

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This Saturday, we mark a momentous occasion in Tour de Fat history. For the first time ever, we get to host our little soiree in a city park! Not just any park either, we are talking about one of the coolest spots in the town, GasWorks. This Ex-power plant/refinery will now be home to our festival supporting the power of pedal. Talk about sweet justice. It’s slow, but it is awesome. more to come on that.

We are looking to have a great parade…longer than usual, but great if you got the legs. We’ll be leaving Gasworks @ 10am out to Golden Gardens and back. We don’t have Police support to escort us, so we’ll have to ride safe, and keep it clean so they’ll let us do it again.

Ride West via Burke-Gilman to NW 45 Ave.
Take Ballard Ave NW to NW Market St.
NW Market to Seattle Ave. NW.

Recollect Riders at Golden gardens, then turn around and return to Gas Works Park.Families or Riders who need to cut route short will have the ability at the western end of Burke Gilman Trail.

Once you are back, we’ll have a great show. Come in costume, and be prepared to worship solar rays, and human ways…to get around and get down.

I can’t forget mention the raddest downhill race on the earth is the night before, so we got that going for us.

So join us or go watch the Blue Angels roast through tax dollars and jet fuel, before the really fast boats do the same…at Sea Fair!

The time is now for you to make a choice…we wont have deep fried twinkies, but beer is almost as good.

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Hello,

I wish I could say I wanna trade Betty. I mean, who doesn’t love riding around in a 1987 Honda Accord hatchback? She smells awesome, especially in the summer when it’s hot; she burns a quart a week and I have to keep the heat on to prevent the engine from overheating.
She comes with a broken tape deck so we pretty much cruise around to the sounds of the FM. She qualifies for “Whitetrashmobile”
certification at this point. All I need to do is dump her in a trailer park and her life would be complete.

I have respectfully decorated her with bumper stickers and I wash her annually to conserve water. Honest! She’s still in my possession despite her homeless appearance and lack of sex appeal. Other than that, she fuels up for under $50, gets me to where I’m going and keeps me dry. I refuse to upgrade or sell her because she’s probably just going to end up as a decaying metal heap and some point, and I can’t bare to see that happen.

Now, I love the 80’s as much as the next twenty-something, but the time has come for my dear Betty and me to part ways. We had a great run together over the past few years I’ve owned her. She was a gift from someone at my church fellowship and I never got the nerve to sell her. I now use her to tote me and several gardening tools around Seattle while I spruce up yards and gardens, 100% organically. The only pollution my business creates is from my car! Everyone tells me I need a truck, but that’s just more gas, emissions, carbon footprint, money, stress and a venture I don’t wish to follow for the sake of employment.

When I am not driving, I am biking, carpooling, walking, or “bhiking” (a combo of bus, bike and feet power). But I’m limited still. I currently have the “Mercedes of bikes”, with huge tires, a thick frame and a plastic kitchen tote on the back. I use this for getting me and my backpack around, and I used to use the tote for doing lunchtime take-out delivery service in Fremont. I track at least 50 miles a week by bike at this point, but I average around 400 a month in my car. My bike is another attempt to “green” up my lifestyle but she’s no good at hauling tools!

Long story short: Feet and current wheels are not cuttin’ the mustard for this gardener, and it’s wearing heavy on the carbon footprint tread. Please please please take my car away and replace it with a bike actually made for transporting goods and a person. I will honor the life of my new trusty bike-friend until I can pedal no more.

AnnaLisa, rider and polluter
Seattle, WA

P.S. This image is from a car accident we were in together March 2007. I thought I was going to have to give her up because of my insurance but I kept her regardless of her lost monetary value. I love Betty and will only give her up to a good home.

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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
Scot Nery – Pancake Juggler
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 SPROCKETTTES - PORTLAND’S ORIGINAL MINIBIKE DANCE TROUPE

2:40pm-3:25pm (Revival Stage)
2nd BAND: March Fourth Marching Band

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!”

Go read the 10 Commandments of Tour de Fat.

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