06.18.2012 | 12:41 pm
An “It’s My Birthday; Buy Me a Present” Note from Fatty: I’m 46 years old as of today, which means that I’m closer to 90 than to being born. Make me feel better about this fact by buying me a present. Specifically, how about going and donating $5 or $10 at my LiveStrong Challenge page? As a side benefit, doing so gives you a chance at winning the trip and bike I’ve been talking about (and in fact will be talking about in the rest of this post).
We’re down to the last few days of the big contest I’ve been running — the one where you can win your choice of four Ibis bike models, outfitted with top-end Shimano components. And also the one where you get flown to SLC where you’ll get that bike professionally fitted for you at SLC Bicycle Company.
And then you and I shall have a grand time as I show you some of the local rides here (or in another part of Utah if it makes more sense).
Today, I would like to offer a suggestion or two as to what that trip might look like, should you choose the Ibis Mojo SL.
We Should Just Stay Local
Once your bike is fitted for you, we should waste no time at all on traveling. Instead, we should head straight for Corner Canyon, where I will show you mile upon mile of extraordinary singletrack.
And I’m not kidding about the “mile upon mile” thing, either. Yesterday, The Hammer and I went on a ride at Corner Canyon where we purposefully avoided repeating any trail.
After 30.7 miles of singletrack heaven we ran out of water and came home. And there was still plenty of trail we had not touched.
Then, maybe the next day, we would head out to American Fork Canyon, to ride the trail that inspired my post about how a trail is like a lover: Tibble Fork:
Of course, if you’re not looking to do something quite that brutal (though beautiful), there are other options in American Fork Canyon. Lots and lots of options.
We Should Go On a Road Trip
Or you know, maybe you already have a ton of perfect forested singletrack near your home, and you’re interested in something a little more desert-like.
I can help you there.
We could head out to Moab and ride what is probably the most famous trail in the world: The Slickrock Trail.
Or ride around the White Rim.
Or, if you’re completely nuts, we could ride the Kokopelli Trail (but first I’m going to need an proof from you that you’re up for it).
There are no bad options at Moab.
But maybe you’re thinking Moab is too cliche. Everyone goes to Moab; you want to do something different.
In which case, I’d be happy to take you to ride the grand trifecta of Southern Utah Mountain Biking in Saint George, Utah:
The problem with doing all those rides is that you would fall so in love with your bike, the trails and me for connecting you to the bike and trails that you would give me a suffocating, unbearably long embrace and I would pass out due to your gratitude.
But I’m OK with that, just this once.
Or . . .
And you know what? You kinda don’t even have to choose whether you want to ride local or go on a road trip. We could probably put something together where we go riding locally in the afternoon after you get your bike set up, and then head on over to St. George or Moab after that.
My objective, in the end, will be to make sure you get as much awesomeness out of your trip here as you can stand.
And then knock you flat on your back with just a little bit more awesomeness. Just to prove a point.
But Here’s the Thing
In order to win the bike and the bike fitting and the trip, you’re going to need to be on my magic spreadsheet of winningness. And the way you get on that magical spreadsheet is by donating, in $5.00 increments, at my LiveStrong Challenge page.
Do it to win.
Do it to help in the fight against cancer.
Or hey, do it because you want to get me something for my birthday.
Comments (55)
06.15.2012 | 11:24 am
A Note from Fatty: I apologize that I must suspend Free Verse Friday today. What I want to say just isn’t that poetic. I promise Free Verse Friday will be back next week. Unless it’s not.
Hey, guess what? Today marks the beginning of my last week of my LiveStrong fundraiser. The one where you could win a dream Ibis bike — a Silk SL, a Mojo SL, a Tranny, or a Hakkalugi (your choice) — outfitted with top-of-the-line Shimano components.
Oh, and you’ll pick that bike up here in Utah, where the good folks at SLC Bicycle Company will do a professional, custom fitting for you.
And then we’ll go and do some riding on your favorite kind of ride, on your brand new kick-butt bike. Road or mountain, I’ll show you the good stuff.
As a person who has put together a few contests to raise money for good causes, I think this is one has the potential to be the most fun of any I have ever done.
So if you’d like to be a part of it, you should probably go read the details about the bike and the trip, then go donate .
A Little Serious Talk
Really, I had hoped to spend this post talking about interesting bike / ride combinations the winner of this contest might want to consider. But that’s going to have to wait ’til next Monday, because right now I want to talk about where I stand regarding the USADA allegations against Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel.
First, I’ll say this: I think of both of them as friends. More importantly, I think of both of them as good people who make a difference for good in the world.
For Lance in particular, I’ll go further and say that the thing he cares most about in the world is making a difference. For furthering the fight against cancer. It’s quite literally what he’s dedicated his life to.
Of course, Johan has a day job, so he has to squeeze his good cause work — World Bicycle Relief — into his schedule. And he does. He finds a way to raise money to improve the lives of people in Zambia with World Bicycle Relief.
Remember, The Grand Slam for Zambia — where we raised enough money to change the lives of 1152 kids — was not my idea. That was Johan. I just jumped on the bandwagon and helped, like many of you.
I think there’s secular merit to the the statement in Matthew 7:16: By their fruits you will know them. Specifically, you can tell what kind of person someone is by what they choose to do with their time and lives. The kind of people who either dedicate their lives or their spare time to making the world a better place — by fighting cancer or giving kids in distant lands a chance at a better life — are the kind of people I am proud to support, and proud to call friends.
What I Don’t Know (And You Don’t Either)
It is impossible for people like you and me to have a productive, enlightening conversation about whether Lance doped.
It really is.
For one thing, if you’ve got an opinion on the matter, by now that concrete has set. Thoroughly. It’s had plenty of time to harden, and no amount of stirring is going to soften it up.
More importantly, for every argument, there’s a counterargument. All of the arguments have been made. All of the counterarguments have been given. Even the very expensive lawyers who will now start arguing this matter will simply be clanging swords. And at the end of the process (if there ever is an end to the process), both sides will claim they are right. And depending on where things end up, you’ll either feel like justice was served, or that it was not.
But — and I think this is the most important point — either way, you (and I) don’t truly know. Just this morning, I talked with someone with an extraordinary amount of inside access to pro cycling when Lance was racing, and he said that if there was doping, he never saw it. He believes Lance is innocent, and — because of what I’ve seen and believe — I agree.
But of course, I don’t know. I can’t.
Similarly, however, those who assert — no matter how loudly, passionately, or often — that Armstrong doped don’t know, either. They can’t. They will of course argue otherwise, but remember: there are counterarguments for every argument out there.
So, when you can’t know something, and no amount of debate will get to the bottom of the matter, what can you do?
What I Do Know
I know a few things about LiveStrong. I know that it’s staffed by people who have a very personal connection to cancer, and thus a strong hatred of it, and an incredibly strong desire to help those who are battling it succeed.
I know that they do very specific things to help in the fight against cancer, and that they’re always looking for ways to do more.
I know that when I’ve made suggestions, they’ve taken these suggestions very seriously. And they don’t do this because I have a little soapbox to stand on (and I don’t fool myself into thinking that my soapbox is anything but small). If you reach out to them, I guarantee you they’ll reply, in person, and listen to what you have to say. I have never heard of an instance where someone has called or emailed LiveStrong in earnest and not received a personal reply.
I know that LiveStrong has helped me personally during Susan’s fight with cancer, and they’ve helped friends of mine.
I know, in short, that LiveStrong is a good organization, staffed by good people, doing really good things. I am proud to support them, and I’m grateful to Lance Armstrong for — instead of just going forward with his life when he had survived cancer — making the fight against cancer the central focus of his life.
(I know a few things about World Bicycle Relief, too, and I’ll be posting pretty much nonstop about it later this summer, when I’m focusing on Grand Slam 2: This Time It’s Personal.)
So if you think you can trust me, maybe you should help me raise money to help LiveStrong keep up its good work.
And you may even win a dream bike and biking trip by doing so.
Skin In The Game
I don’t raise money for LiveStrong because it’s easy or fun or for personal gain. With this contest in particular, I’ve made a point of being the person who is providing one of the major prizes. That’s going to cost me. And I don’t mind that cost at all, because I believe in what I’m doing.
That’s not the only cost I’ll incur, however.
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a thick-skinned person. I’m easy to attack and insult, because I take things personally (I’ve actually asked both Lance Armstrong and Bike Snob NYC how to not let things get to me; both have essentially said the same thing: “toughten up.”).
But I’m pretty sure that a pretty vocal group of people will insult me because of what I’m writing here. I won’t respond, because it’ll just result in more and escalated insults. Plus, I’m not good at the insult comic thing. But the insults still hurt, which is a win for them I guess. (That said, at least in my comments section, insults from and to anyone will be replaced by lyrics from the “musical” “artist” of my choosing.)
I don’t like it (duh), but I’m willing to deal with it because I believe in what I’m doing and in whom I’m supporting.
Do Something Good, Still
Back in January, I wrote a post called “Do Something Good.” That’s the plea I’m going to continue to make now.
If you feel like you can donate to LiveStrong, awesome.
If you don’t feel like you can donate to LiveStrong, give your time and / or money to a cause you can get behind. Like World Bicycle Relief. Or Young Survival Coalition. Or your local library.
As for me, I’m excited to see Team Fatty at the LiveStrong Challenge in Davis next weekend, where I believe we will once again demonstrate that a bunch of friends who don’t know each other can accomplish a lot of good in the world.
Comments (114)
05.16.2012 | 8:14 pm
In yesterday’s post, I told you about the contest I’m starting to raise money for LiveStrong: a trip to Utah, where I’d take you on some awesome riding. Road or mountain biking, your choice.
I also told you that before going on this riding binge, I’d have you professionally fitted by the good folks at SLC Bicycle for the bike you’d be riding.
What I didn’t tell you, however, was that the bike you’d be getting fitted for would be your bike. And I don’t mean that you are going to have to fly your old and busted bike out here to ride.
No.
I mean that when you get here, you’re going to be riding on a brand newIbis bike of your choosing, outfitted to the nines and beyond with ultra high-zoot Shimano components: Dura-Ace (if you pick a road bike) or XTR (if you pick a mountain bike).
Yeah, really.
And here’s the thing. There are a ton of different kinds of riders, with a ton of different riding styles. And the rides you choose to go on when you are out here — road, mountain, or something with a bit of both — should have the right kind of bike.
So you get to choose what bike you want from Ibis.
And when you get here, it’ll be built and ready to go by the gurus at SLC Bicycle, who will make it fit you so great that you’ll wonder whether this bike was made with dark magicks.
So let’s recap in brief what you win, because I suspect that you may have a short attention span:
- An awesome couple days (with me) of riding in an awesome place in Utah…
- On your brand new Ibis bike…
- With super high-end Shimano components…
- All built and professionally fitted for you at SLC Bicycle.
In other words, I am giving away the Cyclist Fantasy Vacation. Of course, to win it, you’ve got to help me raise money for the fight against cancer by donating to my LiveStrong Challenge page (or getting others to donate to your own Team Fatty LiveStrong Challenge page).
So that’s the short version. Now let’s get specific.
What You Can Win
Check Part I of this contest description for information about how we’ll choose places to ride, how we’ll get you on a plane, stuff you to the gills with bratwurst, and so forth and so on.
Today, we’re talking about the hardware you can win.
Here are the choices you have, bike-wise:
Silk SL
The Ibis Silk SL is the Ibis go-fast, weigh-nearly-nothing, drop-dead-sexy road machine. Just look at it:
Oh mercy. That looks as elegant as it does fast as it does sexy.
You have lots of color choices, too, which should give you something to consider when you make your choice.
You should know: I have one of these, built up as my single-speed road bike. It weighs less than thirteen pounds. I have to tether it to the bike rack to keep it from wafting about in ambient air currents in the garage.
Mojo SL
I remember the dark days. When the first iteration of Ibis disappeared, and I thought I’d never see another brand-new Ibis bike again.
Those were bad times.
And then I heard Chuck Ibis was back, and there was going to be a new Mojo.
And then I saw that new Mojo. And it was good. And then came the Mojo SL, and it wasn’t good. It was spectrafantacular:
Ibis was back. No, it was more than back. It was backity-back, with a side order of back. With extra fry sauce and a hint of lime.
This is about as close to being a perfect mountain bike as you can get without having other bike companies complain that you cheated on the exam.
Plus it’s made of carbon, making it freaky-light. So if money’s tight, you could make a diamond out of your Mojo SL [Note: I do not think this would actually work and do not recommend you try].
Tranny
Full suspension not your thing? Maybe you travel around and want to bring your bike with you? Or maybe you want to set up a mountain bike singlespeed?
Then the Ibis Tranny is the bike for you:
Thanks to its “slot machine” adjustable length chain stay, the Tranny breaks down small for packing, or tensions up easy for single speeding. Or just rides awesome if you want a light, strong carbon hard tail for mountain biking.
Hakkalugi
Pronounced “Hock a loogey,” the name of this bike is reason enough to own one, just so you can say “Ibis Hakkalugi” whenever you feel like it.
But that’s not the only reason you might want this bike. No, far from it. Race it in cyclocross. Or ride it on single track and gravel roads and the pavement. Turn your commute into an adventure with this bike.
What’s Going On That Bike of Yours
So you’ve got yourself an almost unendurably beautiful Ibis frame. Now what? Well, you outfit it with the sweetest components on planet earth, that’s what.
If you’re setting up a road (Silk SL) or cross (Hakkalugi) machine, Shimano is going to hook you up with Dura-Ace 7900 components, across the board. Along with PRO carbon stem and bars.
You are going to be luxuriating in the smoothest, most wonderful drivetrain you could ever imagine, my friend.
As for wheels, you’ll have your choice of Dura-Ace wheel sets: WH-7900-C24-CL, WH-7900-C50-CL, or WH-7900-C35-CL.
And if you choose a bike that’s more at home on the dirt, Shimano will set you up with XTR M980 components. You want to know something about XTR, simple and direct? There’s nothing better. It’s wonderful.
What’s awesome about Ibis, Shimano, and SLC Bicycle
I’m a lucky person. I get to meet a lot of very cool, interesting people. And sometimes, I get to meet cool, interesting people who are also just genuinely great people.
That’s how it is with the friends I have at Shimano, Ibis, and SLC Bike.
None of these companies have any particular affiliation with LiveStrong. None of the companies have any evidence that their helping me out raises their profile or sells more stuff.
But these companies have helped me. Time after time. Willingly. Cheerfully. They don’t make me beg.
They just do the right thing. No, let’s be more specific: they both do the kind thing.
Plus, they make (or build, sell, and maintain) top-notch bike stuff.
Keep that in mind when you go shopping, OK?
Here’s Whatcha Gotta Do
Let’s wrap this up now with a quick recap (i.e., a copy-paste) of the instructions on how you enter this contest to win this mind-boggling clutch of prizes:
For every $5.00 you donate at my LiveStrong Davis Challenge page, you’ll get a row on my magically deluxe spreadsheet.
The more you donate, the more rows you get on the spreadsheet.
Once the contest ends (on June 22 at midnight, MST), I’ll randomly (using random.org, natch) choose a row on that spreadsheet. Then I’ll contact you.
[A note for my international friends: I only have so much money. If you win the contest, it's your responsibility to get to the U.S., and I'll fly you the rest of the way, OK?]
And what if you’re already a member of Team Fatty and are raising money for your own LiveStrong Challenge? Well, just keep on raising money — and maybe donate some more into your own account — because the money you’ve raised as part of Team Fatty counts toward your entry in this contest, too.
So, please donate. You might just win an awesome trip, and an awesome bike — custom-fitted to you — to ride during that trip.
PS: See, I told you this would be a prize worth waiting for!
Comments (43)
05.16.2012 | 11:53 am
Dear Reader,
Due to some extra unanticipated additional awesomeness, I am having to do some rewriting of today’s post describing the secret second part of the contest I described yesterday.
I’ll get that post up late this afternoon, or quite possibly this evening.
It will be worth checking back for.
In the meantime, please feel free to speculate on what the second part of this awesome prize will be. Better yet, please feel free to go ahead and enter the contest, so you have a chance of winning something I absolutely guarantee any bike lover would enjoy.
XOXO,
Fatty
Comments (21)
05.15.2012 | 11:31 am
A Note from Fatty: If you’ve already read (or are not currently in the mood to read) all the hoopla around this contest and are now in the mood to just get on with the entering of said contest already, click here to donate (in multiples of $5, please) to my LiveStrong Challenge page. Thanks!
I am a deliberate and thoughtful person. For example, it is no accident that I live where I live — I picked this place because it is an unbelievably wonderful spot to go bike riding — whether you like road or mountain biking.
Furthermore — and your mind may reel at this — it is no coincidence that I ride bicycles a lot. I do this because I like riding bicycles. And, believe it or not, I write a blog about biking because I like sharing stories and talking with people about bikes!
Your head is spinning right now, I know. But I’ve got one more for you. I spend quite a bit of time and effort putting together contests to raise money for the fight against cancer because I hate cancer.
Whoah.
And today I’m excited to tell you about a new contest. One that takes all these very subtle and complex nuances of my very deliberate, thoughtful self, and combines them into something so spectacularly awesome that it’s going to take a couple days to describe.
That’s right, this contest has two grand prizes, but I’m only going to tell you about one of them today.
Fight Cancer, Ride in Utah With Fatty
Hey, I’m not interested in starting any fights here, but I think I could make a pretty good case for Utah being the most awesome place in the world for cycling.
And if you win this contest, I’ll do my level best to prove it to you.
We’ll get on the phone and talk. I’ll find out what kind of riding you like to do — road or mountain biking. We’ll talk about what level of riding you like to do. And how long you like to ride.
And then I’ll start telling you about some ideas for rides you might enjoy.
For example, maybe you’d want to ride The Alpine Loop:
Or maybe you’d want to go mountain biking at what I’ve called the best place in the world, Tibble Fork, which includes the unbelievable Joy Descent:
Or if you’re feeling like doing an epic all-day road ride, we could head out and ride Mt. Nebo.
Or maybe you would rather go see a different part of Utah than my hometown. In that case, we could go to Moab.
Or we could go to Saint George and ride Gooseberry and / or Little Creek:
Or the Guacamole Trail:
Or we could go to Moab. I hear there’s some good biking there.
But Wait, That’s Not All
Once we’ve figured out where and what you want to ride, we’ll figure out a time that will work for both of us (frankly, this will probably be the most difficult part of the whole shebang, but we’re smart people and will find a way, somehow).
Then I’ll fly you down / up here, and take you to SLC Bicycle Company, where you’ll get professionally fitted on the bike you’ll be using for this trip.
Yep, a professional fitting, on a top-flight bike. So the bike you’ll be riding on this trip will be the most awesome-fitting ride you’ve ever had.
Which also means you won’t need to bother bringing a bike with you.
Then we’ll head out riding. I’ll bring The Hammer along if you’re a woman, so it won’t feel like you’re on some weird creepy date with a married guy.
And if you’re a guy, I’ll see if some of the Core Team can come along for the ride, because they’re a lot more interesting than I am in person.
And then, after we ride, we’ll have brats. Unless you’re a vegetarian or something, in which case I’ll make my vegetarian burritos, which are almost as good as brats.
And I’ll put you up in a hotel so you don’t have to sleep on my couch.
And then, the next day, we’ll ride some more.
And afterward, you and I will agree that this has been the single most awesome vacation, ever.
There are a lot of cycling meccas in the world, OK? But Utah is my cycling mecca. And if you win this contest, it will be your mecca too.
Seriously, That’s Not All. In Fact, It’s Not Even Close To All.
I believe I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I was only describing the first half of the prize for this contest today.
Tomorrow, I will describe the second half. And I believe that at that point you will like this contest even more, and the idea of winning it will make you lose sleep at night.
I apologize in advance for your upcoming sleepless nights.
Why This Is Important
I believe very strongly in the good work LiveStrong does. I’ve said — many times before — that I received help and inspiration from them, firsthand, when Susan was starting her second big fight with cancer.
And more recently, I got to see up close — during the LiveStrong Assembly — some of the great ways LiveStrong puts our fundraising dollars to use.
People who are fighting cancer need help, in a variety of ways. And LiveStrong does an amazing job of providing that help.
So for this contest, I wanted to show that I am not just an observer and facilitator in my support of LiveStrong. I wanted to show that I’m willing to spend my own money and time to help LiveStrong in its mission.
So yeah, this contest is gonna cost me. Airfare, hotel, etc. won’t be cheap. But it’s totally worth it.
And not just because we’re going to get some awesome riding in, either.
How the Contest Works, And to How to Enter
For every $5.00 you donate at my LiveStrong Davis Challenge page, you’ll get a row on my magically deluxe spreadsheet, which I have affectionately and cleverly named FriendsOfFatty.XLS.
The more you donate, the more rows you get
Once the contest ends (on June 22 at midnight, MST), I’ll randomly (using random.org, natch) choose a row on that spreadsheet. Then I’ll contact you, and you’ll start yelling and stuff (which will be totally OK, because I’ll be contacting you by email) and we’ll get this ball rolling.
[A note for my international friends: I only have so much money. If you win the contest, it's your responsibility to get to the U.S., and I'll fly you the rest of the way, OK?]
And what if you’re already a member of Team Fatty and are raising money for your own LiveStrong Challenge? Well, just keep on raising money — and maybe donate some more into your own account — because the money you’ve raised as part of Team Fatty counts toward your entry in this contest, too.
Yep, that’s right, you can join Team Fatty and get other people to donate on your challenge page, and you might win this prize. In other words, keep up the good work you’ve already started.
So, please donate. You might just win an awesome trip to ride with . . . me.
Not to mention the second half of the prize, which will make it really spectacular.
More on that tomorrow.
Comments (26)
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