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Tour de Fat rolls its cycling spectacle through Bay View

Posted by Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel on July 30, 2011

The New Belgium Brewing Co. brought its Tour de Fat extravaganza to Milwaukee on Saturday, and the costumed cyclery created a rolling spectacle through the Bay View neighborhood.

Hundreds of riders started in Humboldt Park, then toured the neighborhood, passing north on Kinnickinnic Ave. in this picture.

In a critical mass of strange, Shane Oddfellow (that's what he said) pedaled a rung above. A performer in the Dead Man's Carnival, Oddfellow says he inspires "little kids to be who they want to be and do what they want to do."

The strong-man Titano is just one of Oddfellow's roles. Over 39 years, he has been a hobo, bike messenger and explorer of subculture.

A couple of the kids Oddfellow looks to inspire took the ride seriously.

After the tour, bikers gathered in the park for Vaudeville-type entertainment, games of skill, and New Belgium brews. The brewing company based in Fort Collins, Colo., created the Tour de Fat 12 years ago and now hosts 13 celebrations around the country.

4 Comments for "Tour de Fat rolls its cycling spectacle through Bay View"

  1. I have to say I was fairly annoyed yesterday when I had to be somewhere to pick up my kid and I couldn't get off of my street because this was unexpectedly occurring with riders blocking my turn for 10 minutes. At least when there are run/walks, the path is marked before hand. Having a throng of bikers riding along together for no reason other than to be a throng of bikers riding together should have some responsibility to mark, or at least coordinate a route that is less inconveniencing for the people of the neighborhood. I know that sounds curmudgeony but I'm very pro bike culture. It was just a disorganized mess of people meandering around on bikes and it wouldn't have bothered me a bit if I had been aware it was going on at that time and could have gone another way.

    124eva Jul 31, 2011 7:28 AM

  2. Those of us who are truly "Pro Bike Culture" and participants in the community knew about this ride for months. they have had signs up at Chill on the Hill for weeks. You should be happy that they choose our community to have this ride. Some people are just pessimists.

    milwaukeebry Jul 31, 2011 10:00 AM

  3. Yup. This was a great event & I hope it continues to come back.

    likebikes Jul 31, 2011 3:30 PM

  4. I agree with milwaukeebry. Anyone who is "pro bike culture" would have noticed this event on the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin's website ( http://www.bfw.org/events/events.php ) -- or any of the other numerous places where this event was advertised.

    Note that this same bicycle-related event will be held in other cities. To prevent the distress of a ten minute delay, please avoid these cities on these dates: Boise 8/20, Ft. Collins 9/3, Denver 9/10, San Francisco 9/24, San Diego 10/1, Los Angeles 10/8, Tempe 10/15, Austin 10/22.

    ChronicWhiner Aug 01, 2011 10:42 AM

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