Fat Cyclist: When All You Need Is A Little Laughter
July 21, 2008
Fat Cyclist.com has got to be one of the most entertaining biking blogs that I have ever read. The title draws you in with brief images of fat people in spandex chugging up a big hill. Luckily that image isn’t part of the program (yet).
Fat Cyclist.com does put a funny spin on the world of cycling. Perhaps it’s popularity derives from the normal biker–sure we would all love to be a Lance Armstrong, but in reality most of us are just normal individuals who love to bike. Fat Cyclist pertains to that crowd. My crowd.
I started reading this blog yesterday and before I knew it I had spent the better part of two hours laughing. I was able to dig in a bit and see just what makes the Fat Cyclist tick. It is definitely the humor, mixed in with a good dose of reality.
Elden, who runs the Fat Cyclist blog, is anything but fat. His blog’s name does come from an experience of wanting to lose some weight, where Elden thought if he posted his daily weight to the world via his blog, perhaps he could use it for inspiration. Instead his blog has become quite popular in cycling circles. Much of that can be attributed to the humorous spin on cycling that Elden has.
Check out The Next Big Thing In Sport’s Nutrition and his latest, The Bike Limiter, for a taste of the humor dished out. You will quickly see why this has become one of my new daily digs.
Elden’s penchant for humor also comes with a serious side. His wife is currently undergoing treatment for metastatic breast cancer. Eldon takes us through this process with some sense of grace. I know I wouldn’t be reacting the same way, but Eldon does share even the smallest of details. It is a rare combination to make people laugh and smile, as well as teach them about something as worthy as breast cancer and the treatment process of said cancer. He educates, he informs, and he makes us think and laugh.
One of the privileges of Fat Cyclist and being in the cycling community is that Eldon actually has a voice. He has decided to use that voice to help with the treatment of his wife’s terrible disease by designing and selling a “Fat Cyclist” jersey on his sight. Proceeds go towards his wife’s medical bills. Not only can you feel good about helping with such a personal cause, but you also get a cool piece of schwag to show your support for Eldon and his wife. I do have to say they are quite stylish and a very hot item around cycling circles. Last year’s jersey quickly sold out.
Go check out Eldon’s (or ‘Fatty’ as he is commonly known as) Fat Cyclist blog. If you don’t trust me that it is funny, then make sure your first stop is his post, The Day I Hated Brad. It is hilarious and I am sure all of us have a “brad” in our own lives. Don’t believe me? Go read it. You’ll soon find out that you know one.
I have added Fat Cyclist to my right sidebar under ‘biking blogs’. I thought that if I wanted to read it everyday, then you might too. I have also added a link to another biking blog–Epic Riding. I haven’t had a chance to dig in to that one yet, but when I do, I am sure you will hear about it. Go check them both out, they are both nice reads. By the way, Eldon, I wish your wife (and you) well as you continue the fight.
By the way, if you would like to help Eldon’s cause, click the jersey photo at the top of this post. I have conveniently linked this to the Fat Cyclist gear catalog so you can browse all the cool wear. I particularly like the socks and the Fat Cyclist T-Shirt. You could really make a statement at your local McDonald’s!
Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it,
Hey thanks for the link!
I have had the privilege of riding a few times with Elden. In real life is he funny, generous, insightful, and a heck of a climber. Just like he portrays on his blog. That is one of the great things about his blog. It is him. It is real.
Good luck with The Adventurist. I subscribed to it this morning, and have dug through a few back posts. Great job, keep it up!
Just to let most of you know, Grizzly Adam happens to run the Epic Riding blog, that I linked above. Just wanted to clarify that.
Adam, I appreciate you stopping by and for the kind words. Your blog is great, as well. Keep your eyes peeled, I will probably be doing a write-up on your site in the coming days. Both sites are great and offer up something a bit different than the mainstream Tour de France following that most blogs do. I like the ‘everyday’ rider and biker slant. Well, done.
I love the Fat Cyclist blog even though I don’t ride a bike and known nothing about it. The blog if funny and touching and occasionally heart wrenching. It’s a terrific blog.
Fighting cancer through Pure Joy every day. Here’s a lesson I took from a survivor this week. (http://perfectmomentproject.blogspot.com/2008/07/pure-joy-and-lessons-of-survivor.html) Love to have you check out my Perfect Moment Project.
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FatCyclist.com is one of the blogs that I subscribe to the RSS feed and I can honestly say I have read every post since I started following. Elden is very passionate about the sport and his site layout looks incredible. The blog started as a way for Elden to post about his weight loss through biking and if you take a look at his about page you can see he has more than achieved the goals that he has set for himself.