Tour de Fat brews up $9,000 for Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin

New Belgium Brewing's Tour de Fat drew nearly 1,500 cyclists and onlookers to Humboldt Park on Saturday and generated $8,921 for the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, through donations and beer sales.

Cyclists ready their costumes for the parade ride through Bay View. Photo by Tom Held

Organizers estimated that 500 bikers participated in the parade through neighborhood streets.

The car-for-a-bike swap was another highlight of the event, and Katerina Rankovich, 24, will be riding a new Black Sheep commuter bike in exchange for her pledge to stay nonmotorized.

"What's wonderful about Tour de Fat is that it brings together all types of people, on all types of bicycles to support a great cause," said Kevin Hardman, executive director of the Bike Fed.

Shane Oddfellow rides along the South Shore beach in the Tour de Fat bike parade. Photo by Tom Held