Tour de Fat needs a car-swapper for its return to Humboldt Park

New Belgium Co.'s melding of beer, bikes and vaudeville will roll back into Humboldt Park on Saturday, in need of a car-swapping star to headline its three-ring circus.

As part of the 13 Tour de Fat festivals around the country, New Belgium swaps a $3,000 Black Sheep commuter bike for a car, traded by someone willing to forgo motorized transportation.

The New Belgium pitch: "It's about weaning yourself off the petroleum teat. It's about becoming a better, sexier person. It's about rediscovering the cultural thrill of public transportation. One year's time is the minimum commitment - commuting is your sentence."

To apply, follow this link.

Last year, Bay View resident Christopher Miller, traded a heap for the Black Sheep.

Christopher Miller with his new wheels.

"At the time I swapped, I worked downtown, and my daily ride was about 3.5 miles each way," he reported in an email on Tuesday. "I did that nearly every single day from June 2010 until the middle of February 2011.

"I can't recommend it enough! It was great to be rid of the car. The daily exercise was awesome. It was exciting, and it was challenging, in a good way. By the late fall, I worked myself up to riding to Chicago to go to a housewarming party at my sister's. That 80 miles took me a tad under eight hours (I'm no race winner, just a guy on a bike). I was proud of the accomplishment, and I know that riding to work and making the car swap was a big part of it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"The Tour de Fat last year was my favorite day of the summer. It was beautiful, the event was fantastic, the bike was amazing. ..."

Miller's job shifted to Menomonee Falls, and his daily commute proved too distant. But he finished: "Writing this made me want to get back in the saddle right now."

The bike swap is the high point of a day devoted to cycling and entertainment. As I reported last year, think of a benevolent P.T. Barnum leading critical mass.

The costumed bike parade starts at 10 a.m., the kegs of New Belgium beer will be tapped at noon and the party lasts until 4 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, which received about $12,000 from the 2010 Tour de Fat.

Setting the costume standard for the Tour de Fat.