I found a quirky, hyper-local group on Facebook; it’s called The Columbia Bike Guy Fan Club, and it has over 1,000 members. I’m one of them.
The scoop here is that people take pictures of The Columbia Bike Guy (whose name, btw, is Athar), and then they post the pics on the Facebook group’s site. One member has even made a T-shirt that he’s selling on the site; the shirts sell for $15 and $1 goes to Athar.
I love Facebook. Love it. This particular group — odd as it is — makes me happy. I see T.C.B.G. around town, often. One of his haunts is one of mine: the East Branch Library, back by the huge windows, magazines and group study tables. He has a bit of “loner” energy about him, and I’ve observed some really strong iterations of his Loner-ness. I find it sweet and wonderful that people locally have found a way to reach out to him and include him. To make him part of our community in a way that, somehow, seems very appropriate and kind.
Some of the comments in Facebook include:
every time i see this guy, it brightens up my day
and
i saw him at the mall last Tuesday… he likes to sneak around but with his giant red mohawk its kinda easy to spot him
The whole phenomenon makes me smile.
A fan club with 1000 members? This guy is popular. I’ve always wondered who this bike guy was. I see him all over Columbia every few weeks or so but my wife claims she’s never seen him. Guess I’ll have to join the fan club to find out more about him.
hey there! i have recently gotten to know athar well – i am the one who made the t-shirts. thanks for writing the article – he loves to read them! – bryan
I’m at one of my favorite work-think spaces: the East Branch Library … back in the big-table area next to the two-story windows. (Aaahh, what a treat that space is in fall and winter.) Anyhoo, Athar, the Columbia Bike Guy, is here, as he often is. Now, I know the Columbia Bike Guy Fan Club sets off alarms for some people. Personally, I like the concept. I like that he’s included in our community in this way.
Hey Jessie,
I’ve seen Athar around for about 6 years, since I moved here. At first I wasn’t sure what to think, but gradually I got super excited every time I saw him on his bike. I have a company wrap on my vehicle which he recognizes and always waves to me. It’s awesome!!
FER CEREAL HOW DO I GET ONE
I lived in Columbia for several years and I always saw Athar (I always thought of him as “the bike guy” because I did not know his name). I worried for a bit when I hadn’t seen him in awhile, but I was happy to see him parked in the grass on the median near 175 one day! Why is only $1 going to him though?