Hey! We have a celebrity!!!
 

Congrats bdinger on your writeup in the Journal Star this morning! :D

Missed it by THAT much!

http://journalstar.com/articles/2009...e734189707.txt

Crap, the link won't work at work *shakes a tiny fist at the web filter*

Copy and paste please!!!!!!

here ya go.....

Content of the article please :)

Sorry Bau, I can't seem to copy it withough copying all the advertisements and tags in the window.

Bau, what's your email address? I can email you a copy - pasting from the Journal Star is next to impossible thanks to the already-referenced ads :)

Also - thanks everyone!!! :) I had a blast doing the interview, and it was fun to meet a reporter who also "lives the life" (she's a commuter as well). And she's also correct, my adrenaline was pumping so I had to keep going "don't drop the reporter, Ben..." LOL

Hey, when is your Dirty Kanza 200?

It was last weekend, unfortunately. Here is the reason I didn't go (long story short, we had a financial perfect storm that just wouldn't let up, and I wasn't going to dip into savings or start racking up credit card bills to go). In the end, it might not have been a bad thing - here's a blog post from a local racer who's much more fit than I, who barely finished due to some spectacularly brutal conditions.

However, I'm signed up for the Good Life Gravel Adventure 135 miler in late august, and there's no way I'm missing that. Some kind of sadistic fun, it is.

Chubby Super Biker has calves the size of cantaloupes, a bike called a Surly and a wife who tells him to get on it and ride when he gets cranky.

His real name is Ben Dinger. I’ve chatted with him on the phone. I’ve read his blog — www.chubbysuperbiker.com — and I know a few things about him from his home page.

Just a 31 year old guy with three kids, beautiful wife, two cats, and a minivan. Used to weigh 567 pounds, now I just love to ride my bike.
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Ben Dinger, who once weighed 567 pounds, writes about his bicycle adventures in his blog, www.chubbysuperbiker.com. (Robert Becker)
Story Photo
Ben Dinger, who once weighed 567 pounds, writes about his bicycle adventures in his blog, www.chubbysuperbiker.com. (Robert Becker)
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Who wouldn’t want to meet a guy who could write a line like that?

Who wouldn’t want to find out how a super chubby guy became a chubby super biker? (Who wouldn’t want to just say “Chubby Super Biker” over and over again?)

We meet Wednesday on a Lincoln bike trail.

And pretty soon we’re heading west on the Billy Wolf. He’s got 215 pounds on me but I can’t keep up.

Sometimes he gets “the look” when he’s out on his Surly all geared up, says Ben, now 32 and weighing in at 350 — give or take an extra slice of pepperoni pizza.

The look that says: Slow Fat Guy.

Most of the time he has three words for those people as he passes them: On your left.

Ben didn’t lose all his weight on the seat of a bike — but he took off the last 105 that way and found a new joy in life (and a wife and three kids) as he pedaled along.

He was always husky, says the Web master who moved to Lincoln when he was 5. He weighed in at linebacker size (240 or so) when he graduated from high school. Post-Pius X, he packed on the weight and eventually quit keeping track.

“I knew I was big,” says Ben. “I knew I could no longer fit in an airplane seat.”

He knew he couldn’t walk the block and a half to work. He knew he had to get a second-floor apartment because he couldn’t climb to the third.

He knew he was maxing out the big and tall man store in the Size-70 waist pants he couldn’t even button.

“You know those fat guys who wore the shirt that was a little too short, but he didn’t know it and his stomach showed? That was me.”

But he didn’t know, until the day he walked into a local weight loss clinic, how big big was.

His sister had begun Optifast, a medically supervised program, and she talked him into an appointment.

How much do you think you weigh? the staff asked.

Ben ventured a guess. 400?

Maybe 425.

He stepped on the scale, one of those big suckers, the kind for weighing freight, or cattle.

567? 567 pounds?

It took him two years to say the number out loud. But he signed up for the program that day. The weight flew off and he started feeling good.

The first time he tried to exercise he collapsed after 15 minutes on the treadmill.

“I went home, passed out at 7:30 and was late for work the next morning.”

Ben is laughing. That was four years ago.

And one summer day last year he rode his bike 135 miles. Up and down gravel roads. Sunup to sundown.

He wrote about that on his blog, too. He writes and writes about his bicycle adventures.

In the beginning he had a blog to let friends and family know about his weight loss progress. Optifat, he called it.

Along the way he was injured in a car accident, packed on some pounds and ended up picking up his brother’s old mountain bike.

“I got on the MoPac and within five seconds I was grinning and smiling. It was like my childhood came back in those few seconds.”

He started Chubby Super Biker a few months later. He started dating a woman named Jessica, too. They married in September 2007 (he rode his bike to the wedding). He’s adopting her two kids and they have a toddler together. They just bought a house. He’s nearly finished with college. He has a job he loves.

“He took it to heart, the whole lifestyle change,” says biking buddy Oliver Banta. “He’s just inspiring to people who need some motivation.”

Ben says he couldn’t imagine any of this four years ago.

He’s learned a lot. That’s why he started the blog. Not just to rave about biking, but to let people know anything is possible.

“Like right now, I’m still 350 pounds, I still have probably 150 pounds to go. It’s daunting.”

He’s gained weight, he says. And lost it again. But he keeps looking forward.

Each year he hopes he weighs a little bit less and rides his bike a little bit more.

We ride Wednesday. Against the wind and then with it, pushing us back home. I say goodbye east of downtown, watching Chubby Super Biker — a super nice guy — heading for the edge of town.

There’s a picture of Ben at his heaviest on his blog. A huge guy in a ball cap, spilling over a chair, looking down.

I used to cringe at that picture. I hated that picture. Now I kinda dig it, you know?

You know what else I dig? My bike. I rode it today. It missed me. I missed it...

Life is good. Very very good.


-------------------------------------------------------BLOG POST EXTRACT------------------------------------------------
www.chubbysuperbiker.com/
More from Cindy in the Lincoln Life blog
On Ben Dinger's blog: Before and after photos
Excerpt from the blog of the Chubby Super Biker, Ben Dinger:

Now I get it, the stress we all live in, it pushes us to everything that isn't good. We don't have time, so we eat junk and eat lots of it because - let's be honest here -- whilst eating it, it makes us feel good. We buy big cars and houses because they make us feel good, and feel like that money is going to something, money earned under constant stress to continue to produce so as to continue to earn to continue to buy and continue to eat. In the end we feel empty, so we find things that "take too much time" or "hurt too much" and get rid of 'em, so we can work more and buy more things. And we get more empty. I know I was.

We forget how pure, how great it feels to look to the sky as the legs just blur beneath you, the accomplishment of pushing yourself further than you've pushed before and man the feeling of that is better than anything money can buy.

Wow, that's awesome! I'm really impressed! Plus, you're bring more good credit to those of us named Ben!

The reporter and the photographer both caught Ben's best trait, the trait that endears him to so many folks here in Clydeville - his endless optimism in the face of challenges. Congratulations, Big Ben!

Great write up and story!! Thanks for being here on the forum with us lil ole regualr bikers now that you are a superstar! What's next ChubbyBiker the movie? Who would we get to start as you??


I also read some of the blog - very inspiring and helpful!!

Thanks Alathea!!!

Very nice write up Ben :thumb:, congratulations on everything!

Congrats Ben. Great Write-up

Ben has been one of the larger (no pun intended) influences on me here. Last summer, his "Extreme Gravel Road Ride" really spoke to me, and Ben's attitude in this article even more so. Not to necessarily lose weight, or to ride faster, climb more or ride any further then myself or anyone else, but instead he speaks to that part of me that just loves to ride.

I have probably worn it out here, but as much as I am impressed by the accomplishments of the century riders and Beanz macho mountain climbs, I have no desire to be any of those things. I just know that every time I push the pedals, I feel happy, and that is my entire focus.

Ben inspires me to do this for me.

Keep up the great work/play Ben.

Jay

You know, I know Ben. I've spoken with him from time to time. Are you impressed? :)

Well bummer. I certainly understand the unexpected expense thing. There seems to be a lot of that going around these days.

I'm looking forward to the August ride!

Transmissions suck. Timing belts suck, too-luckily we had an extended warranty on our Kia so the 1400.00 (200 for the parts, 200 for the tuneup since our timing belt didn't just break they didn't catch it until after the tuneup, and 1000 for the timing belt and labor) didn't wipe us out that month-just the 100 deductible.

Not any more than I already am. Big fan!

Great article, we need more good press.

Again, wow, thanks everyone! Personal replies coming later, for right now I'm just trying to keep up with the email deluge that's coming in!!!! Suffice to say - amazing!

time to insert some advertising on your blog.

is most of your riding dirt roads, bdinger?

I won points at work when I forwarded the article to a 400 pound - and dropping! - coworker. "I'm impressed, Neil. You know this guy!?" :)

Thanks Neil! I told several forum stories, but none of them made it in the article - which is OK by me, I understand the constraints they are under. But some were pretty darn inspiring in their own right! I'll keep optimistic, no worries :)

Thanks Miss b! You've done awesome yourself, keep it up. So far no movie offers, but already a couple other interview requests. Not sure if I'm going to do it yet, I still want to be able to ride my bike around town :)

Thanks bau, not just for this, but for all the support!

Jay - This is the type of thing that keeps things going, to an extent. Many a times I'll want to throw in the towel, but I know that it wouldn't just be me that would be affected - so I keep rollin'. Now I just roll, try not to take it too serious,a nd try to smile. Keep the smile!

Bwahaha! I did tell the story of your well-timed voicemails during the GLGA, and the inspiration I draw from others. Keep it up, Neil!

First, regarding ads on my blog, haha a couple others suggested that yesterday too, but that's not how I roll. I'll happily accept free schwag that I'll review (as I recently did from Aerotech designs, and need to finally get around to reviewing), but I'm not interested in monetizing my blog. Partially because I don't think it's good web design, but mostly because that's not what the blog is about - it's more about getting the story out, showing everyone that I'm human too and hopefully inspiring one or two to do the same along the way.

I have, also, seriously toyed with the idea of starting a obesity research/support foundation. That, really, would warm my heart, and would be the only way I'd consider monetizing the blog (to fund such a venture).

It's starting to become a good portion, yeah, used to be the majority was highway and MUP - but now I'm loving the limestone trails and gravel/dirt roads much better. So much more secluded, beautiful, and challenging. I thought gravel riders had a screw loose for the longest time, and I'm kind of right I suppose, but they also really know what's going on! It's a blast!

I'm a rockstar!!! I also told my wife last night "you realize this means I can never again get a cheeseburger in this town without getting the look, right??" LOL Which I suppose is for the better, all this attention is very motivating! Yesterday my parents and I went to lunch, and sure enough, several folks at a local eatery said "hi" - haha. I made sure to point out to them we went out to lunch there as I know all the dishes are made from scratch (including dressings), and it's simply good stuff - the BBQ chicken salad being my new favority.

You know, I'm done with the unexpected expenses. DONE. A transmission, a trip out of town, a "furlough" week from work, and new tires for my Taurus really did a number on our accounts this month - but we're still rolling. :)

I'm with you! I told my wife that the second the new transmission's warranty is up in three years, we're getting rid of that $@#!#@ Chrysler minivan. Worst vehicle purchase ever, and we all know how much I'm a fan of vehicles. Thankfully our kids now will go to the elementary school that you can - literally - see from standing on our front porch, and I'm working out xtracycling my Hardrock for grocery duties to the stores either a half mile (Super Saver) or a mile (Hy-Vee) away.

I was really impressed with the reporter, the whole experience, and how the article turned out. Most importantly - the response! So for only a minor dose of haterade from one person, but I expected it. :)

By the way, Ben......welcome to MY world. :p:innocent:

Wait til you get asked for an autograph in Dodge City, KS, for example, by someone that follows your story. ;)

On tour last year I rode with someone who knew me from my postings here. It wasn't a planned meeting. :)

So......Neil, you have your own stalker :innocent::lol:

Not that fellow. The two folks who've harassed me on the Touring Forum are another matter. :(