BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I believe he told us he had hundreds back in April.

I saw him on friday by the salvation army on (near)frankstown had a black bike with a black fender. almost jumped up on the bus and yelled "Bumper Bike!"

I'm pretty sure he said "eleven thousand".

I talked to him on Friday. He was super nice but also indicated he was having a hard time with some things he was going through and really wanted a sammich. I felt bad, I couldn't help him at all. He said it was alright, just telling me helped him out! He's a super nice guy.

Just saw the comments about Butler St being a difficult ride. Imagine if we mobilized his entire fleet for a group ride up Butler sometime. Not bunched together, but rather spaced one every couple hundred yards or so. Assuming, of course, that he's cool with the idea.

yeah, he asked me and my SLF for some money last week. we didn't have any to give him and he said he could tell we wished we could help him out, and that was help enough. really nice fella.

This guy brings a whole new way of looking at the world. Now when I see someone looking for money, I have to ask myself - would I help this person out if they had a bumper bike? And the answer is "yes. let's get this guy a sandwich."

Whenever someone asks me for money (for food) I offer to go buy them some food if I am not in a hurry to get somewhere. Never had I had anyone accept my offer. I guess they aren't that hungry, or want money for some other reason. One guy outside the Sq Hill Giant Eagle took a slice of bread though. I'd buy bumper bike dude a sandwich no problem.

Walking down Forbes Avenue near Bouquet Street, a guy (not Aaron the Bumper Bike Dude) rode down the sidewalk on a bike, and stopped me to ask for some money. I commented on his bike, which had a "Panthers" decal in blue and gold on the down tube. I offered to buy him anything he wanted, up to $2.00, from Rite Aid, but he declined, insisting that he much preferred to get some wing dings from some place around the corner. Cool bike or no, I didn't have any small bills on me and I wasn't about to go get some change to give to him.

What's that saying about begging and choosing?

On Sunday I saw about a half dozen bumpers next to a dumpster somewhere in the 5000 - 6000 blocks of Butler St... a few weeks of that, and a fleet would be totally attainable.

His name is Aaron and he is a very nice person. The apartment he was in was condemmned and he is having trouble getting his disability money. the last time i saw him his stomach was distended from malnutrition. I can almost guarantee he would accept food instead of money from you.

I used to laugh at 'the bumper bike guy" but now i see him as someone with mental help issues and next to no one to advocate for him. If you do have a chance to give him a buck or two, (or a sandwich) Im sure he would appreciate it.

Seems there should be some simple way to help this guy not starve. I know the Panera Breads chain has affiliations with local food banks, churches, etc., so that none of their daily leftovers go to waste, and I'd be surprised if each Bruegger's, Einstein, etc. doesn't have a similar setup.

Are you sure about that, Stu? I've gotten plenty of left over bread and bagels and such out of Panera and Einstein's dumpsters, mold free.

They are supposed to donate it, I'm sure, but I think most of these places with programs like that also have really lazy employees that would rather dump the stuff in the trash.

They have programs to donate left over/day old food directly to the food bank…but if someone comes in begging for food they are going to call the cops and have them arrested.

Give Bumper Bike dude gift cards to one of those places that is close to where he lives.

Alot of places like this donate their left over bagels and breads but depend on the people running the food shelf to come and pick it up (at least that was how it was with the food shelf I helped out at) if the food shelf either doesnt need bread on that day (some are only open on certain days) or doesn't have someone to pick it up then it ends up in the dumpster.

I personally am the pickup guy for one of the Paneras on Fridays and take it to a nearby church. Last Friday, since I was on the FOC ride, I called them to hold it for me for morning, which they did.

In a typical Friday, I carry 50+ pounds of food out of just that one store.

yeah Aaron would have totally taken food if I had been able to buy it for him that day. I told him I live in EAst Liberty and if I see him around sometime soon I'll gladly help him out. He showed me his belly too. I really felt for the guy.

Also I saw a bumper of his on penn ave yesterday between negley and penn circle west. It was clearly his and had the ties and stuff that he usually attaches it to his bike with. I'm a little worried about him!

Also I want to buy him a ticket to the bikefest party.

The guy is really a local celebrity, even outside these forums.

He's not ignorant of this. Seems like he told me once [paraphrased:] that people online are making a bunch of money off him, and that he didn't mind at all.

It occured to me then that there's gotta be a way to sell some BB tshirts and hand him the revenue.

Ieberhard Walking down Forbes Avenue near Bouquet Street, a guy (not Aaron the Bumper Bike Dude) rode down the sidewalk on a bike, and stopped me to ask for some money.

There is a homeless guy that hangs in that area and rides a bike. Use extreme caution dealing with him. He's a bit of a stalker - that got scary for me at one point. He also unhooks brakes of people's parked bikes, unfastens quick relases, and I'm guessing other stuff.

I'm on good terms with most homeless guys. I have had a guy that I gave quarters to a lot ask me to buy him a sandwich one day, and I treated him to as many burgers as he could eat on my dime.

Most of the homeless on the streets of Oakland have a substance problem.

Sometimes they are desparate to get bills for change. The crack dealers don't like taking 20 $1 bills. They are not going to take one dollar, 72 quarters, 6 dimes, and 8 nickles, for sure.

spak should make him a free pizza.

Is there a way someone could help him set up an online Bumper Bike store? Where people could get Bumper Bike paraphanalia (tshirts, hats, bumper stickers [ha!], bike flags, etc) and the profits go directly to him? He is a celebrity and it'd be nice if he could actually get by on that. Seems to me lots of bloggers and other online types do it all the time, shouldn't be too difficult.

BUMPER BIKE SIGHTING OUTSIDE ABAY ON HIGHLAND! The green bike is new to me.

The pedestrians REALLY enjoyed BB!

The dude walking by giving it a wtf look is what really makes the photo awesome.

@coley: we feed him as much as possible, and sometimes he pays with fake money!

I'm helping a friend train for the MS 150. We went to a 50 miles ride yesterday and saw bumper bike both on the way out and then again on our way back.

My companion was impressed (possibly not in a good way) that I knew who bumper bike was. "Is he trying to carry that car part somewhere?"

She was skeptical about the idea that a BB sighting was a good omen for the trip.

On the way back down Negley a few hours later, he cruised with us for a while. He gave me an explanation of the car-bike. I could only hear about half of what he was saying, but did not understand any of it. (Smile and nod.)

Hearing the other half might not have helped the comprehension.

All-in-all, it was really gratifying.

Hmm... BB sighting as good omen - I like. Best trips I've had yet I saw him, so it must be true.

I'll carry an extra bag of trail mix for him for next time I see him. Anybody know if he likes trail mix? (i.e. is not allergic to nuts?)

I was going to ask about his fleet but I think I saw the green bike today on S. Negley. I didn't realize he had anything but BMX bikes. Stoked for my first [and second on the way home] BBD sighting.

The green bike's been locked up on Negley all week....

Did a tour de bloomfield with bumper bike today

A+

Help me here:

I was waiting for the light at Fifth & Beechwood last Friday and someone much like BB comes rolling up, sans bumper(s). His bike has an automobile steering wheel instead of handlebars. And he is talking! But focusing on someone behind me, in the parking lot. The light changes.

I don't think I've yet seen BB this far east, so I'm not sure who this was.

it was probably aaron. if its east of downtown, between the rivers, and west of penn hills/monroeville, he rides there.

just passed him on negley. i waved and said "yeah!" and he was having a very animated conversation with himself...