Following a tradition started by Fat Cyclist, below is my open letter to Trek about my desire to have a 2010 Trek District Carbon.
Dear Trek,
Let me introduce myself. My name is Ben Cooper and besides writing this blog, working a demanding job and being a father/husband – I am also a roadie. I don’t use the term “roadie” lightly. I rode over 10,000 miles on my bicycles last year and will probably do that again this year. I love all things cycling:
- I love to talk about bikes – based on my influence 10% of all conversations around our office center on bikes. In fact, my company now sponsors a local cycling team.
- I love to ride bikes – I’ve gone from never riding further than 9 miles to riding 250+ miles per week.
- I love to use my bike riding for good – raising almost $12,000 for LIVESTRONG and over $5,000 for MS, and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.
So you might be asking yourself why am I writing to you? I can sum it up in two words . . . District Carbon. I saw pictures of the District Carbon bike above and instantly fell in love. I got the “single speed” bug last year and haven’t looked back. There is something very primitive, but very satisfying about riding with one gear.
However, there’s been one problem. I own a very nice (sorry, it’s not a Trek) carbon race bike. I’ve grown accustomed to the benefits that a lightweight carbon frame and nice wheels can provide. So why is that a problem? Because a high-performance carbon single speed didn’t exist . . . until now!
The bike only weighs 11.5lbs!
What I’m asking for
So by now you probably know where this is headed. I would like for you to send me a Carbon District. Why should you send me a Carbon District?
- This blog has grown (to my amazement) over the years. It now reaches 10,000+ roadies every month looking for product reviews and cycling stories.
- This blog was also featured in the greatest cycling magazine on the planet – ROAD (highlighting my Little Known Facts About Jens Voigt).
- I’ve convinced countless other riders (well, actually 7 riders) to also purchase single speed bikes and learn the pure joy of hammering with just one gear.
But I’m not asking you to send me a free bike, on no.
Here’s what I’ll do
- A thorough review on this blog of the District Carbon with updates as I learn the subtle nuisances of the bike.
- I’ll document (via my blog and video) how the Carbon District can be the ultimate, PERFORMANCE, commuter bike. If you’re going to ride a bike to work, a single speed makes a lot of sense for the sake of simplicity. But why ride some slow, steel, track frame when you can ride a performance-oriented, carbon bike that can shave minutes off the daily commute. The fact that my pants won’t get dirty from a conventional chain is a bonus.
- I will also ride the bike in a LIVESTRONG Challenge (riding the longest distance available) and guarantee to raise at least $5,000 towards the fight against cancer.
Clearly this is a win-win for all parties involved. I win because my wife won’t divorce me for buying another bicycle and Trek wins because of the huge buzz my posts are sure to create for the District Carbon.
Look forward to hearing from you,
Ben
Texas Tailwind 
Love this post and love this bike! Saw the news about it a while back and it still looks SICK! Not only will I donate, but I will join you on the Livestrong ride (I’ll try to keep up).
I have to correct one of your facts. I’d say more like 40% of all conversations around the office are about bikes 😉
An open comment to an open letter to Trek: I’m good for $10 on Livestrong Challenge for Ben if you do send him the Trek. And one more thing… I am going to buy a K-Factor because Ben says it is a good bike.