I’ve wanted to host a bicycle related writing contest since ~2010. It may be my love for the written word. It may be my love for bicycles. It may my Bachelors of Arts in English Rhetoric. Whatever the case may be, it’s happening now.
Prize:
What do you receive for putting pen to paper or fingers to keys? The contest winner will be instructed by yours truly on how to properly overhaul one of their bicycles. Essentially, we’ll dismantle your bicycle down to the frame and rebuild it in a one on one environment. The Trek Bicycle Store of Anchorage has graciously dedicated some education space in January and/or February of 2026.
Method to the Madness:
You, the author, writes something bicycle related; that could be a short story about the best or worst bicycle ride you’ve been on; or an essay about the freedom of riding a bicycle; a haiku about the your favorite bicycle related scar; whatever format you choose, it just needs to be about bicycles.
After the contest is concluded (October 17th 2025), I’ll compile all the pieces and send them off to the contest judges. The judges will be given two months to read and select their their top ten favorites works. The tenth favorite piece will receive one point and the first ranked piece will received ten points. In the event that two authors ended up tying: I’ll decide the victor.
Once a contest winner is decided they will be contacted via their email and/or phone. From there the winner and I will coordinate instruction time that works within Trek Bicycle Store’s hours of operation.
Caveats:
-Contestants must be older than fourteen years of age.
-If the winner is under 18, a parent or guardian may accompany the contestant winner during the overhaul process.
-Only one piece of writing can be submitted per author, so make sure it’s a good one. If a contestant submits multiple works, the will be disqualified from the competition.
-Learning how to work on a bicycle can be difficult, dangerous, and time consuming; instruction on how to overhaul your bicycle could take anywhere from twenty-to-fifty hours. Why such a large time range? There are a number of factors: what king of bicycle is being overhauled (road, gravel, hardtail, full squish); how mechanically proficient the author is; the availability of both the author and myself.
-The winner of this contest will receive a one-on-one education as to how to properly overhaul their bicycle at the Trek Bicycle Store of Anchorage. If you are outside the Anchorage, Alaska area and are not willing to make the commute: don’t enter the contest.