Robin Williams’s Children Auction Off His Bikes, Hope Buyers Wear ‘Brightly Patterned, Skintight Biking Gear’ When Riding Them

In addition to making people laugh, Robin Williams enjoyed riding bikes. He rode through the San Francisco hills. He rode through the NYC streets. He rode with Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong. Now, two years after his death, a portion of the Good Will Hunting star’s vast bike collection is being auctioned off for charity by his children.

Through Oct. 25, people can bid on 87 of Williams’s bikes — nearly every brand imaginable (sorry, Huffy! He was more of a Pegoretti, Trek, and Cannondale guy) on Paddle8.com. The wheels, once described by Bicycling magazine as “the world’s most valuable collection of exotic bikes,” which he stored in a San Fran mega-garage, were selected by Zelda, Zak, and Cody and have starting bids ranging from $1,500 to $22,000. The money raised goes to the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

“Though bright, skintight spandex still remains one of the more embarrassing outfits to regularly witness your dad wearing growing up, the sport of biking and the people Dad helped through his love of it, will always hold a special place in the hearts of our family,” the family said in a statement to SFGate.com. “We hope these bikes will bring their new owners as much joy as riding them, and helping these causes, always brought him.”

The trio had one request for the future owners of the wheels, some of which are rare issues, if possible. “Though not required, may we suggest wearing the loudest, most vibrant and brightly patterned, skintight biking gear possible when riding them,” they said. “Keep the tradition alive.”

By the number of bikes alone, you can tell that Williams wasn’t a passive bicycling fan. He was pals with cycling greats. He attended the Tour de France. He also biked in some of his movies.

According to Bicycling, the comedian with seemingly endless energy, who committed suicide in August 2014, tried to bike every morning, often with a trainer, but rarely with large groups. When he was at his home in Tiburon, Calif., he’d ride across the Golden Gate Bridge most mornings. When he was at his country estate in Napa, he tackled the mountains and pedaled through the vineyards. When he had to work, he brought along a CompuTrainer on location, spinning the electronic bike simulator for an hour daily.

Williams compared cycling to acting, telling the magazine, “When I see a beautiful bike, I know a guy worked really hard to make those welds, to make it not just functional. And I think it’s the same [with acting.] It’s the details, the sense of a craftsman at work, getting it right.”

Expect the auction to pull in big bucks for the charities Williams loved. After all, just one bike he donated to an auction weeks before he died sold weeks after his death for $20,000.