Bicycle Brent brings Logan community together, teaches acceptance
Even if they don’t know his name, most everyone at Utah State University immediately recognizes Brent Carpenter.
Brent has gained a reputation for riding his stuffed animal-decorated bike around campus, honking his horn, waving to everyone and handing out copies of the paper. Brent is so well known in Logan that he’s been nicknamed “Bicycle Brent.”
But his impact on the community reaches far beyond waves and smiles. Brent, who is 67 years old and has cerebral palsy, has been highly involved in the community for years.
Samuel Brown Brent Carpenter is 67 years old, but he still rides his bike everywhere he goes.
Brent first moved to Logan in the early 1980s, said his sister Tami Wilson. It was at that point that he found the Cache Employment and Training center, an organization that strives to help people with disabilities become more independent through life and professional skills training.
The center helped him get a job at the Junction at Utah State University, where he quickly gained friends and admirers for his positive attitude and desire to love and serve everyone.
During the 2002 Olympics, the community nominated Brent to carry the Olympic torch. He ran through the stadium in front of thousands of spectators who were all chanting his name and honking bicycle horns.
“His parents were crying, they were so proud of him,” Wilson said.
Brent retired in 2009, after working at the Junction for just over 30 years, but he’s never stopped visiting campus. He spends at least one day per week on campus, handing out newspapers and saying hello to everyone he passes.
Since he’s retired, Brent has been the face of “Bike with Brent,” an event that brings hundreds of Utahns of all ages and abilities together for a ride. The event is a fundraiser for the Cache Employment and Training Center, the organization that helped Brent find his job at the university.
The most recent Bike with Brent event was on June 10 at Willow Park, and more than 750 people showed up to support him and the organization. Brent signed people’s t-shirts and led the ride.
“He’s just a great person to lead this bike ride, this walk that we have,” said Kae Lynn Beecher, CETC director. “People come out to support him, and by supporting him they’re supporting people with disabilities.”
Brent loves Bike with Brent, said his sister, Linda Carpenter.
Samuel Brown Most everyone in Logan knows and watches out for Brent Carpenter. He’s been nicknamed “Bicycle Brent” and “Logan’s Goodwill Ambassador.”
“Brent was very excited,” she said. “He called me at 10:15 last night to talk about it, he was so excited. He gets excited every year.”
Brent not only loves the events he’s involved in, he loves Logan in general. Wilson said he calls Logan “my town.” And the city loves him in return.
“Logan in general has improved his life,” Wilson said. “He would just wither if he moved from Logan. He loves it so much. It’s kind of incomprehensible about how much people love him and how they watch out for him.”
Community members really expressed their concern for Brent in 1995, when someone attacked him and beat him up. The man attacked him, Wilson said, because he thought Brent was gay. The city wouldn’t stand for that.
“The year that someone hurt him, beat him up, it was like the valley about came unglued,” Wilson said. “The county prosecutor was totally irate. The people of Cache Valley rallied around him.”
Since then, the city has watched out for him, and Wilson says the Carpenters are grateful for that.
Wilson said she loves hearing how much people care about him. She said someone started a Facebook page for him, and he has more than 2,000 followers who comment about him.
“People who have moved away from Logan still comment and say they miss him, and they say whenever they hear a bike horn they expect to see him,” she said.
Wilson said Brent is an inspiration to her and the people in Cache Valley.
“The biggest thing, I think, is he teaches people not to be so judgmental and to accept people that are a little bit different,” she said. “He teaches acceptance, that’s for sure, and compassion. And to be happy. Life’s not that bad.”
Editor’s note: The Statesman seems to write about Brent Carpenter every few years. In each one there are lots of fun stories about him, ranging from giving his coworker Betty Boop things on her birthdays to accidentally walking in on someone in the bath to give her a copy of the paper. To see a list of stories, click here.