Robin Williams famously explained his passion for cycling by describing it as the closest you can get to flying.

A portion the comedian and actor's frankly astonishing collection of bikes is up for auction online and has to be seen to be believed.

The late Robin Williams. Credit: Paddle8
Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Williams was a close friend of Christopher Reeve and supported the CAF in many ways.

Williams committed suicide in August 2014.

A total of 87 bikes, from the sublime to the ridiculous have been donated by his children. The auction at paddle8.com closes on October 25.

Not long before he died, he donated a custom bike made by his favorite builder, Dario Pegoretti, to raise funds for a Bay Area education charity called 10,000 Degrees. It sold for $20,000.

Williams loved the bikes of Dario Pegoretti. Credit: Paddle8
There are four Pegorettis in the Paddle8 auction with starting bids listed from $2,000 to $3,000.

The only maker with more is Litespeed with five (as well as a Lynskey).

An Independent Fabrication SSR. Credit: Paddle8
Most of the bikes are road machines, which Williams regularly rode over the hills of Marin County, Ca.

Alongside the Pegorettis, Cervelos, BMCs, De Rosas, Merckxs et al are, however, a few mountain bikes and some real oddities including a unicycle, radical designs from Softride and Zipp, and even an Apple Picker Krate Stingray Child's Bike.

A Schwinn Chopper Hog Rodster -- the collection runs from the sublime to the ridiculous. Credit: Paddle8
Take a look at the collection.

Just as he always could, it will make you smile.

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