A cyclist in a full banana suit has become a familiar sight in Linton, Indiana, where residents have turned the mystery rider into a local celebrity. The town’s response has included Halloween costumes, a cross-country tribute run and autographed cards that locals treat as collector’s items. The rider, known as Banana Man, had his voice disguised during an interview to protect his identity.
Banana Man has been spotted around Linton for months, with residents quickly identifying the sightings as the now-familiar figure. According to CBS News, social-media videos appeared to show a boy about middle-school age biking all over town in the costume, though the outlet disguised his voice during an interview to protect his identity. CBS said it traveled to Linton to dig into who Banana Man was and what motivated him, but he had not spoken publicly before that interview.
The Lintonian also described watching the rider turn his blue-and-black bike into the parking lot of Jiffy Treet, noting that he had recently become a frequent topic of conversation around town.
A Town Embraces Its Costumed Mascot
“I saw that it made a lot of people smile, and I like making people smile,” Banana Man said, explaining why he kept putting on the suit. He also told the outlet that he had dreamed of being a superhero when he was younger — a detail that helps explain why a Goodwill banana costume turned into an alter ego instead of a one-time stunt. He added, “I didn’t expect to be a banana.”
Local coverage captured some of the earliest sightings that eventually snowballed into the CBS feature. A Facebook post on a local community page shared a picture of someone dressed as a banana riding a bicycle around town, according to The Lintonian. A separate report from the same publication described watching the rider turn his blue-and-black bike into the parking lot of Jiffy Treet, writing that he had recently become a frequent topic of conversation around Linton.
The Story Behind the Suit
In his interview with CBS, Banana Man said the costume began as a joke: his mother bought a banana suit from Goodwill, and he put it on and rode his bike. He kept doing it after seeing the reaction, telling the outlet, “I like making people smile.”
CBS reported that the rider appeared to be a boy about middle-school age in social-media videos and that the outlet disguised his voice during its interview to protect his identity. He had not spoken publicly before that interview. He also told CBS he had once dreamed of being a superhero and said, “I didn’t expect to be a banana.”
Banana Man told CBS he feels proud of the response and plans to keep riding in the suit. In Linton, a one-time Goodwill costume has become a shared source of amusement and local pride.
