Bicycles / Cycling and Beer

I just recently found out about Yellow Springs Brewery, so I unfortunately missed it. They also have the oldest bar in the state from what I've read- definitely need to go back.

 

I haven't raced in years, decades now actually, when I did it was coffee before the race or training, and beer after without fail.

Now it's coffee when I'm thinking about riding, then it's beer before riding, beer during riding, and beer after riding, because I'm usually no longer in much of a hurry to get anywhere while riding.

Anyways, the best quotes from my customers about the relationship of coffee and cycling didn't make my segment, starts around 17:10 and it's mostly in German anyway:

http://www.ardmediathek.de/tv/WDR-W...hen/Video?documentId=17577658&bcastId=7989132

 

Don't forget dogs. Beer - bikes- dogs. They go together. This combination is what makes Boulder my favorite city. Everyone bikes, a brewpub on every corner, and dogs can go anywhere. My people.

 

http://bicyclesafe.com/helmets.html

And since you brought up automobiles if you drive you should be wearing your helmet, too. Many many car accident victims could have avoided brain injury by wearing a helmet, even with modern belts and airbags. If you don't wear a helmet while driving then I don't know why you're trying to convince cyclists to wear one.

 

I didn't bring up automobiles, but ok.

 

I have a friend who was hit by a car a few weeks ago and her head hit the ground so hard that she could have died if not had severe head trauma. I don't like laws requiring helmets and agree that riding safely and in an effort avoid being hit is more important, but the fact of the matter is that you cannot control what drivers or other riders will do and if you do go down while riding you stand a chance to hit your head hard on the ground. That thing about not hearing cars makes me wonder what kind of helmet that guy was wearing. Also, crash helmets saving more lives than riders is a no shit, Sherlock. Millions more people are in cars everyday. Do what you want, but this guy will almost always be wearing a helmet in any situation. I sincerely hope you're never in a situation where a helmet would have made things turn out better.

 

Yeah fully agreed. I wasn't touching that one because:

1. This thread has gotten off topic enough at certain points, and I've been (pleasantly) surprised that a lot of responses haven't been nuked. This topic will pretty much guarantee nuking though.

2. It's hard to take an article seriously, that claims that a reason NOT to wear a helmet is that "head size is increased, making potential impacts with pavement more likely"

 

I don't generally purchase growlers, but if I did I would get me one or two of these:

http://growlercage.com/

 

Topic has strayed, but back on point - there are thousands of beers and breweries with bicycle themes but as far as media focused sporting events in the US bicycling is way far down the list in popularity. There are big beer sponsors of other far more popular sports events (as well as bicycling events), but they don't name beers or breweries after any of those sports. No golf beer, NFL beer, no baseball beers or soccer beers. Honestly, there really should be hockey beer but I have not come across any yet. Tennis beer? Nope. A handful of sailing beers, true. There have been some NASCAR promos for beer, but no beer year around with a NASCAR affiliated name. I suppose there is 10-Pin from Ska for bowling, but no others I can think of. Heck, only one bocce beer (Dogfish)!

Bikes are definitely a common theme in craft beer, unlike any other sport.

 

I'll say that I am a cyclist, and IME, it's actually mountain bikers that drink more than the hardcore roadies. Jerseys are more or less universal, though mountain bikers tend to wear looser clothes - jerseys and shorts - than roadies.
I will say, though, that after riding a century, that first beer, no matter what it is, does taste DAMN good.
Beer is certainly not only a bicycle thing, though. THink of golfers, at least the non-pros, how many threads on here are asking what to bring on the golf outing, and talking about what they pack in the cart cooler or bags. I personally don't drink while playing a round (my swing is bad enough without alcohol) but I'm as apt as not to toss one or two down at the 19th hole.
Also boaters. Beer is certainly part of the boating culture - hence the sailboat racing known as "beer can series" - short races, generally on weekday evenings, characterized by the post race socialization. When loading up the boat for a day or weekend, a powerboater is rarely without a 30-rack of BMC, while sailors are more likely to be loading a case or 12-er of craft or crafty beer. Personally I go with a similar approach to driving - no drinking until anchored. Of course the corollary to that is, as soon as we're anchored, we start drinking.

 

There's at least 1 hockey beer: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24831/66759/

 

Yeah exactly. Powerboaters, sailors, golfers etc may love beer, but it's not two way - the breweries aren't generally selling brewery logo'd power boat wear (whatever that is...)

 

I was planning on XC being my next endeavor, especially with winter fast approaching in Massachusetts. Now I've got another reason.

 

Yeah most of the guys in my team also race cross, and love it.

I'm not doing it yet, due to cost (recently bought a new road bike), space (a brooklyn apartment isn't conducive to a massive bike collection), and time (road racing sucks up a lot of time, but cross is next level - basically involves being out of the city all weekend every weekend - not necessarily a winning formula when it comes to keeping my wife happy).

Whenever I watch it, i never really see the appeal. But by all accounts, once you try it you don't look back.

And yeah - strong beer ties for sure.

 

Yeah, I just bought my first brand new road bike (a Felt Z85, which I am loving the shit out of), so any dabbling in cyclocross would be on the cheap (something from bikesdirect or along those lines).

It's more to give me something to ride when it's snowy. I live in a more rural area, so I want something with some treads. That way I'm hoping to not lose too much of what I gained over the summer. And it keeps the circle going: beer to reward a hard ride, hard ride to offset beer calories, beer to reward a hard ride...

 

Many home brewers bike and many craft brewers started as home brewers. Although not scientific, I have noticed more bicycles chained up to bike racks and parking meters at places that feature craft beer than at bars that do not. Perhaps more people who bike make craft beer and drink craft beer.

 

Ah gotcha mate. In NYC and the surrounding area, other than a couple of weekends where the snow build up makes a ride a no-go, a pair of sturdier (I use Vittoria pavé) tires is enough to ride all winter.

But yeah up in rural New England it must be a different story. I took my bike up to Vermont on my most recent HF trip about a month ago. We were staying in a house up in the same network of dirt roads not far from the brewery (we were near Shadow Lake). Great fun to ride on when it was dry and packed, but I imagine it would be impossible in winter.