2013 Dave's BrewFarm OverNight Details

Hey Everyone!

It's almost time for the most magical weekend of the summer: Dave's BrewFarm OverNight.

Pam "Lady BrewFarmer" has put together all the information you need to get started. You can download it HERE.

We hope you can make it!

Lanny

Not All Pugsleys Are Created Equal: Whitey Vs. Mr. Black

For three years I had a white stock Pugsley. Let's call him Whitey:

I liked that bike a lot and rode it all over, all year 'round. It was comfortable and stable and matched quite well with my slow style of riding. I enjoyed the crazy feeling that I could go anywhere and that it popped wheelies like a boss.

What I didn't like I didn't really know until Mr. Black made the scene:

Mr. Black is Whitey's replacement. You see, Surly has had a run of Whitey's on crack. That is to say: the frame is prone to cracking where the seat stays join the seat tube. Mine had two such cracks to which my local bike shop guy, Jim Thill, responded "What color frame do you want?" 

And so begins a tale of upgrading that is familiar to anyone who has ever owned a bike.

My first thought was, "I would like black please. As inky and light-sucking as you can get. Oh, and see if they will replace my offset fork with a symmetrical one."

The response was a good one. Surly's excellent customer service people got me a Necromancer frame (subtle gray decals and all) and Moonlander fork at no charge. UPGRADE!

Of course, no bike upgrade ever happens in a vacuum. It was simply not possible to leave well enough alone only the fork and frame, I needed a new front wheel.  Jim sensibly suggested the Surly Clown Show rim. At 100mm wide, it represented a substantial UPGRADE! from the stock 65mm rims, as anemic and skinny a rim as ever made, by comparison.

Here is a standard Larry tire on a stock rim (left) vs. a Big Fat Larry tire on the Clown Shoe (right):

Photo: Jim Thill, Hiawatha Cyclery

Tell me who wouldn't want that kind of girth?

Although it's not in stock yet, a new rear wheel is in the works, too.

A Rolling Daryl rim, at 80mm wide, is not as girthy as the sublime Clown Shoe, but it's going to put a lot more rubber on the road than the current skinny rims. I'm looking forward to riding this when it comes in.  UPGRADE! 

While I was thinking of wheels, it seemed as if my mechanical disc brakes were not working as well as they had. "What do you recommend, Jim?" Hydraulic discs are nice, so UPGRADE!

They are Avid Code R, for those who geek out about such things, and they are excellent.

The old rear tire was worn out. Answer? A Surly Nate that Jim had kicking around. UPGRADE!

So after all of these upgrades, what's the big deal? 

It's like this: the old bike was great and I enjoyed it, but as I mentioned, I didn't know what it didn't do well until Mr. Black made the scene.

Mr. Black floats on the wider wheels. In place where I used to have trouble corning, the new set up provides stable, sure footing. Nate tires have traction for DAYS, the only limit being my puny leg muscles and having the forethought to stick the bike in the right gear. With the worn-out Endomorph tires I could count on wheelspin in the snow to give me an extra second to jam it into the right gear. Those days are gone as the Nate's just grab hold of the ground in a deathgrip and don't let go. Wrong gear? Not Nate's problem.

Mr. Black stops better, with better control and less gritty cable-y feedback. Less squealing, too.

But here's the biggest payoff of all: the symmetrical fork on Mr. Black makes riding narrow tracks—a very common task in the winter—much, much easier. Just today I was riding in an icy wheel track exactly one truck tire wide. Maybe twice as wide as my front tire, but I doubt it. Tight single track. Ice. No room for the shakes, man.

I only heaved out of the track one time in about a mile. Once. With the old set up I would have been walking. The snow was too deep to ride outside of the track and the old setup was too squirrelly to stay inside the track. I know, I tried it a week ago, same place. 

I'm glad I owned Whitey. He was a good bike. But Mr. Black? He's dynamite.

Bikes Don't Pay Taxes For Roads!

I had an interesting exchange with a friend of mine this past weekend, who wondered why it was legal for bikes to ride on the road when they don't pay their fair share of taxes. I was brought up short and said "gas and road taxes do not pay for the entire cost of roads." To which he responded "they pay more than bikes do!"

I was not able to formulate an informed response. His point seemed to be that because bikes don't contribute directly to the upkeep and construction of roads, they should not legally be allowed to use them. At the most basic level, this makes sense. But it seemed like I should be able to refute it somehow. . .

This helps.

It turns out that the percentage of road costs covered by car, road and gas taxes (let's call them "user taxes") has dropped over the years. Now "non-users" pay about 50% of the cost of roads. That's to say, property taxes, municipal bonds and other revenue sources pay as much of the cost of roads as gas or user taxes do. So the question becomes "if cars only pay half of the cost of roads, why do drivers demand 100% of the use?"

In fact, if we weren't building so many car-bearing roads, we could get by for a lot less money overall. Car infrastructure is expensive as hell. Streets wide enough and strong enough to support cars are much more expensive to make and maintain than bike trails. So in a way the high cost of roads is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Cars make roads MORE expensive, not less, because without cars (and the subsequent need to accommodate them side-by-side and to park them) we could get by on the cheap in many areas.

Another common frustration for motorists is when a bicycle is on the roadway even when a trail runs alongside it. The thought is that the bike should be on the trail to free up the road for "traffic". I can think of a lot of reasons why this is not always the best choice for the cyclist. Many trails are rough and hard to ride or have a posted 10MPH speed limit or are clogged with pedestrians and dog-walkers and runners and baby stroller-wielding walkers, all of whom are potentially hazardous. My wife has crashed hard when a flexi-leashed dog ran out in front of her bike. The woman walking the dog had no idea what was going on and could not hear because of her earphones. The truth is, bike trails are really multi-use trails and everyone assumes that the other users will yield right-of-way. When the trails are crowded, the streets are the safest, most expedient option.

All of this said, I started the conversation by noting how courteous Minneapolis drivers had been during the summer. It seems like my motorist neighbors are more accepting and understanding of bicyclists all the time. I've only been honked at once all summer, which is a significant reduction from prior years. We still have a ways to go until everyone believes, as I do, that it is not only possible for cars and bikes to share the road, but that we can do so without stress or confusion or conflict.

Save the Date: 2012 Winter Pedal Pub Crawl, January 29, 2012

More details forthcoming, but for the one and a half people that still read this thing, consider yourself forewarned!

We'll be doing a Minneapolis version of it again this year as we have more places to visit than in St. Paul. Maybe even a brewery visit? It could happen.

Stay tuned. . .

January 29, 2012. Starting at noon, somewhere. Ending later, someplace else.

Lanny

3rd Annual Winter Bicycle Pub Crawl Sunday, January 30

The time draws near!

Show Jack Frost that you won't lie down!

Join us at the Bulldog NE (401 East Hennepin) at noon for the premiere winter bicycle pub crawl in Minneapolis. Maybe even the only one.

We will hit five destinations from NE Minnneapolis to South. Food and drink specials, door prizes, lots of laughs and I can almost guarantee that you will enjoy yourself. Unless you are joyvoidant.

No registration needed, no charge to ride along, no way you should miss this.

Stops include: Bulldog NE > Tilia (if they are open) > King's Wine Bar > Bryant Lake Bowl > The Aster Cafe (where the end party includes tacos, music and beer specials!)

New Bike Alert

Big news in Lanville.

I gots me a Surly Pugsley.

It's white with mud and road dirt highlights. It's mostly stock but I had Mongo add twist grip shifters (which completely transformed it for the better) a rack and, as you can see, a frame pack.

My physical condition has not allowed me to thrash it as much as it deserves, but if slow and unsteady wins any races, I'm a winner.

I find it remarkably comfortable and have done a couple of 25 mile days on it. So far it's not drawn blood, but I'm sure it's plotting my downfall even as we speak. The false sense of security that it engenders will surely be my undoing at some point, but for now I'm enjoying life on the hairy edge.

Perhaps the biggest transformation is that it allows, encourages and requires that you look at your environment differently than while riding "normal" bikes. Limitations on where you can ride, or when, are largely gone. Railbeds, narrow trails, big rocks, little rocks, snow, ruts, dirt track or gravel are all fair game.

For sure it's a fun winter bike, but I suspect that my Pugsley and me will have a year-round relationship.

Big Canoe, Small Bike

I wish we had better footage, but you get the idea.

This worked remarkably well, by the way.

Thanks to my friend Eric for loaning me the Brompton. It's being used and loved, as you can see.

2011 Winter Pedal Pub Crawl

Save the date.

Sunday, January 30, 2011.

Noon.

Someplace in Minneapolis.

More details to come. In about 4 months.

La Trappe is Back!

A rare business post here.

One of the breweries with whom I have worked the longest is La Trappe. For years it was known as Koningshoeven in the United States for reasons to arcane to recount.

Well, the old and better name is back.

Join me tomorrow night (July 27, 2010 at 7:00PM) at the Bulldog Lyndale as we toast the returned La Trappe Trappist Ales. Dubbel, Witte and Quadrupel on draft and Tripel in bottles. The first 24 get to keep their glass.

I'll be there in the corner texting Father Isaac and keeping him updated.

All's Quiet on The Western Front

Been not so much a blogging sort lately. Not since February. Jeez.

I hope to have some bike related stuff up soon, but I want you all to know that life is good. My wife is well, my son is a joy and I have been trying to spend as much time with them as possible.

All is well, all is well and all is well.

Now some tiny bike-related stuff.

1st Annual St. Arnoldus Day Bike Pub Crawl, Sunday, July 18.

To celebrate the Patron Saint of Belgian Beer, we are going to visit three outstanding bars on bike.

Meet at the Bulldog, Lyndale at 1:00 to start and then onward to the Muddy Pig in St. Paul by about 2:30 and finishing up across the river at The Blue Nile at about 4:00. Bonus stops are not outside the realm of possibility.

We'll be giving away some schwag and sharing some good Belgian beer action. I will be talking smart at every turn and doing my best to entertain. Prizes for the most Belgian-y bike.

Contact Lanny at lhoff@artisanalimports.com to get any questions answered.

Snow Has Fallen

Quite a lot of snow has fallen, actually.

All winter long, in all kinds of places, all sorts of snow has fallen. Even here, in Minneapolis, we have had an unusually snowy winter and I have awakened many mornings to the sight of small, perfect snow drifts adorning my winter bike.

It's a mid-70's Schwinn Le Tour and I've written about it before. I still like it a lot for what it does for me. And sometimes it looks nice.

Map and Schedule (As It Is) For Pedal Pub Crawl Sunday

Here it is, the official map of the 2nd Annual Winter Pedal Pub Crawl, now with 100% St. Paul content.

• Starts at noon, Muddy Pig (at Selby and Dale). They will offer us a $6 lasagna special to provide strength, carbohydrates, cheese and booze-soaking ability. They know how cyclists roll.

• Time are approximate.

• Prizes are to be awarded more or less at random. Acts of kindness may be rewarded. Make me laugh and maybe win a prize. Might do a drawing.

• Bring cash. Don't irritate the bartenders with goddamned credit cards.

• Try to avoid being a drunk dope until the last stop, if you must be a drunk dope. This is meant to be a social thing. A pint an hour sort of deal, not a sprint to lasting brain damage.

• Wear appropriate clothing, bring a light. Be smart, think ahead.

• Invite your friends!

Pub Crawl 2010

It's coming up fast, yo!

January 31, Sunday.

Not sure what time. Not sure where.

But I will let you know soon.

Aged To Perfection: 1986 Univega Gran Rally

What you see here is a bike that is new to me. Jim at Hiawatha Cyclery, looking to streamline his collection, sold it to me this past week. I have been in the market for a classically proportioned steel road bike for a while, but was not interested in playing eBay roulette.

This will be my "go fast" bike, onto which I intend to hang nothing more than a water bottle or two and a small seat bag with enough capacity to hold a tube, a pump and a bottle of beer.

NO Pub Crawl This Sunday

Gentlepeople,

Due to a profound lack of apparent interest, the Pub Crawl that was to be this Sunday is no more.

We'll catch you again some other time.

Lanny

Gauging Public Support for Pub Crawl on August 30

I'm thinking of launching another pub crawl for Sunday, August 30. Short notice, yes, but check out the schedule. It's worth making time for.

Tentative Schedule
Stop 1: Surly Brewing for tour and samples.
Stop 2: Grumpy's NE
Stop 3: Pracna on Main
Stop 4: Stub and Herbs
Stop 5: Busters on 28

I've not checked with any of the establishments except Surly, so the stops are subject to change.

Email me or comment here if you are interested and can make it. I'd like to have a rough idea of how many cyclers we'd be looking at.

Lanny

Gimme Forty Acres. . .

The Family Recreation Fund was tapped this week to purchase a trailer rig for the canoe. We bought it from Wike and it seems good for the money. The wheels are cheap-ish plastic, but what the heck. The load on them is not that heavy and they will not get used more than a couple dozen times per year.

The canoe itself is the frame and a hitch and tongue assembly is strapped to the front of the boat. Likewise the wheel assembly is simply strapped on and the cushioned aluminium frame seems well thought out and easy to repair. Wheel assemblies are nylon and held together with cotter pins for easy and fast disassembly. The nylon bits are my main durability concern but time will tell.

We boogied at a respectable pace from our house in Victory Neighborhood to Cedar lake with boat (and paddles, PFD's, cooler, etc. inside) and my son and I on the bike. DeAnn followed on her road bike, completely and utterly unladen, to watch for pieces coming off or stuff falling out. Nothing untoward happened.

It takes a long time to turn this beast. Our canoe is a monster at 20' long. I figure the total length of the entire package is about 29'. Downhills are stable and nice, uphills are work but doable. I managed about 10mph average from our house to Cedar Lake, which is about 7 miles one way. Not bad.

I figure since this canoe is about as long as any out there, we will hold the total rig length record for any Minneapolis-based bike trailer combo for some time. Anyone have photo proof of something longer?

Help Some Good People Out!

I am riding the Hartford Breast Cancer Ride Next Weekend and could use your help. This ride raises money to support breast cancer research as well as to support families in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area that are struggling with breast cancer or other serious illness.

Please consider donating today. It's tax-deductible and it'll make you feel good.

http://www.breastcancerride.org/goto/lanny

Lanny

"Just like they do in Morocco!"

That's what Mr. Keljik at Keljik's Rug Cleaning said as I pulled up with this 7' x 10' Moroccan rug a week ago. Our dog had "soiled" the rug several times for some damned reason or another and it badly needed cleaning and de-odorizing. I got a lot of interested looks during the 10+ mile ride to have it cleaned and one woman actually offered to take it off my hands.

Had she seen how gruesome it was inside, she would have not made the offer.

Just another day in biking paradise.

A Gentlemen's Tour June, 2009

This year I turned 40. It's a milestone of sorts in that one cannot deny that middle age is not only knocking at the door, but has indeed come into the house, taken it's shoes off, grabbed a cold beer and is boring the shit out of everyone talking about his ailments and medications. The only way to get 'em to shut the heck up is to do something epic. On the actual day of my birth each year I strap on some snowshoes and try to complete a challenging loop from our dear friends cabin in the north woods. My family spends every New Year's Eve and Day there, and since that is my birthday it's convenient to use this as a Middle Age banishing tactic. This past January the hike was magnificently difficult and I owned it.

But when facing a Major Milestone like the big 4-0, one epic battle with Middle Age is not enough. Indeed, as time passes and the years pile on it's important to take on as many epic projects as one can. When your body breaks, you have found the limit. Until then, keep pushing. For Epic Project #2 this year, I found myself contemplating a bike tour, which is something I've always wanted to try but never had the opportunity to plan. A few months ago my good friend Jim announced he was planning a tour and I invited myself along. He graciously accepted my offer of companionship and, to protect himself from an undiluted blast of my mesmerizing personality scrambled to invite several other like-minded fellows. In the end there were six of us: Jim, Sean, Doug, Kevin, Mark and me. Eric joined us for the last night, making it seven participants. All great personalities and patient, which is nice.

Due to injury, scheduling and the vagaries of life, only 5 of us would ride together at any one time and I joined the tour in medius res at the first campsite. But each Pedaling Gentleman added his own flavor (or, as the case may be, scent) to the proceedings and it was very much a Magnificent Seven vibe each time we rode into town and the women and children hid from view. When the town spokesman would come out to parley, we were kind and gentle with them. We asked only for pastry and coffee, a full water bottle and the use of a toilet. Then we rode off, leaving their village not much the worse for wear and the local bakeshop or coffee house a few dollars richer. Also we ate cheeseburgers. Lots of cheeseburgers. The best were at Finnie's in Plainview, MN.

Our route wandered along the Mississippi River from Red Wing to La Crosse, over to Lanesboro, MN and then northward across hill and vale (and hill, hill, hill) to Lake City and back to Red Wing. Most nights we camped but in La Crosse we used a local hotel to blast the grime and musk from our bodies. In total, I pedaled about 250 miles in 5 days and the other fellas who had done the entire trip wound up with more than 300 miles. It was a great experience filled with laughter, a few hillpain-induced tears and lots and lots of calories. It often seemed as if we were sitting in cafes longer each day than on our bikes. The nights were filled with campfires and conversation, heaps of good conversation. I look forward to doing it again, if they'll have me.

Here are a few photos of the tour.

First we have the first Helmet Totem of the tour. It's a priapistic onion ring. It started oozing grease the day after I affixed it to my helmet, so I had to set it free. For the remainder of the trip I sported a unicorn duckie.

We had a lot of gravel to ride, which was fun and challenging. Nobody wiped out, but not for lack of trying. Jim, in particular, seemed well at ease bombing down sketchy country hills.

Doug's camping skills were evident. His tent was first to be erected and first to be packed each day. It's a pleasure watching a guy so completely in his element and I look forward to perhaps camping with him again someday. Below is a typical Doug camp scene. Imagine detonating a grenade underneath the tent and that's what my camp looked like.

We had a layover day in Lanesboro which four of us put to good use. We pedaled the 22 mile round-trip to Fountain, MN where we ate soup and pie, bought some cured meat products and visited their excellent museum. Here we see Jim, Sean and Doug at a rest break. Jim had just said something pithy which I missed.


Rolling into town looked like this.

Sean flashes the pearly whites while Kevin and Jim discuss how much they are looking forward to coffee and, if they are lucky, baked goods. This was my favorite coffee shop of the trip, in lovely Houston, MN. The friendliest people of the entire tour were here, without doubt. They invited us to come live there which shows that the people of Houston, MN are keen students of quality.

As the tour wound up I found myself in the back of the pack and somewhat melancholy that the fun had to end. I hope to travel with these fine fellows again someday.