LUSH University Village – 1257 South Halsted

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

5-8pm

LUSH is teaming up with the Sours projects from New Belgium Brewery for some sweet and sour shindigging. Join us this weekend to continue the celebration of the Barrel Aged Beer Festival. Jesse Katzman and Michael McAvena are joining in the fun, with some pork shoulder, homemade sauerkraut, and sausage to match the three sour beers hosted by the brewery…La Terrior, Fall Wild Ale, and the tart lychee brew. Last pig roast of the season…beer and pork, woot! Extra exclusive and absolutely, extremely, super fun! These three brews are brought in special for this event and are here and gone after this evening. $15 per person. RSVP necessary, good times promised. Open to the public, open to the industry.  Get it on.

Reserve your spot with erin@lushwineandspirits.com, or 312-738-1900.

Downtown Fort Collins, CO

Trout & Bear. Art in public square, downtown Ft. Collins.

Swinging. Art in public square, downtown Ft. Collins.

Cindy tips a guy & his horse over.

Some crazy bikes downtown.

Signage at Wagz, a boutique pet store.

New Belgium Brewery (NBB); Fort Collins, CO

NBB’s ubiquitous Fat Tire bike.

Cindy Lou hulu hoops at NBB

NBB: A testament to sustainability.

NBB’s tap room menu

NBB’s tap room

NBB’s beer shrine

Our tour guide, Miller, explains….

Artistic flair at the base of each kettle

NBB uses used wine casks to make special, limited edition brews.

Lips of Faith: La Folie Sour Brown Ale

Beer bottle artwork

The packaging room; 700 bottles per minute

Sunshine and Abbey

Dinner with friends at White Chocolate Grill

Rolling into Denver from Ft. Collins.

Liquid art … the bar at WCG

LtoR: Corey, Andrea, Diana, Cindy

Cindy Lou’s excited about . . .

DESSERT!

“Enlightened Black Ale…a highly quaffable dark beer“
v

A Little Dark History

Many great things happened in 1554. The city of São Paulo was founded, Lady Jane Grey was executed, pirate-adventurer Walter Raleigh was born, the herbalist Hieronymus Bock died. Well, not all these things were great, but they are important historical facts.

Whilst these matters have some bearing on our modern world (especially if you live in São Paulo), there were even more momentous moves afoot in a monastery somewhere in Belgium during these Dark Ages. There, a group of enlightened monks worked day and night to develop a new style of beer, one that took dark-roasted malts and turned them into a beer worthy of Heaven, but that was dark as the very gates of Hell.

Of course, that’s just a flight of fancy, but what is true is that a couple of chaps from the New Belgium brewery uncovered references to zwartbier, a Belgian black ale in a book dated 1888.

Inspired and impelled, they began to dig around, and with help from a brewmaster in Belgium, they uncovered further references to the style in another book, published in 1554, and a parchment dating to 1447. According to NB’s website, BeerNotes and a delightful email from Peter Bouckaert, they had to decipher ancient manuscripts, convert from obscure ancient measurements (what is a setier, anyway?) and at least in my imagination, evade Indiana Jones-style traps.

Excited by their discovery they began to to develop this recipe for brewing in the US, using hops, which were a new development in Europe at the time the original (hopless) recipe was recorded. By all accounts, New Belgium’s 1554 was an instant hit. What they came up with was a modern brew that emulated the ancient zwartbiers, avoiding a brew that had anything to do with the later porter style (to which they are not related).

Tasting a Blast from the Past

New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Finally, to the main event, and what an event it is. Put really simply, this is a yummy beer. In brief, it’s the dark beer lover’s dream – scrumptious, versatile and generally a pleasure to drink.

I poured it from the bottle into a glass and watched it settle. It’s a rich dark chestnut brown, almost black. The head is a fingers-depth and which held up fairly well during the course of drinking. It’s a good colour – pale tan and creamy, setting off the ale’s colour perfectly.

The nose is wonderful – there’s the chocolatey aroma you’d expect, a little espresso and malt, with a very faint hint of banana fruitiness and a whiff of spice, and it really whets the appetite for the palate, which is a roasty-toasty malt-and-cocoa extravaganza, which fills the mouth with flavour.

In the mouth it’s quite sweet and warming, there’s a pretty little spiciness to balance the sweetness, and just enough hop to make it interesting This is a robust beer that is all about delighting the palate without being overly complex or overpowering. It’s a great beer to enjoy either by itself or with food. I’ve drunk it with winter stews, strong cheese and also with lighter dishes. Just one thing to note though – for goodness’ sake, let it warm up a little when you take it out of the fridge; it unleashes a full range of flavours when you do, and will delight even more than served well chilled. Think of it as akin to a robust red wine, that you’d serve at close to room temperature.

Getting to the end of the glass, the rich reddish-brown colour looks warm and inviting and that last swallow stays with you for quite a while. The mouthfeel is gorgeous, round and pleasant without being overwhelmingly heavy; in fact the carbonation again balances the robustness quite nicely.

It’s just 5.5% alcohol, which means you can enjoy two or a few without falling over. I’m not sure I’d call it a session beer, but it’s dangerously drinkable; all in all, it’s a wonderful brew, one that I could well imagine supping for a long time as a winter beer, but equally refreshing in our early California autumn.

I gave it an A- rating on BeerAdvocate – it’s hard to say what would improve this blackest of brews, except another one just like it. Hats off to New Belgium for this excellent ale, and a big thank you to Peter Bouckaert and his colleagues.

Sometimes a little extra work in the evening isn’t so bad….in fact, it can be a darn good time!  One such time is going out for a little 3500 foot moonlit climb up one of Colorado’s most scenic roads.  I’m talking about a late night ride up the Old Fall River Road in the Rocky Mountain National Forest.  It’s only possible about 4-5 times during the riding season and perhaps the last available option is September 4th, however the 5th was close enough for me and four others to enjoy the moon’s light. 

I wasn’t kidding about the work… Old Fall River Road is, well “old”, as in before pavement, and a mountain bike is the weapon of choice due to some soft spots hidden in the shadows.  The fun starts at about 8,500 feet and climbs to 11,800 feet through some grades of 16%.  At times, the tree cover casts some pretty good shadows on the road and riding in the dark can tend to flatten some of those grades, but the drops of sweat on the top tube tell the real story.  This road is also one way so once you start…….there’s no turning back and the park ranger who asked what we were doing at the Lawn Lake Trailhead at 9:30PM made sure we knew that fact! After arriving at the Alpine Visitors Center, 11 miles away from the car, the way down involves descending Trail Ridge Road, so bring lights and red flashers.  Not so fast though! The visitor’s center is at 11,800 feet and Trail Ridge tops off at 2,200 feet, so you have a bit more climbing before breaking out the warm clothes.  Yes, 12,000 feet can get mighty chilly so bring a pack with some extra layers!

Now you’re ready for the fun part.  If you’ve ever driven this road during the day you know how much traffic it can see.  Descending it at midnight you’ll be lucky to see three vehicles on the way down but be careful when opening her up all the way… Elk are mighty big and don’t use headlights…however, they do have horns! (I know, I know, but antlers didn’t sound right!)  The total mileage for this ride is 29.5 miles so that means 16 miles of it is pure adrenalin pumping downhill all the way back to the car.

Visit http://www.mapmyride.com/view_route?r=650125246420066949 for complete ride details.

Another adrenalin filled event this past weekend was the Fort Collins Tour de Fat.  Each year I attend this spectacle and each year I am even more amazed at the engineering marvels and costumes that show up better than the year before.  The size of the crowds both taking part in the parade and lining the streets are also hard to imagine if you haven’t experienced the event first hand.  This year an estimated 10,000 characters took part in the festivities, so you better start thinking now for that original get up for next year.  Check out some of the pictures from the day here – > http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchista/sets/72157622150157735/show/

If you missed the event, or just can’t stand to put the cruiser up just yet, there is still time to sign up for the LEE’s sponsored Tapas ride.  Cruise to three of the areas finest destinations for fine food and drink while dressing in your “finest”  cruiser garb.  Space is limited and there is a fee.  Visit LEE’s more more information and registration.

Ok, I admit, I don’t always wear my helmet when riding my bike, but this weekend I witnessed countless numbers of families riding with the kids wearing helmets and parents NOT!  Now you may not be riding fast with your kids, but things happen, and if you think it is possible for your child to bang his/her noggin from three feet off the ground there is a good chance mom and dad could do it from six feet of the deck. Just sayin’…..

Enjoy the sunlight while it’s here and get out and ride… just remember to put a lid on it!

Steve Lacey

Namaste Solar will be installing a PV system on the roof of New Belgium Brewery’s 50,000 square foot packaging facility, per the Coloradoan.

This Saturday, August 15th, a silent auction will be held to come to the aid of a huge member of our bicycling community. Although Stuart Culp is well on his road to recovery, he still has a long journey ahead of him until he’s back on the pedals again; and a journey like this can put a tremendous strain on a family’s finances.  Driving to Denver, take out dinners and family visits from out of state are just some of the expenses the Culps are enduring during his recovery and they could sure use our help.  We would like to encourage you to participate in a silent auction for the Culps at the Peloton Cycles bike shop in Fort Collins from 5:30 – 10:00pm on August 15.  Donations from a number of bicycling establishments have been received to be auctioned off on Stuart’s behalf.  For more information or if you’d like to donate items for the auction, please contact Dustin at Peloton Cycles.

Dustin Folger
Event Coordinator
Peloton Cycles
970-449-5595

We hope to see you at Peloton on Saturday!

Another way you can help the Culps is to purchase gift cards for them for any of the following establishments and mail them to Dan Porter and he’ll pass them onto the Culps.

Food options…

Panda Express
Papa Johns
Qdoba
Red Robin
Wok & Roll
Supper Solutions
Safeway
etc …………………
Vehicle Maintenance and Gas

Conoco
Diamond Shamrock
Jiffy Lube
Grease Monkey
etc….

Send the gift cards or drop them by Dan Porter (Your Group Ride) at 5220 Boardwalk Dr. Unit C11, Fort Collins, CO 80525!

Tour De Fat

OK, looking at the calendar, it looks like there are only about 3 weeks until this year’s Tour de Fat to be held on September 5th, 9:00AM – 4:00PM at New Belgium Brewery, just off Linden St. in Old Town.  Imagine Saturday Night Fever, Saturday Night Live, Monster Garage, Myth Busters, and a little Twilight Zone all coming together for the wildest parade to ever test your sense of reality, followed by a party to celebrate the “cycle” of life! WILD!  The best part of it is, everyone can be a part of the show.  Break out your finest polyester, your favorite two wheeled contraption and maybe your ID and follow your folly to the Tour De Fat!  All proceeds from the event go to local organizations and there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for the event as well.  Visit http://overlandmtb.org for more information on where your talents could be used best.

Speaking of IDs, a while back I asked everyone who rides to get some form of ID to carry on themselves in case of emergency.  Well, I decided to take Bobke’s advice and order one of the Road ID bands on line and here it is.  After a few rides it’s starting to get broken in and hopefully I’m the only one to ever read it.  I know it’s a bit gimmicky, but after spending the $20.00, I now make sure I wear it.

Finally, whether on the road or dirt, this week’s tip may help you stay out of trouble.  While approaching debris or obstructions on the trail or road, do not focus your attention on the obstacle.  Instead, focus on the route past the obstacle and keep the obstacle in your peripheral vision.  Chances are, if your looking at the obstacle, your bike will follow (and that may not be a good thing!).

Again, I hope to see you at Peloton on Saturday, but if not, I hope you’re enjoying the day on your bike!

Thank you Frenchista for the pix

Steve Lacey

I feel like a lot of my time in Seattle has been spent waiting for the sun to come out. Maybe I’ve finally adjusted, or maybe after months of sunshine I don’t mind a few days of gray. This weekend, for whatever reason, had all the cheer and energy of a Seattle summer–without the sunshine.

Compostable cups! (Look: free product placement!)

I spent all day Saturday at New Belgium Brewery’s Tour de Fat, a bike festival held in a handful of western cities in the summer. (It’s highlighted in my article 8 Quirky Bike Events.) Lucky for me, it was held at Gas Works Park, a short distance from my apartment. It’s famous (well, locally anyway) for a few things: it was the setting for the paintball scene in 10 Things I Hate About You, it’s a great place to fly a kite and has been called the strangest park in Seattle because it still has the skeleton of the coal gasification plant that once operated there. Tar still leaks from the soil on occasion, but apparently it’s a safe place to be…although someone once told me never to eat anything dropped in the grass if I ever picnicked at Gas Works. Yikes.

Not my bike, but: A bike leans against the coal plant at Gas Works Park during Tour de Fat.

But no matter; it’s still a great place to go, and it worked well for Tour de Fat. The event started with a (super slow) bike parade, in which some 200 people–some in costume–rode down the bike path led by a man whose bike trailed a large speaker system. There was a designated area for riding Articycles (bizarre bikes that really aren’t very rideable or practical, but they’re still cool enough to want to try out) and plenty of music and entertainment. There was, of course, a beer garden. Yum, Fat Tire. Later, someone gave up his car for a year in exchange for a bike, which was lowered from the stage after a car funeral, New Orleans jazz-style. It was all very strange and entertaining, which you’d expect if you know New Belgium. They have a super fast twirly slide in their brewery so the office workers can zip on down to the taps, and they give vintage-style cruisers to employees who’ve worked there for a year. Plus, they use wind power and lots of other environmentally-friendly brewing practices. I usually try to drink locally, but I make an exception for New Belgium every now and then–I like their business model and their tag line “Follow your folly” resonates.

The farmer’s market is crazy this time of year. Everyone’s gone nuts with the arrival of a slew of colorful produce. I came home with corn, beets, parsley, cherries, zucchini, onions and artichokes this week. In Ballard, the mood is always festive as well as a bit frenzied: musicians, kids, dogs… It used to work that if I got there right when it opened at 10, I could avoid the crowds. Not so anymore. Just have to elbow your way through to get what you want, but at least everyone’s pretty good-natured about the whole thing. I usually feel a bit harried myself on these summer weekends as I try to preserve what’s left of my time here. Lucky for me–as the emcee at Tour de Fat emphasized–everything moves more slowly on a bicycle.

Great spread at the market this weekend

To start off our Friday in Colorado, we went to breakfast at one of my favorite places from college (still yummy) and then went to the New Belgium Brewery. The brewery is wind powered, employee owned and the tastings are complimentary but we did spend some money on t-shirts.

Kerry decided Colorado beer is acceptable (while texting friends in DC that he was having beer and they were at work).

On the way to our new hotel that was near the wedding location- we drove through Estes Park. We stopped at the Stanley Hotel to see the great views and I learned that Kerry has never seen The Shining. The gift shop sold the movie, redrum coffee mugs and there were other tributes to Jack Nicholson and the ghosts. Our friend Kelley claims the place is completely haunted but in the middle of the day it is really pretty and peaceful.

We arrived at our new hotel and after two days of non-stop activity- we crashed before 9pm. Some of you may feel that is absolutely pathetic but we were quite all right with it.

Wow! What a start to this year’s Tour de France; to think race organizers were thinking of keeping Lance’s bikes hung on the hooks! What would Versus do with all that extra time from the absence of the Lance commercials?  The opening time trial ended pretty much as anticipated – a strong showing from Lance and other favorites performing to expectations.  The second day’s sprint finish was textbook for team Columbia-HTC and Mark Cavendish.  Day three will go down as the cornerstone of the tour should Lance walk away with his eighth tour.  One corner and one split second was all it took for a breakaway group of riders including Lance, to have the opportunity to split from the herd in a cross wind and make a run all the way to the finish.  If not for a spectacular move from Cancellara to join the group, Lance would now be in yellow. Fabian saw the break and instantly jumped a curb in order to stay with the group.  As predicted and to my delight, the team time trial did not disappoint on day four.  The tight technical course let only those teams whose concentration rivaled their leg strength finish in the top spots.  Teams without were quick to look for their team car and spare bikes.  In the end, Team Astana was victorious and succeeded in erasing a 40 second time gap between Lance and the yellow jersey and moving him to within one second of the leader.

How can Fort Collins compete with such a race?  Well, how about the return of the 6 day races on CSU’s Oval brought to you by the Fort Collins Velodrome Association and co-sponsored by Lee’s Cyclery? On Sunday, July 12th at 5:00PM, the Oval will come alive with a multitude of races and categories for all to enjoy for six weeks.  At the Oval, there is not a bad seat on or off the track and spectators can get close enough to the action to experience racing without lifting a pedal! Last year the number of racers and spectators proved Fort Collins loves cycling and is worthy of their own velodrome.  Visit the Fort Collins Velodrome Association web site for more information about the races and the velodrome.

Another upcoming event which is a little less competitive but just as exciting, is the Urban Assault race/ride.  July 19th, Fort Collins city streets will be the proving ground for teams of two to plot their route to checkpoints around town where they will be faced with wacky obstacles and challenges.  First team to reach all the checkpoints and complete all its roadblocks and riddles will win a pair of coveted New Belgium Brewery cruisers and personal acclaim.  After the event, all are invited to attend the celebration and sample New Belgium’s brew and raffle at El Monte Grill.  Check out the UAR website for more information.

This week’s tip is again brought to you from one of my own personal experiences…..When riding in a group or peloton try to look at least two riders ahead of yourself.  As in driving looking ahead gives just a bit more notice of road hazards; it also gives you a little advanced warning when the peloton is making a break or brake.  Just watching the wheel in front of you may leave you out of a break/brake and make for a lonely or sore ride home.

Del-Lic-Cee-Us

After 6 months of hops deprivation, New Belgium was a warm welcome home, and we drove up to the brewery to chat with their eccentric, hard-working, folks. Colorado has one of the best craft beer scenes in the US, and New Belgium

the brew toys

Quality over quantity is a running theme in our work, whether it’s Fat Tire vs. Old Style or backcountry vs. resort. While driving back with my friend Kevin (a little-league baseball amigo and saavy social media guru at Albatross Digital), he mentioned, “You can make a lot of money being a scumbag, looking out for #1, but the companies that make it are the ones that are kind to eacthother. They treat everyone like family.”

At some point you sacrifice money to craft a quality product or run the family well. We didn’t become filmmakers to horde coin, and the people and companies we gravitate towards place a similar emphasis on creativity, ethics, and relationships. During one of my last days in Tokyo, I was talking to the Patagonia Japan GM about Walmart’s recent request to meet with Yvon Chouinard, the Paddy-G founder. Here was a $100 billion company asking a $300 million one for advice: can you make money and sell sustainable products?

new belgium ad

In a similar vein, Taro turns down mass production profits to pursue his creative Gentemstick board designs, and to share that beauty with other riders. “Creative boards allow you to do creative things,” he always says. Our athletes choose snow with good friends over wealth and nice cars. Likewise, the process of shaping a film is the process of growing these relationships, shaping a community, and sharing our art with others who are passionate about snow. It’s about the 50 person show in Leadville where we get to talk to everyone after the film, and putting our heart into what we do.
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While we’re at it, if you have a favorite local beer– or would be so kind to send us a bottle to:
Sweetgrass Productions LLC
200 Briar Rose Ln
Breckenridge, CO 80424
we’d be happy to send a copy of Hand Cut in return for your faithful devotion. Or just drop us a comment to key us in to a new flavor.
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I simply love my Dad and have always been “Daddy’s Little Girl” so I was excited when I found out he was coming to visit for Father’s Day. As a token of my appreciation I gave him some “Simply the Best” Trail mix from Trader Joe’s, among other things, and also made some yummy appetizers for lunch.

Ensalada Caprese (on a stick)- grape tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, fresh basil from the back porch, balsamic vinegar, and freshly ground pepper.

Fruit Salad- chopped bananas, blueberries, granny smith apple, and strawberries drizzled with lemon juice.

Simplistic Homemade Guacamole- 2 avocados, grape tomatoes, red onion, sea salt, ground pepper mixed well in the Vita.

AND fresh whole wheat baguette with olive oil, shredded parm, and basil dipping sauce.

Quite the Father’s Day spread. Dad loved it!

My Dad hung out for the majority of the day and then we went to Isaac’s house to celebrate the occasion with his family. Steaks were grilled for the guys and orange basil tofu with fennel was served for the vegetarians in the house (aka Isaac’s mom and I). On the side Isaac’s mom made sweet potato fries and fresh green beans from their garden. Everything was delicious and I went back for seconds on the tofu and the fries!

Last but not least, Isaac’s Dad just got back from North Carolina yesterday and look what he brought home!! New Belgium Brewery beer! Both Isaac and I were pumped that he brought the variety pack of beer home because New Belgium doesn’t distribute their beers in VA! I got to try Fat Tire in Colorado and in Vegas and loved it, but had never tried their new seasonal beer, Skinny Dip. It’s sad, really because I’m pretty sure Skinny Dip is one of my favorite beers. It doesn’t taste like a light beer at all- it has a ton of flavor and yet one 12 oz bottle has only 110 calories! I’ve got my fingers crossed that sometime soon New Belgium will considering distributing to good ol’ VA!

From their website: Peter, a Belgian, responded: “Only in America would I be asked to brew a beer with no calories and less alcohol.” The challenge was to give the beer body and complexity not usually found in beers at the lighter end of the spectrum. Cascade hops frolic with a hint of lime leaf, making Skinny Dip a bright, refreshing splash for the summer season.

I strongly encourage any beer drinkers out there to go skinny dipping!

On that note, I’m off to work.. I hope everyone has a FABULOUS week.

New Belgium Brewery’s origins were formed on the back of a bicycle while riding through European villages, tasting great beer. So its no wonder that they have sponsored one man’s trip across America on the back of one of their own 3 speed cruisers. Ryan Van Duzer a bicycle enthusiast who has never had a drivers license or driven a car, is riding from San Diego to Washington DC to raise, both, money for Community Cycles a bike co-op in Boulder Colorado, and awareness about the benefits of riding a bike instead of driving a car.

My motto for this ride is, “If I can ride a three speed cruiser across America, more people can ride to the grocery store and leave their cars behind.

Ryan will cross the country in about two months on the cruiser, camping when he gets tired, next to a strawberry field on his first night no less, and promoting the benefits of biking to whoever will listen. Of course to accompany him, and to extend the theme of sustainability, Ryan is towing a pony keg of New Belgium’s organic brew, the Mothership Wit.

We are all for sustainable modes of transportation here at SustainaBrew, be it on a bike, a train or just your own two feet. And New Belgium Brewery has done a lot to promote carbon free bicycling, with sponsorship of Ryan’s trek just the latest effort. Since 1994 the Brewery, has awarded their workers their very own cruiser, after one year of employment.

Via Draft Mag

+ Elephant Journal

If you’re going to be around Fort Collins this weekend, you are in for a treat; the USA Cycling Collegiate Nationals Road Bike Races are in town May 7 – 10 and are part of the Fort Collins Cycling Festival. You can also what the races live online here. Races are just a part of the events of the weekend with plenty of fun events and group rides for everyone.  For more information, times, and course maps visit fccyclingfest.com .  It’s never to late to volunteer to help out for the races either, and for more information about volunteering, visit the Fort Collins Bike Co-op web site.

1. Shift in advance of a hill or obstacle – avoid shifting under power.
2. Shift smoothly without shifting multiple gears at one time.
3. Avoid riding with the chain on the big chain ring in the front and big gear in the rear or on the small chain ring in the front and small gear in the back.

Now for those not racing, if you own a bike and did not go for a ride last Sunday after all the rain we had during the week, you were definitely in the minority.  I jumped on the road bike and took a spin up around Horsetooth Reservoir and had plenty of company!  If you live in Fort Collins, I don’t think I have to tell you about the quality of our road rides from virtually every garage door in town… but that doesn’t even scratch thesurface of the biking we have at our disposal.  No matter what your age or discipline, there is some place for you to spin your pedals around Fort Collins……OK, we may have to talk more about a velodrome but hey, they have my vote.  Name your game– bike path, mountain bike single track, terrain park, jump/pump track, and even a nationally listed BMX track — they are mere minutes away from every household in town!

Starting from the east end of Drake Road, the Poudre Trail is a bike path that winds itself north west for 12 miles or so to the town of Bellvue.  Most of this trail parallels the river for which it is named and if you ride far enough, you can ride over a bridge that is pretty impressive.  The Spring Creek trail forks off of the east end of the Poudre trail and brings its riders 8 miles to Spring Canyon Community Park and the Pineridge Natural Area.  You’ll have to guess where this trail got its name but you can bet there’s a slight grade in one direction.  The Mason Trail and the Power Trail then both run north and south and aren’t as rider friendly as the Poudre or Spring Creek Trails. One has to be willing to cross some pretty major roads when using these trails, but they both offer access to the other trails and when linked together, can make for quite a relatively motorist free ride.  The Cathy Fromme Trail on the southwest side of town is also a nice ride and once it’s linked to the Mason Trail and Spring Creek Trail, it will make quite a nice loop.  For a detailed trail map go to http://www.fcgov.com/bicycling/bike-maps.php or http://www.fcgov.com/parks/trails.php for distances etc.

Now for my bread and butter……If you have not been mountain biking on the trails around Fort Collins you are missing out on some of the best mountain biking in the state.  Yes, I know there are a lot of people who say that Fort Collins isn’t in the same league as Fruita or Grand Junction, never mind that other place called Moab (UT by the way) but if you can ride the trails in FC, you can ride any trail anywhere short of Whistler.  People from here can travel, key word is travel, west and have such a good time on the trails there because of our trails.  From super easy and flat to super technical and steep, you can find it within 15 minutes of town.  Those just beginning to get their tires dirty would enjoy time spent in and around the Pineridge Trail System, Blue Sky Trail and the Valley Trail in Horsetooth and Lory Parks.  Those riders

I use “expert trails” a bit loosely to describe the next group of trails because even Pineridge can be made into an expert trail depending on how fast you want to go.  Bobcat Ridge is a great intermediate expert type trail but being in Masonville, it’s a bit farther to go.  Wherever you park to ride at Horsetooth Mountain Park or Lory State Park, you will have a pretty good climb to be able to enjoy some great down hill rides on Wathan, Spring Creek, Mill Creek, Timber, Howard, Kimmons and Sawmill Trails.  I wouldn’t call these trails expert level, but they do have some expert level technical sections to challenge even the most seasoned veterans.

Is that it?…..Nope.  A perfect place to polish your technical skills is in the terrain park in Spring Canyon Park.  The park has logs and ladder bridges and raised skinnies, not to mention this crazy track sling to test your skill and your heart.  Spending an hour in the park is like spending four days on the trail trying things over and over.  Hopefully you build your confidence each time you make it just a foot farther on a given obstacle.

For those seeking some air time, the pump/jump park in Lory State Park can certainly lift your spirits.  For those of us whose wings aren’t quite developed there are different size jumps to keep us closer to earth.  The biggest are for the frequent fly-er travelers.  You say you don’t care for air……the pump track and other man made obstacles in the park can keep you plenty busy.  Goat heads used to be a problem at the track but thanks to volunteers they are now on the endangered species list.  Just bring a tube or two… just in case.

Now for this week’s tip — Play a tune!! Your wheel that is…Your spokes must be kept at the proper tension to keep your wheels spinning true.  An easy way to check is by playing a tune on them (if you’re still a fan of Andy Gibb, you may want to skip this method).  To get started – turn your bike over so the wheels can spin freely. Using the valve stem as a guide, tap on each spoke with a screwdriver or something held loosely in your hand.  Each spoke should make a ‘tinging sound’ when tapped.  When you tab a spoke and it makes a dull thud, it needs to be tightened using the correct sized spoke wrench.  Tighten the loose spoke in small increments while checking for the ‘ting’ sound.  Once you hear it, stop and keep checking the others.  All the spokes should sound the same. Alternatively, stop by the shop, we would love to help out.

So, the weather finally allowed the New Belgium Brewery short track race series to begin and boy, did it ever!  Close to 100 racers in all showed up! The kids started off the evening followed by the beginners. Then the “A” class got started and the “open” class wrapped up the evening.  I have to say, it’s great to see the parents get their kids involved in a sport that tests their inner strength as much, if not more than, their physical abilities.  No matter what your ability level is or what you ride you quickly find riders on the course you can race with and learn from.  Sure, we all want to be out front at the end of the race but that’s only a small part of it all.  Many thanks to NBB and the volunteers who come out to put this thing together.  If you want more information on the series and the next race go to here, more pictures of the race here.  Just to give you a taste of the evening…. here’s my own little racing folly…

As I approached the sign up table and saw the list for the “A” class I began to wonder if I should have arrived a bit earlier and taken off with the beginners — 42 riders in the “A” class!  The spectators with the cameras may have had the right idea.  I chose to mount my camera on my handle bar and set it up for movie mode.  The camera setup  received a few curious questions on the starting line, however.  And now, whew! here come the butterflies! Looking around, I notice a few faces I haven’t seen since the snow started flying.  “Hey Mike how you been, you been riding much?”….Hopefully you hear ‘no’, but nobody ever says yes.  Jason gives a little speech and soon after…. READY GO!  OK, here we are at that first turn in the top 10 and remember that first big dip.  Relax, get your weight back.  Alright, I’m about fourth at the moment and here’s the first little climb, I stay on Brain’s wheel (I hope he’s breathing just as hard as I am).  Good thing my heart rate monitor was not charged! I’d hate to see a fourth digit appear!  Settle in on this next straight away and get the breathing under control before the next section of climbs and descents.  Take the corner wide…. keep the momentum now out of the saddle and down….again.  Oh, it’s a little breezy on this back section, should be on Brian’s wheel.  Careful on these off camber turns so…….dang it! how’d he get by me?….You don’t go down. No No.  Stay with him on this next sweeper, good.  Ooofff! Watch out for that branch on the next lap, remember to check your helmet after the race.  Got a bit of a separation from the guys behind… nice…keep a good rhythm.  This dirt pile is new, don’t go off the edge.  Watch out for the next couple of turns, they’re tricky…don’t lean into them and wash out the front wheel.  Crank it up around this section now and stick your tongue back in your mouth (always helps!).  There’s the tree, I hope these guys get through it clean… c’mon boys, stick it.  Last turn, show everybody you’re doing fine.  Four more to go….3….2..1. Just hanging on..AHHHH relax.  Wow, did I drink gasoline before the race?  Those fire eaters would do good out here, where’s my camelback?  But you know, I’ll be back!

If you want to see some coverage of the open class race visit you tube at the following link  Sorry, I forgot my camera was on the lower resolution setting.

That’s my story for the week. Have you seen the latest news coming from the Lance Armstrong camp?  Itseems while training in France he literally got himself into a bit of hot water with the AFLD, the French anti doping agency.  After returning from a training ride, a tester from the AFLD was waiting for Lance wanting hair, urine and blood samples from him.  With all the groupies Lance has in France naturally, he wanted to check this guy out.  While his team made some calls, Lance thought he might freshen up a bit and hopped into the shower.  If you don’t know, that is a big NO NO in the world of drug testing.  You must not leave the sight of the tester after the request for a sample has been made and certainly not to go take a shower, especially in Europe.  Just kidding Yann!  Since announcing his return to cycling Lance has been tested 24 times each without incident, or is it indecent exposure?  This little slip may be just what the Tour De France race organizers need to keep Lance from becoming an eight time Tour winner or even help Levi or Alberto win the Tour for Team Astana.  By the way, Lance was in our own back yard recently, in Steamboat, and gave a video update of his recovery and his brush with the AFLD.  Sounds like the training is going well and we’ll be able to see him in the Tour of Italy or Tour de Italia May 9 – 31

* Good ole duct tape – Wrap 1/4 ” thick around your pump to get out of a sticky situation.

That’s it for this week. Oh, I just about forgot = an update on Colorado Safety Bill 148 — it is back on the House floor.   Thanks to the Conference Committee, the confusing amendment was voted to be removed from the Bill.  Hopefully, the clarity of the Bill will make it easier for it to pass at the Senate level.  But before it gets to the Senate, it must return to the House for a “yes” or “no” vote.  This is where you can help, call or email your state Representative and urge him to vote yes on the Bill.  I just sent another note to House of Representative John Kefalas and it took less than five minutes.  Follow the link http://bicyclecolo.org/page.cfm?PageID=988 To find your State representative and send him a note.

Now that’s really it for the week! Hope to see you at NBB next week!

Steve Lacey

My.BarackObama.com allows
users to find local events and groups, contact local voters about important issues and share stories using their very own blog.

The site is created and powered by Blue State Digital, an agency that offers technical as well as strategic help for online campaigns.

My.BarackObama.com consisted of 70, 000 personal fundraising pages that raised over $30 million.   Members also were able to receive e-mails from campaign organizers. The organizers were able to target and craft different emails for different groups of people based on how much they had donated and raised.

The creators of the site have also included YouTube in the website by including videos such as this tutorial below.  In the course of the campaign, users of My.BarackObama.com spent 14 million hours watching over 1,800 Obama campaign-related videos on YouTube.

The Obama internet team was easily able to track usage on the website and easily control the look and feel of landing pages, create new campaigns and manage community content with the tools offered by Blue State Digital.

The easy to use functions for both the creators and users greatly contributed to the efficiency of the campaign.

The site still remains very active after the election because of the continued participation of its users. Below is an upcoming event at New Belgium Brewery titled, “New Ideas at New Belgium”.

I’m super busy, so no more posting unless something really stands out. Getting ready to pour concrete for the upcoming building move, then I hop in the car to drive to Big D for a three day grazing school/seminar.

At least I’ll be able to deduct this beer run.

On March 17th, the whole world will “go green,” but not the eco-friendly type. However, celebrating the Irish holiday doesn’t have to mean you have to give up your true going green convictions! There are a bunch of great ways you can spend this year’s holiday and still promote the GO GREEN message. You can be sure that this year wearing green might mean a little more than just a social requirement to avoid a pinch. So in the spirit We have pulled together a few helpful hints on to celebrate a truly green and eco-friendly St Patrick’s Day!

Drink Local and/or Organic Beer: Besides wearing green, the biggest St Patty’s Day tradition is a visit to the good ol’ pub!  This year celebrate in an eco-friendly style by ideally ordering an organic local beer on tap and in a re-usuable glass. But if this ideal is not attainable near you, check out some of these eco friendly and organic breweries: New Belgium Beers (a worker owned co-op run by wind power, Brooklyn Brewery (also run by wind power in NYC), Peak Organic, or North Coast Brewing Company. And remember if you must drink out of the bottle, be sure to recycle!

Eat Irish favorites Vegan Style: Another St Patty’s Day favorite is eating delicious Irish meals. So this year try to make your Irish favorites with organic, local veggies. By not eating meat on this holiday you are lessing your impact on the environment and sooth your conscious. It is pretty easy to make all your favorites vegan. Try out some of these favorite recipes of ours including our very own Vegan Irish Stew, Vegan Irish Soda Bread, and Vegan Irish Colcannon. So serve up your favorite vegan Irish recipes before you hit the bars.   

Avoid Plastic Decorations: It seems like everyone is out to make a buck during St Patrick’s Day and several cheap plastic gadgets such as beads and plastic shamrock rings. These cheap and disposable decorations are made out of plastic, a no no to greenies, and are usually thrown out the next day, only to end up in landfills. So this year be sure to avoid these unnecessary  accessories. And if you must have some shamrock snazz try making your own decorations for your party or purchase items you will actually re-use. And finally try some face paint to wear out on the town!

Wear Organic/Promote Green: Instead of just wearing any old green T shirt or Irish slogan, wear organic T Shirts! That way your green tees really can BE Green! These days Organic Tees aren’t hard to come by, even major brands carry them. But many are still manufactured in sweatshops. So be sure to look out for the labels when you purchase them. If you want a little more St Patrick’s Day Cafe Press has a great “Kiss Me I’m Irish” Organic Tee. Also, you might want to take the opportunity to promote green issues on this day. Check out the New Green Deal Organic Tee or our very own Declare Your Autonomie Organic Tee. If you wear your green slogans out and about, just maybe your tee will start a conversation with someone at the bar and you can really promote green!

The New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins has been an important case study for companies that want to “go green” (whatever that means) and embrace a sustainable business model. From its trailblazing move a decade ago to start purchasing wind power, to its embarrassing 2007 article in the Denver Post revealing its green efforts weren’t as comprehensive as was claimed, to its first-ever sustainability report last year, New Belgium is a great example of a company passionately motivated to reduce its environmental impact – and of how difficult that can be, especially in the public spotlight.

The New York Times’ great blog, Green Inc., profiled New Belgium’s journey this week. The most wise and educational words in the piece are from the brewery’s sustainability director, Jenn Orgolink: New Belgium’s efforts toward sustainability are “a work in progress.” A true statement for a maturing field of understanding how business operates, and how to reduce impact.

This Sunday marks the most watched television event of the year: Superbowl Sunday! So as the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers face off in the warm Tampa sun, most Americans will gather around their televisions sets and indulge in snacks and beer. So is there a way to keep your Superbowl party green and vegan? Of course there is! We have put together a quick list of how to green and veganize your Superbowl Party! So sit back and enjoy your Sunday, root for your team, and keep your conscious satisfied. 

Biodegradable and Recyclable Party-ware

Most of the time when we through parties the last thing we want to deal with is washing dishes. So many people usually end up buying throw away plastic and paper silverware, plates, and napkins. Instead of going for the plastic, try out biodegradable plates, silverware, and napkins. There are many companies that make these items such as World Centric and  Nature Friendly. The eco friendly party supplies can also be found at most Whole Foods locations. Not only will this help green your Superbowl Bash, it will make cleaning up all that much easier. If you do use biodegradable supplies, be sure you compost the items rather than sending them out with the regular trash!

Vegan and Organic Snacks

Superbowl parties are usually filled with snacks like wings, pizza, and chips! But there is a way to enjoy your Sunday with healthy, organic, and vegan. Great healthy snacks to serve are organic salsa and chips, organic hummus and carrots, and organic veggies and fruit! But you can also use vegan appetizer substitute such as Health is Wealth Vegan Buffalo Wings, Health is Wealth Vegan Nuggets, Health is Wealth Vegan Egg Rolls, and Nate’s Meatless Meatballs. You can even serve several Toffuti Pizzas, Amy’s Cheese-less Pizza, or make your own! Finally you can serve some great dips and party foods. There are tons of great vegan recipes out there. Here are a few of our own: Vegan 7 Layer Bean Dip, Vegan Spinach Dip, and Vegan Potato Salad.

Green Refreshments

Watching football inevitably brings beer! There is one great company, New Belgium, which happens to be a favorite beer of AP’s! This is a worker owned co-op that makes great beers through wind power and are delivered in soy powered trucks. We suggest you try the Fat Tire or Trippel. If your guests would rather drink wine, consider serving vegan or organic wines. And finally if your loved ones choose not to drink, be sure to serve alternatives for them such as organic soda, like Blue Sky or sparkling cider. 

Clean Up!

After the new champion has been crowned and all the party goers have gone, the worst part of a get together starts: the dreaded clean up! Just a quick reminder to compost all left over food products and used biodegradable dishes and flatware. Also, be sure to recycle all beer bottles, soda cans, and wine bottles. You can use recycled trash bags and cleaning products. Check out Seventh Generation or Method for several of these products. Be sure your clean up is just as green as your party!

Another weekend in Dallas and a thought occurs to me, I’ll stop playing scorched earth with my carbon footprint as soon as those prudes in the Oklahoma legislature repeal their draconian laws regarding alcohol. (The principled bastards at New Belgium don’t ship to Oklahoma because of rules regarding selling any chilled beer over 3.2%)

EDIT: A little clarification, even Wikipedia knows of my plight!

Oklahoma defines low-point beer as any beverage containing between 0.5% and 3.2% alcohol by weight.[1] Any beverage containing more alcohol than this may only be sold in licensed liquor stores, and also must be sold at room temperature.[2] As a result, many smaller breweries, such as the Spoetzl brewery and New Belgium will limit or not sell their products in Oklahoma, despite passing through the state to deliver to neighboring states. Minors under the age of 21 are not permitted to possess or purchase alcohol; however, consumption in a “private setting” is not prohibited by Oklahoma law.