Beer N Bikes - Durango, Colorado » Bikes

Chrome Industries – Kursk Shoe Review

Jeff — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:25:25 +0000

I participated in the Chrome Turds for Gold Shoe Exchange a few months ago, sent off a pair of old shoes and a few weeks later got a nice brand new pair of Chrome Kursk shoes back in the mail.

I’ll preface this review by saying that I have very picky feet. I can spend an hour picking out new shoes, trying on every different brand in the store.

I was surprised when I put the shoes on and they seemed to fit ok. They’re a low cut canvas shoe (click the link above to see what they look like) made specifically for cyclists. The soles are incredibly stiff, the laces have metal tips for durability and there’s even a loop under the laces to secure them so they don’t get caught while you’re pedaling.

One thing I did notice was that the very back of the shoe rubbed the back of my feet a little bit. I put on some thicker socks and it seemed fine.

I used the shoes for a few weeks while riding around town, running errands, going to the bars, etc. They’re extremely comfortable to ride in. However, they aren’t very comfortable to walk in.

I wore them this past weekend to the Taste of Durango, a street fair type event stretching a few blocks with plenty of walking. As the day went on the back of my feet hurt more and more. When I got home I realized I had bloody blisters on both feet from the shoes rubbing (picture below, not for the squeamish).

It’s not just the rubbing that was uncomfortable. The soles are so stiff (perfect for riding) which makes them pretty uncomfortable to walk in. They’re about as comfortable to walk in as my mountain bike SPD clipless shoes. Both are stiff, but the clipless shoes have the added advantage on the bike.

I’m going to give my Chrome Kursk’s another shot (I plan on throwing them in the wash to see if the canvas will get less stiff) and wear some heavier socks, but if they give me problems again I have no qualms about going back to clipless pedals and mountain bike shoes.

Click below for the pictures of my Chrome Kursk’s and blistered bloody feet.

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Chrome Industries – Kursk Shoe Review

Rides and Races In Southwest Colorado

Jeff — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:01:07 +0000

I’m sure most people reading this know that Southwest Colorado is a great place to ride a bike. Whether you’re riding the world class trails or many of the lightly used roads with great mountain climbs, riding here is great.

Because of this there are plenty of rides and races that take place here or pass through. As the snow melts and people get back on their bikes I wanted to post links to just a few.

The first fits the theme of this blog perfectly: Peaks and Pints Brewery Tour. The 220 mile ride on the San Juan Skyway, starts in Ridgeway and will stop at breweries in Telluride, Dolores, Durango and Ouray from August 30th to September 3rd.
The Colorado Peace ride follows the same route, but for a different cause. They’re raising money for the Sophia Peace Center in Dolores. This ride is beginning and ending in Durango and happens July 29th-August 1st. My friend Vanessa is doing the Peace Ride, raising money for charity. You can support her here.
Ride the Rockies starts near Fruita and heads down the 550 through Durango and Pagosa Springs before going over Wolf Creek Pass and heading north to finish in Salida.
The Across America and The Race Across the West will come through Durango. The Race Across the West starts June 9th in Oceanside, CA and will end in Durango. The Race Across America has a staggered start depending upon category between June 8th and June 12th. They’ll be passing through Durango on their way to Annapolis, MD.
12 Hours of Mesa Verde, the endurance race at Phil’s World near Cortez is happening May 8th.
Last but not least, The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic happens every Memorial Day Weekend in Durango. Check the site for the full schedule, there are plenty of events for both cyclists and spectators.

There are so many great rides and races in Southwest Colorado, I’ve surely left some off this list. If you know of any add them to the comments below.

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Rides and Races In Southwest Colorado

FLC Time Trial Series Starts Tonight, Wednesday March, 24 2010

Jeff — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:53:23 +0000

Fort Lewis College Cycling Team’s annual Time Trial series starts tonight and continues each week on Wednesday for 6 weeks.

The first three weeks follow one course, and starting the fourth week they change course for the last three weeks.

The series is open to all. Tonight’s TT starts and ends at Sweeney’s on CR203, sign ups are between 4:45pm and 5:15pm with the first rider off at 5:00pm.

Click over to the Durango Wheel Club’s site for detailed course info and more details.

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FLC Time Trial Series Starts Tonight, Wednesday March, 24 2010

Cycling Gear Review: Road ID

Jeff — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:20:30 +0000

Road ID is one of the simplest and most common sense products I’ve come across in a long time.

If you’re anything like me you probably don’t bring your wallet or even your ID when you head out for a training ride. I just never think to do it, and when I do I usually end up leaving my ID in my jersey and end up not having it later when I need it. The problem with not having any ID when out riding is that if you get hit by a car or otherwise hurt and need medical attention not having ID can complicate things.

Road ID is a simple product that solves the problem of carrying an ID when out training. Instead of taking my drivers license out of my wallet every time I ride (and then forgetting to put it back and finding myself without it when I need it later) I just put my Road ID bracelet on before each ride, and it’s better than just carrying a driver’s license.

Road ID comes in a few flavors, all serving the same function, to provide identification, emergency contact info, and possible health concerns. Road ID is available in two different bracelet types (Wrist ID Sport and Wrist ID Elite), an ankle bracelet (Ankle ID), a shoelace tag (Shoe ID, aimed at runners) and dog tags (FIXX ID).

Road ID contacted me a few weeks ago to ask if I’d be interested in trying out their product. They sent a promo code to provide me with a free Road ID and let me go through the process just as any customer would. The process is dead simple, you pick the type of Road ID from those listed above, I decided to go with the standard Wrist ID Sport (if you’re planning on wearing the bracelet all the time you might choose the Wrist ID Elite, it looks to be a bit more stylish). After choosing which Road ID you want, there’s one more big choice, the original or interactive. The original gives you an ID with six lines of text for ID and emergency contact info. The interactive lists your name and location as well as instructions on a phone number to call or website to visit for the rest of the emergency contact info. The interactive option is good for those who need to update their contact information often, as they can do so online. The interactive comes with a one year membership and additional years are $9.99. If you need to change the information listed on the original Road ID you have to order a replacement tag for $16.99.

I chose the original ID rather than the interactive, and then was faced with the hardest part of the process, what to put on it. You get six lines of 24 characters each. The first few lines were easy, my name and birth date, where I live and my wife’s cell phone number. After that it got a bit more difficult. Road ID suggests that you list 3-4 emergency contacts, so I listed two more family members. Another good thing to put on your Road ID is health conditions and allergy information. With all this information the Road ID is a much better choice of ID than just carrying a driver’s license. If I were unconscious it would provide anyone that finds me to know who I am and how old I am, where I live and who to contact, and if it’s an emergency responder they’ll know any allergies and health conditions I have. This compared to if I were to just put my driver’s license in my jersey pocket, they would know my name and age, but that’s about it.

I leave my Road ID bracelet attached to my bike’s handlebars, so there’s no chance of me forgetting to put it on before a ride.

The Road ID is cheap (the various models range in price between $19.99 and $29.99) and provides peace of mind. It won’t save you from getting hit by a car (don’t forget to wear your helmet) but if you do get hit by a car, or have some other accident where emergency responders need to provide support, Road ID will help them contact your loved ones quickly, as well as provide them with allergy and health information immediately.

As I mentioned earlier, Road ID provided me with a free Wrist ID Sport for this review, but it’s a product I wholeheartedly believe in, which is why you’re seeing this post about it. If you’re interested in ordering your own Road ID you can save a buck by using the coupon code (which will expire April 10, 2010): ThanksJeff626391

Click this link to check out Road ID and order one for yourself.

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Cycling Gear Review: Road ID

Milan-Sanremo

Jeff — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:14:46 +0000

I’m not a huge pro cycling fan, I usually catch some Tour de France highlights each year, and read some of the blog posts about doping scandals, but for the most part that’s been the extent of my following pro cycling the last few years.

This year might be different though. I just got done reading Floyd Landis’s book, Positively False, regardless of your opinions about Landis it’s an interesting read, and quite the page turner, I read it in two sittings over 20 hours. That got me excited about pro cycling and since it’s the start of the season I figure I’ll try to follow along a bit closer this year.

One of the big spring races is the Milan-Sanremo which is happening tomorrow. The Spring Classic (la classica di Primavera in Italian) is the longest professional one-day race at 298km (approximately 185 miles).

It’s always been difficult to watch pro cycling in the US, unless you have some obscure cable or satellite sports channels, but thanks to the internet it’s getting easier. The race should be streamed on a few different websites as far as I can tell. Universal Sports should be showing it online starting at 8am Mountain Time. I also read that it will stream on the Italian site Gazzetta, but since everything on that site is in Italian, I’m not sure of the details. And it looks like Steephill.tv will have some live coverage as well. If watching isn’t your thing but you want to follow along, there will also be someone live tweeting updates on Twitter.

Cycling Weekly has two lengthy preview articles up, check them out here and here.

I also came across this little column at VeloNews about the race during World War 2. And of course, Wikipedia has a nice little summary.

Photo: _ankor

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Milan-Sanremo

Mountain Bike Specialists Spring Sale now through March 31st

Jeff — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:19:34 +0000

Just a quick post to note that Durango’s Mountain Bike Specialists Spring Sale is going on now (it started yesterday) through March 31st.

They’re sure to have plenty of deals throughout the sale, so if you’re in the market for a new bike or new bike gear it’s worth stopping by. It looks like they’re also posting their daily doorbuster deals on their Facebook page.

Mountain Bike Specialists is located at 949 Main Avenue and you can give them a call at (970) 247-4066‎

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Mountain Bike Specialists Spring Sale now through March 31st

Free Shoes? If You Act Quick

Jeff — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:38:34 +0000

I’ll start out by saying if you’re reading this after March 18th, 2010 you’re too late.

Now that that’s out of the way, who doesn’t want free shoes? Especially hipster approved, “urban” cycling tested, durable bike commuter Chrome shoes?

Chrome, the company mostly known for their durable messenger bags, made for comfortably carrying large loads while cycling (the ones with the seat belt looking buckle on the strap) got into the shoe business a while back. And to prove how serious they are about the shoe business they’re willing to give a free pair of shoes to anyone that sends them an old pair, but the window of opportunity is short. The offer started yesterday, March 17th and ends today March, 18th 2010. So grab an old pair of beat up shoes and get them in the mail today.

Press release with all the info below:

Chrome’s Turds For Gold Shoe Exchange

San Francisco, CA, 3/17/2010 – In an attempt to let the world know how committed they are to their footwear line, Chrome announces their Turds For Gold Shoe Exchange. For two days only, Chrome will be slinging a new pair of shoes to anyone that sends them a worn-out pair of kicks.

The exchange begins on Wednesday, March 17 and ends promptly the next day on Thursday, the 18th. Packages must be post marked by 3/18 to qualify and should include a return shipping address and shoe size info. Please ship all packages to:

Chrome Industries
Attn: Turds for Gold/Sharkey
580 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

(via The Goat)

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Free Shoes? If You Act Quick

Lakefront Brewery’s Fixed Gear American Red Ale

Jeff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:31:39 +0000

This is one way to do Beer ‘n Bikes. Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery recently released Fixed Gear American Red Ale. As the fixed gear focused blog trackosaurusrex observes, Lakefront Brewery is just minutes from Cog Magazine’s headquarters. I’ve never been to Milwaukee but from what I’ve seen there’s quite the urban fixed gear scene there.

If anyone has tried the Lakefront Brewery Fixed Gear American Red Ale leave a comment below to let us know how it is.

(via trackosaurusrex)

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Lakefront Brewery’s Fixed Gear American Red Ale

Durango Wheel Club 2010

Jeff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:36:41 +0000

As the weather gets warmer the Durango Wheel Club is getting ready to start their 2010 season. Basic memberships are $30, which gets you into all rides, races, DWC events as well as discounts to local merchants and 1 DWC water bottle, there are a few more levels of membership with a few more benefits and a bit more schwag. Click over to the DWC’s Membership page for all the info.

The Durango Wheel Club will also be hosting their annual spring kickoff party for members and folks that want to sign up. This year it will be at The Hub Training Center on Tuesday March 30th. Check out the Durango Wheel Club’s website for more info.

And one more bit of DWC info. They’re looking to get more women involved this year and have put out a call for suggestions on what might help make the DWC more welcoming to women riders. See this blog post on the website for more info and how to get in touch.

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Durango Wheel Club 2010

Roller Races in Durango

Jeff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:11:51 +0000

While the roads are still icy and it’s not quite outdoor riding season yet, there are two indoor races coming up in the next couple weeks in Durango.

On Tuesday February 16th, 5:30PM at The Hub Training Center they’ll be holding Computrainer races. I’ve heard these Computrainers are pretty sweet. I’ve heard there will be pizza from Bread and beer from Ska Brewing Co. should be fun to go check out the hub and watch, even if you’re not racing. Check their website for more info or email chris@thehubtraining.com

On Wednesday February 24th at 6pm FLC Cycling will be hosting roller races at The Irish Embassy. Races will be one on one for 15 minutes at full throttle. There’s a $5 requested donation which goes towards FLC Cycling. Email hagen_d@fortlewis.edu for more info or to register.

Update: There will also be races Saturday, Feb. 20th at 7pm at Papa Wheelie’s, 1077 Main Ave. Stop by the shop or call (970) 247-0144

Top Image, Creative Commons, flickr user: BikePortland.org

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Roller Races in Durango