Snow Biking...

Yesterday the opportunity presented itself for me to take a bike ride. Normally, this is no big deal. This day, however, was different. The day before, five inches of snow was dumped here in SW Ohio. Instead of spending some time on the indoor trainer, the cold weather gear was put on, and the Gary Fisher Rig was thrown into the elements.

Riding a bike in the snow is a whole new ball game. For the most part, traction is very limited. To combat this, first you need to drop your air pressure just a little. If you have studded tires, that is a moot point. Since I don't have any studded tires (Yet) I dropped my pressure, and started to spin off. The best way to keep moving is to stay out of other peoples tracks. This may seem weird at first, but once you start moving, the deep snow will keep your front wheel tracking straight. After that, just keep your momentum and speed up, and things will go great.

Another way to enjoy winter weather riding, would be to buy a fat bike. Fat bikes are relatively new, but more and more companies and private builders are starting to take notice to the new trend. One of the first mass produced fat bikes was the Surly Pugsley. Surly, (www.surlybikes.com) which is based out of Minneapolis MN, knows a thing or two about snow. This bike, which is a frame only, has the ability to handle 3.7" tires. There is a lot of float going on with tires that wide. After riding in the snow yesterday, I can see why these bikes are so popular.

Probably the best way though, to enjoy snow biking is to dress for the weather. I could not say this enough. Make sure you have a good base layer, good insulating layer, and of course a great outer shell. My shell of choice for the day was my Mountain Hardwear softshell, which was designed for ice climbing. It kept me warm, and at times a little too toasty.

So after I rode to my goal for the day, which was the Little Miami river, I decided to turn around, ride into the wind, and go home for a tasty brew. All in all, I ended up riding 7.5 miles, which felt three times that. This was much better than spending time on the indoor trainer. A good formula to keep in mind: A singlespeed mountain bike + 5" of snow + A good layering system of clothing = An epic workout.

My motto on the ride back home was written in graffiti:
"Skeet Skeet Mofo."
Words to live by.

Killer Penguin....

Rarely does this blog ever get the chance to cover two topics at once, but today is the day. Enter Boulder Beer Company's Killer Penguin Barleywine. It is only fitting that I work with penguins. Hence the 2 birds with one stone. Beer and birds. The name of this blog. I digress.

Again, enter the Killer Penguin. Boulder Beer made an interesting beer with this one. For a barleywine, it is very mellow. I wouldn't go as far to call it bland, but the flavors are very subtle. There is a good fruit flavor, with a hint of hops, but this beer goes down very, very easy. I think I could get into trouble with this beer, as easy as it is to drink. Did I mention it is 10% ABV? Yeah, a few of these and things start to look different.





Again, this beer is easy to drink, and I would guess that in a year or two that it would be amazing. That said, I am planning on picking up a couple more bottles to cellar for the long term, just to compare. It is no Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Rogue Old Crustacean, or even Stone Old Guardian, but it is way smoother than and easier to drink than all of the other barleywines that I have had. In a couple years, we shall see how killer this penguin can be.

Happy New Year!

Lots of new topics to write about in the new year! A few beers, bike rides and birds for sure! 2009 went out with a bang. The day started off with a singlespeed mountain bike ride, and ended off at the local bar here in Milford, Latitudes Cafe. Great night with family and friends and a whole lot of Guinness. 2010 seems like a busy year already, with quite a few beers in the fridge to try and write up. A few topics to come:

• Killer Penguin Barleywine
• Trogenator
• Yuengling
• How to tear apart a bicycle drivetrain
• And finally, a triathlon!

2010 is here, have a bike ride and a beer!