[Bruno Moore]

Bad news: the inimitable Rod Smith will be unable to attend.

Worse news: I, Brünø, will be taking his place and awarding the prizes he sponsored.

Awkward news: I won one of them. Unless you really want to see me try to award myself a prize (no, no you don’t), I’m going to need a volunteer who can muster an unusual amount of gusto.

[Bruno Moore]

Bad news: the inimitable Rod Smith will be unable to attend.

Worse news: I, Brünø, will be taking his place and awarding the prizes he sponsored.

Awkward news: I won one of them. Unless you really want to see me try to award myself a prize (no, no you don’t), I’m going to need a volunteer who can muster an unusual amount of gusto.

[Bruno Moore]

How far’s the nearest CaBi station from the garage, and would I be able to grab a bike, race it, and have it back in the dock within 30 minutes and in time to run back downstairs for the podium photos?

[Bruno Moore]

For better or for worse, I’ll be there.

[Bruno Moore]

So I got a little antsy and, rather than completing my final lap of John McCormac Road, I finished my Longest Half Hour five minutes early…but still complied with the UCI (UCDC?) regs regarding record attempts. Seven miles in 24:40 from dock to dock, averaging 17.1 MPH thanks to Brünø’s Badass Basket/Bar Brace.

[Bruno Moore]

Well, I think it’s time I showed my hand. Bottoms up…

Atlas Brewing: *Pumpernickel Stout, *Saison de Fêtes

If you want ’em, get ’em fast, because these holiday specials are all but kicked until at least #fs2016. Probably the best things I’ve had out of Atlas; yes, I know, not my favorite brewery, but they make some intriguing things every once in a while. These, though…
The SdF I’d had earlier—in November, I think—and wanted to have a half for old times sake. Rich, strong, vinuous, and spicy—but not “Christmas beer” overspiced, but more “letting the esters and phenols of the yeast do the work in a big beer” spicy. So many winter beers go overkill with clove and allspice and cinnamon and licorice and chocolate and star anise and whatever else my ex and I put in that ill-conceived Imperial stout we brewed in my TU apartment all those years ago; this one just trusts the yeast to do what they do best and calls it a very good day. Similarly, the PS used the rye malt and molasses to add a bit more character and dark flavor to an otherwise mild, but good, stout. Well-balanced, and not overkill in any dimension.
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Bardo: *Bubba’s Sour Mash, Marion Berry Ale

Yes it was kinda cold, yes the inside’s open, but you know what, the dogs are outside, and they’re warm enough. Talked Women & Bikes and protected bikeways with one dog’s owner and drank a BSM—which, if you like sours, and you like Schwartzbier, you’ll love. You’ll also probably be me. Marion Berry…well, I’m not sure what the Rogue spirit that got poured into the glass was (a blackberry Schnapps?), but it didn’t do much. Shoulda stuck with the Bubba’s. Also, just FYI…Bardog is awesome.
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DC Brau: Cimmerian Schwartzbier, *Nitro Penn Quarter Porter

Snagged a spot at the bar and started talking with Lizzie the Beermeister. Everything about beer, bikes, and generally getting awesome. She’s cool, y’alls should go and say hey. Anyhow, wanted to try the Schwartz they had just released…eh. Green, like unbrewed malt, like so many DC Brau beers at the brewery. Freshness is nice, but not serving beers before they’re ready. The PQP, OTOH…wow. Never had it on nitro before, and what a difference it makes on this one! Goes from sharp, assertive, robust porter to creamy, rich, well-balanced, and delicious. Nitro is exactly what it needs to give it the balance and richness it so desperately lacks otherwise. Served right, it may be my favorite DC Brau yet.
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Denizens Brewery: Ponch’s Porter, Third Party Trippel, *Lowest Lord ESB

Rode along a chocolate-milk colored Sligo Creek to Silver Spring to hit this one up on Pi Day. Seeing dark, frothing waters made me think of dark, frothing beer…but the humidity had other ideas. The Ponch was too robust and sharp (hi guys, see what DCB does with nitro, this one needs it), the Third Party very phenolic and clove-heavy…but in a way that might not be bad, I guess. Okay, hm. Can’t decide between either, let’s try Something Completely Different: the ESB. Oh, takes me right back to the Royal Oak, my first night in Oxford…all we need is to put this one on cask and I’ll be in heaven. Dang well spot-on. Next time, though, I’ll have to try the barbecue as well; that brisket looked pretty good, and Lord knows that’s a hard thing to find around here.
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Gordon Biersch Navy Yard: *Weizenbock

Ah yes. The Sandbagger’s Special. Weren’t expecting me to pull this one out of my back pocket, were you? Wasn’t on Instagram, (unintentionally) screwed up the Strava record of the CaBi ride over from Brookland after my Bikeshare TT attempt—but here it is. Such a nice day, sat where I could feel the breeze through the open windows and watch the sun slowly move across the “future is now” Department of Transportation building with its shiny Century Gothic letters. Good clove and banana notes, stronger malt sweetness than in in a typical Weiß balancing the strong alcohol; a great beer to have on a lazy late afternoon.
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[Bruno Moore]

@hozn 111494 wrote:

I think that is what team captains are for.

It’s happened. I have, as team captain, turned down a request from a potential 11th Inquisitor (who hadn’t signed up for FS) in the interest of fair play. While we’re already planning on keeping the Inquisition alive after the end of winter in some form, at which point everyone will be encouraged to join, that time is not for a few more days.

[Bruno Moore]

IIRC, buried somewhere in their FAQ, it seems that they assume you ride at a constant rate (about 8 miles an hour, I think? Maybe less? I’ll have to look later), and guess that you went at that speed for the whole time the bike was out. Their estimated distance is a function of elapsed time, not station-to-station distance.

[Bruno Moore]

@Steve O 111411 wrote:

Hey, Claeys! Boomer’s on a roll. How ’bout updating the standings for the final sprint?

Those standings are probably already out of date; Instagram suggests there are more than a few folks holding their cards close, marking opponents, and Watching.

Competitive brewery touring. Who woulda thunk it?

[Bruno Moore]

I’m probably not the best person to plug the Jamis Aurora, but Eric’s probably out riding again. An Aurora Elite is what he’s used on all his long rides this winter…and I think we’ve seen how that worked out for him. Of course, he did just build up a VeloOrange frame, so there’s that as well.

Also a Volpe/Lupo fan on general celeste-addled principle, but also because it’s a great “do it all, carry it all” bike. Here’s the Almighty Sheldon Brown’s possibly overtechy thoughts on it.

And, because I know the day may come when (God Forbid!) Valentine makes a final trip to Schwinn Heaven, those parts of me that aren’t leaning toward the Volpe are more than a little intrigued by the Kona Sutra. A little on the spendy side at first glance, yes, but it comes ready-to-roll with what would normally be kinda expensive aftermarket upgrades, like that B-17, rack and fenders, and those bombproof Schwalbes.

[Bruno Moore]

So, it looks like Monday is probably the best day, generally speaking. Brookland Pint starting at, say, 6:00?

[Bruno Moore]

Given that it seems that The Powers That Be will be catering to my refined tastes and serving the only two kinds of pie I like,* I’ll try to make it—meet up with y’alls in Georgetown, probably.

*Hot and cold

[Bruno Moore]

Stupid gimmick time? Yes, I think it is. While I’m planning some epic breweryriding for the next week (maybe even dragging a parent or two out for some of it), there was one particular brewery combo I wanted to hit up just for the pure sleeze value…

District Chophouse and Brewery: *Dunkelweizen
There was a Caps game when I dropped by the brewery for HH, so I couldn’t score a seat at the bar—but no matter, I was thirsty, and was just fine with drinking my beer on my feet. After a botched CaBi half hour record attempt, I needed a beer. Now, a good Dunkelweizen is hard to find. Franklin’s had one this winter; a nice balance between the dark roasted malts—giving you the sharpness of a Schwartzbier—and the banana and clove flavors of a Weizenbier yeast, sharpness and spice playing off fruit and sweet malt.

Now, this one wasn’t quite that sublime, but it was still pretty durn good. Not overly roasty (a downfall of many a Dunkel I’ve had), perfectly quenching, just complex enough to satisfy your brain, not so much going on you couldn’t just down the thing if you were thirsty. In other words, it’s just what I needed.

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And now, for stupid gimmicks: if this is beerneuring, and I’m riding my bike places, then I guess I’m hopping on a CaBi, riding two blocks, and walking in the side door.

Gordon Bierch: Rauchbier

Now, Rauchbiere are interesting things. A good one is like a deliciously barbecued beer: perfectly balancing a strong yet sublime smoke flavor with malt sweetness and a bit of hop spice, just like proper Oklahoma barbecue melds oak/hickory smoke, meat sweetness, and spice from the dry rub or bologna spices. A bad one, though…it’s like getting a rack of ribs that’s been cooked according to the Book of Leviticus, no meat, no flavor, all jerky. So I had to try this one, in the hopes it’d be a good one.

Eh. Not the worst, but…eh. Too much smoke, not enough malt support. Yes, a Rauchbier should be smoky, but it should be more than just smoke, just as good barbecue should be as well. It’s the interplay of elements, of combining smoke with the base amber beer, that makes for a good one. This one…whatever. Something else next time. Still, can’t complain about the setting—the elegant and ornate lobby is a good place for a drink, even when packed with hockey fans.
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[Bruno Moore]

Well, bad news: my parents are going to be in town, so I’ll have to make time for them (Oh Darn).

The good news is that I may just be able to scrounge up a pair of bikes and convince them to join in the festivities.

[Bruno Moore]

A Yuba Boda Boda or Kona Minute isn’t that long. The mediumtails that cause me to break out in a bikelust-induced sweat are about the size of a CaBi, or, at the very least, not that much longer.

Looking at the Devinci Bixi bike CaBi uses, you could probably start the cargo deck right at the seatpost collar and stretch it all the way over the wheel, supporting the deck just over the rear fender; I guess that’d be oh, a foot and a half, two feet of cargo capacity—the length of a jumbo slice, at least. You could carry a pie on that, no problem. It’s not going to be a big deck, if they keep roughly the same design and try to fit the bikes into the same spaces they do now, and, just because of how the seat angles work, I doubt you could carry kids on them…but schtuff? Yeah, I could see that. A CaBi would be a great mediumtail if you tweaked it right.

The real question, from my point of view, would be pannier compatibility. What kind, how would they be provided, and might there be pannier sharing schemes? Perhaps public access kitty litter panniers? A bridge to burn when we reach it, I suppose, but one almost worth planning for now.

[Author]

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