We don't need no stinkin' fancy tires!

The word "slickrock" was derived from early settlers whose metal-shod horses found the expanses of barren rock slick to cross. Mountain bikers find just the opposite is true because the naked sandstone is as "slick" as coarse sandpaper. This unique medium is a proving ground for many bike manufacturers because it allows a mountain bike to be ridden to its fullest expression. The traction between stone and tires can hold a bike at gravity defying angles, which can prove intimidating at first. But once mastered, or at least tolerated, the free-flowing nature of Slickrock might very well be the most fun you can have!

Break Out Your Checkbooks....

So, the last of the airline tickets have been purchased.  They are fully paid and non-refundable.  I.e. - Time to pay your travel agents.  Thankfully, this is not going to be nearly as complicated as it could have been. 

First off, the Hotel in Denver has already been addressed.  Additionally, the hotel in Moab and the van rental are not due until we check out/ return the car.  For your benefit, I included estimates for hotel and van rental below.  Therefore the only money due now is Airline and Beerfest

Scott - you owe Chris $351.80 for your flight
John - You owe Chris $322(flight) - $56.50 (beerfest advance payment) = $265.50
GB - You are into John for $56.50 (Your Beerfest admission) and a naked massage (I bargained with John for an aisle seat).  Relax - I'm not sure which on of you is supposed to be naked.  Don't wanna know

Budgetary Costs Remaining (Not including Beer)
Hotel in Moab: (5) nights at $130/night  + 15% taxes etc => $747.50/4 => Approximately $186.88 pp
Van Rental : $522.94 / 4 => $130.74 pp

There will be one additional night stay in the Fruita/Grand Junction Area on Thursday night

1. Estimated hotel room - $40 pp
2. Admission to the "Mike the Headless Chicken Museum"  - Currently unknown, but I'd pay at least $50 bucks for something of this quality.  You may never make it back to Fruita people!

For more information on Mike the Headless Chicken or mountain biking in Fruita go to: http://fruita.peterbeers.net/

Rider Birthday (part deux)

Happy Birthday Chris!!!!!!

- Sorry John, I couldn't handle this picture any longer.  I appreciate your enthusiasm for my birthday though.  Next time send cash

- Wow, dude you seriously need to get in touch w/ your non-homophobic side.  Especially if we are going to be sharing a hotel room for 8 nights!  You know what the hardest part of sharing a hotel room w/ 3 other guys is????

Rider Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY G.B.!!!!!!!!!!

If you're gonna trade shin kicks with Chuck Norris......

Oh wait, I don't think there is ever a time where that is a good idea, unless you are Chuck Norris.  Even then it probably isn't a good idea.

But if you want to have shins as tough as Chuck's beard, or don't want to scratch your recently shaved legs, (John, we know it's only a matter of time), I certainly recommend a set of leg armor.

As Captain Puffyknee has suggested, now is not the time to crash on your local trail and get sent to the ER for "Minor Surgery"....

And yes, I personally own a set I had previously only used for Downhill riding.  I took Sergeant Skinnyhead's advice and wore the armor for a full ride around Moraine.....

I don't know how to say this, but I really liked the extra protection.  It was not even remotely uncomfortable.  Maybe those fine people at Fox Racing (blatant product sponsorship-think we can get any money out of plugging somebody's product?) really know what they are doing.  It was 90+ degrees and it was not the least bit uncomfortable.

I even had the pleasure of running shin first into those new, super-grippy, bulletproof Azonic platform pedals and suffered nary a scratch.

In conclusion, Fox Racing, Camelbak, Santa Cruz, Specialized, Marin, Trek, Dakine, Azonic, Giro et al......

We will discuss all offers for sponsorship and advertising.

Revelations from the Great American Beer Festival

a little tidbit I came across over lunch from Modern Drunkard magazine, thought it was funny....

It’s quite a sight, really—400 breweries serving up 25,000 gallons of 1,884 different beers to 46,000 attendees. And only an ounce at a time, if you can imagine such a thing.

So, who won the gold? Beats me. It’s Beer Digest or Microbrew Weekly’s job to report and ponder those statistics. The way I see it, it’s this publication’s task to take a measure of the event’s quality of drunkardry. Besides, there were 75 different categories, for Heaven’s sake, and if I trumpeted the American-Style Sour Ale champion wouldn’t I be slighting the ne plus ultra of the Dortmunder/European Style Export set?

Furthermore, a drunkard hates a line (especially if all you get at the end of it is an ounce of beer), so I didn’t actually sample many the popular, gold-medal beers.

What I can do is reveal the quality of the beers that had perhaps hustled up a bronze, or not a goddamn thing at all: damned fine. And daring. No one pushes an envelope like a drinker, and some of the brewers (who I assume are drinkers, if not drunks) are definitely not shy about exploring the outer fringes of taste and decency. Some of their concoctions gave a broad nod to grape jelly, others boldly leaned toward roofing tar. And I’m saying that’s a good thing; the boundaries must be tested.

Especially when you consider that just 30 years ago beer drinkers languished beneath the heel of a handful of breweries cranking out the same thin swill. We were an international joke. Oh sure, there were a few ultra-exotic curiosities like Michelob Dark and Löwenbräu, but other than those flamboyant mutants, it was strictly dullsville. As far as beer brewing goes, we are living in a golden age.

As to the drunkardry of the event, it was largely hit-and-miss. The average attendee hailed from that vast middle ground between Bluto Blutarsky and a Star Trek enthusiast. There were roving packs of pure-blooded boozeheads, to be sure, but there was also the unspeakably disturbing spectacle of the “silent disco.”

The pour buckets were used with alarming regularity. I know it’s all part of being a beer snob to have a sip and dump the remainder, but the sight of it will raise the hackles of the average drunkard. Dumping (and sometimes spitting) out good beer is right up there with slapping your bedridden mother. The Nuremberg-worthy cheers that filled the hall when someone dropped their cup (I’m sure it was much more satisfying before they switched from glass to plastic) is good stuff—an impressive amplification of that fine bar tradition of cheering a miscue.

The Big News of the Festival, as far as I’m concerned, was the announcement from the Schlitz table that they are returning to their 1963 recipe. The one they used before they joined the ranks of the aforementioned corporate swills. I had a taste of the resurrected version and was astounded. It tasted like real beer again. Thicker, richer, more delicious.

And there it is—we should not only take heart that many brave young beers are rising up and making names for themselves, but also that at least one of the old stalwarts that had lost its way has returned to the fold.

—Frank Kelly Rich

Say hello to my puffy friend!!!!

Mr. Puffy is tired of being hidden from the world.  He wants his existance to be known and rejoiced!!!

Hertz, We're going your way!

How do they know where we're going?

All for the low, low price of $522.94.
This can be cancelled so if anybody finds something better/cheaper just let me know.
Confirmation Number: E8063615089

Your Itinerary
Pick Up Sat, Sep 11, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Return Sun, Sep 19, 2010 at 11:00 AM

Pick Up Location Denver International Airport
Return Location Denver International Airport

Your Vehicle

Kia Sedona or similar
Mini Passenger Van Automatic Air
7 Passengers
4 Large Suitcases, 3 Small Suitcases
Automatic Transmission
Air Conditioning
Dual Airbags
ABS

DING! You are now free to go to CO

This e-mail contains Southwest Airlines Ticketless Travel information and is being sent to you at the request of the Purchaser, Passenger, or individual responsible for arranging this air travel.

Confirmation Number:
DZQIGI




Passenger(s)
CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL RIETSCHA
GUY BULIFANT WETZEL
JOHN KING STRAITIFF



Depart: Pittsburgh to Denver ( Travel Time: 4 hrs 35 mins )
Date Flight Flight Information
Sat Sep 11 2475 Depart Pittsburgh(PIT) at 08:45 AM
Arrive in Chicago (Midway)(MDW) at 09:05 AM
2292 Change planes in Chicago (Midway)(MDW) departing at 09:55 AM
Arrive in Denver(DEN) at 11:20 AM
Return: Denver to Pittsburgh ( Travel Time: 6 hrs 20 mins )
Date Flight Flight Information
Sun Sep 19 1130 Depart Denver(DEN) at 12:45 PM
Arrive in Orlando(MCO) at 06:25 PM
665 Change planes in Orlando(MCO) departing at 06:50 PM
Arrive in Pittsburgh(PIT) at 09:05 PM

This is an itinerary only and is not considered a receipt.

Scott has one too, but we don't know how he's gettin home...

Now, who's in charge of the fuckin rental car???

Happy 12th of July

AKA, "Drop dead date to buy tickets".

I checked midwest, not looking good:

Fare:
Pittsburgh PA (PIT) - Milwaukee WI (MKE) - Denver CO (DEN)-
Departs: Saturday, September 11 2010, 10:14 AM Arrives 10:45 AM

Denver CO (DEN) - Milwaukee WI (MKE) - Pittsburgh PA (PIT)
Departs: Sunday, September 19 2010, 1:10 PM Arrives: 06:25 PM.

3 Passenger. -

Total: USD 1,472.43 (Only 4 seats at this price at press time)

Not bad flights, but at almost $500 methinks southwest is a better deal, even if we have to pay for oversized bike boxes.

But I'm down with whatever our "agent" has in mind.

Southwest has several comparable flights to choose from for about $1k.

And Quantas.

Quantas?

Yes, Quantas never crashed.

Now would be the time, Chris...

It's Official!!

At 8:28 am on the 1st of July, Scott confirmed he is in for the Moab Trip.

Plane Ticket purchase confirmation will occur within the next few days. I'll be consulting with the executive comittee for a final decision on airline and flight selection.

(Those Vuvuzelas look like they would make great beer bongs)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

giggity giggity!!!!!