#bourbon

Reportage By: John Watson

Saffron Frameworks’ Bulleit Beauty Won the Bespoked 2018 Best in Show

Saffron Frameworks’ Bulleit Beauty Won the Bespoked 2018 Best in Show
Words by Matthew Sowter

We were approached by Bulleit to work on a project with the aim of celebrating the alliance between two craft companies. The idea was to produce a bicycle that would reflect them as a brand (bourbon), and Saffron’s style.

Bulleit is a clean and smooth Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, first produced in 1830. It was exciting to be chosen for such a project, and to be given total freedom with the design. We decided upon a gravel bike, and created a contemporary frame, by mixing old-school methods and materials with more modern approaches. The idea was to align with Bulleit’s traditional distilling process.

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Savory Cycle

Kentucky, good food, string bands and bourbon. Sounds like a good time to me! Check out more at Savory Cycle and the Broke Spoke.

Reportage By: John Watson

Brian Dunsmoor of Hatchet Hall is Riding for Chefs Cycle

As cyclists, very few of us make a living riding bikes. In fact, I’d say probably 3% of the readers of this site fall within that category. This is all merely speculation of course, but I will say with great certainty that almost all of you have a job of some sort that you spend time performing. Sure, we all find time to squeeze in bike rides when we can, but unfortunately we spend a great deal of our lives working.

So when you have the opportunity to mix business and pleasure, you probably take it. That’s where Brian Dunsmoor of Culver City’s Hatchet Hall comes into the story. Brian is the head chef of the ‘Hall and a dedicated cyclist. He’s been training for the past few months for a benefit ride called Chefs Cycle, a P2P fundraiser working to raise awareness and funds for No Kid Hungry. Brian, along with other chefs are riding from Carmel to Santa Barbara in an attempt to help put a stop to child hunger.

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The Bourbon Diet

Little did I know when I wrote my piece on weight loss and cycling that people would refer to my progression into fitness as “the bourbon diet.” Yet, a few years later, Bicycling Magazine reached out to me for a brief interview on what many of their staff members have found to be a different, yet tricky way to lose added weight.

“No carbs and fewer calories do not a free pass make, cautions Stanford-based nutritional scientist Stacy Sims, PhD, because your body treats alcohol differently than food. “In order for it to be eliminated from your system, it has to be metabolized. The liver takes the bulk of the job, but some residual hangs out and your body uses it first instead of burning carbs or fat, so it interferes with normal metabolism,” she explains.”

Selene did a great job on the article and it’s worth the read, so head over to Bicycling to check it out!

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I’m Camping this Weekend

Photo by Kyle Kelley

Ok, I’m probably drinking too…

This morning a few friends and I left for a three day mini bicycle tour / camping trip. I’ll be back Monday, so make sure you get plenty of time on the bike this weekend!

… oh and Happy Halloween.

Reportage By: John Watson

Embracing the Aroma at the Buffalo Trace Distillery – Kyle Kelley

Embracing the Aroma at the Buffalo Trace Distillery
Words and photos by Kyle Kelley

Last winter, while I was home in Indiana for the holidays, my parents and I decided to head across the Ohio River to Bourbon Country for a visit to Buffalo Trace. Unlike many of the other touristy distilleries in Kentucky, Buffalo Trace is not fancy and they sure as hell don’t pump perfume into the air to mask the smell of the sour mash.

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You Had Me at Bikes and Bourbon

In the wake of #CrossGate2014, Tim Johnson sent this over. Thanks for sharing buddy!

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Adam Craig’s Limited-Edition Giant TCX SLR SS

This is why Adam Craig will probably win SSCXWC in Kentucky this year and no, it’s not the bike. It’s his training! You see that Four Roses? Dude means business. Although being in the bourbon mecca might put a damper on those roosts!

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The Quick and Easy Tanner Goods Porter Handlebar Bag

When it comes to a touring bike, the randonneur bag or Wald basket will reign supreme for front-end portage, but not every bike has rack mounts. In the case of a classic road bike, or MTB, strap on handlebar bags are the simplest solution to carrying extra cargo around town.

There are countless options, ranging from cordura, to cotton, but for those looking for something a little classier, check out the Tanner Goods Porter Handlebar Bag. I’ve been keen on trying one out since the line was first launched and since using mine for around a month, I’m loving it…

See more below!

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Merckx Mondays

I love everything about this grouping – the water bottle, not the bourbon! – well, I love the bourbon too, but this is about the bottle. Man, my brain is rattled today…

WTF Kits has these three bottles available as a pack, with a Whiskey, Foxtrot and Tango theme. Personally, I couldn’t let this go without posting the Molteni Whiskey bottle for Merckx Mondays. Head over to WTF Kits to pick up the whole set.

Also, that Old Blowhard is the best bourbon I’ve had in a long time. Read up on it! The short story: it’s made from long-lost 26 year old Van Winkle barrels found on the Stitzel-Weller distillery property.

It’s damn good and you can actually buy it… unlike Van Winkle.

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I Hope You Had a Great Weekend

Photo by Kyle Kelley

Here’s my favorite use for the Brooks bar ends…

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Bike Builders, Beer & Bourbon – Stinner Frameworks at Mission Workshop

This Friday, May 2nd, Aaron from Stinner Frameworks will be at Mission Workshop from 7-10pm for a Q&A on frame building. Of course, there will be beer and bourbon.

Head over to Mission Workshop for details. If you do go to this event – you’d be crazy not to – do me a favor and give Stinner a high five. That dude is killing it.

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A Bottle of Bourbon and A Bicycle

A few of my favorite things: Colonel EH Taylor Bourbon and my Geekhouse on a sunny Friday… After seven weeks of sobriety I’ve been taking it easy with bourbon. I’ve had a few glasses over the past week, but I’ve learned to enjoy it.

I don’t know why I’m posting this, all I know is I dropped a lot of weight not drinking for a month. Like down from 200lbs to 180lbs. It’s insane…

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LA’s Been Real Fun…

… But Vegas is callin’. See you at Interbike. First, we’re heading to the “nothing” to camp tonight. See you at the show, I’m bringing the usual hydration.

Reportage By: John Watson

Minneapolis Randomness 02

I really, really had a blast in Minneapolis. As a by-product of running this site, I always have a camera on me. Unfortunately for some people, that means I am usually catching them doing something idiotic. Fortunately for you, it’s quite funny to see some of that behavior unfold.

What you’ll fine within this narrated Gallery is only part of some of the stories to be told here on the site at a later date. Most of these photos involve the following: bros, babes, Baroo, beaches, bikes, beer and bourbon. Simple enough right? Check out more in the Gallery!

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Angry Catfish Knows What’s Up

I promise you, I’m working while I’m here in Minneapolis. One of the places I really wanted to check out was Angry Catfish. There’s a full Shop Visit coming but for now, I thought everyone would enjoy this photo… The weekend’s here and I hope you can make it out the All City Championships events. See you tonight at the track bike crit!

Reportage By: John Watson

A Day in 10 Photos: 07.12.2013

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been really wanting to bring back A Day in 10 Photos but part of that is contingent upon me carrying a camera everywhere I go. Sometimes, having a DSLR or a rangefinder is great but more often than not, I just want something pocket-sized. My Yashica T4 has seen plenty of use over the years but I wanted a “no care camera”. One that I can get an insurance package for and not give a shit about.

After extensive research, countless reviews and multiple trips to the camera store, I walked into my local shop, Precision Camera and bought the Sony RX100. I haven’t had a digital point and shoot camera since this blog first started back in 2006, so it’s kind of a novelty. I don’t want this post to be a review of it just yet, because I haven’t used it enough to really offer any insight. End introduction…

Today I woke with the sun, met some friends at a coffee shop and rolled out to one of my favorite rides: Crumley Ranch Road. 60 miles, 4,000′ of elevation and a great way to log miles and burn calories. Ben, Josh, Carl and I all vibed really well the whole ride and then went about our business the rest of the day*.

This set is lacking a few more photos to complete the story but everything is a learning process. Check out some narrated photos in the Gallery!

*in reality, the last three photos are from last night, when I first got the RX100, but you’ll let that slide right?

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Let’s Get Rolling!

I can’t even begin to process everything that I missed while in China but this image that Tracko posted from Velo Cult is a great launching point. I’m in Melbourne, toasted from the past three weeks but am ready to get rolling again. Thanks for your patience and thanks to Tracko for holding it down!