Two Wheelin' Tempe

Beer, Brunch and Bikes

Lauren Fach — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:56:42 +0000

Do you want to indulge in beer flavored recipes on a delicious brunch menu….AND to bike all the live long day?

I thought you might! Remember to schedule an event alert in your iPhone for this Saturday, Feb. 18.

Arizona Beer Week is coming back to town with events scheduled each day! Saturday’s ‘Beer, Brunch and Bikes’ starts off the week of beer-related festivities. Arizona Beer Week is Feb. 18 – 25.

I love that we just celebrated the Centennial in Arizona and now we have a whole week devoted to beer!

This event begins at 10 a.m. at the SunUp Brewery, in Phoenix on Camelback Road and Central Avenue (Map). When you arrive, come hungry for a hearty breakfast and make sure to save some energy for a 3-mile bike ride to the Strong Beer Festival. The bike ride should be fairly easy and open to cyclists of all skill levels, but I’d assume you have to be 21-years-old to participate in the Strong Beer Festival. Two local bike groups, Tempe Bicycle Action Group and Phoenix Critical Mass, will be in attendance. They always love to get down on a local bike ride, especially if a nice cold beverage is waiting at the end destination! They will also be providing safety marshals to escort the bike ride to more beer!

Phoenix Critical Mass

SunUp will be opening at 10 a.m. for the beer brunch buffet, which costs $15. Here ‘s what you can expect on the menu: coffee and tea, Hefeweizen pancakes with lemon beer butter, breakfast potatoes, Amber poached breakfast sausage (regular and vegan sausage), assorted quiches, steel cut oatmeal cooked in soy milk served with bananas and brown sugar, and assorted pastries. Happy hour prices will be in full effect all day to kick start Arizona Beer Week off right!

Important Info:

Date: Saturday, Feb. 18

Time: Brunch: 10 a.m., Strong Beer Festival:1 p.m.- 5 p.m.

Cost: $15 for brunch buffet

Where: SunUp Brewery, 322 E Camelback Rd., Phoenix, AZ, 85012
(602) 279-8909

http://www.arizonabeerweek.com/

Minutes From the Tweed Ride

Lauren Fach — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:38:36 +0000

Speeding my bike along the lake was the perfect way to commute to the Tweed Ride on Saturday evening at Tempe Town Lake.

When I arrived I saw a group of well dressed lads with their bikes near the entrance of the park.

Where did you buy your tweed?

The weather had been warm all day, but at the 5:30 p.m. meeting time, the breeze was just right for wearing tweed!

People gathered with their bikes for photos taken by Ryan Guzy, of Tempe Bicycle Action Group. We know the bike activist group in Tempe, as T.B.A.G.

Finally the ride began!

Someone bellowed, “Off to Robbie Fox’s Public House!”

(Remember to practice bicycle safety and use a bike light or two after dark.)

A line of cyclists took off down Mill Avenue towards the first destination.

The group chimed bells throughout the ride signaling we were on our way.

At a stop light, near Mill Avenue and Fourth Street a man in a large white truck asked about the bike group. Someone quickly explained about T.B.A.G. The man nodded as he told us to “be careful”!

Robbie Fox’s had a few tables on the patio reserved for the crew. We all locked up bikes behind the patio.

Plaid looks good on you!

The next stop was Canteen Modern Tequila Bar, which did not require a ride- just a short walk, as it neighbors Robbie Fox’s.

I sat at the bar for a quick shot of pineapple infused tequila, which was recommended by the bartender.

The group enjoyed a cocktail or beer while chatting and getting to know the newcomers.

After a few drinks and socializing, prizes were awarded for the best dressed and other categories.

Then the signal was given to move on to the next location, Casey Moore’s Oyster House.

Sampling from the beer selection

The sun went down and everyone needed to use bike lights and attach extra reflectors. While crossing the street, one cyclist pointed out an instance when bikers should wait for a car speeding by.

Once the crew had all showed up at Casey Moore’s, Ryan took a group shot. Although it was difficult to see in the dark, he did a great job!

The Tweed Crew

Other bars on the map were Yucca Tap Room and Boulders on Broadway.

Upcoming bike ride:

If you missed this ride and that makes you sad, check out the Mustache Ride on March 10.
Check out the Facebook event information here.

Excuse me. I must asche you a question.

Photos by: Lauren Fach and Ryan Guzy

Rockin’ the Tweed

Lauren Fach — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:10:29 +0000

So you heard about the Tweed Ride, and really want to go, but not sure what to wear?

Or even what Tweed is?

No problem!

I’ll give you the deets on the always fashionable fabric of tweed!

Tweed: a coarse, nubby woolen fabric woven together.

According to essortment: The Fashion Comeback of Tweed in Designer Clothing and Accessories, Tweed dates back for centuries in the United Kingdom, where it was woven into cloaks.

Then, it was used mostly for:

horse riders uniforms
warm clothing

And then in the 1890s:

women wore tweed for work coats
also people keen to the new trend of cycling dressed in tweed

In the 1950s and 60s:

Coco Chanel used tweed in high fashion in matching suits or accessories

More recently, we know tweed from 2003, when:

tweed was used in pastel colors paired with jeans for a casual look

As you can see, tweed can come in the form of shoes, dresses, jackets, hats, accessories, etc.!

So, look for these type of threads. If you don’t have anything tweed, check out Goodwill, Buffalo Exchange, Plato’s Closet, Sunset Clothing or the closets of your friends and family.

Remember the Tweed Ride is Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, @5:30 p.m.
Meet at Tempe Town Lake!

Tweed Ride in San Francisco

Tweed Ride in D.C.

The Tweed Ride

Lauren Fach — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:20:11 +0000

Content from the Tempe Bicycle Action Group’s website.

Banish the spandex and don your most dapper casuals for the return of the Tweed Ride, an evening adventure of woolen skirts, bucket hats, and sport coats on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. starting at Tempe Beach Park.

Tempe Bicycle Action Group, a local bicycle activist group, welcomes riders of all types and skill levels to wear their favorite woolens skirts, capes, shawls, tweed jackets, caps, and knickers on this fine night of cycling and style. Cyclists will meet at the entrance to Tempe Beach Park for photos and to show off their style at 5:30 p.m. Following the meet and greet, riders will be off to show off their herringbone, twill, plaid and checkered styles with class at the finest Tempe drinking constabularies.

' All Tweeded Out' from the Rochester, NY Tweed Ride (Photo from Flickr)

Where: Tempe Beach Park on the northwest corner of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway.
When: Saturday, Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. Ride at 6 p.m.
What: A fine night of cycling and style at the classiest public houses of Tempe.
Cost: The ride is free!

Other Notes:

TBAG’s monthly social bike rides will now be held on the Second Saturday of every month.

This nighttime ride is hosted by Tempe Bicycle Action Group, a nonprofit organization working to make bicycling a prominent, safe and convenient form of transportation and recreation in Tempe, Arizona and surrounding areas through education, grassroots events, and civic participation.

The Pedestrian Bridge at Tempe Town Lake

Lauren Fach — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:11:37 +0000

Tempe Town Lake has enjoyed the great white arches of the pedestrian bridge over it’s dam since October of last year.

The lake seems to have a lot more bike and foot traffic on this end of the park.

People are drawn to the bridge for many reasons. First of all the new bridge helps to separate the lake and marsh area into a smaller loop to the Priest Bridge, making the walk less strenuous and time consuming.

Standing before downtown Tempe and "A" Mountain

Second, the pedestrian only bridge has a great design with large white arches canopying over the concrete path. At night blue lighting gives compliment to the color scheme of the light rail bridge.

Cyclists are seen breezing through the new bridge on their way to the other side of the lake.

A couple speeding by on bicycles a brisk morning

The dam area, along with Tempe Center for the Arts, is livelier than ever, with lots of people out and about enjoying the relief that Arizonans feel in the winter months.

Once the spring weather shows up around March, the weather will jump to much warmer temperatures.

Now is the time for cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, dog walkers and families, to utilize and appreciate the gift that is Tempe Town Lake.

If you haven’t been to the new bridge yet, check it out next time you are near Tempe Town Lake. Bring your bike along to ride the trail or a camera to capture the lovely sunset.

Azcentral.com initially wrote an article about the opening of the pedestrian bridge. Click here for a slideshow from azcental.com’s website.

If you are a Foursquare user, there is also a check-in spot for the pedestrian bridge!

Bike After Dark

Lauren Fach — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:15:26 +0000

Thanks to a reader’s comment on the ‘BlackBerry Night Bikes Commercial’ post, I learned about Bike After Dark.

Katrina said I had to check out, “These awesome in-wheel bike lights from Bike After Dark. When you are biking with them it’s like you are have a Tron bike! Super cool!”

So I went to their website…

And this image repeatedly flashed on the screen sending their message loud and clear.

It’s important for bikes to be seen better at night.

I really like the safety aspect and it seems cool!

Bike After Dark, based in Texas, designed a rechargeable, water-resistant LED light system for bikes. I wonder if it’s easy to install the lights. Check out the Bike After Dark blog and website.

The full wheel costs $69

The half wheel is $39

Here are the details from the website: (I figured I didn’t need to include specs for both full and half. You get the jist. And if not, I linked to their site all over the place. )

The Fireball Mark II is Bike After Dark’s first creation. It is a rechargeable, water-resistant, LED bike light system that will keep you visible during those awesome night rides. The half wheel pack comes with one Fireball Mark II spoke attachment, 3 installation ties, and a charging cable. The Half Wheel pack weighs 1.5 oz per wheel. (Wall chargers are sold separately!)

Finally, safety meets cool!!

I found a close up photo of the wheel. Not to say I now understand how it works, but I thought the bike mechanics out there might get it.

The Fireball Mark II light system

This one below is from Facebook. I think it’s the best one yet. If I was to buy these lights, I would definitely want the full wheel.

BlackBerry ‘Night Bikes’ Commercial

Lauren Fach — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:11:16 +0000

If you have seen the BlackBerry Curve commercial, you know to which one I’m referring. If you haven’t seen it, keep an eye out for a commercial where cyclists are night biking with glow-in-the-dark bikes. I’m like a little kid when the ad comes on TV. Maybe it’s the pretty colors. Or possibly because I like sparkly, shiny anything. But I’m more convinced the reason I like this commercial is because I want bikes to continue to evolve. This video makes bikes look cool again in a more advanced, high tech world. Add lights and an IPOD, possibly even a toaster to your bike and not only will you be pretty stylish, but you can also have toast! Ha Ha I love combining my interests- so with the lighted bike it’s the joy of cycling and being seen in the dark, which makes everyone safer, but also starting a trend that could continue to evolve.

I have not seen the original BlackBerry Curve commercial on YouTube to view, but The BlackBerry Review Team explains the company is going to roll with lighted bike videos for other products. Hey, it’s working and the commercial definitely got people talking about BlackBerry again. Whether it can compete with Android and iPhone, is a whole new blog topic that I will not get involved with!

Here is a commercial for the BlackBerry Bold using the same idea.

Another BlackBerry commercial that featured cyclists was for the Torch. I think there is a connection between a using cell phone and commuter cycling. The video shows the phone being used by a legal courier who bikes from place-to-place in San Francisco.

Here is another awesome video with bikes covered in LED lights.

(Not related to BlackBerry, but it makes me excited.)

It looks like the creator of the The Bright Bike video wants to start selling their product very soon. I hope they are successful because I want my bike to glow at night!

What do you think about the BlackBerry “Night Bikes” commercials?

Win an El Jimador Chopper Bike

Lauren Fach — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:46:23 +0000

Need to get a friend a nice present this holiday season?

Or maybe you need a bike to get around Tempe in the new year.

Maybe you are tired of missing out on weekly bike rides with your friends and the local cycling organizations.

SOOO if you are interested in winning a bike, listen up!

You can enter to win an El Jimador Chopper bike at Devil’s Advocate Bar and Grill in Tempe.

I stopped by Devil’s Advocate to check out the details. Entrance forms and a drawing box are located at the side bar or you can ask a server for a form. Because the drawing is sponsored by El Jimador Tequila, participants must be at least 21 years old to enter. The bike is a flashy, black cruiser with red-rimmed tires. Any ASU student would look good riding this bike and because biking is great for transportation, they would never be late to class. The winner will be chosen during the first week of January, right in time for the Spring semester to begin.

I decided to enter my name- not that I need a bike, but I could sell or donate it if I happen to win. Just to let you know, the box was not very full- so there is still a pretty good chance of winning!

Enter to win this bike!

Devil’s Advocate is located at 955 E. University Dr. near Rural Road.

Good Luck!

Found: Kryptonite Lock Key

Lauren Fach — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:14:01 +0000

Pass this on to fellow ASU cyclists.

I found a bike lock key on the Tempe campus at the bike racks directly in front of the Computing Commons. If you lost one and want to check it out, it has a serial number for identification. Hit me up. I can try to return this key to the owner or send it back to Kryptonite. I’m just trying to help out because it would be a pain in the rear if I lost mine!

P.S. It’s kinda dirty. Not my fault. I saw it pretty much lodged under the metal rack and at first, thought it was mine.

Community Bike Rides

Lauren Fach — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:55:35 +0000

In the Tempe and Phoenix area, many local bike organizations have scheduled bike rides occurring each week.

The best part is that they are free and open to anyone. That means you or I could show up at any of these scheduled rides and participate.

As Winter Break is quickly approaching, I made of list of things to do and going for a long bike ride tops the list!

Below is a listing of weekly bike rides:

**FYI- According to the active.com website, a “no-drop” ride means that no rider is left behind and you can count on an experienced rider to stay with you.

Monday- Hardcourt Bike Polo

Hosted By: AZFixed
When: Every Monday from 8-11 p.m.
Where: Perry Park at 32nd Street and Virginia Avenue
Description: Bike polo, anyone welcome, sometimes we start earlier
Check official Bike Polo thread on AZFixed.com for updates

Tuesday- CRAP Ride= Bikes, Food and Beer

Hosted By: Car Resistance Action Party (CRAP)
When: Every Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Tempe Beach Park entrance at Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue
Description: Social no-drop greenbelt ride to the Orange Table restaurant in Scottsdale
More Info: azcrap.org
Click for a map

Wednesday- PISS Ride

Hosted By: AZFixed
When: Every Wednesday evening, meets at 7:50 p.m. rolls out at 8 p.m.
Where: Tempe Beach Park entrance at Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue
Description: 30+ miles, fast-paced night ride on curvy roads with hills, sprints and plenty of drafting. It is mostly fixed, but any bike that can keep up is welcome. An understanding of group riding etiquette is essential for this ride.
More Info: azfixed.com
Click here for a map

Here are websites to learn about group riding etiquette.

Cycling In A Group (ride-strong.com)
Group-Ride Etiquette (bicycletrip.com)

Thursday- People’s Ride, LUX Ride, Tribe Ride

People’s Ride

Hosted By: TBAG- Tempe Bicycle Action Group
When: Every Thursday morning at 6 a.m.
Where: NE corner of Fifth Street and Mill Avenue
Description: A friendly no-drop 1.5 hour, ~20-mile ride, Essence Bakery for breakfast and coffee after the ride
More info: www.biketempe.org

LUX Ride

Hosted By: AZFixed
When: Every Thursday, 10:30 p.m.
Where: LUX Coffee Bar, 4404 N. Central Ave., Phoenix
More info: azfixed.com

Tribe Ride

Hosted By: Tribe Multisport
When: Every Thursday, meet at the shop before 7 p.m. because it rolls out at exactly 7 p.m.
Where: Tribe Multi Sport on Scottsdale Road just north of McDowell Road
Description: Fast paced ~10-mile ride around North Tempe and South Scottsdale.
Click for a map

Friday- First Fridays Ride, TBAG Third Fridays, Phoenix Critical Mass

First Fridays Ride

Hosted By: TBAG and AZFixed
When: The First Friday of every month, times vary
Where: Tempe Beach park entrance at Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue
Description: Ride from Tempe to Phoenix First Fridays Art Walk.

TBAG Third Fridays

Hosted By: TBAG
When: Third Friday of the month at 7 p.m.
Where: Tempe Beach Park Entrance at Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue.
Description: pub crawls, drive-in-movie rides, bowling alley rides, theme and costume rides. You name it and we’ll make it a ride.