Up a Mountain / Down a Beer

Mountain biking superstar Dave Wiens dropped a bagel during this year’s Leadville Trail 100 mile mountain bike race. Some one on the course found it and now it is up on Ebay for sale!! Originally I laughed this off as just some screwball fanatic trying to make a dime. But then I humored the posting when I read the following:

All proceeds to go to Gunnison Trails – the mountain bike advocacy group that Wiens Champions

Fact or just another gimmick? Who knows, I did try and search for the “Gunnison Trails” group and found nothing, but not everyone needs a damn website, so it could very well be legit, if not bid anyways and enjoy a legend’s PB&J!!

UPDATE: Dave Wiens is trowing in one of his Leadville 100 belt buckles!!

UPDATE: Oakley is stepping up with a pair of LiveStrong Radar Path Sunglasses!!!!

UltraRob, a man familiar with all things cycling, has validated the Gunnison Trails group! Bid now!!!

UPDATE: Bidding has ended with the top bid of $860!! Holy crap, do you think they are going to eat it?

Here ya go!

“The race, which strands from Banff, Canada to the Mexican border, traversing the Continental divide 2,711 miles. You’ll end up climbing over 20,000 feet up and over the Rockies which is the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest seven times…that’s a whole lot of climbing.”

[Read more →]

The idea of needing electronics while in the wilderness kind of turns my stomach. As a camping, backpacking, and wilderness-roaming community we have already trained ourselves to get by without electronics; we can navigate with map and compass instead of GPS, we are glad to shut the phone off for a few days (well, most of us), and we can sing songs around the campfire rather than listening to iPods. (Ok, maybe I’m not much of a singer.) We also don’t need beer, but we take it with us because it’s fun and it makes us happy. GPS can be fun too, and an iPod is nice, especially when your tent mate sleeps like a running chainsaw. Whatever the reason, we have all found a use for electronics on the trail, whether we need them or not. [Read more →]

Check out Salsa cycle’s cure for the winter blues. Introducing the 34lb Mukluk boasting 4.0″ rubber for killer flotation on the white stuff this is a beast!

The Mukluk is featuring all new geometry focused on riding in snow and debris by lowering the center of gravity and raising the head tube height. Looking as much at form as function Salsa has figured out a way to make snow riding a blast. Snow can be one of the most unforgiving mediums to ride in especially as you go through the constant changes in velocity. Now on a normal mountain bike putting a foot down is used only during planned stops and in bail out turns, however the snow will force you to put one foot down more often than not and by Salsa lowering the top tube it is no longer an exercise in futility trying to balance and get going again.

Another one of the great fore-thoughts was integrating full length cable housing, because pushing this beast through the snow due to iced up cables would suck!

Here is the rest of the story from Salsa’s blog. Now where can I get a hold of one of these this winter??!!

It was another busy week for UpaDowna, but somehow we found time  for a new Beer Of The Week(end). It wasn’t just any brew either, it was another great product home brewed here in Colorado! White Rascal is a Belgium style White Ale brewed and bottled at Avery Brewing Company, Boulder Colorado. It’s unfiltered with yeast floating at the bottom, so pour it slowly into an UpDowna pint glass to let it achieve it’s full potential! It’s also spiced with coriander and Curacao orange peals which give it a refreshing zesty taste. It’s the perfect compliment to any hot day, or summer BBQ. We just finished grilling and enjoying a light evening rainfall, setting the mood with White Rascal. I hope I enjoy more BOTW’s as much I enjoyed this one.

I end this week with a toast to; a new respect for farming, huge spiders, MTB races, Crossfit competitions, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Jarhead for not giving up, the Roast of David Hasselhoff, triumphant stories of amputees conquering Mt. Kilimanjaro, the mighty Maroon Bells claiming another life, R.I.P. Spencer James Nelson, lightning, The Expendables, Drew Hayden’s bachelor party, SPF 50, the annual Craft Lager Festival, wonderful friends, White Rascal, and finally to you our readers.

Menikmati,

Bunny