Ales and Trails: Brilliant

This past weekend IMBA-California held “Ales and Trails” at China Camp State Park in Marin County and from what I read it sounds like it was a great event. I mean, combining mountain biking and beer is such a great idea it’s amazing you don’t see more events like this. Plus the Ales and Trails …

This past weekend IMBA-California held “Ales and Trails” at China Camp State Park in Marin County and from what I read it sounds like it was a great event. I mean, combining mountain biking and beer is such a great idea it’s amazing you don’t see more events like this. Plus the Ales and Trails event raised money for IMBA through ticket sales ($30 for adults) which made it even better.

The whole concept of combining beer and biking got me thinking about another activity I enjoy from time to time: Hashing. For those who aren’t familiar, hashing involves running with a group along a marked path with the goal of finding the next beer stop. The next logical step (for mountain bikers anyway) is to figure out a way to bring beer and bikes together into an activity everyone can enjoy.

Of course in most municipalities it’s illegal to operate any vehicle (including a bicycle) while intoxicated so moderation would be the key to any successful bike/beer event. Plus mountain biking is dangerous enough already and being sloshed on the trails won’t be good for anyone. A successful bike/beer activity should probably keep the two activities separate – cold beer tastes so much better after a hot ride. Race ya to the keg!