the birth of DBRB

Three years ago this weekend Blackhappy, Vixen, Myself and Capt Fuck It gave birth to DBRB. We all rode in our very favorite Alley Cat - BARS & STRIPES. Believe it or not until this date I was on 9 months of being DRY! It was for shits n giggles - had no real reason to drink/nor on not too....

ANYWAY....

Blackhappy convinced me to ride this all city alley cat that was sponsored by bike messengers. Did I mention that at the time I was riding a WalMart Magna with mountain bike tires? So - why not? I had no idea what an alley cat was, and that I was participating in the BEER ride of the season! Once arriving at the Boise Weekly with 7 other buddies that Blackhappy convinced to ride, we all decided that there needed to be a distinct cut off of types of riders. There was Team Speed - with Blackhappy as the Captain- in it to win it!! Team Fran - which was the sober and finishing team (WTF?) Not an official team but Team Fuck It evolved DURING the ride!!!

Our first stop was the fairgrounds - followed by our second stop the 44 club - where my lungs were on fire!! Test Tube Kitty would not let me leave the bar without drinking - in a desperation to calm the fire I ordered my first beer in almost a year! I chugged half and passed the rest onto a team mate. I ran out the door for the next stop.....

The four of us on Team Fran whirled through the Sunday evening streets with 96 other riders - we rang our bells and screamed "Drink Beer Ride Bikes!" and other riders would respond with the same. As the four of us cannonballed from the Plank down capital hill there were riders who were chanting our motto as they rode up the hill. It was an amazing feeling, and not just because of the beer :)

As Team Fran was riding feverishly through town, Team Fuck It had made a distinct decision NOT to hit every spot. Capt Fuck It happened to ride her cruiser for the race. As Team Fran was headed to the 44 club, Capt F.I. hadn't even made it to the fairgrounds. But she was a trouper and caught up to us all on State Street headed for the Lucky Dog. Still a good half mile and one beer behind us, she arrived at the Dog, but before she could dismount for the bar, her bike clipped the curb and she went down. That was it, the last stop for her. She and the other cruiser riders sat at the Dog until the rest of us finished the race. Since then Team Fuck It has been the team to maintain the BEER part of Bars & Stripes.... Strict rules for being on this team:

The Team will find the straightest route from start to finish of the ride that has the most beer involved. You can only compete in beer pong, you will be drunk at the finish line. Very serious to be on Team Fuck It.

Team Speed - Capt Blackhappy - was hauling ass through town to the finish at O'Micheals. He was a team of one that year! Last year his team grew and this team there are even more hungry racers ready to getter done!

As the few of us in the group arrived at the finish and received our Natty Ice and lunch pail - we all whooped and hollered for North Star Owner Warren O'dell as he gave out the winnings... no of us won anything. But we had an amazing adventure.

We then went to Mulligans and proceeded to get trashed! It lasted until the four in the morning! And I've been drinking beer since!

Oh.... and VeloVixen beat us all that year.....darn her!

The next year we had almost 20 participants in our group waiting to registrar outside the Weekly.......

This year we are shooting for a solid 25+ representing DBRB! Doesn't matter what team!!!!

This SATURDAY is the Annual

BARS & STRIPES ALLEY CAT!!

13 bucks to enter - you get a T-shirt

Registration starts at 3 - race at 4

TAILGATING in front of the BOISE WEEKLY (6th & Broad)

Starts around NOON! BYOB!

There are three teams to choose from:

Team Speed - with Captain Josh - you are in it to win it!!!

Team Fran - you will finish the race but be drunk as a skunk!!

And TEAM FUCK IT with Angie -

you will only go to stops that have beer!

Choose your team wisely!

IT’s a lot of fun! And they give away great prizes! If you don’t want to race - come tailgate!

Or the finish is at SOLID in BO-DO - watch the racers come in!

You will need to be 21 to play,

A Boise Weekly from this week, A bike, pen, and bag of some sort.

40 oz to Freedom

Well, I've been MIA from the blog for too long...I was starting to think that the Captain was going to make me walk the plank! Anyway, lots of updates, including some information about DBRB's next ride.

"40 oz to Freedom" had new meaning for me a few weeks ago when I had to go to SLC overnight. Unfortunately, when heading back the next morning, my dear, sweet Priscilla's engine started smoking. Yet, when life hands you a big bunch of expensive lemons, make some hard lemonade. To my delight, next door to the mechanic was the Wasatch & Squatters brewery!

I went on it to see what new treats I might be able to find - in addition to beer flavored lip balm, beer brauts, and other goodies, they have a larger selection of beer than I would have imagined. I sorted through the options to see what souvenirs I could bring back for a DBRB taste test latter.

For the Captain, I brought back "The Devastator." It's an Double Bock, 8% b.v., and delicious!

Vixen's choice was the easiest. The "1st Amendment Lager" has a great slogan on the bottle, "Give me liberty - or give me a cold one." Um, how about both? This one was even better than the Captain's.

For myself, I grabbed a little tail, "Chasing Tail" golden ale, that is. This was tasty, but not as good as the others.

Anyway, with a little more than 40 oz loaded into my good-as-last-week car, I headed towards home and freedom!

Now, onto DBRB's "40 oz to Freedom." As you may have heard, you need to mark your calendars for Sunday, August 15 for our next ride. Like our other rides, this will be a straight race - timing and routing will be the keys. Routing will be especially important this time. As you would assume, drinking will be involved. We're busy working on some awesome swag for all of you. It'll be great fun - don't miss it!

Until next time,

Big Red (formerly Yellow Pepper)

Symposium Bar

After a crazy evening of riding around Velocachingwith MEA & Velovixen - we needed a place to get outta the storm and carb load!!!

Located on the big dirt lot at 2801 Fletcher St, (Fairview and 27th) The Symposium is one of Boise's oldest and best dive bars! A full bar and a ton of free popcorn - there's chips you can order if you are desperate. I think it would be even better with a taco truck out side!

There's a pool table and a great jukebox also. No patio - so prepare your lungs before going in.

BUT - the best part of Symposium is the fact that ALL of my favorite people can hang out

there.....

The Sympo is one of the very few dog bars in town! As long as your four legged friend doesn't sneak behind the bar or hit on too many other pups - they are free to come and hang out!!!

To get there on bike - follow the greenbelt westward from Downtown or the Eastside - you can pop right up at 27th and follow the dirt to the bar!

From the Westside same thing - follow the greenbelt instead of getting squished in 27th street traffic.

And the four legged friends like the greenbelt too - cars can be a little dangerous for all of us!

Looking ahead...

So there are some important dates you may want to mark on your calendar!

Weekend of July 4th - Bars N Strips Alley Cat, sponsored by Northstar Couriers and the Boise Weekly. We all line up early outside the doors of the Weekly and get our beer on! Join us for one of DBRB's favorite summer rides!

July 30 - 31 Sawtooth Music Festival in Stanley ID. One of the best music festivals in Idaho - enjoy the weekend listening to regional bands with the great sawtooth mountains in the background! Get your tickets soon - they fill up fast!

Aug 6,7,8 - BREW FEST! the first beer drinking festival of the summer! Ann Morrison

park fills with some of the Northwest's great breweries!

A weekend of beer, song, and sun! Be sure to hang onto your beer cup!

Aug 15th - DBRB's 40oz to Freedom Ride!

We're in the planning stages right now, but we are promising a great time! Keep your eye's here for more information throughout the summer! If you are interested in working a stop - please let us know! We love our stop workers - and treat them with libations and presents!

Aug 21 - Tour De Fat!

Another one of our favorite summer events! New Belgium Brewing bring the carnival and beer! All proceeds go to local non-profits! There are plenty of shenanigans to be had! Check out the website for more events and activities!

ALL RIGHT! That's what I have on the DBRB calendar! If you know of something that I missed please let me know so I can post it/ attend!

Go drink some beer and ride your bike while the sun is still out!!!

Did You Know.....

You don't have to throw out all those old bikes! You can donate them! No not to BBP - To the Idaho Shakespeare Festival! There are plenty of out of town actors and shop workers that need transportation while they are working here during the summer. It's a great way for them to get to see the beautiful city we live in! And most of them haven't had the opportunity to ride in a long time!

So next time you are thinking of cleaning out your bike rack - head to the Idaho Shakespeare Festival!

LADIES......

If you have been hiding in a hole for the past two months, you may not know that this Saturday is Dirty & Pink!!! The largest all female bike race in Idaho! Jodie, Noble, and Megan have been bustin' ass making sure that this ride will kick ass! There was a pre-registration on the web, but if you didn't make it on the list you should still show up on Sat... Some people might not show and you can take their spot!!! The theme this year is IDAHO - so with it what you will! The Finish is at Leku Ona on sixth - so if you don't ride - at least come support the ladies that are!!!

Image is property of Noble Hardesty - Test Tube Kitty