Lucky Buckets

October 10, 2011

After engaging in some household and garage-oriented tasks for what seemed to be a short time of span, I abruptly realized that the actual length of the span was moderate. I am referencing this past Saturday when I made it to the Lucky Bucket Brewery and Trek Bicycle Stores-sponsored inaugural Lucky Bucket Brewery ride. The event offered two routes - a ride from the Bellevue Berry Farm to either 1) the brewery for a tour (funds raised for Bike Omaha) or 2) to Swanson Park (SwaP for short) for some singletrack riding (funds for T.H.O.R.). I was a bit tardy, but managed to get my nifty t-shirt and other registration materials (including an expired coupon to the Trek Bicycle Store) and get out to the West Papio Trail shortly after the scheduled 3:00 start. Many of the bicycles were sporting some aggressive-looking knobs (on the tires, that is), full-suspension and heavily tattoo-ed jockeys. "Hmmm, could be a quick group of trail riders heading out to Swanson to kick my ass and get sick amounts of air on old SwaP's rolling terrain," I thoughtfully surmised to myself. As I surveyed the approximately 60 or so riders gathered for some bicycling camaraderie,

I noticed that all of them were facing in the brewery direction and not in the park direction! Now I must admit that I do enjoy quaffing back 2 or 3 containers of brew from time to time, but I was a bit surprised that no one but me wanted to get some dirt on their rubber (tyres, that is). It was a beautiful fall day, and I was itching to put in some strenuous off-roading in order to "earn" my beers before/while viewing the Nebraska vs. Ohio State northern North American football extravaganza. Brewmaster Zac Triemert came out to the trail and provided a pep talk and some directions before the brewery bound convoy set out upon its way. I watched all the other cyclists head out towards the brewery and turned my wheels towards the paths less traveled.

I made it out to SwaP where my good buddy Rich had been engaged in some enthusiastic bike wrenching in the parking lot. Before setting out we met a fellow named Adrian who was sporting a funky looking bicycle that he had built up from a ridiculously cheap Marin frame that he had purchased from Bob's Cycling out of Idaho.

The fall foliage and twilight made for some excellent, vivid laps around the park. We encountered three deer, and one of them bounded back across the path about 10 feet in front of me as we wound back through their hangout d'jour.  A few bursts of moderate rain cooled me down as I made it back to the berry farm for the after party. Lots of shwag was distributed during the party, which was co-MCed by Kent Mc Neill (owner of Trek bicylcle stores and mountain bicycle racer extraordinaire) and B-master Z, but unfortunately most of it went to people familiar with Lucky Bucket and Trek Store trivia. Q&A included-

Q: What is the alcohol content of LB's IPA?"
A: 6.3%
Q: Where did B-master Z get his Masters in B&D (brewing and distilling, that is)?
A: Herriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland

One diner was good-naturedly pelted with a thrown bottle opener (wrapped in plastic). A Husker spirit award was bestowed upon an attractive young Huskerette. LB beer was ably distributed by a vivacious Panamanian beauty and her scruffy sidekick, who I imagine is known as Hutch. Four young women in Certified Evil t-shirts provided heckling, boisterous answers to trivia questions and otherwise livened up the party.

Although I left at intermission, due only in part to the pessimistic ramblings of a moderately inebriated man in a bicycling cap, I was able to get back home to watch the Huskers emerge victorious from the rainy black pit of loserliness into which they had begun to descend. Thanks for the beer LBs, and good show red, good bloody show indeed!