Happy Monday

Some updates for the few faithful remaining reading this..  I hope to start riding the week of the 6th of September. The rides will be quite lame but at least there will finally be riding content again. I had that ride a couple weeks ago which seemed to stimulate something bad in the leg but it never materialized into anything serious.

I am not turning into that forty year old who rides a quad and goes to the gym once bi weekly and lives at Costco and South Edmonton Common on the weekends. The passion to ride is still there strongly. It's been killing me being stuck at home with zero outlets.

Happy Wednesday

Beer Friday. St Ambroise, Black India IPA

"Beer team assemble!" That is the cry through the loudspeaker megaphone where at LB headquarters it reaches every corner of Beaumont and for an odd reason just off main street in Mundare, Alberta. Quite amazing right kids? People who live in town have been annoyed at the loudspeaker that promptly gathers all the workers involved with the review. It also attracts thousands of tourists who come to town in hope of a lonebiker Beer review call. All of them with their phones out hoping to catch the sound of the call that sends shudders around the worlds breweries.

We have a brewery from Quebec here for today's review which happened rather impromptu after missing Friday's planned post so the review would actually land on a Friday for a change. Oh well, so it's Monday on a long weekend. A day when most people are a bit bummed out about having to go to work. So why not a beer review to help raise the spirits?

St Ambroise you say? Ya they have been on here before. Quite a few times actually and I was quite smitten by the amount of St Ambroise beer pics done on here and now sit forever for the world to see.

We poured and this one delivered on it's intent of being badass and dark. I held the beer up to my and looked at the sun and saw no sources of light coming through. Wow! Incredible eh? Would you get this kind of top notch research on any of the other blogs doing beer reviews nowdays? Hell, they even have an app where any hoser can post their thoughts and reviews on a beer with no training.

God help us all...

Once we settled down from the pour we started the testing sessions. It was at first a fearsome event as some of the interns did not like the look of this one. I slapped the back of their heads and took control. The beer has a strong scent of hops and malt right out of the gate. Once sipped it showed us that its more than just a super dark beer. It was a Friday night in a glass. Ugh! why am I not posting these on Friday's anymore!?

We found hints of black liquorice which would send some people running  but it was done quite well. I hate black liquorice and the review kept running which says a lot. The last beer which tasted like coconut resulted in an odd and untimely studio explosion. The malts are strong with this but you can detect hints of dark coffee and toffee. This isn't a beer I would recommend on a hot summer day which this is. It would be perfect in the fall or winter but don't let that dissuade you if you wanted to try it out now.

Go ahead champ, you deserve it.

This beer gets 3 suds out of 5.

Happy August Bike Day

Parking at the edge of mill Creek and not even entering Mill's cavernous welcoming opening is the life equivalent of ending up at the hot high school crush's basement room and choosing not to touch her. Instead you just creepily stare at her and smell her hair when she glances away.

That's what I did at Mill /Creek today. I parked and avoided it but hung out so close you could feel her breath. You could smell her essence. It was beautiful and frustrating as I would not let myself down there. Only rode around the ravine like a thief in the night looking for a dark house to break into.

I didn't feel like I was ready for trails as this ride comes after hobbling around with a terrible nerve pain issue in my leg.

I did survive 84 hours of work in 7 days so a bike ride today was impromptu.

The ride? Started from my old school parking spot and skirted around the ravine like a shy band leader afraid to go into the group and chill out. The ride was shit. Not a great return to the glorious streets of Edmonton.

In the end no leg pain. Although right now there seems top be some issues which will surely put the next planned ride in limbo. 

Not gonna lie. Quite sick of this bullshit already.

See you later for some beer.. 

Happy Monday

Beer Friday. Moosehead, Prairie Honey Wheat Ale

Back again on a Beer Friday done properly on a Monday cause I can thats why!

Sorry to come off angry to start this. I mean I could have gone with all written caps to show just how fired up I am but I didn't. All caps guy is too much for a lot of people. Especially office email all caps guy. He (or she) nah.... Its more annoying if your a guy that does this.

 Is this the nicest day of the year? It sure feels like it kids. A fine day spent touring around with Lonebiker Jr one & two in a topless Jeep taking in the sites and sounds of Edmonton's amazing downtown and surrounding countryside. That's right. Even the usual Edmonton riff faff seemed to be in fine spirits as they pushed their heavily packed shopping carts down 109 st towards their tents in the river valley.

As far as the leg issue goes I am cleared to work. Some amazing news after six weeks of pure frustration. The plan is to go back, work my week and then start slowly riding. I would have been leaving tonight for Fort Macmurray but that job is coming to a close so it will be local work for a while which could not have been more perfect.

Moosehead brewing. Located in Saint John, New Brunswick started up shop in 1867 and is still privately owned. Quite the unreal story but they stayed around and fought the big breweries, prohibition, world wars...

The pour for this one was done in the enclosed Lonebiker beer review studios. The large crowd that showed up exploded into a violent cheer when Andre the head pourer showed up and the opening ceremonies started. It poured a huge three and a half (fat guy) fingered head and looked very drinkable on a very hot and sticky Canadian Monday night.

First sip was nothing but relief from the heat. So was the second and third. Once we started sipping for the review we found a nice and easy drinking honey wheat ale. Tastes of golden showers all over my mouth was nothing but... Hold On!

I'm talking about drinking beer people. Focus!

This one tastes of honey and well... Not a lot else to say here. The honey is nice, don't get me wrong but asides from the honey it's hard to detect notes of anything else. If you really want to know of anything else as I feel like you, the readers are holding a sharpened sickle to my head. I'll just give the bullshit answer every beer reviewer uses from time to time.

This one has bready malts.

There. Done.

This beer gets 2.5 suds out of 5.

Happy (late) Thursday

Beer Friday. Fergie Brewing. The Real Peel Grapefruit IPA

Fernie Brewing again. Cause of last weeks disaster we are looking into this brewery's best interests and as everybody knows once they are featured on here the coming success is imminent.

Ride updates. We are still a ways away from anything that would resemble a ride. The pain is pretty much gone but there is still a sign of the nerve still being irritated. We have less than a week and a half until work comes with a doctors visit preceding that which will tell my fate.

A fellow in the neighbourhood has been riding an E-fat bike around the local roads and paved trails here lately since the weather improved. I see him riding warp speed on one of Beaumont's many hills and I have found it over the top entertaining. 'Is this my future?' A chilling thought as I drive by. It would be fitting after all the bad things I said about E-bikes in the past to have to buy one. Seeing the speed this guy goes has made me dub him 'Fast Fat Bastard' the hero this neighbourhood needs!

We poured with little incident, I say that cause it seems we fire some executives, beer pourer personnel or lowly interns most often during the pour. I would guess it's the high stakes pressure that everyone is under that makes these pours so dramatic. A very tasty looking grapefruit IPA looked sharp in the glass. It was golden and inviting. A one and a half fingered head sat on top and took a very long time to dissipate.

We tasted and a strong grapefruit explosion happened followed quickly by the distinctive IPA bitterness. A yeastlike breadlike flavour is found too. They use grapefruit peels in making this one and it comes through in the taste quite well. It's easy to say this is not for everybody but after a few sips it does grow on you.

This beer gets 3 suds out of 5.

Happy Wednesday

In a word. Trippy.

Beer Friday. Fernie Brewing, Slow Drift Witbier

Welcome to Sunday's edition of Beer Friday which now comes complete with the exclusive Lonebiker injury log. A quick paragraph (or 5) on how things are progressing via the very pissed and mentally unstable nerve that is ruining Summer.

What's that your thinking? Oh... This non ending rain is making things very shitty for the healthy folk out riding and it sucks anyways. What I would give to just have one quick paved trail ride right now.

Yes. I had to be that annoying dick and go there... I get it. If I was riding now the weather would be quite disastrous to one who loves riding singletrack all day. I sadly see people posting on Facebooks mountain bike local page covered in mud trying to get likes while they are out wrecking the trails in order to get some acknowledgment on how hardcore they are. I think I am getting grumpier and grumpier as I spend more time at home doing nothing.

As far as rides on this end go... As per Doctor orders, missing another set off of work which would start Tuesday night, instead I will be in my den building plastic models with periodic breaks to get angry at people riding muddy trails. So with that news, no horizon on the bikes returning to this blog and for me, very sadly goodbye Fall trip plans.

Fernie Brewing has been on here quite a bit and I feel need no introduction. It's Fernie. It's fucking awesome you knuckleheads. Can we get on with the pour now?

Well fuckballs...

It appears we did this one in October of seventeen. Sorry, I swear we checked if this one was done at the store before purchasing.

Here is a link to the original, and I'd stick with this review >> Slow Drift Witbier. This is good stuff.

See you next week kids. Enjoy the riding and don't ride mu... Do I really have to say it?

Happy Friday

Get some headphones on for this one...

Beer Canada Day. Hells Basement, Heritage Select Boxcar Comforts

Happy Canada Day chumps. From Beaumont we are bringing you Beer Friday on a somewhat dreary Canada day. I could only imagine if I could ride now it would be strictly paved and multi use paths. seeing some of the monsters on Faceboob's Edmonton mountain bike page gloat how they are riding now on singletrack sends anger shivers down my fucked up sciatica infused spine.

Oh that you ask....? Much better than a week ago. I hope to get back to work next Tuesday. Sadly no riding till that set is over and that all pends on how things are going.

Funny how walking up the stairs normally can create such joy.

Hells Basement was formed in Medicine Hat Alberta. Home of the Medicine Hat Stampede which fervently celebrates all things that is awesome to Alberta. Being close to the Montana border the citizens also enjoy something us mid country folk don't get to do. Lot's and lot's of border crossings.

We poured this Blonde Ale into our trusty tester mug and a beautiful golden beer with a one and a half fingered head stood proudly on top. This one has all the amazing qualities of what a refreshing Summer beer should look like perched in it's glass. I just wanted to grab it and hold it high. The theme of the beer is to support the Olli family and it's seeds to get the malt that makes this one. The cover of the can is very Canadian and if you don't get the significance of the art work and our history please move in with Donald Trump Jr.

It smelled of bread and doughy malts. The first sip was what it promised, it was refreshing and I would have really enjoyed this on a hot day after a bike ride as opposed to how this is really going down. A fruity feel is in this one although I can't quite put my finger on the exact flavour. Some sort of berry I can only assume... Something dark but not too dark. This one rounds itself out as the perfect summer beer. Find some and go watch some fireworks would ya!

This beer gets 4 suds out of 5.

Happy Thursday

Beer Friday. Whistler Brewing, Lost Lake IPA

Well another end to another long hard week of work...

Not quite, its a long end to another week of hobbling, trying to walk up stairs and bitching incessantly about my condition. Not gonna lie, this is now entering week four where the leg pain is hitting high cords and I'm a little bit down at the whole situation. Getting up and out of bed in the morning is by far the worst.

Acupuncture is now happening and I would like to say after my second visit in a row today I feel a bit different. Like better you ask!? I know your on the edge of your seat right now but I'm not gonna answer. Don't wanna jinx it if it's good.


So there. From someone who gets annoyed at people who post updates on their lives consistently on social media I just did it. Except this ain't social media. If you come on here looking for current ride content. I'm sorry. Gonna be a while. Check the archives. Almost ten years of content right there.

Whistler brewing comes from... Guess and win a Lonebiker one piece bathing suit set for you and the wife!

It was established in nineteen eighty nine, the year the Forty Niners won their third Super Bowl and the Oilers won their fifth Stanley Cup.. Wait! No!

*executive leans in, whispers.

Calgary won?

Nooooooooooooooooo!

Well there you have it. So we poured and it gave a nice dirty looking beer with the robust womanly shape of a 1950's pin up girl. A robust and dank one and a half fingered head stayed around to chat while we set up the drinking stations.

First sip was had and it showed to us and the world it's IPA prowess. A heavily bittered taste hits you which is soon washed down with happiness or a pine taste mixed with earthy hops and a sour citrus smack to the face. The sour notes in this are strong. I get it, India Pale Ales are not for everyone. If you are a fan of them I would suggest this. If you hate bitter beer than stay away.

This beer gets 3 suds out of 5.

Happy Thursday