Post-ride Beer: The Lament

Inspiration

This post isn’t really about a beer, it’s about the occasion that called for a very strong beer.

Author Photo

By Logan

PUBLISHED Jul 24, 2014

7
Conversation

Usually the act of unboxing something is good. Christmas gifts, an Amazon box, or a birthday present. That’s not the case when it’s your bike in the box, after a long trip. I didn’t really rush into this task; I had other bikes to ride while the ECR sat dormant in its cardboard coffin for a couple of weeks.

Last year, I marinated in a glorious post-ride beer that I dedicated to our whole Latin America trip as I degunked and cleaned the Troll. Overall it was a nice moment of reflection. This time, I wasn’t so excited about it. Maybe the withdrawal has been worse, or maybe the trip was better and I wasn’t ready for reflection. One thing was certain, there were some nasty scrapes and bruises on that bike in the box. So when the time came, I knew I needed to blur the occasion to take the edge off. Maybe a whisky would have been proper, but working in the garage during the heat of summer requires something cold. Two beers with the word ‘imperial’ in their name would do.

Bike frame Shelter protection
I am kind of a sissy about my bike getting beat up. Not that I ride carefully or anything, moreso about stuffing it in a bus, or on a roof. For this trip I used a product called Shelter to protect places in the frame where bags and cables rubbed, or where damage usually strikes. It actually worked pretty well, but you can’t cover a whole bike.
Post-ride Beer - Surly ECR, Stone Russian Imperial Stout
Ah yes. I had heard about this one. Eleven percent.
Surly ECR - dents and dings
It’s hard to tell by the photo, but this is actually a nice dent where she fell over from a gust of wind and landed right on a metal bike rack in the middle of a Spain greenway.
Post-ride Beer - Surly ECR, Stone Russian Imperial Stout
A thick pillowy khaki head compliments a nice aroma of french roast coffee, molasses, and charred fruits. The up front taste of velvety malts is followed by bitter chocolate and hops. It finishes perfectly as all of the flavors meld together and stick to the palette for a long savor.
Surly ECR - dents and dings
This is one of the worst places on the frame. The drive side seat stay took a beating when she was strapped to a roof for the last 50kms in the Sahara after a plague of flat tires that put Gin’s Troll down for the count.
Surly ECR - dents and dings

There are several small gashes that were kept minimal by the ED coating Surly started using on their frames. Luckily all of these should be easily touched up with a small bottle of RAL 6022.
Post-ride Beer - Oskar Blues Gubna
By my third Gubna, I had already busted Gin’s Troll out and had it broken down. The sting had been soothed.

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Inspiration

 bikes-and-beer  beer  surly-ecr  

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