Once again, that crisp Fall air means that the end of Pedal Pale Ale Season is drawing near!
As you may have heard, back in April of 2012 about 600 of you, our GOOD FRIENDS came out to help deliver the first Pedal Pale Ale kegs of the season at our annual PEDAL PALE ALE KEG RIDE, and raised over $9,000 for our two charities! And just like last year, we need to get the last of this year's empty Pedal Pale Ale kegs back to the brewery... which in my book is the perfect excuse for another bike ride. (Okay, it's still a pretty flimsy excuse, but work with me, okay?)
FIRST, A BIT ABOUT THE BEER: In case you've missed it so far this year, our summer seasonal, PEDAL PALE ALE is a crisp, American Pale Ale with a bright floral hop character, and a lighter body than its big brother (our flagship Big Hop IPA). I believe it just might be THE PERFECT post-bike-ride beverage, but that's just my opinion. And since this year's supply is winding down, we need to send it off in style...
THE RIDE:
After breakfast at OTB Bicycle Cafe, we'll head off in a nice tight group. Of course, the big difference is that unlike the KEG RIDE in the Spring, everybody knows where we're going on the REVERSE KEG RIDE... to return the kegs to our NEW brewery location, which should be open by then, at 147 Julius St. (at Frankstown Ave.)
Like the Spring Keg Ride, this trip will be slow-paced, slightly meandering, and maybe even a little surprising, in spite of already knowing the destination. When we arrive, we'll say goodbye to Pedal Pale Ale until next year, and raise a glass of SNOW MELT WINTER ALE to toast it's passing, on me of course.
Like last year's Reverse Keg Ride, this one is right around Halloween, so this ride is COSTUME PREFERRED. And as a little encouragement, there will be prizes awarded in these three categories:
- Best Beer-themed Costume
- Best Pittsburgh-themed Costume
- Best Team Costume
DIFFICULTY, PACE: There's no two ways about it. Riding from OTB to EEBC is an uphill trip. If you've not been on your bike for 3 years, this ride may not be for you. But we'll do our best to keep the pace nice and gentle, and keep the group together...which will mean some waiting around for the quicker riders. Part of this route will include a long climb through Panther Hollow, but we plan to stop at the end of this climb and re-mass the group, and wait for any stragglers.
Part of the route will be on roads with regular car traffic, a part of it will be on paved trails, and some will be unpaved but smooth gravel trails. So really, any kind of bike/tires should work just fine. And if you need to pick up a used bike for this event, check out FreeRide, a local bike organization that does some great work in the community.
THE PARTICULARS:
Saturday, October 27th. Rain or shine.
Breakfast and Check-in at 9:00am at OTB Bicycle Cafe, 2518 E. Carson St. in the South Side. Map HERE.
Depart at 10:00, Arrive at 11:00-11:30am
Prizes: Costume judging and beer-filled prizes will be awarded at our destination in each of the three categories.
Keep the Glass: You'll also leave with an East End Brewing Pint Glass, so be sure to bring a bag or a busboy to carry it home.
Return trip: A ride back to OTB is planned this year, complete with a post-ride SnowMelt beer special!
Cost: $20 for REGULAR on-line registration, $25 for LATE on-line registration. There will be NO day-of registration, and the ride is limited to the first 200 participants. Regular registration will end on a mysterious date, without notice, so don't delay. All Registration will close when the ride hits the stated limit, or on October 25th at noon... whichever comes first.
This charitable contribution gets you a continental breakfast, your morning coffee, a fun day of riding your bike in a big group... and this year's very first SNOW MELT WINTER ALE fresh from the brewery. Not to mention all the silliness that comes with riding a bike in a Halloween costume. Plus, you can know that your registration dollars go to support an excellent cause...
THE CAUSE: This year's beneficiary is "In-Stride with Theraputic Riding", who has been providing recreational riding with theraputic benefits to childred and adults with disabilities since 2006. They do great work with modest resources, and they appreciate your support!
HOW TO SIGN UP: If the idea of dressing up in a costume and following kegs being pulled around town by bicycles (ridden by other people in costumes) sounds like the kind of thing that interests you, I have to say that you're our kind of people! To ride along, you first need to REGISTER FOR THE RIDE by hitting that big blue button below. Then show up at our starting point, OTB (here's a map to it) with your bike and your helmet, get yourself checked-in, collect your "beer token", grab a bite ...and then just follow the bouncing kegs when we head out.
REGISTRATION IS NOT OPEN YET, so this button doesn't work. Watch for an announcement soon.
CAN KIDS COME? Sure. There have definitely been kids on this ride in the past, and they are certainly welcome this time. But be advised that this ride is on OPEN CITY STREETS, and a decent portion of this trip will be up one loooong hill. And of course the kids don't get a beer at the end of the ride. But we can substitute that beer with some Home Made Root Beer for anyone that's interested.
TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW: As you know, we do LOTS of events every year... Beer Dinners, Festivals, Volunteer Days, but these rides are probably my favorite events of the year. It's a great excuse to get out on your bike with your GOOD FRIENDS for day of group riding, some good food, some good fun, some GOOD BEER, and of course a good cause. So seriously, tell everyone you know about this. The more people we have, the more money we will raise, and the more fun it will be. And if you came on the Reverse Keg Ride last year, just wait until you see what we've done with the place.
See you on the ride! Cheers, Scott
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