Photo by Brian Vernor
I rest my case. But you can see more of Brian’s photos from the 2013 Cyclocross World Championships in Louisville over at Paved Mag.
#bourbon
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Some of This…
… and some of that.
I hope you guys had a great weekend. Who’s got off work tomorrow?
Reportage
Beautiful in Brown: The Rapha Leather Town Gloves and Old Rip Van Winkle 10
There are few things more beautiful in this world than fine leatherwork and a brand new bottle of straight Kentucky bourbon. When it comes to the latter, Old Rip Van Winkle is the most coveted and as for the leather, you can’t go wrong with the Rapha Leather Town Gloves. Both are coveted and will provide years of use if treated properly. This isn’t the first time I’ve highlighted cycling products with bourbon and it’s only the finest products that inspired the comparison.
The Rapha Leather Town gloves are exquisitely crafted from the finest Africa hair sheep. Now, I’ve never seen a hair sheep before but they apparently live in an hot and arid place, making their skin extremely tough but thin, perfect for gloves. As with all leather, you’ll want to care for them. When they get dirty or wet, clean them off and let them dry. Then, a simple wipe down with leather conditioner helps keep the leather supple.
Warmth is key in the winter months and no matter how nice gloves look, they have to keep you warm. I’ve found them to be perfect for 40 degrees and up, as is. For sub 40 degree weather, the Ibex merino wool liners keeps your extremities warm. Since it doesn’t get that cold too often in Texas, I’ve only had to wear the liners a couple of times.
And even for the coldest rides, coming home to a glass of Van Winkle 10 year is a sure way to warm you up. The aroma of a fine bourbon such as this will compliment the leather. Simple open the bottle to be greeted with a warm scent of caramel and charred oak wood. At 107 proof, it should be sipped neat, with no ice. If you prefer your bourbon cold, drink it outdoors. The Rapha Leather Town Gloves will keep your hands warm enough!
Radar
Ruckus Components: Carbon Coaster and Tumbler
When I visited the guys at Ruckus Components last month, they gave me a set of their new CNC-machined carbon coasters and etched bourbon tumblers. Have I been using them? Fuck yeah. And now you can pick up a set of your own. Where? Right here at Ruckus.
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A Few Things I’ve Been Enjoying
Rain, my Giro Privateers and my bottle of Colonel EH Taylor. As always, neat is better and ride safe.
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Have a Great Weekend
Enjoy the cool weather, shorter days and colder nights. Each weekend, summer tries to hold on a little longer. Savor it out on your bike and celebrate harder than you ride.
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If Racing Ain’t Your Thing
You could always come get wasted at Interbike…
Radar
I Got to Visit Adam at Stanridge Speed
I’m in Ohio, visiting some of Lauren’s family and the first thing I thought was “who’s in Columbus that I can visit?”. Of course, Stanridge Speed! The first night we were here, I met up with Adam for a glass of Basil Hayden’s and yesterday, I swung by his shop to take some photos. While I wait on my 120 film to get developed, here are two from my 5Dmkii.
A little backstory on these two photos. Adam lost his finger when he was a kid, playing on an exercise bike. Maybe that’s what drove him to a life-long love affair with bikes? Funny, when I think of traumatizing events striking children, it usually distills fear, not fascination. And that flask was a gift, along with a bottle of Blanton’s. Man, what a nice guy!
I can only hope my photos do his space justice. More to come…
Reportage
LA Randomness 01
Saturday was the first day that I got to ride around with my camera in hand and do “tourist stuffs”. Tony came down from Santa Barbara and we spent the afternoon at the LACMA. After geeking out on art, we headed back to GSC, where we downed some beer and bourbon… Randomness ensued.
Click on the above photo to launch the gallery, or here to open in a new tab.
Radar
Van Winkle and the Rapha Grand Tour Shoes
Look, I’m going to be honest. Rapha gave me these shoes and sure, doing a write up was part of the “deal”. I’m a journalist in many ways and part of that is promoting products. But I’ll never pump up the hype on something I’m not into. Like nice cycling shoes, a nice bottle of bourbon needs no hype. While, going for a cheap bottle can result in a great night, you’re better off going for the good stuff if you’re into enjoying the evening. That doesn’t mean you can’t buy cheap bourbon and not have fun.
Hell, Fighting Cock is a great $15 bottle and Bookers or Basil Hayden’s is a good mid-range, coming in at $30-$40. Jim Beam is out of the picture, leave that shit to the sports bars. Makers is perfect for a bourbon and ginger, as is Buffalo Trace but Van Winkle Special Reserve, like the Rapha Grand Tour Shoes are just a step up from the rest. Giro‘s line of cycling shoes are like bourbon: there’s something for everyone. It just so happens that the Grand Tour shoes are the Van Winkle of the line. The bourbon’s good to go but how have the shoes been holding up?
Check out more below
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Keep it Neat and Ride the Streets
No explanation needed. It’s gonna be a weekend of bourbon, bikes and bros. Basil Hayden’s is an approved beverage here at PiNP.
