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Great Lakes Courier: "All Hail the Ale!" with a Night Ride on the Towpath Trail

October 2013

From the Great Lakes Courier:

by Kevin Madzia

Beer Lovers and Bike Lovers Unit! Cleveland Beer Week is October 18 through 26, and you can help kick it off with Cleveland Beer Week's only bicycle-themed event!

Join Century Cycles as they close out their 19th season of Night Rides on the Towpath Trail with their 4th Annual "All Hail the Ale!" Night Ride on the Towpath Trail. The fun begins at 7:00pm in the parking lot of the Century Cycles store in Peninsula, Ohio (1621 Main Street), where yoiu can cycle-your-own smoothies using the blender bike! Arrive a little early to allow time for parking and getting your bike and gear ready. You'll need your own bicycle, helmet, and a headlight. The store will be open before the rides starts in case you need to purchase any gear or need help with your bike.

The ride begins at 8:00pm, when we'll ride about 7 miles on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trial. At the ride's turn-around point, you'll enjoy Oktoberfest-style snacks to make you REALLY thirsty for some good beer, and to fuel your 7-mile ride back to the post-ride party at The Winking Lizard Tavern!

Decorate yourself or your bike in tribute to the event theme "All Hail the Ale!" While beer costumes are not required, they are highly encouraged. Those in costume will have a chance to win prizes, plus they won't have their beer loyalty questioned.

As an official Cleveland Beer Week event, participants in the "All Hail the Ale!" Night Ride will be able to partake of the exclusive tapping of a beer from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company at The Winking Lizard in Peninsula.

The affinity for beer and bicycles runs so deep that before last year's "All Hail the Ale!" Night Ride, Century Cyles polled their customers to find out what type of post-ride beer is their favorite. The winner by a large margin was "Ale/Pale Ale/IPA." You can see the full results of the last poll here: http://conta.cc/19aTd83

If you've never ridden on a Night Ride on the Towpath Trail before, you can find general information at centurycycles.com. Included there are directions to the store, links to preparation and safety tips, and photos and videos from past rides.

While the Night Ride is FREE and requires no advance registration, Night Riders must sign a waiver before participating and are responsible for the purchase of their own beer and food at the Winking Lizard. This ride is at night, in the dark woods on an un-lit trail. That is why bicycle lights and helmets are REQUIRED. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult; young adults under 21 should ignore all the excitement about the beer-tapping. Finally, make sure those beer costumes don't hang or catch in a bicycle's spokes or chain (falling off your bike tends to ruin the fun) and that you can still wear your bike helmet in costume.