MORBID - Minnesota Off Road Bikers Into Drinking

Rock Star

2008-07-24T14:22:00.004-05:00

So you never grew up to be a rock star. Sorry. I didn't either. I sit in front of a computer all day and try to save the world. As I usually don't have a ton of time to update the ultra-super-great MORBID website all the time I need you. Yes you reader.

Here are some questions for you:

Can you for sentences into paragraphs making a coherent blog post?

Can you take pictures?

Can you relate to the struggles of an ordinary biker?

Yeah, me neither but I still need your help. Send me an email (pete@morbidmtb.com) and tell me why you want to be a MORBID blogger. I don't care if you update the site once a day or once a month, I just want to offer some options to people who are sick of reading my rambling mess I try to pass off as a blog post.

-pete

MFers

2008-07-22T22:33:00.003-05:00

Hi. I have seen you around here, looking at the join page and not sure if you meet the qualifications. Well you probably do. What is that? You don't know what a Minnesota is? Well now you are in luck! You can be a MFer! Or MORBID Friend! All the benefits of MORBID(none really) without the Minnesota connection.

So now head back over to the join page and fill that form out. For the part about Minnesota feel free to tell me how close you have been to our state.

Countries with the most visits...in order.

United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Hungary, Germany, Spain, France, Australia, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Portugal, Finland, Indonesia, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Singapore, Ireland, Philippines, Bulgaria, Israel, Argentina, Thailand, Croatia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Mexico, Denmark, Chile, Russia, Austria, Latvia, South Korea, India, Puerto Rico, Slovenia, Taiwan, Morocco, Malaysia, Serbia and Montenegro, Ukraine, Costa Rica, China, Albania, Belize, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Colombia, Pakistan, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Reunion, Hong Kong, Honduras, Estonia, Samoa, Algeria, Iran, Panama, Jordan, Peru.

We're huge in Hungary! :D

MORBID MEAT UP #3

2008-07-21T16:33:00.004-05:00

August 28th, 2008 @ 6pmish.
Panino Bros. in the GrandStay Hotel
Apple Valley, MN 5512something....

c-ya there.

Two New Stickers Coming Soon.

2008-07-21T16:01:00.004-05:00

Sticker #2 - 500 made!

Sticker #3 - limited edition!

They should be in stock in around 2 weeks. Pick 'em up at the Salsa Two Four Fest!

Thanks to Red for the idea! Vertical stickers coming soon!

Notice Anything?

2008-07-18T11:37:00.003-05:00

Photo taken in Copper Harbor, MI.

Seahorse Pale Ale

2008-07-16T10:10:00.002-05:00

Rogue Seahorse Pale Ale. Scrumptious. Enough Said.

Introducing: El Rey

2008-07-04T13:24:00.002-05:00

After months of stockpiling money and gathering new parts the new bike is done. The frame is the Ventana El Rey which simply means the king.

Frame	Ventana El Ray
Front Fork	Fox F29
Bottom Bracket	Race Face
Cranks	Race Face Next LP
Chainrings	Race Face Team
Pedals	Time Atac XS
Front Derailleur	Shimano XT
Chain	SRAM 991
Rear Derailleur	SRAM X.O
Cogset	SRAM 990
Hubs	Chris King ISO Disc
Skewers	Hope
Spokes	DT-Swiss Champion
Rims	DT-Swiss TK-7.1D 29"
Tubes	Kenda Superlight
Tires	Kenda Small Block 8
Brakes	Forumla K-24
Seatpost	Thomson Elite
Saddle	Selle Italia Flite
Headset	Chris King NoThread
Stem	Thomson Elite
Handlebars	Race Face Next LP
Shifters	SRAM X-9
Brake Levers	Forumal K-24
Bar Tape	ODI Rogue Lock-on

Viewer Discretion Advised: Some of the below images may cause mental anguish...

2008-06-30T22:07:00.008-05:00

So, apparently my bike didn't get as much love as it should have this past fall/winter. I was appalled & disappointed in myself when I finally took a moment to see the neglect. Thought I'd take a moment to share these photos & to remind everyone to give their bike a "hug." Grab your favorite brew, put on your favorite tunes, & take a moment to return the love that your bike gives you every time you ride.

Iron Oxides...

Pedal Strike.

Was I seriously riding on this?

Different angle...same sad story.

The Build Begins...

2008-06-30T00:56:00.002-05:00

The pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together...

The Seat.

The hotness.

The bling...

How about that advertising...

Bootsiebee's Bike Build...

2008-06-29T10:08:00.008-05:00

So, unfortunately the events that follow happened over the course of the last month or so, but haven't made it here until now...

So, after much thought and LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of advice from everyone (thanks, I think), I made the decision to build my own bike (with adult supervision of course). Why? Well, I wanted to learn more about my bike so that I could take care of her better in the future (I think I just now established that my new bike will be a she). I also wanted the satisfaction of building her myself. Of course there's always the fact that I get to hand pick every part.

So the story begins...

Step #1: Decision to build bike vs. buying one already assembled.

Step #2: The good old Hard Tail vs. Full Suspension dilemma. Hard Tail Won.

Step #3: Hire someone who knows what the fuck

they're doing cuz I sure as hell don't & promise to feed them beer in return for their knowledge. Done.

Step #4: Mission Statement: Build a bike that is #1 Lightweight, #2 Low Maintenance, & #3 Within Budget.

Step #5: Determine Budget - $1500 is the Magic Number. Gotta have money left for beer at MORBID events!!!

Step #6: Decide on a frame - Sals a Ala Carte Steel is real baby. Ride & Smile!

Step #7: Pick out components...Separate Blog!!!

Step #8: Prodeal Prodeal Prodeal!!! (it's good to be an REI employee) Most of my components were ordered from REI. I did however support my LBS with the purchase of my beautiful Red Chris King HS. It was really just an excuse to go hang with Chuck @ Behind Bars - good stuff.

Let me just tell you a bit about the service we've received at this LBS! Our first trip out was a Sunday afternoon. Our arrival was about 5 minutes past close, but the guys came to the door & let us in even after we told them we just wanted to look at their t-shirts/jerseys. The second time we were in we were hoping to check out sizing for my Salsa Ala Carte & even though they didn't have the bike there Chuck was eager to order one so I could try it out! If you like a cozy welcoming feel to your LBS, this is the place to go. Ok... back on track...

Step #9: Waiting, waiting, waiting for bike parts to arrive.

Step #10: It's Christmas! Parts are flowing in and everyday feels like Christmas. More to come as the build continues. ETA... this Wednesday in time for a trip to UP!!!

New Shiny and Things

2008-06-20T12:28:00.002-05:00

New shiny!

Scott helped me pick out a new all purpose commuter/grocery/beer getter/bar hopper bike. It is a Surly Cross Check Complete, the only stuff I had to add were the Crank Bros Egg Beater pedals, rear rack, and the Ortlieb Back Roller Classic panniers.

Rode it to work today and I have to say it has probably the most comfortable ride I have ever experienced. I am really digging this bike.

Pictures:

On to other business. Wednesday Night saw a few of us hit up Murphy. It was in awesome shape, and lots of people out there. Mikey, Matt, Kris, and myself did nice lap and then drank a beer in the parking lot. It was a very nice night out.

Thursday I missed out on what sounded like an awesome Thursday Night Ride at Leb and then after party at Old Chicago. Next time!

Looks like there is some trail work at Murphy Sunday and also a group ride. Details on this post.

Have an awesome weekend! Looks like it is going to be a good one!

I Call Bull Shit.

2008-06-18T13:27:00.002-05:00

From: Campus Squeeze

12 Beers You Should Only Drink In College

12.) Natural Light
11.) Natural Ice
10.) Keystone Light
9.) Busch Light
8.) Milwaukee's Best
7.) Milwaukee's Best Ice
6.) Pabst Blue Ribbon
5.) Old Milwaukee
4.) Coors Light
3.) Schmidt’s Beer
2.) Stroh's Beer
1.) Genesee Cream Ale

They have Old Milwakee and PBR on the list. Now anyone who knows someone with a fixed gear knows you can't be cool without a PBR tallboy. People bring their own tallboys to events where there is free beer! Old Milwakee and Coors Light? Well, what else are you going to drink while ice fishing or downing 24 beers for hydration during a bike race? These asshats need to go back to school and get a real education. I am sure that the douchebags that wrote this will soon be putting an airport sold Sam Adams on the AmEx card while waiting to sell me some crappy software. Then they will take me out to dinner on their dime and I will order a Old Mil and not order their software. They won't get commision and will loose their house because they look down their nose at a "lesser" beer. Every beer has its place, sure, I would rather drink a quality craft brew 80% of the time, but hell, you can't tell me a Mich Light doesn't taste good on a hot day.

There, I got my pissy-ness out of the way for today. I feel much better.
-pete

Terrace Oaks

2008-06-18T00:20:00.000-05:00

Mikey, Aimee, and I joined up with Zoey the dog to do a few laps out at Terrace Oaks. Aimee and Zoey did some hiking, Mikey and I did the biking. I had to get out of there pretty quickly since I had to get to Best Buy and purchase a new fridge. So Mikey and I nailed out 3 quick laps, him on his single and me with gears on the Stumpjumper.

Beers were drank in the parking lot and off we went. Murphy tomorrow around 630pm and Leb Thursday around 6pm.

See ya on the trails!

The Road to Recovery

2008-06-17T08:17:00.001-05:00

Commuting can drive you crazy -- no, literally

Traffic.
Think your commute drives you crazy? Well, you might be right. In a culture so accustomed to being on-the-go, sitting immobile in traffic for hours each day can take a toll on mental health, researchers say. "If you're stuck in traffic, there's a feeling of being out of control," says psychologist Laura Pinegar, who says she's hearing more and more complaints of traffic anxiety in her practice. Psychologist Ronald Nathan says it can get even more intense than that: "We can start to over-generalize by saying, 'My life is worthless. All I am is somebody who gets into a piece of metal and goes from one place to another.'" We prescribe one bicycle, to be taken twice daily.

source: Los Angeles Times

MORBID MEAT UP #2

2008-06-17T00:17:00.003-05:00

Tuesday July 1st, 6pmish, Busters on 28th in So. MPLS.

See ya there!

Stub & Herb's - Meat Up - 5.28.08

2008-06-08T08:50:00.004-05:00

Better late than never... after much harassment and even verbal abuse my photos from the Meat Up @ Stub n Herb's finally made the treacherous journey from my camera to my iPhoto account and finally arrived here this morning.

The drinks went down swimmingly and the debauchery arrived on cue.

We all sported our shiny and new MORBID t-shirts and our goal of clearing out the patio was mostly successful!

Time to shut up and let the photos speak for themselves.

Hope to see all those that missed this event out there next time... oh yes, there will be a next time.

Morbid T-Shirts Now in Stock

2008-05-28T12:40:00.004-05:00

The first run of t-shirts have been run and many are already claimed. I did do some extras and will post up the sizes and colors still available after tonight.

Replace the Raft!

2008-05-26T21:54:00.003-05:00

A call to action:

Some asshats cut the raft free at the River Bottoms. Sounds like it was the work of some vandal fisherpeople. Asshats. So what should you do? I would appreciate if you would donate to the replacement fund. It is such a unique part of the trail and needs to be replaced if you want to ride the full trail.

Please donate or if you would rather donate in person, I will be at the MORBID Meat UP and you can give me cash there to donate to the fund.

DONATE!

You don't want to have to have me strap bikes to Mikey and make him swim across do ya?

5.22.08 Ride

2008-05-23T14:52:00.003-05:00

We hit up The Hills a little earlier than the rest of the Thursday Night MORC Group Ride and made it back to the lot while the rest of the folks were on the trail. After the sufferfest the night before we were a bit spent but probably could have knocked out another loop but decided to have a beverage in the lot instead and wait for the rest of the crew to roll though.

As I was enjoying a Premo, or was it a KBC, anyways, as I was enjoying the bevy some rollypolly soccer mom gets out of her van and shakes her head at us...wtf. We than witness her waddling over to the soccer pitch and berate some other bikers that were "in her way." I went over and talked to them for a bit, they said she came by and told them how us bikers just take over the parking lot. Which is funny since it is a County lot and the soccer pitch is an Eagan park...Who shouldn't be parking there?

When she and her precious snowflakes got back to the minivan we got some more head shakes as a group of about 8 of us enjoyed a brew. We all waved to her as she was driving away. I think that really got to her. :) No police presence this week, I think they are sick of her calling in.

After the parking lot action it was off to the OC for some food and discussion. Ahh, good night. Thanks to everyone and it was nice meeting all, y'all.

Oh, forgot about this. Supposedly the 10 Best Beer Names. They are pretty good. :D

See ya out there..

-pete

Ride and Brew and Grill

2008-05-22T12:08:00.003-05:00

Last night a few of the MORBID crew rolled up to Murphy to do a little riding. I got there a little earlier than the rest and did a couple of the easy loops and the intermediate once. Then Mikey showed up and we knocked out a full loop before Kris arrived. Mike cracked open a beer and we hung out in the lot waiting for Kris to change out of his fancy pants work duds.

We slowly rolled out for another lap on an awesome night. At marker 61 we saw the crew putting in the posts for the feature that is going in. I am 99% sure I am going to break something out there this summer...hopefully it is the bike and not me.

After the loop we got down to business. Cracked open a few of KBC's finest and started up the grill....uh oh. Mikey ran out of gas. After shaming him into going to Target to get more we were back in business just in time for the trail workers to come out and have a beer and brat or two. We stuck around until sundown and then called it a nice long day. See you on the trail...or parking lot!

KBC!

2008-05-21T00:44:00.003-05:00

So Scott had an event to attend in the UP of Michigan. What was the first thing some of us thought of when we heard he was hitting up the UP? KBC. aka Keweenaw Brewing Company A few of us tasted the yummy of KBC last fall when we were up in Houghton. We hit up the KBC tap room and fell in love. If you ever have a chance to stop by, go in when they open, I bet you don't leave until they close.

So where was I going with this? Ah yes, the over $100 of KBC in cans that were picked up tonight from Scott. Some Blonde, some Brown, and some Amber sounds like a good combination to me and luckily that is what they can. I am enjoying a Pick Axe Blonde Ale as I type this but wish I could get a Coal Porter on nitro here in the TC.

Anyway Wednesday some of us will be riding, beering, and grilling at Murphy Hannrehan tomorrow around 6ish. Say hi or bring some beers and meat and hang out.

For now, I leave you with this...

How to Open a Beer Without an Opener.

IMAGINARY BAGS

2008-05-20T13:11:00.002-05:00

A Crumpler Art Bag Auction @ One On One Bicycle Studio
117 Washington Ave. N, Mpls Warehouse District
Monday, June 2 – Saturday, June 7

Closing Night Party
Saturday, June 7 @ 7:00PM
Featuring DJ Millions Billions and live music by The Haves Have It

Imaginary Bags is a silent auction and fundraising event featuring unique Crumpler messenger bags created by artists and designers from the Minnesota biking community. All proceeds benefit the Mark Loesch Memorial Fund.

For more information about the event, visit imaginarybags.com.

Sponsored by Crumpler and One On One Bicycle Studio

P.S. If you're on Facebook, please join the Imaginary Bags group.

Beer Stuff/etc.

2008-05-19T15:37:00.003-05:00

First up:

The Toronto Star asks:
Is American Beer Any Good?

Yes. That is the conclusion. I saved you a bunch of reading. People in Canada really want to drink our beer. Bonus: New Glarus is mentioned.

Next up:
Miller CEO says drinkers are trading down to economy beers

I was discussing this with someone the other day. I love the variety of beers we have to choose from now, but if I am going on an all out get stupid bender, I pick the cheap beer. Sure, I may start with something nicer and then switch after a few, but I usually end up drinking the economy beer later in the session.

In other news I will be riding out at Murphy Wednesday and Thursday with some of the other MORBID members. There may be a grill also for a little after ride dinner. I will post up specifics if weather holds and it is dry.

Also, do you need a MORBID t-shirt? Check out this link and post up what you want.

Last thing today. Have you been on the Minnesota River or even the Mississippi? Have you seen a raft that may at one time have been used for transport on 9 mile creek? Well if you know where it might be I will offer up a six pack reward for information leading to its recovery. Details Here.

That is all. Get out and ride!

Lebanon Hills

2008-05-16T10:19:00.002-05:00

Pete, Mikey B, and myself hit up Lebanon for a loop last night. On the trail we met up with April and then afterwards were joined by Katie and David in the parking lot for post ride treats. Not even the Po-Po could put a damper on our little party. Though from what I gather drinking in the Lebanon lot isn't really illegal. Woot!

Suspects: Pete, Mike B, April, Katy, David, Scott

Beers: Shell's Original, Rush River Amber, Premium Grainbelt

Morbid Meat UP

2008-05-15T12:13:00.004-05:00

Hello-

It is that time again and I want to drink a beer or two. Please join us and have one or eight.

Details:
May 28th 2008
Stub and Herb's
3-6pm/10pm-midnight - 1/2 off Apps, $3 Pints and Rail Drinks
$5 off pitchers
Ommegang Tasting!

Please come, you mom doesn't want you drinking alone....