Reasons I’m going to book another Brewcycle:
- It’s amazingly fun
- Beer
- It’s something you can do with runner friends and non-runner friends alike
- It’s not really that physically challenging
A group of Run Oregon bloggers and friends spent the afternoon of September 25, 2016 riding around NW Portland on a car-sized mobile bar with room for 15 (10 pedal) and an excellent sound system. Joining me on the Brewcycle were bloggers Joe Dudman and Brian Bernier, friends Charissa and Nikki, and my mom. We shared our Brewcycle experience with two girls visiting from San Diego and a couple from Houston; all of whom were fun people to share a few hours with.
Here’s how it works: You show up at their “garage,” located at 1425 NW Flanders in Portland. I highly recommend taking public transportation to and from (because of the beer); but if someone’s going to stay sober, park in a spot where you can reserve at least two hours. You’ll need to bring your ID and that’s it; someone from your party may want to prepare a playlist of about 20 songs to listen to as you pedal from bar to bar. Our group took turns providing our phones for music – I subscribe to Pandora One which also worked great.
Our tour was the “Northwest Route,” which went first to the Lucky Lab on NW Quimby, then Lompoc on NW 23rd, and finally Bridgeport on NW Northrup. Providing the pedal power wasn’t actually that bad; hills were a bit of a challenge but the flats and downhills were easy-peasy. As a matter of fact, what was most challenging was keeping our feet on the pedals because there was no resistance. That, and trying to remember the lyrics to “Under Pressure.”
Brewcycle participants may be more comfortable in exercise clothes, but some of the folks in our group were wearing what I would consider to be “nice” clothes and they didn’t have any trouble. Depending on the temperature, you could get pretty sweaty; and if it was raining you’d probably get wet. The bike-bar has a roof, and unless it was in a torrential downpour, I’d totally have fun doing it in the rain! As a matter of fact I am hoping to book my next trip for this December.
In addition to the Northwest Route, Brewcycle offers the “Old Town route” which swings by three newer breweries, PINTS Brewing, Old Town Brewing Co., and Fat Head’s; and the “Dive Bar route” that makes stops at the Lucky Lab, Joe’s Cellar, and Yur’s. No matter which route you choose, you’ll receive quick service (you get a stamp when you check in at Brewcycle so you don’t have to flash your ID at every stop). Each bar and bartender is expecting you — you can speed up the process by reviewing each bar’s beer list before you visit so you can order quickly. Best of all, the beers are all priced at happy hour pricing.
Depending on how quickly your group pedals, you’ll have 20-30 minutes at each bar. Extend your Brewcycle experience with a a pint at the start of your experience at their own bar, where they have tables and TVs, plus their own beers and guest beers on tap. I’d recommend going about 30 minutes early so you can grab a pint first (their beer is great), especially since you don’t drink while cycling to the next place. (If you want to drink while on the move, check out their boat-based BrewBarge.
I highly recommend also bringing a water bottle with you, and some snacks that please your palette when you’re sipping a wonderful NW brew. For me that would be Lay’s Original potato chips, and yes, I’d bring enough to share. Depending on which route you’re on, your driver will tip you off as to which bar would be the best one at which to order food.
You can book a Brewcycle (they have three bikes) by the individual seat or the whole she-bang. Individual seats are $25 if you reserve Sunday-Thursday and $30 if you’re planning a Friday or Saturday ride. The whole bike is $375 on “school nights” and $450 on weekends. I also suggest thanking your “driver” (even though they don’t pedal, they do steer, brake, and keep you safe and on schedule) with a tip at the end of the tour.
Joe’s notes: I don’t drink much beer (weird, I know, but maybe I’m keeping Portland weird in a reverse way), but I do like exercise, hanging out with friends, and touring Portland in unique ways, so I had a blast joining the crew for our Brewcycle ride. As Kelly mentioned, keeping your feet on the pedals could be a challenge sometimes, but overall the pedaling was easy and it was fun to have our “driver” encourage us to speed up through the intersections and signal our turns by sticking our arms out in the appropriate direction at the corners.
I also enjoyed our interactions with the pedestrians, drivers, and people eating outdoors that we encountered along the route. Most of them were amused and happy to see us roll slowly by, although there was the occasional driver who seemed a little impatient to be stuck behind such a leisurely paced vehicle. But for the most part we were greeted with grins and friendly waves, and one car-load behind us was busy snapping smartphone photos of us and posting them for their “social media” friends. A large part of the fun of the Brewcycle is the novelty of it, as much for those who watch it ride by as for the participants themselves.