2014 I Love STL: Bicrobrews Microbrewery Bicycle Tour
Saturday morning, August 16, started off with a steady drizzle of rain and temperatures in the mid 70s. Checking radar, it appeared the skies would clear for our 11 a.m. start but the rain kept coming. Despite the weather, cyclists arrived ready to check out some awesome St. Louis breweries.
Ann Mack’s “Growler” group was the first to start. Behind them was George Nelson’s “blue circles” and then Hawkie Moore’s “let’s party.” As groups departed, more cyclists arrived excited for the tour.
The next groups to depart were Dave Beattie’s “Oranges” and Ian Hackett’s “purple shooters.” Groups were initially divided with 20 riders in each but approaching the end of registration, groups included close to 40 cyclists. Barrett Schmidt’s “blue balls,” Brian Hanke’s “black beards” and Steve’s “Crazy Train” began the ride at around 11:30 a.m.
Even with the rainy start, 250 cyclists participated in the I Love STL: Bicrobrews Microbrewery Bicycle Tour. Luckily, the rain cleared by the second stop and cyclists enjoyed pleasant weather for the remainder of the day. With eight breweries (4 Hands Brewing Co., Alpha Brewing Company, The Civil Life Brewing Company, Morgan Street Brewery, Schlafly Beer, Six Row Brewing Company, Square One Brewery and Distillery, and Urban Chestnut Brewing Company) there were a lot of stops to make and beer to sample. All cyclists had a fantastic time and some die-hard groups did not finish until after 7:00 p.m. This bike tour was sponsored by Mike’s Bikes.