The Adventure Fit Life

Tucson Mystery Clue!

2012-02-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

Follow the link HERE to complete a puzzle that will display a photo of the location of the FIRST mystery checkpoint in Tucson.

FAT tires

2011-12-31T18:20:00.000-08:00

The good folks over at Surly sent us the demo fleet for the 2012 UAR season. The 1st bike to come out of the box was the Moonlander. It's a SUPER FAT tire bike capable of crushing just about any terrain. The tires are almost 5" wide! The paint is filled with moon dust sparkles, the drive train is 2x9, it's really hard not to smile while riding this bike.

We can't wait for YOU to ride it at the Urban Assault Ride this season. We'll have this bike along with a bunch of others from the Surly fleet available for your pleasure.

Surly and the UAR: a match made in heaven

2011-12-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

Pretty big news in the world of the UAR: SURLY is our new bike sponsor. In case you are unfamiliar, Surly is a Minneapolis-based maker of super cool, utilitarian, bomb-proof bicycles and bike parts.

If you work at a bike shop or know somebody who does - they probably own a Surly. Why? Because they're a true 'rider's ride'. For those that make bikes part of their everyday lifestyle, Surly has your ride. Want a bike to haul a whole shopping cart full of groceries home in style? You need a Big Dummy:

Want a bike that will literally conquer ANY terrain? Throw a leg over a PUGSLEY or MOONLANDER...

Surly makes so many fun bikes - we know you're going to love them if you don't love them already.

Some of the cool ways you'll experience Surly at the UAR in 2012:

Hang with us and have a beer on us at the SURLY Beer Bike Ride Friday before each UAR
Demo a bunch of different Surly bikes at each after party
WIN lots of Surly gear all year long.

We're super stoked to welcome Surly to the family and we know you're going to love them as much as we do.

Charlotte Mystery Clue!

2011-09-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

Use the word search above to find menu items from one of our favorite local establishments. This will be the location of our first mystery checkpoint on Sunday. Hint: they serve New Belgium beers. (Duh!)

Minneapolis Mystery Clue!

2011-09-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Use the word find below to find words associating to the location of the first mystery checkpoint at the race in Minneapolis on Sunday. Words can be found vertically, horizontally, diagonally, forwards and backwards. This is a hard one, but we have faith in you Minneapolis!

Des Moines Mystery Clue

2011-08-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all, solve this puzzle to figure out the location for the FIRST mystery checkpoint on Sunday!

Super exclusive interview with the one and only Stevil Kinevil

2011-08-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

A true fan of Beer, Bikes, and Big Wheels, Stevil Kinevil of All Hail the Black Market fame, kindly answered some questions for the Adventure Fit Life blog.

In case you don't know, we're here to let you know. Stevil is many things: a rider, writer, artist, lover of bikes, drinker of beer, and creator of many pithy thoughts. He's right up our alley and we thought he'd be up your alley too.

Some handsome devil with reflective nipples

Without further delay...here is the Q and A:

Adventure Fit: You’ve made a living out of being creative, loving bikes, and drinking beer. What words of advice do you have for others that want to live the ‘American dream’ in a similar fashion?

Stevil: The fact that I have kept my head above water doing this for two years is nothing short of a miracle and a combination of all of the components leading up to it being in perfect harmony. I have no advice for others than to hope the same set of circumstances could befall them as well.

Adventure Fit: You used to be a bike messenger in San Francisco. What’s the strangest think you’ve transported knowingly?

Stevil: I once delivered an end-of-the-day stay of execution that originated at Federal Court in San Francisco and had to be filed by five o’clock in Oakland. The woman blessed me on my way out of the office and I got it filed with less than a minute to spare. I also delivered a non-descript parcel to a non-descript jeweler’s office once and when they opened it I saw that it was tens of thousands of dollars in diamonds. That would have been a package worth ‘losing’.

Adventure Fit:Many people submit stories/videos/photos to your site www.allhailtheblackmarket.com – what’s the latest viral video that tickles your fancy?

Stevil: It’s been out for a while, but the one of the drunken baby in the bar of marionettes will probably be one of my longest standing favorites. Also a good number of the images and comments on the Imgur site are a never-ending source of entertainment.

Adventure Fit: For those looking for advice on a healthy lifestyle – what do you think is the best way to integrate a healthy dose of alcohol?

Stevil: A ‘healthy dose’ as in a dose that is good for you, or a dose that is in an abundance? If it’s the former you are asking, I heard from a doctor once that high quality gin has medicinal properties. If it’s the latter, open your mouth and pour it in. Just always remember-‘all things in moderation, including moderation’.

Adventure Fit: You have many pithy one-liners sold in sticker form. Which one best summarizes life in general?

Stevil: “I don’t f%*k around but when I do, I don’t f%*k around.”

A clowned out Stevil, giving some love to his doggie friend

Adventure Fit: If you could have only one bike – what would it be?

Stevil: I’ve long described my geared cross bike as the go-to bike and the one I would most prefer to be stranded on a desert island with, but I had Rick Hunter build me a 29er last year, and it has proven to me what real love is.

Adventure Fit: Describe your perfect day.

Stevil: I wake up in my mountain retreat, and gently slide away from the three beautiful women who are lying around me. I walk downstairs and put on the first Afghan Whigs record as I feed the cats and begin to prepare a big breakfast. Eventually all of my friends come shuffling out of their rooms and a few cans of beer are opened.. Mid-morning, we all get ready to go on some kind of a bike ride or another. Once we return, we spend the rest of the day at the creek jumping off of rocks and rope swings. As the sun sets, we go home to get cleaned up and ready to go see Rocket From The Crypt, who have reformed, just in honor of my perfect day.

Adventure Fit: How long does it normally take you to create a post on your website?

Stevil: A few hours and at least twice that many editing it, because I am both a poor typist, speller, and whatever other qualities one would need to possess in order to post anything worth reading.

Adventure Fit: If we were able to get you a year’s supply of New Belgium Beer, would you be willing to give up vegetables for a year?

Stevil: Considering the fact that this deal would almost assuredly result in me succumbing to liver failure as well as a dangerous lack of fiber, I’d have to say no.

Adventure Fit: Would you care to scribble a doodle for us?

Stevil: Yes, I would care to. Would you care to pay me for it?

Stevil giving a young fan some can stacking lessons

St Louis Mystery Clue #1

2011-08-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

Use the below word search to find ten items that can be seen from the location of the first mystery checkpoint.

Sam and Dave's Excellent Adventure

2011-07-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

Here's Sam and Dave's story about their UAR experience. They got 2nd overall in the biggest Urban Assault Ride of all time!

From Sam....

"It was my first time participating in the Denver Urban Assault
ride...so I really didn't know what I was in for. One thing I had
going for me was that I was a bike messenger in San Francisco from
1992-1997 so I had a solid 5 years of dodging cars, getting doored
from parked cars and getting trapped in the cable car tracks. I had
also entered a few alley cat races during my time in SF, which were an
illegal version of the Urban Assault race, mainly for bike messengers.
Dave had done the UAR last year and had a blast doing the ride with
his wife Julie. Being that she is 6 months pregnant I think skipping
the slip and slide this year was a good idea, so I volunteered to be
Dave's partner. Since Dave lives in Denver and is my brother-in-law
this was a no brainer, he knows the city and I don't. We decided to
use our road bikes with mountain bike pedals and shoes, which is what
I had used as a bike messenger. At first our game plan was to take it
easy and have fun in the race, then the night before we decided to
just go for it and see how well we could do.

I got a ride to Denver with our co-ed Adventure Fit team, Mike & Kelly
Bernhardt. At the start line the massive crowds started to gather (of
course it was a record number of riders for an UAR event) and I was
being pushed into a port a potty by an overly aggressive female team.
I heard 3, 2, 1, GO and then a 100 yard sprint to the bike and my
hamstrings were laughing at me, they were saying "You don't run, what
do you think you're doing old man"! The second Dave and I hit the city
street I went into bike messenger mode. Dave would yell which way to
turn and I would be the sacrificial lamb checking to see if it was
safe and clear to go. We made it past the first check point with no
problems and Dave knew the second mystery check point right away so we
headed off West. In the rush to the next check point Dave clipped a
pedal and went down pretty hard and enjoyed his first road rash of the
year! After dusting himself off we were off and running. Thank god
Dave had studied the route because I was completely lost at this time,
taking wrong turns and hoping we weren't lost. We raced it like a
downtown criterium or short track race, sprinting out of every corner.
Dave and I arrived at my favorite checkpoint, where we had to dive
into a refreshing swimming pool and find 3 different New Belgium
beers. We saw the 3rd place team nipping at our heels, so after the
Keen sling slot check point I knew we had to punch it to drop these
guys. After each check point we noticed less and less people, and by
the time we got to the slip and slide we were all alone, no massive
crowds, just Dave and I and some lonely volunteer roasting in the 100
degree July sun. So at this point we thought we were doing well. We
got into Skyline park for the finish and could not find the finish
line- Where the hell was it? Then I saw Talisa yelling at us to get to
the finish line at the other end of the park. We finally had our beads
counted and found that there was another team that finished before us,
the volunteer said it was some guys named Levi Leiphiemer and Lance
Armstrong...funny...Anyway, I had a great time and would for sure do
it again and pre-ride the course next year."

-Sam

Denver Mystery Checkpoint Clue

2011-07-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

Here you go folks. Click to make big.
When you get to the 1st mystery checkpoint, you'll get the clue to the 2nd mystery checkpoint.

Fort Collins Mystery Clue #1

2011-07-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here you go folks - click to make it bigger!

Austin Mystery #1

2011-06-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

Here you go folks - go find this!

Feminine Fortitude

2011-05-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

In Madison last month, we had our 2nd-ever female overall win in an Urban Assault Ride.
It's a pretty impressive accomplishment to best all the other 646 riders, but Stephanie and Julie took home the win (and a year's supply of Jack Link's beef jerky).

The UAR crew asked them a few questions about their victory and how it feels to tell all the dudes in Madison, "You just got CHICKED"...

1. What was your strategy at the UAR?
We mapped out short routes between the checkpoints but also ones that allowed us to ride continuously without frequent stops. Sometimes this meant that we added on some distance in order to take the road and avoid a bike path or stop light. We were sure to hit the first mystery checkpoint early on - this was important as we needed plenty of time to figure out the second one! Riding as fast as possible between the checkpoints and working together to block the strong winds that day were also key.

2. What did you do to train/prepare?
Julie is training for Ironman Wisconsin so the endurance/biking/training piece was already there for her. In preparation she put some mountain bike pedals on her road bike so that she could use her mountain bike shoes but still have a nice light road bike. Stephanie has several hundred cycling miles tracked already this year, and put cages on her road bike pedals so getting on and off the bike were speedy transitions. We both rely heavily on our bikes for transportation and know our ways around the city. We spent a good amount of time the week before UAR test-riding the course, working on the quiz (we scored 90%!) and trying to figure out the first mystery clue.

3. Are you going to share your Jack Link's winnings?
Julie has the brilliant idea of hosting an Iron Chef Jack Link's beef jerky party so of course we are going to share! We already have our friends and family thinking about recipes for the Jack Link's jerky and will be challenging them to come up with a delicious dessert that includes beef jerky.

4. What was your favorite obstacle? What was the hardest?
The bike tire sling-shot with the Keen shoes was really clever. It took a few tries to get a hang of it but we had the shoes launching high in no time. Riding the mini bikes with one person sitting on the handlebars was pretty hard. It was tough to pedal and navigate, and the person sitting on the handlebars had a tough balancing act. Julie's vote for the hardest obstacle was the bike wheel barrel race - her abs hurt for a week after that one! Figuring out the second mystery clue was also a challenge.

5. How does it feel to be the 2nd female team to win the overall at a UAR?
It's pretty awesome! We got out there and rode hard and smart, and it was fun to see our efforts pay off. It's not too often that we've seen a women's team win an athletic event overall, and the UAR staff did a great job of making it known to the guys who was boss that day! There was a lot of chatter about "getting chicked" during the awards ceremony, and the crowds really got in to it. Hopefully other ladies can be inspired to get out and ride, and maybe we'll see some more female teams take home the beef jerky in upcoming UARs!

Chicago Mystery Clue #1

2011-05-19T09:17:00.001-07:00

Here you go folks.
Click it to make it bigger....

18 Hours of Fun

2011-05-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

The “off-the-couch-endurance-race” experience is becoming all too familiar. Why do I continue to do this to myself? Somehow that immediate post-race delirium prevents me from remembering the pain, which eventually leads me to sign up for yet another suffer fest, where I inevitably remember why I promised myself I would train harder before doing this ever again.

Nonetheless, I have accepted that I am innately attracted to endurance events. Even when I am under-fit, I continue to throw myself into these experiences if for none other than the incredible team bonding and for the opportunity to feel moderate to severe delirium in the wee hours of the night. This, of course, is made exponentially worse by the fact that I am going manic out there on the course, throwing everything I have into each pedal stroke, redlining the entire lap, and somehow recovering enough to do it again and again and again. And I keep getting away with it. I secretly hope that one of these days I’ll get severely shut down, forcing me to consider undertaking a more rigid, or at least more consistent training routine before embarking on such feats in the future. For now I will continue on - a blissfully average mountain biker with a knack for throwing down hard every once in awhile.

This past weekend was the 18 Hours of Fruita. Having been invited onto the New Belgium Brewing team, “The Chocolate Factory”, I was stoked to be riding amongst excellent friends and former co-workers. Our co-ed team of four was White Chocolate, German Chocolate, Carob, and myself, Chocolate-Covered Cherry. What I loved most about the experience is that none of us had any attachments or expectations. We just wanted to ride our bikes. I don’t even remember checking the standings until about 9 hours into the race, when, to my surprise, we were sitting in the top 8. Needless to say, as we climbed into a solid 3^rd place with 6 hours remaining I was pretty giddy.

There were more than a few memorable moments this weekend, not the least of which was the fact that I fell deeper in love with my new single speed. No surprise there. And then there was this one early morning lap. I was in the zone, enjoying the playfulness of high-speed flow, my tires hooking up at exactly the right moments. Each birm, each twist was executed perfectly. Railing through a quick turn I caught some air, dramatically landing at the entrance to a dirt-covered bridge. My rear wheel washed out on the ball bearings, and in a moment of uncharacteristic grace and bad-assness I recovered, pedaling frantically, and pulled off an admittedly-awesome feat of balance and power. I was one with my bike. Just as I pulled out of the powerslide and cranked over the bridge, I heard a little kid maybe 10 years old (who happened to be standing directly beside said bridge in the stream bed) exclaim, “THAT was HOT!” as I blazed by with a huge smile on my face, en route to completing my fastest lap of the race.

Since we were doing blocks of two, I had yet another lap to look forward to. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, in the last mile of that 2nd lap I busted up a quick hill only to be greeted by an angel….an angel offering bacon. Bacon? Heck yeah I’ll have some bacon! The crunchy, salty deliciousness couldn’t have been appreciated any more. I laughed as I entered the high-speed descent down to the water’s edge, my eyes watering and my mouth salivating and my heart happy. The last climb out was a breeze. The tight hairpin switchback that once eluded me and my one speed was effortless. I blazed by our camp yelling “CHOCOLATE FACTORY!!!!”, then passed the torch off to our next rider.

We walked away with a solid 2^nd place finish, a satisfying reward for such spectacular efforts from the entire team.

Till next time……

-SS

Racing over the weekend

2011-05-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

While some were planting flowers and eating brunch with their moms, others were getting all anerobic.

Here's Mr Swift airing it out at the 12 hours of Mesa Verde.
He said, "the race this weekend in Cortez was a blast! drove down friday. pre rode the course friday evening. its called Phils World and its the most fun singletrack and race course i have ridden in CO! here is the GPS of 1 lap... the course is VERY twisty with lots of whoops and 99% singletrack.

Then we had Sam and Dave taking on the Battle of the Bear in the TOUGH AS NAILS Single Speed Division

...and they took home 1st and 2nd place. Great work dudes!

The 1st Mothers Day for Adventure Fit

2011-05-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's best to start off with a little background...
Many moons ago, weekends meant 4+ hour rides each day - if there was not a race to take on. 9 years later, weekends mean taking care of family matters 1st, rides 2nd, beers 3rd. Not a bad thing by any means, just a change of perspective and responsibility. We love them both equally and it's nice to appreciate both.
Over those 9 years, we've grown this company called Adventure Fit, embracing the ideals of an active lifestyle, fun adventures, while putting it all together in an event experience. As the business has grown from a 'mom n pop' to a full-on company with employees and payroll we've tried to create a fun life for the original 'mom n pop'.
Well - today was a special day because it was a celebration of the Adventure Fit 'Mom'. Here's how it went down...

Brunch to fuel us up

Dipping little Ollie's feet in his 1st mountain stream

Rasta and Maple were living it up

Ollie and Daddy all geared up

Adventure Fit Family photo

Happy Mother's Day Jackie! We love you!

...and speaking of Mothers...remember, "when you put down one mother, you're putting down mothers all over the world."

super cool titanium lock

2011-05-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hopefully the product comes to market and is as tough and light as they claim....

A Super Cru Haiku

2011-05-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

20 years of Fat Tire. Oh malty, biscuit-y, perfectly balanced Amber Ale how I love thee. Your bottles have welcomed me home after a long day. Your cans have joined me on backcountry adventures. Your kegs have been the star of the show at every Urban Assault Ride party around the nation. And now....now....in 2011 you have been miraculously transformed into a Belgian Double style Fat Tire: the Super Cru. With double the malt and hops profile, a tad bit of Asian pear juice, and a lovely Saison yeast, you are truly a celebration brew.

In honor of 20 years of Fat Tire Amber Ale, and in honor of the limited release of the Super Cru, I have created a haiku. For you. Don't laugh. It was entirely inspired by one of your beautiful 22 oz bombers, which I savored over a dinner of artichokes, bacon-wrapped cream-cheese stuffed jalapenos, and chicken kabobs. It was a brilliant sensory experience, which naturally led to this beer-induced moment of appreciation:

Fat Tire malts and hops

Add love and double it up

Super Cru yum yum.

-SS

The Divaist Diva of them all

2011-04-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

We asked Shae Ranier a couple questions following her victory at the SHAPE Diva Dash. Check out her answers....

What did you do to prepare for the Diva Dash?

I have been running and preparing for the Xterra Triathlons and figured this would be perfect to coincide with trail running. In some of the xterra races you have to jump over logs, climb stairs, and run on crazy and suprising terrain. So with my off road triahtlon training and trail running races, I was ready for the DIVA Dash!

What was your favorite obstacle?

My favorite obstacle was the tire run, even though it hurt really bad afterwards to run uphill! I would also have to say the "lilly pad" obstacle was fun too! After the first jump and then waiting a second to get balance, I figured it was easiest not to wait and use the momentum of the tube going foward to go ahead and make the next jump. It used core and stabilization on the runner's part.

What advice do you have for Divas that want to perform better?

My advise for future DIVA's is to have a good running base of at least a 5k, and be able to do whatever physical obstacle comes your way. Circuit and strength training is a good way to introduce the physical aspect. If you are new to running, I would suggest you take full advatange of the preparation classed they have available in your area through local running groups and companies. As far as the mental aspect goes with this race, you have to be prepared as any race, that it is going to hurt but it is only temporarily!

Who are you taking on the trip to Aruba?

I had a mission coming into this race, I wanted to win a honeymoon for our upcoming wedding in September, so I will be taking my fiance' or husband depending on the date of the trip!

Spunky is Single

2011-04-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

She's been around the block a few times. She's slightly past her prime yet still acts as spry as she was in her youth. Some might call her a cougar. I still call her Spunky. Spunky Brewster.

She's my hand-me-down townie bike. Before moving out to Colorado my loving friend Jeff bestowed this beauty upon me. His disclaimer at the time was "this is my old cross frame with all of my old original road components on it. She's got a lot of stories. Have fun!"

And fun we have had. So much fun that I might have worn ol' Spunky out for good. Or not? Awhile back she started getting really sassy in the shifting department. Depending on the day, she may or may not decide to move the chain from the middle chain ring. Despite all ordinary efforts to keep her running smoothly - new cables and housing, basic adjustments, the occasional lube - she finally put her pedal down and practically screamed out, "THIS ISN'T WORKING! I WANNA BE SINGLE!"

So begins a new chapter for Spunky. She did it. She's single.

Here's a little recap of our ladies' night in the garage.

After gazing sympathetically at Spunky's old worn out drivetrain, I knew what needed to be done. My mental list played out: Whiskey and chocolate? Check. Spacers and chain tensioner? Check. Hacksaw? Check. Let's do this.

Yes, a hacksaw. I had neither the know-how nor the patience to figure out how those shifter cables are all connected inside the shifter levers. All I knew is that this girl no longer needed them. After confirming that I was, in fact, about to attack the shifter cables and NOT the brake cables, I whipped out my trusty rusty hacksaw and went to town. After an inordinate amount of effort and sweat, I finally sheared off those cumbersome cables, at which point Spunky let out a huge sigh of relief. Next I yanked out the cables and housing, removed the derailleurs, and low and behold we were well on our way to singledom.

The rest was a breeze. For such a dirty girl, Spunky's bottom bracket has never been so clean. We de-greased, we lubed, and we rejoiced. We ceremoniously tossed out that old cassette, replacing it with a shiny red chain tensioner.

Right around midnight we finished up. My little Cinderella got a new lease on life. I went to bed with a huge smile on my face, and woke up yesterday to find my girl waiting patiently, proudly, to take me to work.

PS - although she sure is enjoying her newfound freedom and weight loss, she is still very interested in meeting other bikes. Don't hesitate to call and ask her out - I'm sure she'd love to go on a ride.

- SS

What happens with 3000 ladies get together for a workout?

2011-04-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

Adventure Fit put on a new event this year - the SHAPE Diva Dash, a women's only obstacle adventure run. It was a HUGE event with 3000 'Divas' climbing, jumping, splashing, and dashing at 6 obstacles on a 3 mile course.

We'll soon be reporting some fun stories, more photos, and behind the scenes action.

With the huge success of the 1st ever Diva Dash, we'll be taking it to new cities soon. Ladies, spread the word if you like ADVENTURE, OBSTACLES, COSTUMES, and FUN, the Diva Dash is for you.

Team Adventure Fit!

2011-04-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

We rallied the troops and put together a team this year! Rider profiles coming soon. In the meantime - here are some shots doing what we do....

Let's get this party started!

2011-03-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Back from the Tucson Urban Assault Ride -the 1st UAR of 2011 and the 1st of the 9th season. 800 beer drinking bike lovers came out to play.

As seen from the stage Oliver's 1st UAR (since he was born)

Adam Turman's sweet new shirt design for the season

Stacy giving it a go on stage.