Luscious Nectar is a hot spot in Fort Collins you’ve gotta check out! If you haven’t been there you’ve gotta stop in for a Lushie or lunch from their fresh, local menu! All made fresh in-house and all seriously delicious. They even have lots of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Sea veggie ceviche, hummus platter, fresh squeezed juices, pulled pork sliders, fresh smoothies, customized pizzas- the list goes on! The idea for Luscious started a few years ago- like most great ideas- late at night over a few beers, sketched on a napkin. A lot like MyHandleBar when we come to think of it! Since then Jeremy and Shonna Kempter have made it a must stop when you’re out for drinks or looking to cool off and relax this summer. Check them out for delicious drinks and food as well as great music from local DJs! Oh and did we mention ALL MyHandleBar riders get great deals there during your tour?! Oh yeah!

It’s one of the biggest days in Boulder every year- every Memorial Day. The BB10k extravaganza. So big in fact, that many businesses along the race route close down and send their employees out to enjoy the festivities.  From the Blues Brothers to Elvis, slip & slides to belly dancing, and marshmallows to bacon. You don’t even realize you’re running 6.2 miles because you’re too busy having so much fun! Not running? No problem! Head to Boulder, grab a beer and cheer on some racers as they finish in CU stadium. Be seriously entertained at one of the best events anywhere in the U.S. right here in our backyard. Happy RUNNING and good luck from everyone at MyHandleBar!

Photo credit: www.facebook.com/BB10K

At MyHandleBar, we want to give a big cheers to all the Moms! If you are looking to spice your Mother’s Day with a little running before you celebrate, check out these races for Mother’s Day! Include Grandma and make it a generational event!

WHY?! Because Mom’s are awesome!

Mother’s Day 5k: Denver- City Park

Title 9k: Boulder

Moms Rock 5k for FAST: Castle Rock- Douglas County Fairgrounds

Mom’s Day 5k: Highlands Ranch

Then you can treat Mom and Grandma to a delicious breakfast after! Mimosas anyone? Maybe just a good old fashioned beer? Well…. let Mom decide!

If you’re biking to bars this Saturday, you just might see some crazy hats! Well, here at MyHandleBar, we’re curious ladies…. and gentlemen! When it comes to Derby day… what’s with the hat? Take it or leave it? I mean they can be pretty fun, but also pretty obnoxious. Shoot- some parties are all about the hat! It seems even the most hardy granola girl from Colorado can coax out a little southern belle with the magic of a derby hat. If you’re on the fence about what to wear to your Derby party check out the official site for some great tips! Cheers!

Earth day is nearly upon us! We are certainly fans of ‘green’ transportation, but check out these other fun facts!

Did you know?

• The first Earth day was April 22, 1970.
• San Francisco celebrates its own Earth Day on Spring Equinox, as San Francisco is named after Saint Francis- the patron saint of ecology.
• It takes 15lbs of steel to make an average bicycle compared to 1,800 lbs of steel to make a car.
• You can park 6-20 bikes in a single car parking space.
• Bicycles can actually be constructed from recycled soda cans!
• Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery lays claim to the first U.S. certified organic beer, an E.S.B. made in 1996.

St. Patrick’s Day! By far one of the greatest beer lovers’ holidays! But here are some fun history facts for you that you may not know:

• Celebrated on March 17^th: Saint Patrick’s religious feast day celebrated on the anniversary of his death.
• The Irish have celebrated this as a religious holiday for well over 1,000 years and Irish Americans began using it as a day to show Irish pride and strength in numbers, while the rest of us non-Irish Americans are happy to now have a fun holiday to drink with friends and family- am I right?
• Since St. Patrick’s Day was always a religious holiday in Ireland, pubs were actually closed by law until the 1970s. Imagine St. Patty’s Day with no green beer?!
• Some legends say Saint Patrick explained the holy trinity with the three leaves of the Irish clover- the well-known St. Patty’s Day shamrock!
• It’s no surprise with our love of the holiday, that the very first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in United States, not Ireland.
• In 1962, Chicago started dying the Chicago River green as part of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities and the tradition continues today using as much as 40 pounds of green vegetable dye (Seen in photo above!)
• Speaking of green and beer and shamrocks! We’ll be riding in the Lucky Joe’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Fort Collins- Saturday March 16, 2013- 10:00 a.m.. Hope to see you there!

If you are in Fort Collins Saturday February 9^th, you’ve got to stop by Odell’s for their Amuste Release Party in the Tap Room! A delicious Imperial Porter brewed with grape juice aged in wine oak barrels? Wait… delicious elements of craft brew and wine? WOW! Join the party. You can even enjoy Amuste cupcakes from The Cupcake Cruiser and live music from The Constant Tourists!

Release party: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Music: 4:00-6:00 p.m.

So we finally had a first real good snow in Colorado! Yahoo! But wait…you still want to ride your bike to work or school?!

Here are some quick tips on getting that bike winter ready!

Snow friendly tires

• Use mountain bike tires
• Get studded tires
• Use the zip tie method like in the picture!

Keep the corrosion at bay!

• Wipe your bike down after every ride whenever possible
• Thoroughly wash as often as possible
• Don’t leave in the freezing cold to dry
• WD-40 all moving parts

Full fenders!

• These can keep some of those important parts on the bike from getting splashed and sloshed with grit and grime off those snowy, salty, sandy roads.

Smart gear to stay warm

• Thin layers with a dry wicking base layer to pull that sweat off you.
• Avoid a heavy coat that will cause you to sweat more while trapping the sweat on your body and in turn make you colder as it freezes.
• Check out additional tips from 303 Cycling!

Light it up!

• Since daylight savings time it gets dark early!
• For snowy weather, especially, you want to keep yourself and your bike well lit with lights and reflectors.

RIDE SAFE AND PEDAL HAPPY!

Well, maybe not snow…. but we’ll be ‘staching right through downtown Boulder this Saturday December 1st in the 25th Annual Lights of December Parade! Come check us out- we’ll be sporting all the trimmings!

And while we’re in the spirit of the season, how about some tips on how to be green this holiday season?

1. Re-gifting can be for your friends too, not just your co-workers.

2. Buy locally- local gifts save on greenhouse emissions.

3. Give gifts for outdoor adventuring- like MyHandleBar

4. Look for recycled gifts

5. Give battery free gifts