Two beer/bike crawls this weekend--ride, drink, repeat

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Just don't try to drink beer out of your helmet, trust us--that doesn't work

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First, join the Firkin Nice Day for a Bike Ride, which starts at the Muddy Pig, then on to Stub and Herb's, and finally to Grumpy's NE for a BBQ. Each stop will have a firkin of Goose Island cask-conditioned beer for participants, and trivia questions with prizes.

Next, you can also join the First Annual Arnoldus Day Bike Pub Crawl sponsored by Artisanal Imports, which will start rolling from the Bulldog Uptown at 1 p.m., stopping next at Muddy Pig (at about 2:30) and finally arriving at the Blue Nile with an ETA of 4 p.m., with some possible "bonus stops." According to organizer Lanny Hoff, this event will have a "loosey goosey" nature to it--riders are free to come and go. There is no cost to participate, and all beer is a la carte. (In case you're wondering, Saint Arnoldus is the patron saint of Belgian Beer.)

Hoff said this event is an excellent excuse to get a bunch of good people together, and he recommends bringing water and a lock, practicing all safe and responsible bike practices, and having lights on your bike, since this event has been known to go on until well after dark. Hoff said the best part of beer-biking is the conversations and resulting hilarity. This being the fourth beer/bike ride Hoff has organized, we asked him what was the best moment he had at an event: "The story that most reflects the spirit was from the first event I put on--it was winter, 5 degrees below zero, and 35 people showed up! One dude showed up on a unicycle, and that filled me with joy," says Hoff. "Bike riders are good people, beer drinkers are good people, and beer drinking bike riders are the best people of all," he adds.

Firkin Nice Day for a Bike Ride
When: Sunday, July 18, 12-7 p.m..
Where: Starting at the Muddy Pig, 162 N. Dale St., St. Paul.
Price: You can purchase a T-shirt at any of the three bars for $15, with proceeds going to a charitable cause. You are welcome to ride without a T-shirt, but the beer, BBQ, and prizes are for shirt-wearers. Bike helmets are mandatory

The First Saint Arnoldus Day Bike Pub Crawl
When: Sunday, July 18, 1p.m.
Where: Starting at the Bulldog Uptown, 2459 Lyndale Ave. S.
For more information, you can contact Lanny at lhoff@artisanalimports.com.