Bikes and Brews

Huntsville Bikes and Brews rides are usually held the first Friday of each month, however the next is set for Saturday, July 11. (Courtesy photo)

Bikes and Brews is basically a pub-crawl done on bicycles.

Ben Payment, a 31-year-old engineer, organized the Huntsville events because he enjoyed a less-structured version while in Wichita, Kansas. "I just knew that weekly I could show up at a set bar at a set time and there would be hundreds of cyclists there," Payment recalls. "At some point I would realize that the bikes would start to leave and I would join the crowd."

Only six or so folks showed up for the first Huntsville Bikes and Brews ride Payment put together more than a year ago, hitting local breweries and craft-beer-centric restaurants. But gradually the group has grown. Even persevering through 20-degree winter excursions. About 45 cyclists participated in the June ride, and more than 75 have RSVP'd for the next one, July 11. "It's all to get out, be a little active and enjoy some craft-style beer, the camaraderie and the group aspect of it," Payment says.

The July 11 Bikes and Brews starts by meeting up at Old Town Beer Exchange, (301 Holmes Ave. E.) from 6 to 6:45 p.m. The next stop is Yellowhammer Brewing (7-8 p.m., 2406 Clinton Ave W). Then Straight to Ale (8:15-9:15 p.m., 3200 Leeman Ferry Road), Hildegard's German Cuisine (9:30-10:30 p.m., 2357 Whitesburg Drive) and Below the Radar Brewing Company (10:45-11:45 p.m.) 220 Holmes Ave. N.E.).

"I encourage the bikes to be well-lit," Payment says. "But specifically educate people about the law which requires a forward-facing white light and rear reflector (for night riding). In fact the more lights the better. It's part of the fun of the ride. It adds visibility and safety and also we stay together as a group. It is a slow ride nearly any bicycle and most people's level of fitness can accomplish."

Payment pedals a Dawes bicycle he's outfitted with a Bluetooth speaker so he can pump blues and vintage R&B tunes by the likes of Tab Benoit and Otis Redding during the rides, which are usually held the first Friday of each month. Scheduling was modulated this month to account for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. And a July 10 screening of comedy film "The Princess Bride" as part of Movies in the Park.

In terms of consumption during Bikes and Brews, Payment favors ambers and brown ales. "I tell people you should start out (drinking) slower and find your own comfort level. It's my preferred way to go drinking because I feel like it's considerably safer than hopping in a car."

Dario Gonzalez, a 43-year-old nonprofit employee, rides a 30-year-old Nishiki bicycle at Bikes and Brews. He alternates lower alcohol-by-volume beers like red ales with water on the stops - punctuated with a victorious India Pale Ale on the last stop. He began participating in Bikes and Brews about three or four months ago.

"One thing about bicycling in a group it sort of shows people they can also bicycle just from here to there also," Gonzalez says. "You can use bicycles as transportation. I think people feel more secure and that drivers really notice them if they're (bicycling) in a group."

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