Schnoctobeerfest 2008 Recap

The slideshow was up yesterday, so here's the recap. Saturday morning, the weather was cold, damp & foggy. In other words, perfect wool weather. The Merckx was already at eDBiLLy's house, outfitted in full CiTy BiLLy trim (note the 666 number plate). We had a meet & greet before the ride & I met a Hopluia & a Coors Light. 10 am arrived & we assembled for a group shot. Upon departure, I immediately went down the other branch of Greteman's driveway, because it's a slightly shorter route (you know you're in trouble when you're trying to cut 30 feet off a 57 mile ride). Once on the road, everyone started to go at their own pace, which means I was on the back. We had a rather uneventful first 15 miles, save for eDBiLLy & I getting separated from the group at a train crossing (I'm not Tom Boonen, so I'm not going to sneak under the crossing arms). But, being the good natured group that BiLLys are, the whole group waited for us. We arrived at Nickerson, where we had our first beer stop (yours truly had a 24 oz. Miller Lite). Next stop: the KerNeL's parent's house, where we gratefully devoured zucchini bars & brownies. The ride from Fremont to Valley was a slow slugfest, being hindered by a quite strong headwind. Upon arrival in Valley, a stop at the bar was in order. This bar was truly a typical Nebraska watering hole: on the wall, was a sign that said, "The Witch is in", with the "W" crossed out, replaced with a "B". One of the BiLLys order a Boulevard, and was told that the bar didn't serve imports. The bartender then informed the thirsty cyclist they did have Corona! Once we had a few rounds at the bar, it was decided that it was time to get back on the road. The rest of the ride went quickly, with everyone salivating for the keg of Hopluia & MeGBiLLy's awesome Lasagna that was waiting at the end. After supper, it was time for the beer buffet, and after a grueling sampling session, the following awards were granted: Best Import (eDBiLLy) Paulaner Oktoberfest, Best Domestic (Kenyon) Anchor Steam, Best Label (DiRk) Coney Island Lager, Wild Card (Lee) Homebrew Irish Stout. The film "Road to Roubaix" was screened & was a perfect end to a wonderful day. One of the last discussion topics of the day was next year's Schnoctobeerfest: there was talk of a new course, complete with cobbles! Everyone departed, with one of eDBiLLy's brilliant Schnoctobeerfest shirts. Join us next year!