Hop in the Saddle

Hop in the Saddle-  A new book that celebrates two of Portland's greatest passions:  beer and bicycles.  Authors Lucy Burningham, Ellee Thalheimer and graphic artist Laura Cary collaborate on this step by step guide to Portland's thriving craft beer scene by bike.  Burningham is a contributor for Bicyclinghub.com's blog.  Help them make this project a reality by donating to them on their Kickstarter.com page.

Hop in the Saddle: A Guide to Portland's Craft Beer Scene, by Bike

by Ellee Thalheimer, Lucy Burningham, and Laura Cary

trade paper | 96pps | ISBN: 978-1621066033

Into Action Publications | $9.95 | November 1, 2012

www.hopinthesaddle.com

For the first time, a guide book unites two of Portland’s greatest passions: Beer and bicycles. Nationally-published beer writer Lucy Burningham and prominent cycle guidebook author Ellee Thalheimer join forces to link the best craft beer spots in Portland with the city’s famous cycling routes.

Hop in the Saddle only includes the best of the best, from the city’s most intimate tasting rooms and knowledgeable beer sommeliers to innovative brewers and top-notch cheesemongers. Whether you’re interested in drinking beer straight from the barrel, knowing which of the city’s top chefs secretly cellar beer or loading up your bike some rare bottles, Lucy pours a strong brew of insider info.

The book's stellar bike routes will help you enjoy the best of each of the city’s five distinct neighborhoods: Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest and North, complete with detailed maps and cue sheets. You won’t find carefully tailored cycling routes like these anywhere else. Along the way Ellee Thalheimer clues you into the history of Portland’s bike corrals, who to say hello to at the local bike co-op, the city’s fine public bicycle art, and other PDX bike jazz. 

Catering to all levels of cyclists, each basic route is accompanied by a longer option that transforms a neighborhood tootle between breweries into a bonafide, sweat-inducing bike ride. The longer routes tour iconic Portland places, from the picturesque berry farms of Sauvie Island to the city’s dormant volcanoes.

About the authors

Hop in the Saddle is the creation of three Portland friends who share a passion for beer and bicycles.

Author Lucy Burningham, designer Laura Cary, author Ellee Thalheimer 

Lucy Burningham has been writing about food and drink for the past seven years of her twelve-year career in journalism and travel writing. Her preferences lean towards rare batches of homebrew and stinky cheese, and she proudly grows her own hops in her Portland backyard. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Saveur, Bicycling, The Wall Street Journal, the BBC, Lonely Planet guidebooks, Sunset, and Imbibe.

Ellee Thalheimer is an accomplished travel writer and cycle tourist. She wrote for Lonely Planet before launching cycling guide book publisher Into Action Publications. Her latest title is Cycling Sojourner: A Guide to the Best Multiday Tours in Oregon, published in May 2012 to critical acclaim. She lives in Portland and whenever she is not bicycling or writing about bicycling she can be found in the yoga studio. 

Laura Cary graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, launched a successful design career in San Francisco, and moved to Portland to found brand and identity firm Cary Design Group. Her design clients have ranged from bicycle companies to the opera. 

About the publisher

Into Action Publications, founded in 2011, is an imprint focusing on the best travel and cycle tours around the U.S. Forthcoming titles include Hop in the Saddle (December 2012), a guide book to bicycling between Portland’s best breweries, and the Cycling Sojourner guide to multi-day tours in Washington State (2013).

Advance praise for Hop in the Saddle

“In a town bursting with bikes and beer, no one knows more about both scenes than writer Lucy Burningham. With her vast knowledge and experience surrounding the artisan bike culture and booming beer scene, Lucy has sipped, supped and cycled her way around Portland for years, noting her favorite meals, beers and bike paths along the way. Ride with Lucy and Ellee as they navigate you through the city’s best of the best in this guide to Portland’s food, drink and cycle culture.”

–MEGAN FLYNN, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER, BEER WEST MAGAZINE

“Portland is loaded with so many beery destinations that even a longtime resident can become overwhelmed with options. Instead of taking a chance, follow Lucy to the choicest spots where the beer is top notch and the route is conveniently planned for you.”

–ALEX GANUM, FOUNDER AND BREW MASTER, UPRIGHT BREWING

“Portland is a mecca for many popular pursuits; chief among them, beer and biking. Lucy and Ellee’ s book captures the spirit of both of these with humor and adventure.”

–JASON FRENCH, CHEF/OWNER NED LUDD