Mountain Cog
Mountain bike podcast that will make you laugh and learn. Featuring a wide range of passionate guests.
Mountain Cog
086 – Beer & Bikes: How Tucson Hop Shop Created a Cycling Community Hub (Jessie Jean Mance & Sarita Mendez)
Episode 086 takes listeners inside Tucson Hop Shop, a craft beer destination that's become synonymous with cycling culture in Southern Arizona. Owner Jessie Jean Mance and Sarita Mendez join hosts Josh and Dane to discuss how their business evolved into a cyclist sanctuary, complete with bike racks, a welcoming outdoor courtyard, and a business philosophy centered on community building rather than just selling beer. The conversation highlights how the shop's strategic location near major bike trails and their deliberate focus on cyclist-friendly amenities have created a thriving establishment where riders gather before, during, and after their adventures on two wheels.
Beyond the business aspects, this episode dives into the cultural connection between cycling and craft beer, exploring what makes this pairing so natural and appealing. The hosts and guests share personal stories about mountain biking experiences, the challenges of encouraging more women to ride, and the importance of supportive cycling communities. Listeners will appreciate the authentic discussion about bike naming traditions, trail etiquette, and how spaces like Tucson Hop Shop serve as more than just businesses—they're community hubs where friendships form, cycling stories are shared, and the post-ride beer becomes part of a cherished ritual for cyclists of all disciplines, from urban commuters to mountain biking enthusiasts.
Episode links...
Web: https://www.tucsonhopshop.com/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tucsonhopshop/profilecard/?igsh=eWJwMGZ5NmQxZThz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/NT5ZtV6rwunyrCEs/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
The Loop: https://tucsonloop.org/
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so he wrote this music oh, that's awesome isn't it cool?
Sarita Mendez:it's so special for you.
Josh:How many podcasts have we had where you've told people that I wrote this music.
Dane:Well, I'm not doing it for our listeners. They know, but I'm doing it for them, I. I think it's something to be proud of.
Sarita Mendez:No, it's such a big deal like again like I'm super into Armchair and they have their very specific music. It's a big deal.
Dane:Should.
Sarita Mendez:I turn the music off so we can hear each other. Is that better?
Dane:Is it because your headphones don't work that you're just going to let that keep playing? Is it because my headphones work? Because of what? Because they don't work, you were just going to let that just keep playing.
Josh:I didn't even know, it was still playing All right, I got a bar joke for you guys and I know you've heard probably a million of them, so I want to see if you guys have heard this one. Okay, Okay. So a guy walks into a bar. That's how all bar jokes start.
Josh:A guy walks into a bar and he sees three pieces of meat hanging from the ceiling, sits down, orders a beer bartender, comes over and he's like what's with the meat? And the guy's like well, we have this thing where if you jump up and you can hit all three pieces of meat on one jump, this is a clean joke, I promise. I promise both these ladies are giving you dirty looks right now.
Dane:Okay because there's a guy hitting meat and I'm just saying, if you can hit, all three pieces of meat in one jump.
Josh:Then you get free beer for the night. But if you miss one piece of meat, um, you have to buy drinks for the whole bar. Oh nice okay, works so the bartender says what do you think you want to try it? The guy looks up, looks at the meat, thinks about it for a second and says now pass, the stakes are too high.
Jessie Jean Mance:Ooh, I haven't actually heard that one. I would take that, oh my God, we have a person here that's like really into dad jokes. So, I mean we should try to steal it, use it on him.
Sarita Mendez:Actually he's working tonight For sure. Yeah, or wait for him to hear it on the podcast, yeah yeah, yeah, for sure, yeah or wait for him to hear it on the podcast.
Josh:All right, so we are here today with Jesse Jean Mance yes, correct. And Sarita Mendez Hi, how'd I do so? Good, awesome, we're at the Hop Shop. It's a bottle shop and beer garden in North Tucson and the reason we're here is because this shop has like a deep connection to both the mountain bike and pavement bike community here in Tucson. It's located adjacent to our infamous 150 mile loop paved trail around around Tucson We've talked about that before and it's also very close to a very popular but wildcat trail we call the urban assault ride. It's a mountain bike trail. You might call it a mountain bike trail, but it's it's pretty mellow.
Dane:It's very mellow, but people crash and get hurt on it, so that's legit.
Josh:Yeah, well, I broke my ribs in the concrete outside my house. Yeah.
Dane:I wouldn't tell people that.
Josh:So in my opinion, like this place, it's in a perfect post-ride location. You can get a great pint. They actually have a neighbor called Chow Pizza where you can get an amazing pizza, and Chow actually comes in and delivers pizza into the hop shop here. So that's cool, the relationship that you guys have and you can bring your bike inside. Yeah.
Dane:Which is super cool. Yeah, they have a parking in the back courtyard yeah, a lot of it, which is great. Yeah, it's super cool. Yeah, they have a parking in the back courtyard yeah, a lot of it, which is great.
Josh:Yeah, it's super good and it's encouraged to come Celebrating your ninth anniversary like next week.
Jessie Jean Mance:This past weekend, oh, this past weekend I missed it.
Sarita Mendez:I'm sorry, I'm totally belated. It's fine.
Josh:Okay, so happy birthday. Thank you and you guys do a ton of like art focused events. You got a killer like outdoor and indoor vibe, the way this is set up with your courtyard and just like being upstairs here and it's super awesome.
Dane:They have a, they have a patio. Yeah, patio I just hang out on a patio.
Josh:Like how many?
Dane:like that's, that's awesome. In Tucson that's.
Josh:That's very rare, Probably the only one To be able to drink beer and sit outside and hang your bike up and be able to make sure it's okay Yep, right. And when I pulled up today I've been here for about an hour, kind of just like poking around and scoping around and stuff, and I ordered beer, got a pizza, just was watching. When I pulled up there was four mountain bikers sitting out front. Three came in, those four left, two more came. So I've seen at least a dozen mountain bikers since I got here, like an hour ago.
Jessie Jean Mance:It's pretty amazing. It's fantastic, yep.
Dane:It is. How do you do you think that's a big part of your business?
Jessie Jean Mance:I don't know percentage wise, but it is definitely a core group of people that we um not only sought out when we started the business but have just kind of, it's just grown, it's blossomed. It's a demographic that we just love to, um, you know, be a part of as well and, um, I don't know, they've been very supportive. The mountain biking community it's been super fun to get to know so many people and to ride around here and to drink beers with them too, and yeah yeah, it's a really great um kind of symbiosis between us it's.
Dane:It's amazing. Can I tell a quick story? Go for it, man. Um, we were out riding uh at a, a popular place in town with our kids. A bunch of adults with kids, nothing, nothing, uh nefarious. We're riding around and we stopped for pizza at this popular pizza place that I won't name because they were awful they don't sell any anchovies.
Dane:Okay, yeah, they may not put anchovies on the pizza, and we got run out of there. At the front of the patio, I guess there was a whole area that wasn't being used with chairs or anything. It was pretty dead. It wasn't busy and there was probably what 10 or 15 of us.
Dane:Yeah, it was a big group, so 10 or 15 show up to have pizza and beer and drinks and we put our bikes in there because we want them safe. I mean, these bikes are, you know, $5,000, $10,000 bikes. They're not cheap and they're just kind of security, whatever they are uh could be both, probably both.
Dane:But uh, they came up and said we have to move them. And we said, well, uh, we need to finish our food and then we can move them. And they're like well, the manager said you have to move them. And then they, uh, we said, hey, that's, can you go double check, because we're just eating. They're not in the way they came back. He goes, yeah, he said, and I go are they going to reimburse us for our beers and pizza now that we have to leave? And he goes I don't know, I'll go check.
Sarita Mendez:And he was genuinely a nice guy.
Dane:He was yeah, but the manager man came straight at us, super aggro um, already expecting a fight and not diffusing the situation. And again, we're not punk, you know, kids?
Jessie Jean Mance:uh, we're adults. We had a professional little kids with us.
Dane:We had little kids with us. You know, it's not like we're unreasonable, but we're kind of getting kicked out of a place just because we ride bikes and that I think that used to be a place that we would always go and spend our money and spend our time at, and it's never going to be that again.
Josh:So we all immediately jumped on Yelp and Google. Yes, and they got 10 real great reviews. Man, we love Google and Yelp is here.
Dane:I'm sure that's sarcastic.
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, I don't know why they would do that, especially just because I don't think it's surprising that we are such like a cycling town.
Dane:And they're like always probably dealing with like college kids and stuff like with their bikes, but yeah, it was frustrating because, again, we're not just punks, we're not raising a ruckus, we're not causing any issues, we're just having our food and and the way that he came and handled it, I mean he ruined it for many families yeah if I was the owner of that business, I would be really frustrated with that, right, because that's.
Dane:we just told this story on this program and you guys now heard it, these guys heard, heard it, and all of Tucson and the world is going to hear this, all of our millions of listeners.
Josh:We don't have millions of listeners. There's 17. There's 17 people Spread among 60 countries.
Jessie Jean Mance:But they're pissed, they're all pissed. Man, nobody's going there If we're in 60 countries.
Dane:There's at least 60. There's at least 60. I'm the one in.
Josh:America.
Jessie Jean Mance:That's awesome. I there's at least 60.
Josh:Okay, well, there's 60, I'd like I'd like to hear about you guys. Yeah, we kind of just like jumped into our stories yeah, yeah I talked, but I'd like, I'd love to hear you know about you guys, like in in in, about the hop shop. So you know in your words, like I'd love to hear how'd you guys get started?
Jessie Jean Mance:yeah, what's your, what's your involvement with the shop and all that kind of stuff um, I'm, uh, one of the founding co-owners and I do think that when I wrote the business plan, I mean this biking was part of the business plan.
Jessie Jean Mance:That's cool it really was. And we went into it just knowing it was a group of people in a demographic that, just by our adjacent nature to the loop, that we would be able to kind of funnel some people who wanted refreshment off the loop. So we went into it adamantly, but also very naively, in that we thought it was just going to be these loop riders that were coming in, and what we didn't estimate or even understand at that time was the huge mountain bike contingent. I didn't even ride at that point. I didn't, I didn't know, um, I was totally unaware. So when they started coming in and working with Sarita, who has ridden for a lot longer than I have, um, it was just relationships. We started building these relationships with these different groups. Um, one in particular that we were both very fond of was, uh, the bell joy ride ride group. It was a women's mountain biking group. That man, we made the best friends of our lives with that, with that group, and are they still around or are they defunct?
Jessie Jean Mance:you're speaking about it, they're kind of, yeah, dissolved and evolved into a new group, tucson women shredders. Okay, yep exactly.
Sarita Mendez:And so I'll say, with that too, like I feel like it was like the first year that we opened, like Veronique, which I don't know if you could yes, I was trying to remember her name.
Sarita Mendez:She's awesome so she was like the big, like big deal with Bell and she got like the sponsorship and the ambassadorship and so she was planning just monthly rides and she started doing them here and it was just so cool that like you could see the same like faces every time, like meet up, or it was like new people that just like made friends or just I don't know wanted to be a part of it when they saw us all riding together. But yeah, at the time like I was never riding urban, like I was riding like all the other trails, so it is really neat to like see that aspect of it. But it is also really cool to still have like all these like wild, like road people, roadies and like gravel people, like just like for me, just because I helped open this place, like I've been here for like the last nine years.
Sarita Mendez:It's been really amazing to just see like all these like different um I guess types of people come through. It's like I love the people that are commuting here and like try not to like drive their cars Like I would love to be that person someday.
Sarita Mendez:And like one of my favorites, like there's some regulars here that are they like will randomly stop here after they like go grocery shopping really quick, or they'll. I mean not if they have like a bunch of stuff but it's just really nice. Yeah, um. So it's neat to like see that roll through. But then also you have like the fun people who are just like. I mean not to say that that's not fun, but I mean like the people that just want to like hang out and like get like a post-ride bevy or whatever, like an NA drink too.
Sarita Mendez:Um yeah, I don't know. It's just been really lovely Like also seeing like the professional cyclists like and they're like real people and they're like nice to us, like yeah, we were just.
Josh:We were just talking to one out of the professional cycle.
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, yeah, and like the dude, like Alexi with like the wiener dog in the backpack and you're just like holy shit you're like famous and you like come in here like randomly, like it's just, yeah, I, I love that part of it. Like we're all like real people, like wow, holy shit, you can ride like crazy, but you're still like talking and talking to me or whatever I don't. I've just gotten like really into like all the really nice people I love it.
Dane:That's probably the best thing about bars, I think. Uh, you know, you're around so many different people. Like so many people use the bar as the place to meet and hang out and, you know, even I do. I don't drink, so like going to a bar is seems weird, but I love hanging out here. We'll come whatever group, and what's crazy is I'll walk in the door and with one group and then there'll be four more groups that I'll know. Yeah, I'll just hang out with them too yeah, it's kind of fun.
Jessie Jean Mance:It's a microcosm of tucson it makes tucson quite smaller.
Sarita Mendez:Yes, okay, it does, and I also love that you don't drink, though, because that is such like a an amazing change in our craft beer world I'm just cheap, don't think it's anything.
Dane:No, no, I just, I'm really just.
Josh:That's all it is oh, I like that, it's not actually straight edge.
Dane:But yeah, I don't use a razor, as you can tell so I don't know what you're talking about, but I just I.
Sarita Mendez:I love that too, though, because, like so many of us are like trying not to drink as much, or, yeah, we just have different interests and so, just as like a craft beer person, like we sell out of some of our like na ipas and pilsners and ciders and it's just like what?
Dane:like it's just, it's just been really cool to see that change in like the last, like two years, totally yeah, that means the bar culture is more about the people yeah and not necessarily about getting drunk.
Josh:We've also gotten like just in the last few years, I think from my perspective, like the NA options have become actually good.
Sarita Mendez:Oh my God, so much better.
Josh:Yeah, exactly, some are so gross, so you don't feel like the taste is like not bad, so it's funny.
Dane:Where were we that they used the NA? Oh, I was at a wedding in San Diego and they talked about NA and I'm like, is that a brand?
Sarita Mendez:Who's NA brewing?
Josh:It's what you drink, brother. It should be Well.
Dane:I don't even drink NA Like I literally drink soda.
Josh:As far as I know, the only thing you drink is Diet Pepsi. Diet Pepsi, and if I'm stuck, Like I think he's got Diet Coke.
Dane:Oh, you got screwed over there.
Sarita Mendez:Well, it's funny because that's the only drawback that you could maybe work on. We're criticizing already, well, and it's funny because it's not really a criticism, because there's a lot of.
Dane:I was just saying earlier that my daughter, I bring my daughter and my son here and we ride the urban trail and they love the non-alcoholic cabinet with all the different drinks and they're not Diet Pepsi, they're not diet pepsi, they're not diet coke, they're very different. And uh, jones sodas maybe, and just all kinds of different ones and I usually try them. Uh, all kinds of different non-alcoholic drinks, including beer, but but uh, the kids love, like my daughter's favorite is shirley temple yeah and so I just wish there was a diet coke in there once.
Dane:Well, thank god, chow pizza. Oh, there you go.
Jessie Jean Mance:Well, I can give you a taste of our philosophy about that, and you know I'm a Coke Zero person in my private life too. But what we went into with our purchasing here is voting with our dollar a little bit, and we don't buy anything beer-wise that's owned by AB Inbiv.
Dane:Okay, so Budweiser.
Jessie Jean Mance:Yeah, if you, if Budweiser really has swept, swept in and like bought a lot of craft breweries that you may love and see in other places. But they have lobbyists yeah, they have lobbyists actively fighting to keep craft brewing down because it hurts them and so it's we decided. Why would we give them money? I think it's the same way with good old Coca-Cola.
Dane:Yeah, I totally get, that. But Pepsi's good, pepsi's fine, no, they're not any better.
Jessie Jean Mance:We're a small business. We want to support small businesses, you know.
Dane:Yeah, I think that's awesome. That's actually probably adds to the culture quite a bit, you know, yeah, for sure, because you know there may be 25 people that don't notice that. And then two, totally you know, and but that matters, you know.
Josh:So yeah, I can go anywhere and get a diet coke yes, that's very true, very true, yeah, yeah, I can go anywhere and get. Unfortunately, sculpin used to be my favorite beer, oh my gosh point. And then I got bought and we stopped drinking it too. I don't it wasn't a conscious decision.
Jessie Jean Mance:It was just like oh, that's, that's budweiser there's been some sad losses and all of that, but so um, let's do a beer check.
Dane:So, uh, josh, what are you drinking?
Sarita Mendez:I'm drinking uh, it's a chocolate stout by rogue, by rogue, okay um, I am drinking dragoon goon fest because it is the most magical time of year. I would buy that just for the name.
Dane:Um, yes, absolutely. What kind of beer is it? It is the most magical time of year. I would buy that just for the name.
Josh:Yes, absolutely. What kind of beer is it?
Sarita Mendez:It is a Fest beer, it's an Oktoberfest.
Jessie Jean Mance:Okay.
Sarita Mendez:So it's like a lager, that's like a little malty, like a little bit creamy in the finish.
Dane:Oh my God, that was professional talk right there it was. It's almost like she's worked here for a minute, yeah, something, but usually I'm just lying, it's all lies.
Jessie Jean Mance:But at least this one.
Sarita Mendez:This one though for serious, because I know I can only have it for like another, like week or so, right, I've got the Rogue Chocolate Stout as well.
Jessie Jean Mance:I'm a sucker for Rogue Brewing. They are kind of my. I went to college in Oregon and so that's where I learned to drink beer. It's a good place, and it was. Rogue was like drink beer, it's a good place. Rogue and Deschutes were the go-tos.
Dane:I sold a bike to a guy who owns a brewery in, I think, portland or maybe Seattle Browns.
Josh:That's cool, there's so many breweries. Oh my God.
Dane:He was one of the first. You know how micro brews were. I mean they were.
Josh:You could count them at one point like there was so few of them now it's very popular so it's everywhere so how many do we have in tucson? You guys know?
Jessie Jean Mance:the breweries themselves yeah, yeah oh gosh, I don't know that current count I mean, but it's, it's.
Josh:It's probably close to 10 I think like you think it's that many?
Sarita Mendez:Wow.
Josh:Okay, I know a couple have been closing.
Sarita Mendez:Yeah Right.
Josh:Oh no. What's causing them to close? Well, the more competition.
Dane:Yeah.
Jessie Jean Mance:It could be Right.
Josh:Okay.
Dane:Now bike check Bike check.
Josh:Wait, jean was going to say something. Oh, I'm sorry.
Jessie Jean Mance:Oh no, it's okay, it's all good, it's all good.
Dane:Well, I just you know, the cutoff was my brain going we're talking about beer and we're supposed to talk about bikes.
Sarita Mendez:Oh, that's right, this is a bike podcast, as much as I love talking about beer, even though I don't drink it. I love talking about bikes. Dana owns a bike shop, just in case you guys didn't know.
Dane:So bike check, we know what you ride.
Josh:You ride that kind of beat-up thing yeah the one, the Rocky Mountain, that I bought from you. No, no, no.
Dane:That's the nice new one.
Josh:Oh yeah, you ride the what's the other one, the light-speed titanium bike that I have.
Dane:Yeah, that's the older, new one. And then what's the?
Josh:one, the Gorilla Gravity. Yeah, they're out of business. Oh, I'm going to get hate for that. The best bike I own is my.
Sarita Mendez:Specialized. Oh no, we don't like them, right? Yeah, I don't. Oh wait, wait. Am I supposed to say that you can say whatever?
Josh:you want, dane hates them.
Sarita Mendez:So, I don't hate them?
Dane:I don't hate them. You know use, you know shop with your dollars or vote with your dollars, yeah, and they do some stuff that's a little wanky and not cool, especially if you're a bike shop. Yeah and uh, and so I don't appreciate the way they approach the industry. How's that? Is it better than I? Bought it, used it is Okay.
Josh:Yeah, yeah, it feels bad.
Jessie Jean Mance:I was helping someone. I.
Josh:I buy all my Coke Zeros used, all of them. All my Bud Lights are half-drink.
Dane:That's the best joke of the night. I know it's awesome, all right.
Josh:So what do you, ladies, ride?
Sarita Mendez:Yes, Well, I just want to start off by saying, like all I've heard about you guys is just like you guys just ride like wild, just ride wild downhill stuff on your free time.
Josh:Yeah, no, that's not. That's Dane and Lacey. I think you're mixing up. I'm trying to get that Okay, but your wife, though, my wife is, yes, that's so amazing. Yeah, she's amazing.
Sarita Mendez:And it's so cool. My friend was just talking about her and just saying that she's so hardcore. But my friend is so hardcore, so so scary, like my most wild friend, and I think I was telling you like I am so scared these days like I don't want to ride anything like that anymore. Oh, it's so fun um, I think you mixed up.
Dane:When you're talking about me and riding, you gotta watch out, because if you use ride it's more like crash no, I don't believe you exchange ride for crash no, um you want to talk about crash.
Sarita Mendez:The last crash I had was like a year ago and and that's still Cholla in my arms.
Josh:Oh my gosh.
Sarita Mendez:And I feel like people probably think I just have like a bad rash all the time, but they're trying to come out by the way for our international listeners.
Josh:We have a lot of cactus here in the desert in southwest United States, and one of those cactus is a Cholla cactus.
Sarita Mendez:We call it the jumping cactus because it jumps out and grabs you. It just grabs you when you're having a good time and you're not expecting it.
Josh:It's so sad.
Dane:Everything in the desert wants to kill you. So if you were going to have cactus in you, would you rather have cholla or prickly pear.
Sarita Mendez:Oh my God, prickly pear Really.
Josh:Long and twice on Sunday yeah you just got to get.
Sarita Mendez:They're going to be like long and thick, but like they won't grab you quite as much Not as like tiny and like you're just going to have to spend one year taking all of these out.
Dane:The little tiny, hairy ones.
Sarita Mendez:Oh, they're bad With.
Dane:Choya, you can get. You can get them out you can get them.
Sarita Mendez:No, this was Choya. This was Are you sure I'm 100% positive.
Dane:Yeah, because those you can get out Like you can feel each barb, whereas prickly pear has got the long one but it's got all the tiny little nasty ones.
Sarita Mendez:It does have little tiny ones, but I feel like you have a bigger chance of getting all the long ones instead of all those little tiny ones. Totally Either way. 10-10,. Don't recommend.
Josh:Just try not to get any cactus in you right?
Sarita Mendez:No, don't recommend, just try not to get any cactus in you right? Not at all. Okay, the worst all right, sarita, what do you ride? Okay, I, I'm like my bike is so sexy um, you guys are gonna think it's like so cool, it is a uh, 2014 salsa deadwood oh, that's um it is this beautiful rusty color that has like a little bit of like a glitter to it.
Josh:Um what is the deadwood? I don't know. Is it a hard tail?
Sarita Mendez:It is a rigid um and I tell myself that it just helps me so much because I hate climbing and hate doing anything that makes me work hard. Um, but so, as you can tell, like I don't, ride like if I okay, so if I ride Mount lemon like that's super random and scary for me, but you can't ride that on a rigid bike.
Josh:No, I mean, you can people do it because they're crazy. But um not advised.
Sarita Mendez:I, my husband has a uh patrol, a transition patrol and like I will ride that like twice a year and it's like I've never ridden a bike before and then I'm like let's go, so anyway. But yeah, so for every trail, like around tucson. I'm just on my dead wood and she has like the most beautiful Rogue Panda frame pack you know what I'm saying With that Arizona flag bag. No, she's like super pretty and I'm really proud of her and I got her when I was working on REI 1,000 years ago.
Dane:So, yeah, that's what cycling is. So we have customers that name their bikes.
Jessie Jean Mance:they all have names you know, and things like that and that's.
Dane:That's I feel like cycling, uh, you know, not just mountain biking, but road biking, but in general, that is what we do, like people. If people that don't understand that think we're just playing with toys, you know, as adults, yeah, they don't understand. We're naming.
Sarita Mendez:These are our pets, our best friends. I mean, I don't have a name for her?
Dane:did you call her Deadwood? Hey Deadwood you should figure out one of the characters in Deadwood oh yeah, and use one of their names.
Sarita Mendez:Okay, I'm gonna have to think about it. Who's like the hottest one? I can't remember because you have the whore.
Jessie Jean Mance:Did you watch Deadwood?
Josh:What are we talking about right now?
Jessie Jean Mance:The whore. She's a whore. I think we've got the winners. Wait, was her name. I can't remember.
Sarita Mendez:It might be her.
Dane:They have the widow. The widow was cool, I forgot her name.
Sarita Mendez:I don't know any other names.
Dane:Yeah, there's a lot of good people to name it after. Dude my bike names are so boring.
Sarita Mendez:Is it like Chad or something?
Josh:No, so I'm a big dude riding my brake bikes Daryl, daryl, all my bikes are really big and like beefy and meaty because frame up, and so it's. I got my yellow bike I call big bird. Okay, my e-bike, I call big e big e my gravel bike I call it's a titanium bike. I call big tie and then my downhill bike or my, my gorilla gravity, I call bigfoot, bigfoot everything's big, everything is.
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, those are good.
Dane:I don't have names yeah you trade bikes.
Josh:So much yeah it's like the.
Dane:It's the like it's the like it's, it is every it's the shuttle, the altitude.
Josh:I didn't think you owned an acoustic bike for the first 10 times. We rode. Cause every time we showed up, you're on an e-bike, that's true.
Sarita Mendez:I want an e-bike. How's that? They're amazing.
Josh:It's awesome. Yeah, it's awesome I can go ride with Dane right or ride with Lacey, yeah, and then when you're like I try to ride my e-bike like once every two weeks, so then when I'm like super tired from the acoustic bike, then it gives me like a day that I can go have fun and get like a zone two ride you know, like a recovery ride, right, cool Traveling.
Dane:We just traveled.
Josh:Yeah, we did, we went and did Noble Canyon, san traveled. And uh, yeah, we did, we went, did noble canyon, yep, san diego. And uh, we would have had a hard time making it up that mountain on regular bikes. I ran out of energy, he ran out of battery, my battery, my bat.
Dane:Well, yeah, oh no, the last climb he had to do with it turned off. Oh no, oh no. Luckily that's my lightweight e-bike, which is super light like 30 pounds 36, 36, yeah, 36 pounds. And so, uh, it's not, you can ride it like a regular bike which is nice.
Josh:It's funny that most men exaggerate the size on a positive scale, but when it's talking about bike weight, you exaggerate it to make it less Like it's smaller than it really is. Next podcast it'll be 35 pounds. I don't believe it that you're like 36 pounds.
Dane:Dude, Justin keeps coming in weighing my altitude because he's so frustrated because he tried to build his lighter than mine and he's convinced that I have some sort of special frame. Because he's like I don't understand, how can you be like three pounds?
Josh:lighter than my weight. You're like in there with a Dremel Dremeling out the mouth.
Dane:Yeah, like that's exactly what he thinks.
Jessie Jean Mance:So when, when? Basically maybe.
Josh:I'm calling you, jean.
Sarita Mendez:I've been called Jean, that's okay, jesse primarily, but that's okay.
Dane:Sorry, that's what I know.
Jessie Jean Mance:I have good friends that call me Jean. It's all good.
Dane:I get named all kinds of stuff. Yeah, call me man. I mean, that works, that's fine too.
Josh:Um uh what were we talking about you just started.
Jessie Jean Mance:You just started riding, oh yeah well, maybe like a year into the business.
Josh:Yeah, we just oh, so you've been riding for eight years well I come.
Sarita Mendez:You know we have waves. We all do. That's what it's like I'm killing it.
Jessie Jean Mance:No, now I kind of suck for a while there's a lot of people, it's been a lot of fun and, um, I have a rocky mountain altitude. Is that what you have? I keep hearing like an altitude 750 that I bought used, yep, um, and it's I, I love it. It's like to me it's like a classic car kind of. It's like a beater. I don't think mine is light at all. No, I, it's veryed up. It's not like Serena described. Her bike is sexy Mine's like.
Jessie Jean Mance:What I get. A lot with the trailhead is like an older man coming up and going. Oh, that's got nice welds.
Sarita Mendez:And I'm like, what does that mean?
Jessie Jean Mance:That's all that we could ever ask for.
Sarita Mendez:We want an older man to tell us that.
Josh:You've got such nice welds.
Sarita Mendez:Oh baby, I'm an ass.
Dane:I'm so incorporating that into my trail talk.
Jessie Jean Mance:I like, just I don't know what it means. I love those welds, I think it's a compliment, but you know I love it.
Dane:Be like hey, check out those welds.
Sarita Mendez:Oh my gosh, oh my God.
Dane:Of all the things that you could have said. He's got nice welds. He must work out.
Sarita Mendez:I never, could have predicted that you'd say nice welds.
Josh:I didn't know where you were going.
Sarita Mendez:Wait. And then it's also used from a very like Tucson famous cyclist. Totally From.
Jessie Jean Mance:Veronique.
Sarita Mendez:A friend of.
Dane:Veronique's yes, exactly, nice, exactly I know, I haven't seen her in a long time. It's a legacy bike. Yeah, she's doing well. I haven't seen her in a while.
Sarita Mendez:I actually okay. So I went out on a random road ride out like in the Tucson mountains. It was like super magical. I went with these people who are crazy roadies and they were like just waiting for me.
Sarita Mendez:gross, I was so slow it was so sad and then okay, so we're on this like little section and she comes out of nowhere and like that's the beauty of tucson. Veronique came out of this trail that like is technically connected to a neighborhood and she connected it to sweetwater and I've never accessed it that way I don't know if you guys know what I'm talking about yeah, I do it's.
Sarita Mendez:No, it's a private road, honestly, on the south side southwest side yeah yeah, yeah, and we got yelled at oh, no way oh my god, this was like, honestly, one of like the most aggressive, like like I don't know times that I've ever experienced um with a car like, because she accessed it from that point. Well, all okay, so there were like six of us on our road bikes and it technically it did say like private road, so we did take that. But then technically there is an entrance to sweetwater. So how can you have rules like what are the rules with that?
Sarita Mendez:because, like you have to have a public access point then right yep so, uh, we're just riding back and then this car just lays on the horn and we're out in beautiful, like tucson mountains, like it's so quiet, so serene. It's like, oh my god, what's going on? And it's just like this super, super old man and he is screaming at us, telling us that we're making things more dangerous for everyone, and veronique first. She's just like okay, we hear you, thank you so much.
Dane:And he just like kept on honking did he have a sign that said get off my lawn?
Sarita Mendez:I wish he did. Man, it was super aggressive and we didn't know if he was gonna like do something, but yeah, at least there were like in total like eight of us, so yeah, but that's when I saw veronique last this is really magical until then, it was so intense it's.
Dane:That's frustrating. So, um, we uh we've talked about beer. Uh, we've talked about the hop shop. Um, I want to talk about the building. Who built this and who had a hand in building it, or did you move into it this way?
Jessie Jean Mance:we moved into it this way, um, however, it was just. I don't know the entire story, but it's a very unique building. Yeah, oh my god, speaking of welds, um I. Apparently there's no everywhere there's not a nail in the building no, it's all well, it's all welded um. So it's a really unique space and most people don't even know that this whole complex is here yeah until they come and they're like what you know, is this heaven, yeah exactly so.
Jessie Jean Mance:It's a super unique all metal building. Yeah, um, and it's just, I don't we feel so lucky. When we first moved in, we we took one space, one studio space, no two of them, two like two spaces, and that was. You know, it seemed like a big bar.
Jessie Jean Mance:I mean it seemed like we had the biggest beer garden in town. It was just fantastic. And after the pandemic we were able to, the actual, the owner and builder of this whole complex, sold it and so his space became available. So we kind of merged into that unit as well. So now we're a total of three units and you know we were super worried that we wouldn't be able to put the butts in the seats. You know, can we fill this space? It's so much bigger. And what we realized is that people weren't coming because we were too small. And so once they realized we had all this seating, it was like, you know, like the little fish in the big pond, like there's so many more places to roam, and so it's been really great to fill up the space and and, like you said, there's like nooks and crannies everywhere.
Jessie Jean Mance:You know you could sit downstairs one day and go to this balcony the next, and there's all kinds of fun corners to like out front to chill.
Dane:Exactly yeah.
Josh:It's today's Tuesday.
Dane:Tuesday, tuesday.
Josh:Yeah, tuesday, and you guys are pretty busy yeah.
Jessie Jean Mance:We're doing okay, yeah.
Josh:I came in. I don't know what it normally looks like, hey this is pretty cool.
Dane:So I'm looking at the way that the building's set up. We're upstairs, we're in this beautiful. It looks like a living room. Looks like you could live here, no problem.
Sarita Mendez:Stained glass windows.
Dane:I could probably live here Are those just hanging in front of the windows.
Jessie Jean Mance:They are yeah.
Dane:And yeah, now that I'm looking at it, you're right, the entire building is all metal. I is all metal. I was looking at because I do.
Sarita Mendez:I do metal work, yeah and uh, I was looking at the stairs.
Josh:Actually, I was trying to figure out the design right, deal it right, totally so there's a this. Is this called like the metal village or something? It?
Jessie Jean Mance:started as the metal arts village and the owner wanted to make um space for artists that was affordable so the rent was just the lowest in town because he knew these are artists, I'm not not going to gouge them, I want them to make their livings. And so when we moved here, there were you know, there was a metal worker and a stained glass worker and another village. I guess, yeah, um, but I still think we have a great, like you said, an art community and we have an artist vibe. To be honest, you know so, but it is, it's a cool place yeah, the metal village, the art itself, yeah, it's just really, it is for sure, and I was noticing on your instagram page you guys have a lot of like art inspired events.
Jessie Jean Mance:Yep.
Josh:Like art shows or like come and do art here at the.
Jessie Jean Mance:Yeah, we're doing a fun like candle making, one like later this month. That'll be fun.
Sarita Mendez:Candles and coasters that just sold out which is fantastic. We'll squeeze you guys in yeah.
Jessie Jean Mance:You've got to get in touch with that side of your brain.
Dane:Oh, yeah, why not?
Josh:Yeah.
Jessie Jean Mance:Right, you gotta get in touch with that side of your brain. Oh yeah, why not? Yeah, right, but uh, one of our biggest events is the queer bazaar. We hold that about twice a year and it's all artists of the lgbtq community that come out and we have we take over the whole parking lot and it's like a street fair basically that is and it is just a lot of fun.
Jessie Jean Mance:I mean that that's the one of the happiest events we host and we do it twice a year and it makes I don't know the artists seem very happy with sales and it's just a great way to celebrate community.
Josh:Right on, do you shut down the parking lot and have vendors out there so they can sell their stuff?
Jessie Jean Mance:Exactly. That's super cool.
Dane:It's super fun. Success in building the business you know with bikers in general, like what if you were going to like? We've got all these listeners all over the world, probably at least 62 of them um at least 62, one in each country Right. But um, there may be somebody who's listening who would want to do something like this to kind of make that leap from just a bar to a more of a meeting space for all kinds of people. What's your best advice that you could give?
Jessie Jean Mance:I think you've got to go into it with that outlook at the forefront.
Dane:Like plan from the beginning.
Jessie Jean Mance:Plan from the beginning. We wanted to be a community space. We wanted to be a space where we had the focus on the people and their families and their friends. And beer is almost like what we do, you know.
Dane:On top of that, you know, yeah, yeah, totally.
Jessie Jean Mance:And I know it's a big, important part of it's where we make our money on. But but really, if you put the focus on the people and their needs and their hobbies and you know it, it makes everyone feel like they're a part of this.
Dane:And it's not just a business.
Jessie Jean Mance:Yeah, like they're a part of this and it's not just a business. Yeah, it's not pandering, we're not trying to, you know, suck up to anyone. It's like we are a part of building what you want to see here yeah and I think that's how some of our bike facilities have grown is just based on what we we saw was needed yeah you know, like the bike racks in the beer garden yep we're like people keep wheeling their bikes through and they're just leaning them against walls and stuff.
Jessie Jean Mance:What would be? What would be better than that, you know? So I think it's just we've. We've crafted it and grown from there.
Dane:I think that's awesome, cause it's truly that's what it is is. People don't come here to get a beer. They come here to be here and to see their friends and get together with each other, and then they drink a beer while they're here and you've created this space where you're like okay, well, how do we pay for it?
Jessie Jean Mance:Right, exactly, it's awesome man.
Josh:I mean like I probably would never go ride the urban assault trail if it wasn't for this place.
Jessie Jean Mance:It's pretty convenient, right, so you go ride it.
Dane:Come here, get a pizza, get some beer, hang out one or two beers super symbiotic you have one thing that causes another and they work together. Which?
Josh:is awesome. I noticed on your website right. It says bike friendly, kid friendly, friend friendly, right oh, you allow, friends what nice welds you have look at the welds on that guy. I also noticed on there that you have a certification or an award a bronze award from the League of American Bicyclists, which is a grassroots movement to create safer roads, stronger communities and a bicycle-friendly America for everyone. This is an organization that was established in 1880.
Jessie Jean Mance:Wow, jesus, that's crazy.
Dane:I didn't even know that. That's crazy. That's right after I was born. It's like the penny farthing days.
Jessie Jean Mance:I think it is right.
Josh:And you are one of only 11 businesses in the entire state of Arizona that has this certification.
Jessie Jean Mance:And.
Josh:I was telling you earlier about 50%. They put on their website the metrics of how many businesses have applied and how many have actually been granted it and about 50% get it. And so just tell us a little bit about like that process, like why did you do it? What was the process? Do you remember? I know it was a while ago.
Jessie Jean Mance:It was a while ago, I don't remember way back into the memory. I don't remember who inspired us. Where did I see that first? In town, um, but I know I saw it and I'm like we got to get this we got to figure this out, and so it was in your business it is.
Jessie Jean Mance:Yeah, it is a lengthy, you know, application process and you know it involves a lot of things, not just bike racks and access and, um, you know, supporting causes, but it involves being on a roadway that's safe for cyclists to access your business and that kind of thing. So we did get lucky in terms of location. Um, but then you know, when they they awarded us bronze, I'm like bronze man, we should be gold but like, but it's hard to be bronze.
Sarita Mendez:It is.
Jessie Jean Mance:it is very hard to get that distinction, and so I'm very, I'm super proud of that.
Dane:Yeah, that is awesome. You know, and that tells everybody, anybody who's looking from the outside of, what kind of character you have. Yeah, as far as, like, it helps them understand what you're doing. And it's not just a bar, it's not just a place that people come and drink. It's like, like you said, a community and a meet space which is awesome.
Josh:For sure, yep. Do you guys have any like funny or unusual stories that you can share with? Our listeners about the bar and bonus points. If they include bikes, I have the best one. Go for it. I'm sorry.
Jessie Jean Mance:And actually it's perfect because we just passed our ninth anniversary, but on night one it was friends and family night, so we weren't even open to the public.
Josh:Sarita, you were working right this is like day one nine years ago. Day one yes, it was just the public, sarita you were working right.
Jessie Jean Mance:This is like day one nine years ago, day one, Okay, yes, it was just family who barely believed in the concept anyway. But they're like here to support and you know, and out of nowhere, we're having a great night and all of a sudden someone starts kind of a crazy looking dude pushes his bike through the bar. We think he's trying to go in and you know, but it's friends and family. No one knows this guy and he's. He goes all the way through the bar and out to the beer garden and then he looks stuck because our beer garden is fenced and he looked like he was just like trapped and he didn't. He realized like he had just come into the wrong place. He didn't know where he was.
Jessie Jean Mance:And you know my dad being a protective guy and like really like this is my daughter's business. And you know he's like what are you doing here? Are you supposed to be here? And you know, and because the guy was, I I think hi, I don't know, he didn't seem a little out of it, yeah, a little out of it, yeah um, and the guy kept.
Jessie Jean Mance:you know, he almost ran over some kids on the way in, you know, and that kind of thing. And my dad said you can either leave now or I will help you over this fence and the guy handed him his bike. The guy handed the bike to my dad.
Josh:And so my dad tossed the bike over the fence and then, you know, kind of boosted him up. I thought you meant help him over the fence, like I'm going to throw you over the fence. Pretty much that's what your dad meant. But the guy was like just help me. He's like I'm down.
Jessie Jean Mance:The guy was like I will go over this fence. So my dad and some other people that were here boosted him over the fence and I'm sitting here going. Is this what business is going to be like?
Josh:Maybe we shouldn't have done this in support of bicycles.
Jessie Jean Mance:Is this what it is Like? It's crazy your first cycling patron Totally.
Dane:That guy is literally traveling by the crows, the way the crows fly Totally.
Jessie Jean Mance:That was it.
Dane:He's like I'm just going to go straight through this building.
Jessie Jean Mance:He's like I used to ride in this direction I don't know, and so it was just so. On the first year anniversary, we decided to do a bike toss for luck, and so we got like like an old beater bike. It didn't have a chain, you know just, and it was probably a thousand pounds. I mean, it was just like a really old bike yeah and you could um toss it just for fun toss it the farthest and that was like kind of a fun tradition.
Jessie Jean Mance:We'll probably have to bring that back for the 10-year anniversary I think you definitely should bring the bike awesome. Who doesn't want to throw a bike and cause some damage? Maybe?
Josh:we should come and do a live podcast. When they're doing the bike tires, I'm down. Yeah, that'd be fun. I know of a yellow specialized that we can follow. Oh my gosh, there you go. Leave Big Bird alone. She's a good girl.
Sarita Mendez:I feel like that. One would be like the most difficult one. The one that could cheat fly.
Josh:Oh, oh, oh, she can fly. Oh, okay, that's right, she is my lightest bike. Well, the tide bike's my lighter, but yeah, okay, that's so funny. Oh, my goodness okay.
Sarita Mendez:I think it's always so funny it's happened like multiple times now that we'll be like closing and there's a bike in the back like and you don't know whose it is exactly, and we're like yo, we gotta close and no one's around, and it's just been that people have, like maybe overdone it or maybe have decided to do something else and they leave their bike here. And so we like wheel it inside, because you never know if someone's going to jump the fence.
Sarita Mendez:But, yeah, then they'll come back. It's like the walk of shame in the morning and they're like, they're just like dude. What are you guys?
Dane:doing. But you know what, though? That's actually a great service. I mean, you guys are inadvertently providing.
Josh:I mean hold on, Listen, I'm also eyeing it, I'm like hey is there something cute on that bike that I can put on my bike? Is that a medium bike?
Sarita Mendez:Exactly.
Jessie Jean Mance:This is really light.
Dane:Is that bell shaped like a hamburger?
Josh:Yeah, I'll take that you should totally get a polaroid camera and take a picture of every bike and then put them up on a wall oh yeah, here's all the bikes we rescued, oh my god okay, yeah bike rescue, I mean, I think that idea yeah
Sarita Mendez:the next, especially with the weather change.
Dane:Like I actually, I, I love that. So at one point, you know, in college days, I was always a designated driver because I don't drink and my buddies would get mad if I didn't go because they had to figure out how to get home, and so I envisioned this one uh job of like maybe showing up, uh on a bike yeah and then putting it in the person's car and driving them home and then riding home right and that's, I think, actually been. People have tried this job where they have like little e-bikes that fold.
Dane:Yeah, and they'll put them in the trunk and then drive the person home in their own car. So it's home, yeah. And then they just go back, and it's a service they provide and so they just leave on their cute little e-bike?
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, but no, they take it out of the trunk and they ride it home.
Dane:Well, that's and so you guys have figured out a way to keep people, and this is a genuine thing keep people from driving or riding drunk which is nice, and you didn't even mean to Right, there you go.
Josh:This is how we can lose weight, buddy. We can get some little e-bikes and just come hang out.
Dane:Oh, yeah, yeah, We'll eat a bunch of pizza, drink a bunch of oh, then we'll need to ride. Then we can just shuttle people back and forth from their house.
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, that is also a signal of how much people trust you guys. So there you go yeah, there's, there's.
Dane:Uh, there's a lot to be said, because I don't know well if you, if you had a bike and would leave it somewhere like that, I, I wouldn't I would never.
Sarita Mendez:No, you wouldn't leave daddy there, would you?
Josh:yeah, not the old dad yeah no, absolutely, and then yeah, just also.
Sarita Mendez:I don't know what to call her, so I'm just I know, I know I got to think of something good, but yeah, it's also just like anywhere. Whenever I go anywhere on my bike, like I won't go if I can't bring my bike in, you know. Like I don't want to lock her up out front. No, that doesn't work. I feel like she's.
Dane:Oh, so I just looked up the cast. You know, I forgot this in Deadwood it was Calamity Jane.
Sarita Mendez:Oh.
Dane:Oh my God, that's a good name. That's a good name I got to write this down.
Sarita Mendez:I got to write this down Calamity Jane.
Dane:Yeah, there was. Yeah, there's like a. Oh, there was Garrett. Yeah, none of the names stand out like that, but Calamityane has a bike name.
Josh:That's a great name yeah, that is really nice I forgot to ask you guys one of the first questions I want to ask you. So like beers and bikes go together, like peanut butter and jelly, yeah, like what are your thoughts on why that is like, why does it go together so well?
Sarita Mendez:I mean, I think, when I'm riding, I just I want some like something to quench my thirst.
Josh:There you go yeah, yeah and, but honestly, you'll just like hydration at this point but you can catch me with like a can of Rose.
Sarita Mendez:Usually if it's not Oktoberfest season, yeah, um, but then, yeah, it's like whenever I ride with friends, like I just want to like watch the sunset and like maybe cheers at sunset. And maybe that's why it goes together so well.
Josh:Hydration is one good thing. Just the right vibe If I'm going to give the most boring answer.
Jessie Jean Mance:I'm going to say expendable income. That's what draws them together?
Josh:If you can afford bikes you can afford beer, right.
Dane:I know a lot of people that don't have much expendable income, but they still drink craft beer like crazy.
Josh:I tell you what man like. I have not always had money, but I have always drank beer. Yeah, it's very true.
Dane:So yeah, and and. In the bike industry none of us have money, but we have nice bikes.
Josh:So but that's true. So what's the future look like for the hop shop?
Jessie Jean Mance:Oh goodness, I think more of the same. I mean, we're always trying to figure out the next thing of what can keep people coming. You know we don't want to go stagnant and be like we got this, but because you know, things can turn on a dime. So we're always coming up with new, different events and trying to just keep being the community gathering place that we are.
Josh:Candles and coasters.
Jessie Jean Mance:There you go, exactly. I know October 15th, I'm hoping more of the same, we don't hope to expand anytime soon. We like what we've got here. Yeah, we want to keep perfecting this along the way.
Josh:And you've kept it going for nine years, yep, so that's a big deal.
Jessie Jean Mance:You're past the first couple hurdles right, exactly, exactly.
Dane:Yeah.
Jessie Jean Mance:I like the. You know I bet you have like kind of a college crowd that comes through and actually no, no, we have some. I mean, what's interesting is we're in the part of town where we're kind of away from the campus so it actually took us a long time for college people to find us yes um, we're more of a working professional atmosphere. People who have to get up for a job tomorrow come here okay, and we close early.
Jessie Jean Mance:We close at 9 pm on weeknights. We close at 11 on weekends. We're here for the people who want to have a couple beers and then go sleep in their beds.
Josh:Just the fact that you close early. Probably you don't have as many like end of the night.
Jessie Jean Mance:Oh, yes, yeah, the couple times we've stayed open to like new year's eve or something that's when it's been a shit show yes, that's when things go wrong people are smoking where they shouldn't and you know, vomiting and whatever. It's been a shit show. Yes, that's when things go wrong. People are smoking where they shouldn't and you know, vomiting and whatever.
Jessie Jean Mance:It's like we're not, we don't need any more of that. So, yeah, we're, but we but, so people will come here. We did get one funny Google review. Um, that was obviously a college kid that was just saying it's fun you like to hang out with old people.
Josh:Is that why we like it so much?
Jessie Jean Mance:He probably meant like 40 year olds, Like it's like you know so old to them.
Dane:So, old.
Josh:I've actually seen a pretty good mix in the few times.
Jessie Jean Mance:I've been here.
Josh:I'm watching a 19 year old girl walk in right now.
Jessie Jean Mance:They better be carding her. Hopefully they're carding her. I can't tell anymore. I'm almost 50 50.
Josh:So like girls look all the same age they're under 30.
Sarita Mendez:I can't tell, okay, perfect, I will say we do have a good like college crowd though like, and especially when they discovered us yeah, when they come in, like just I don't know when you know school's in session, like it gets super busy here so I do love how different and like diverse it is like, yeah, you have the working professional, but you have everyone from all over, and that's just, like, I think, why people keep coming back yeah, you don't see the same like age, or same whatever no, it's pretty eclectic.
Dane:Yeah, uh, we do um our social rides yeah so we go to various places on these rides this is one of the places they've come right.
Josh:Yes, yeah, it's one of the most popular. Aren't Ben and Carlos like regulars? Here? Yes, yeah, you guys know Ben and Carlos.
Sarita Mendez:Well, yeah, the guy with the big thick glasses.
Dane:I really like him and I remember talking to you.
Sarita Mendez:I swear to God that's going to be his new name. Well, because I was just. There are some cyclists who aren't cool and it's just been really nice to like have just like polite and funny and yeah, so yeah, that's, I mean Carlos, my bad Kind of.
Dane:I don't call him Charles Charles, sorry, charles Charlie. Quintero yeah, but he's, uh, we are one of our last episodes where it was with him.
Sarita Mendez:Cool, I can. I'm a bad person.
Josh:You're not a bad person. We need 63 listeners. I love podcast, you can be 63.
Dane:You too, you could be 64.
Jessie Jean Mance:Exactly.
Dane:I'm in.
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, and especially when you guys like like we pay attention to also like social media and like when people are nice and like tag us and things and you just like display yourself in, like a certain way, like that's also really noticeable and yeah, you guys have always been like really professional too.
Dane:Those guys get most of the credit for Instagram.
Sarita Mendez:Okay, good.
Dane:Most of the time, the stuff that I post is like videos and things like that.
Josh:I'm just glad that you figured out what account you're posting from.
Sarita Mendez:I think that I've noticed you because there's like some funny like videos of, like just your face, which is like makes it good, like makes me want to go there.
Dane:The Christmas one eating the Christmas cookie.
Sarita Mendez:Everybody loved that and it was just goofy. Is it still up? We got to go watch it. The most likes, most shares.
Dane:No, but I got to tell you something. This is funny because I'm older, so I'm learning social media at a different rate, you know.
Josh:He just got off.
Dane:MySpace.
Dane:Yeah pretty much no, but I, you know, I've never done stories on social media and Josh was like oh, that's all Lacey looks at is stories, and I'm like why they go away? And, as a business, I can't figure that out, and so my theory here's my theory, I'm going to put it out here Is business, I can't figure that out, and so my theory here's my theory, I'm going to put it out here is that that's facebook tricking you into not storing your info because you can still access all your stories. Just the users can't, you can't. Oh, is that what it is? Well then, why?
Sarita Mendez:I do like that, like why? But then just when you post it, it's like so permanent on your page, what if? What if you're not vibing with that? Oh, I'm okay with that.
Josh:I put it all out like today I posted a picture of my cute picture of my little dog on on my story. I don't want to post that forever yeah, exactly today.
Sarita Mendez:It meant something.
Dane:Exactly yeah, if you look at the next 24 hours, you get to see my little puppy oh yeah, otherwise see, I want it all out there forever forever I want everyone to see well, because then you you know, because then it's a game, you can go from the very old ones and see the transition of of somebody into somebody else, you know or something.
Josh:But important milestone stuff we'll put in like the like I'm pretty sure.
Dane:Yeah, yeah. But if you look at the the our, our posts of me, like, you'll see how I used to be skinny.
Sarita Mendez:And then we all used to be skinny yeah exactly At one point even Mark was skinny.
Josh:I'm pretty sure my hairline is now like changing, and so I've never seen you without a hat on, so I don't know.
Dane:Well, yeah, I'm you know, I'm getting to that age where I think some hairs are just scared and taken off.
Sarita Mendez:Packing their bags? Yeah, a little bit Not as bad as Justin.
Dane:So one of my buddies.
Josh:He pulls his hat off and you're like whoa Whoa, Because he never takes his hat off, so you guys are both ladies and you guys both ride bikes and we have part of our mission statement is to help get more women onto bikes.
Sarita Mendez:Just people in general. People in general, but specifically women.
Josh:Yeah, part of that that rides and she's amazing and she kicks my ass and she's like super motivating and I've seen like what, like the group of women that she's riding with, and how they like support and help each other and it's amazing like that, that, that group kind of mentality. It's way different than what I experience in the men, where if you crash it's like get up you point and laugh right it's not the same vibe, um, but I'd love to hear your perspectives on like what can we do?
Josh:And, interestingly, I don't know if you guys know Jodi Bartz, you know Jodi Bartz.
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, she does all the AZ, the Grow Girls.
Josh:We've had Jodi on a couple times. We like Jodi a lot, she's got that mission. But when we asked her what we should do, she said get out of my way. Actually, she didn't just give you an idea.
Sarita Mendez:No, that's what I want.
Josh:But what can we do to help? What do you think we could do to help inspire more ladies to ride?
Sarita Mendez:I know it's so tough because I feel like I ride so well with my dude bro friends yeah.
Jessie Jean Mance:But I guess I can say whatever I want to them too right so right, I don't know.
Sarita Mendez:I just I think that it's all about just like, yeah, I I feel like what she said is perfect get out of the way.
Josh:Get out of the fucking way.
Sarita Mendez:That's exactly what she said I don't know, I yeah, I mean, I feel like guys are like you, seem so cool and like inviting I would, but yeah, like when it comes to like some of these other dudes, that she calls them trail chads.
Sarita Mendez:Oh man, yeah, like I just I don't, I don't even want to waste the time with that, because I feel like we've all been there, like they're all just like trying to like say something You're like this, just this doesn't matter that nothing good will come of this Like like I know that sucks, but not trying to.
Dane:So no-transcript. What's the worst thing somebody can say?
Josh:to you. She's got a well, she's got a phrase she hates well, yeah, she's got certain things.
Dane:You know, everybody, I think, does I do.
Josh:You know, I have things, josh, catch up, I hate that.
Sarita Mendez:Or you can ride that, josh, I promise I think that yeah like, especially because, like my husband, can like randomly, just like pick up and go and like he'll, he rides like blacks, double blacks, fine, and barely rides ever um. But for, yeah, when it's when he randomly is just like you can do this, I know you can do this, it's like babe, no, I can't.
Sarita Mendez:So yeah, maybe it's just like stuff like that where it's like really beautiful and cute, that like you think, that like I have the skill set and you're just trying to be cutesy or something.
Josh:But like shut up. Well, if you ever meet lacy, could you tell her and just I'm the person she's trying to say you can ride this too.
Sarita Mendez:I simply cannot wait to meet her but she sounds wild, Like I would never be able to ride with her oh you would be.
Dane:Yeah, she's very welcome.
Josh:I'm doing it now. You can ride with her.
Dane:No, I know she's probably welcome. You could do it.
Sarita Mendez:I'm girl.
Dane:Um no, like I'm serious though she like rides with my hardcore friend, and my hardcore friend makes me ill. Yeah, you know, though, but just like you were talking about the pros, yeah uh, your hardcore friend and lacy.
Sarita Mendez:They're just normal people they just go a little faster. I know, I know and that's so.
Josh:It's whatever.
Jessie Jean Mance:Yeah you say get out of the way you do?
Josh:what do you think?
Jessie Jean Mance:oh my goodness, I don't, I don't even know, I I mean, I've been always riding.
Josh:What got you to write into?
Jessie Jean Mance:with women. You know, I don't. I think it was just meeting people around here, meeting friends, saying well, it's kind of cool. I mean, I've ridden my bike recreationally for my whole life and I always thought that was fine. Um, but just meeting people. And then what I think got me hooked was not just the camaraderie but, um, getting into that flow state. Maybe just advertise that flow state, it is so good yeah, when, when you are riding, something about the periphery moving by you.
Jessie Jean Mance:You can solve any problem in your head you can be stressed out about something and you can work it out when you're on your bike, or you can not think about it and be free from it while you're on your bike. I mean, it's just like I don't know. It's that unencumbered, peaceful mind. Peace of mind where you're in nature, got fresh air, you feel strong because your body's working, yeah, um and, and your mind is clear and I feel like there's nothing better than that.
Josh:You know, I think I want to use that. I want to use that like an advertisement. I want to use that clip. Can I get your permission to use that?
Jessie Jean Mance:There you go and honestly actually women need more of that. We are multitaskers, we try to do too much, we juggle a lot and if you can get into a state of mind where you're just doing this in this thing, that is just so freeing and so healthy it's interesting, so I think of it as meditation.
Dane:Yeah.
Josh:When I'm I've got a job that has me thinking all the time and stress out all the time, and when I go ride a mountain bike I can't think of anything but don't hit that rock or fall off that cliff. So I come out of that ride my body's tired and I my mind is clear.
Jessie Jean Mance:It's amazing, it's the best feeling it really is.
Dane:We call it therapy. If I don't get to ride, I get edgy and I get agitated. If I go out on a ride immediately, I'm just calmer, more patient, easier to deal with.
Josh:With all the badass women we've had and we've asked this question and we've had whole episodes, multiple episodes, dedicated just to that subject. I've come to one conclusion, or I've drawn one conclusion Specialized sucks, Specialized sucks, SRAM sucks.
Jessie Jean Mance:Shimano's great and specialized is good.
Dane:Okay.
Josh:Do you know SRAM and Shimano? We have a SRAM and Shimano debate, yeah.
Dane:That's because he likes to argue. There you go. He just likes it. I love it.
Josh:He just likes to argue, but the conclusion I've come to is don't try to get your wife or your girlfriend to my bro friends. Don't try to get your wife and girlfriend to ride by bringing them with you. Find ladies for them to ride with and it's going to work better. What do you think about that?
Sarita Mendez:I think both honestly though. Because I get along so well with my bro. Friends too, though, but yeah, just getting getting into it.
Josh:Yeah, right like that that community like yeah like maybe, maybe it's not so much bro friends, but like I think probably 80 of the men that I know that have tried to get their wives and girlfriends to get into the sport because they love it so much have not been successful. And I've been out on some of those rides and it's like you bring that like marital strife out onto the trail. It's not the right vibe when you're doing something new and you're uncomfortable and you're trying to figure it out.
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, that's a good point.
Dane:So. So when I got Jilly, my daughter, into riding and it was always tough because I made it a point not to push her, oh, totally.
Jessie Jean Mance:I don't want to force her, I don't want to force my kids.
Dane:I don't want to push them into it. I want them to naturally enjoy it and want to be curious and go out and ride and stuff. And then they would go with me and we would ride. And I'm trying to help her, maybe chatting her up a little bit, telling, telling her try this, do this, you can do this. And I'm just trying to mentor her and get her to do it. But it was when she got together with jody for grow girl that she just blew up as a cyclist she just yeah she's with her peers she was with in a certain comfort zone.
Josh:That I couldn't give her which I think is because you're just you're because you don't have a 30 second dance party it's true um but it's it's also because I'm the parent and I'm always trying
Jessie Jean Mance:to tell her what to do.
Dane:And Jodi's more of a friend and the other peer group she's in like Safe and time yeah.
Jessie Jean Mance:And.
Dane:I think that's important to get people started in both genders, not just women, but in both genders. I think it's really good to be in a peer group. So my son likes to go out with the, the boys his age, yeah, and then later, like like you were saying, sarita, that uh, you know you don't always have to stay in that peer group, you can start graduating into a different peer group because that little bit of help that that gave you kind of boosts your confidence, gets you into that group and, you know of, boosts your confidence gets you into that group and you know, if they make really crappy, you know statements, it can roll off easier.
Dane:Whereas when you're starting, it can wreck you. It can take that little.
Josh:Well, I had battered husband syndrome for five years after riding with Lucy. Oh yeah, I'm just now healing from it.
Dane:Well, and you know, I look at, my wife is the same way Like I.
Sarita Mendez:You know, when we were dating, she tried to ride, she tried to participate, and as soon as we got married, she's like I'm not doing this, yeah, I think, yeah, I think back to like when we were riding with Belle for like the first time, like how just I don't know, we made those friendships and like everyone. I think it's also like the juge of tucson, though, like, yeah, I do think that we have like really special amazing people here too, but I know that's everywhere. But um, yeah, I don't know, I just I think our people are better.
Josh:Yeah, totally no offense to the rest of the world.
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, exactly, all you listeners out there, all those people and, I think, countries I think of like one time that I like totally like slashed my tire and we all just stopped and like had a party around me and like, yeah, it's just like little things like that, that like I don't know, it just makes you feel like not so shitty, like when everyone else is like cool about it.
Dane:But yeah, yeah it it does. It sucks when you're in a group and everyone's like, come on, let's go, and they're the last person. You're waiting for the last person yeah, that's me and people get impatient you know, and they're they're upset about waiting for somebody. Yeah, and I kind of stopped riding with those groups yeah, yeah, those aren't my yeah I ride with the groups where everybody's like all right cool, you know you still a break? Just let me know when you're ready. We're going to quilt. We call it quilting.
Josh:What? That's what we call it when you quilt you like talk? Yeah, so when you stop, you're like talking.
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, we're just all talking. That's adorable Because you're all stopping.
Dane:She just called you adorable.
Jessie Jean Mance:I'm going to and some of the people that coined that are used to use it as derogatory and we take it with pride. Like you guys are quilting, let's go.
Dane:You know, and I'm like hey, I got some quilting to do yeah yeah, I'm gonna get this out. We're gonna hang out because it's for me riding social totally yeah, you know I don't ride by myself very much, and when I do, uh like it is fast, it's like fast.
Sarita Mendez:I get it over with and then I get home.
Dane:But when I'm quilting, if I go out with the buddies, I've got to add two hours to every ride.
Josh:Seriously, because we're just hanging out having fun. We're sitting at the hop shop drinking a beer.
Dane:Seriously, if you ride urban and you don't come here and get some pizza and a beer.
Josh:There's no reason to ride urban if you're not coming here. Yeah.
Dane:You should slow down enough to do those things. Yeah, for sure?
Sarita Mendez:Yeah, I feel like we have to go on their next group ride, that's around here. Oh my goodness, I know.
Dane:When is that? We're going to Sunday. We're going to Patagonia, Patahoochee. Oh my God, I saw that post.
Josh:You're doing the gravel ride With the lumber company down there, that's fun.
Dane:Ben and Carlos are setting it up.
Josh:When you guys get down there, talk to them. I want to get them on the podcast. They got new owners now and I haven't talked to them yet.
Sarita Mendez:Heidi and Xander are still fully around doing cyclist menu stuff.
Jessie Jean Mance:I would definitely talk to them too.
Sarita Mendez:The new owners are. The one is she. She was like the manager, so she's been there like for a while too, but um, that's so cool. Do you ride the gravel out there often? Yes, oh, like often is really iffy I don't get much time to ride, so it's always on mountain, unless I have extra time or we do something like this yeah, it's cool to hear that you like enjoy gravel as much as you do mountain.
Dane:Then gravel is is crazy, because there's a lot of people that argue about gravel because it's just road biking, or why don't you ride a 90s mountain bike?
Sarita Mendez:yeah, and all kinds of stuff, yeah, and um, going to patagonia in particular.
Dane:You're out on these roads, you go into all these eco systems oh yeah, you know, super beautiful vistas out there. Yep along the creek and these big oaks and cottonwoods and then you climb a hill and then pretty soon you're in these shorter pinyon type uh woods and then that just fades away into these huge grasslands we should probably clarify that we're talking about patagonia, which is a small town in arizona not patagonia, where it's like what, venezuela or whatever, like the famous patagonia?
Josh:yeah, that's not what we're talking about. No, I don't even know if it's in Venezuela, but did you, you know?
Dane:Patagonia, arizona, is becoming super famous. Yes For its gravel like super famous and and I can see why cause you go out there and it's pretty beautiful.
Jessie Jean Mance:It's a tiny little town, yeah.
Dane:It's a and gravel bikes are a lot of fun. You're getting away from the majority of the cars. You still have some risk.
Jessie Jean Mance:Yeah.
Josh:Because coming down those dirt roads, with your hands on these gravel bars, oh my God. Yeah. And tires that are 42s, yeah, yikes.
Dane:And just kind of just shaking and like you hit a pothole and you can lose your grip.
Sarita Mendez:Totally, yeah, I like prefer to bring my like my dad, my calamity Jane, calamity Jane because I have ridden gravel like on my husband's gravel bike out there and I thought I was going to just die coming down those hills, yeah, but yeah, it's so epic out there, like those like the San Rafael Valley, oh my God. And like just being able to like get a taste of like the borderlands and like what that means to like Tucson and everything.
Dane:It's just, it's super epic what that means to like tucson and everything it's just it's super epic yeah yeah, and it's cool. It's in our backyard and it's becoming super popular and you wouldn't think that because that town is tiny and there's not bad mountain biking around there too.
Josh:Oh yeah, yeah, the new arizona trail section down there and all that, yeah, great stuff have you ridden?
Sarita Mendez:that's like the temporal gulch the newest. No, I haven't.
Josh:We had matt nelson from the arizona trail on and he was telling me all about it. Lacey went out and wrote it and she's like it's kind of hard.
Sarita Mendez:That's pretty figure. I feel like all AZT is hard. Yeah, okay, well, hearing that from her then, yeah, hell, yeah, well she was putting it through my lens.
Josh:It wasn't hard for her, but she was like you might want to just make sure you got a lot of time. Oh my God, you're going to be walking a little bit, yeah, all right. So how can our listeners learn about the hop shop? Where can we find you online?
Jessie Jean Mance:Oh, follow our our Instagram. What is?
Josh:it.
Sarita Mendez:I mean we'll put it in the show notes Tucson hop shop. Tucson hop shop. It's super sexy, yes.
Jessie Jean Mance:Sarita basically runs our Instagram.
Sarita Mendez:No, it's both of us. We have a lot of fun. We try to be like as just like goofy as possible and just like inviting.
Josh:I saw someone licking a beer today.
Sarita Mendez:Did you like that? I did actually Is that what that was. And that's shout out to Brian. I require my beer to always be delivered like that.
Jessie Jean Mance:He licks every beer. A service. He is here tonight. Yeah, at Tucson Hop Shop and then TucsonHopShopcom right and follow, yeah, our website for all the events. We've got live music all the time and pop-up events and bakery pop-ups and all kinds of fun stuff.
Josh:That's super cool. You guys got any final thoughts for our listeners?
Sarita Mendez:Anything you want to share with them, anyone, anything, any, some wisdom you want to bestow upon our vast audience like some beer and if you're afraid of a podcast? Don't be there, you go right, yeah I'm a little scared still, but yeah thank you, ladies, so much.
Josh:We appreciate your time. Thank you so much for the beer. We really enjoyed this. Thanks you, ladies, so much. We appreciate your time. Thank you so much for the beer we really enjoyed this.
Sarita Mendez:Thanks you guys so fun. Oh wow Music. Oh my goodness, oh my God, that was crazy.
Jessie Jean Mance:You should be on every podcast.
Sarita Mendez:No. You are so good and your voice is so good, yours is so good, your guys' voices are so good. I feel like, yeah, do people say like
