Events are such a great way for us to learn and hear from you. We love the conversations on the road! April 18th kicked off the event season here at Bivo at Sea Otter Classic. 

Jaab, our newest team member, Mark and Carina flew to Monterey, CA to see 70,000 industry folks, racers and cycling enthusiasts from around the world. We saw friends from Spain, met some retailers we have only communicated with via email, talked to press and walked around to check out the 1,000 or so other vendors.

Jaab also went to Whiskey Off Road, Robby attended Rasputitsa and Keaton went to Boston for the Outdoor Expo. Safe to say the team has been busy and we have all been having some great conversations on the road!  For this week’s story, we are sharing our four favorite conversations/moments from our four events in the last two weeks of April. 

Sea Otter! Some of my favorite conversations included why folks switched from plastic to Bivo bottles. One guy who raced on Saturday came up and started talking about how much he loved his Duos. He had just raced with them and was at our tent to get a bottle for his wife. His daughter is a doctor and during some testing for some autoimmune issues, he also opted to test for microplastics in his urine. He tested high and realized that the only time he used plastic bottles was while exercising. He switched to Bivo and hasn’t gone back since. (If you are the person I spoke with, can you email us at thirsty@drinkbivo.com? We’d love to chat further!)

-Carina

Rasputitsa! This is seriously the best event. My favorite moment was when I was packing up after the event, a crew from Rasputitsa, The Big Red Gravel Run and Grounded (super cool events from across North America) did a giant Bivo Chug Challenge together. What sets Rasputitsa apart? It's the sense of community. These other events aren’t there just to ride; they're there to support Rasputitsa, pitching in to set up and amp up excitement and fun. And Rasputitsa returns the favor. It's a mutual support system that makes the whole experience downright epic.

*If you have never done this event, please do it soon. It’s the best. It's run by such fun folks who are always looking for a good time. 

Chug Challenge at Rasputitsa, Photo Credit Luke Enright

-Robby

Whiskey Off Road! 

I was blown away by this event in Prescott, AZ. No, literally blown away by the wind! After driving miles through the flatland desert and sea of cactuses, the emergence of the pine trees and greenery of the mountains was my sign I had arrived in Prescott. Unfortunately, the first day, the beautiful Prescott was hit by a mix of strong winds and cold rain. I barely managed to hold my tent down. Kudos to all my neighboring tents: Tasco MTB, Kuat racks, and SHREDLY, for the camaraderie and helping me keep my tent grounded.

The following two days were awesome! The sun slipped in and out. I had many requests for the red Bivo (maybe we have to bring that color back!). It was so rewarding to introduce the bottles to people who didn't know Bivo, but were concerned about plastic in their loved ones' bottles. 

And the highlight for me was seeing the family/kids race on the last day. It was sunny out and it was heartwarming to see so many families supporting the hoard of 3-8 year olds zooming down the main street of Prescott. What a beautiful town. Unmatched landscape.

-Jaab

Boston Outdoor Expo! Outdoor enthusiasts from Boston and neighboring areas flooded the Boston Convention center this past weekend. A common topic of discussion were the dirt caps I had laid out across the table. "What ARE those?!" so many people asked with curiosity. Once I explained that they protect the nozzle from dirt and dust, they loved the idea! 

My favorite conversation from the weekend was with two people who taught camping and outdoor skills to young people. They said they had been using non-insulated Raw Bivo bottles to heat water up over a camping stove with their students. Single wall stainless steel containers, they had told their students, conduct heat easily and are useful in a pinch on a camping trip! I will try making ramen using my Bivo bases on my next camping trip…stay tuned for a future post about how that goes! 

Up Next: The Five Boro Bike Tour in NYC, kicking off today in Manhattan. It’s a new one for us and we are pumped to check it out.