What’s so killer about the Sedona mountain biking experience?

• the one-of-a-kind scenic views

• the athletic challenge

• the camaraderie (great outing for family and friends)

• the danger (it’s relatively safe but you do have to watch yourself)

Check it out:

(Video: Courtesy Bike and Bean, Sedona)

Unless you’re already pretty hardcore, I would definitely recommend starting with Bell Rock Pathway, especially if you have any children or novices in your group. Bell Rock Pathway is wayyy more tame, still has its challenging spots …and the scenery will leave you and your riding group speechless. Someone once commented that the bike trails in Sedona are so beautiful that, hours, even days after — you’re re-riding it in your head.

No Bike? No Problem.
Another great thing about starting with Bell Rock Pathway: the pathway begins literally across the street (Hwy 179) from Bike & Bean, also known as, the coolest bike shop, ever.  They will gladly rent you a bike — by the day or by the hour.

Inside, you’ll find a laid back little store/coffee-shop with a warm, relaxing atmosphere and a somewhat quirky, very interesting and friendly staff of people who know bikes. The store has kind of an outpost-style rustic quality to it, yet the bikes, gear, cool T’s and Sedona memorabilia are up-to-the-minute.

In addition to various coffees, they have plenty of choices in cold drinks, food and energy bars. I have to say, the time I spent sitting at the counter chatting with these folks about the trails, before and after my ride, really enhanced the overall experience. I’d recommend calling Bike & Bean for insight on what to wear, weather and trail conditions before you make the trip.

…and talk about a complete selection of bikes to rent — they even had a Kona big enough for me. It was setup perfectly and it took as much punishment as I could dish out — and I went pretty hard.

All in all, this is an absolute blast of an outing that every real man should experience, at least once. My recommendation: maybe take your family first, so you can learn a trail or two without breaking your neck — then return with your crew to carve up some serious red dirt.

About the Author: ST is Editor of WhataManKnows. Get more from ST on Twitter.

He’s starting from scratch with zero bartending experience, so I’m speaking from that perspective.

It’s a cool gig.
First of all, bartending is a fun gig. You can make some pretty good pocket cash, but it’s mainly good times. My last club gig I made anywhere from $150 to $600 a night — working 4 hours a night. I found bartending clubs to be an excellent crash course in human nature — and a great muse while making the transition from corporate life to songwriting and production.

The coolest thing is… well, the coolest thing is hot chicks jumping over the bar to attack you with all the love you deserve (!)… but the other coolest thing is the freedom to do whatever you want with your days. If you can handle the late hours, you can also run a business, carry on a 9 to 5, or a full course load (be careful though!).

Another cool thing is, the excellent connections you can make — and of course, as every man should know: connections = power. Without dropping names, I’ll just say that as a bartender you can find yourself face to face with some incredibly interesting, famous and powerful people. At the right establishment, your degrees of separation can drop to about 2 or 3.

Interestingly, being someone’s bartender is a different relationship than, say, being a waiter (which I have also done). No matter how high-profile, people tend to be pretty relaxed and open with bartenders — respectful, even. You’re viewed as more of a companion; a comrade rather than a servant. Why is that?

• There is a trust factor involved when someone accepts a cocktail from you. You’re mixing dangerous chemicals — it’s your eye that measures the proportions and it’s your hands and fingers squeezing limes, or whatever, into something they are about to drink.

• You have the power to introduce — as a bartender, you are one of the best liaisons between your guest and anyone in the room they want to meet.

• By law, you decide how much they get to drink and, by extension, how long they get to stay.

So… you’re pretty much the man!

And I probably don’t need to tell you what being a bartender does to your cell phone at night.  I’ll just leave it at that.

Other perks I’ve enjoyed include: VIP seating at pro games, comp’d meals and drinks all over town, pool parties — models running everywhere, comp’d resort stays, concert tix, backstage passes, hotel after-parties — it gets pretty silly. In the major markets, being a nightclub bartender can be about as close to the rockstar life as one can get without a guitar (and just as dangerous to your health and relationships). My advice: if you’ve got a girl you’re serious about, this is not the job for you. You should probably consider:

Getting a Bartending Job in a Restaurant
There are a thousand routes to a bartending job, all of them difficult. My advice to most people starting out (even if you don’t have a relationship to protect) would be to begin with restaurants. Everyone runs to the clubs applying for bar gigs because its a fun atmosphere, cash flying everywhere, etc… not realizing that there’s pretty good money at spots like a busy Applebees, Chili’s, Cheesecake Factory, Houston’s…. It’s generally much easier to get into a restaurant than a club, and usually easier to learn drinks there, too.

Granted, you will most likely have to start off waiting tables for a few months before you get a shot at the bar, but that gives you time to:

• learn your drinks…

• get to know the bartenders…

• keep your eyes and ears open, assisting the bar any time you can, and

• eventually fill in when somebody needs a night off.

Instead of paying $500-$800 for bartending school, you can learn on the job, gradually–while getting paid serving tables. You’ll learn some valuable lessons in customer service …and if you keep the General Manager (GM) and the chefs happy with you, you might eventually get a shot at being part-time behind the bar, then full-time.

Getting a Bartending Job in a Nightclub
Still want to live dangerously, huh. No surprise …the club route is pretty sexy — but it’s tricky…

As a guy, you must:

1. be able to consistently pull massive amounts of hot chicks to the club to see you. You do this, of course, with top-notch physique, style, grooming, charisma — and excellent drinks…
2. be SICK with the shakers–EXTREMELY fast on the drinks (so you can make up for the slow chick bartenders who are just there to look good. …okay, not all chickentenders are slow. I know a few quick ones, but they are rare). Even so, you will learn to accept the extra workload your female counterparts will place upon you (along with any other parts they want to place upon you).

The catch is: how do you lock down your bar skills without time behind a bar first? …and how can you prove your magnetism without first being given a chance to pull an audience?

Told you it was tricky. This is why I recommend starting with restaurants. But since I know you’re going to go for the clubs anyway, here are 3 suggestions:

Start as a barback. Some view this route as undesirable because it can take a while to move up. Nevertheless, if you are energetic, reliable (and develop the requirements mentioned above) you will probably get your shot. I’ve watched quite a few barbacks become bartenders. At least 3 ended up as bar managers and 2 have become GM’s!

Start as a promoter. Every club has a weeknight they’d like to see grow (i.e., a weak night …heh, heh). If you have enough connections to bring a consistent crowd, offer to help the GM develop that night — on the condition that you get to bartend it. This way, you can learn on the job, with a room full of people you know …and If your night is a long-running success, you’ll get some experience to add to your resume. Rinse and repeat until you get hired.

Party with the staff. Pick a club and get to know everybody there: bartenders, barbacks, cocktail servers, GMs, owners, bussers, bouncers, doorstaff, promoters, etc…. Club staff frequently party together after work, on off-nights, etc. — make friends and hang out, if invited. This is a great way to figure out whether you really want to work with this group, after all. If you genuinely hit it off, you’ll definitely get a call before any of the people in that 2-foot stack of resumes in the back office.

Your Personality is Your Key
Ultimately, whether you choose to pursue bartending at a restaurant or a nightclub, your personality is your key. This is a job where you can get a pretty accurate feel for the culture and vibration of a place before you apply. Take advantage of that. Scope out a variety of places before you pull the trigger. Mixing your natural personality with an environment that matches it will create the best shot you’ll ever shake.

About the Author: ST is Editor of WhataManKnows. Get more from ST on Twitter.