While boutique beers and mountain bikes might seem an odd mix, according to Michael they are an extremely popular combination in the US, and the rationale is simple – “you ride a mountain bike, you get thirsty, you drink beer”.

In fact, Boulder, Colorado, with some of the best mountain bike trails in the world in the nearby Rocky Mountains, is the home of the US Craft Brewers’ Association, and that is where Michael and his partner Dianne James are heading – right after they enter Bootleg’s Raging Bull beer in the World Beer Cup in San Diego, California.

“It’s the biggest comp on the planet, 3300 beers entered by 678 different brewers from around the world,” Michael said. “Our iconic Raging Bull will be entered in the strong ale category - we’re chasing gold overseas.”

He said he believed it will be the first time any South West brewery has entered the World Beer Cup.

He and Dianne will also attend the three-day Craft Brewers’ Conference and a brewing expo, held in conjunction with the World Beer Cup, before touring craft breweries in the San Diego area to see if there is anything Bootleg can learn from them – that’s the work part of the trip.

Then it is play time, off to Colorado for about 10 days, basing themselves in Boulder and Denver – known as “mile-high city” because if its elevation – and riding the hundreds of kilometres of designated bike trails.

A friend who writes for Australian Mountain Bike magazine has helped them choose trails to ride.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how we go at high altitude,” Michael said.

He has ridden competitively for 31 years, starting as a 12 year old in BMX and graduating to mountain bikes. He is hoping to pick up some ideas on trail design that could be used for the annual Cape to Cape race here.

Dianne took up mountain biking after she met Michael four years ago. In 2010 she won her age division in the Cape to Cape - a first for a South West woman rider - and won the Dwellingup 100 MTB Classic, so she expects to hold her own on the Colorado trails.

Then unfortunately, it will be back to business, checking out the best craft beer breweries in New York before flying home via London, possibly with two new mountain bikes and a World Beer Cup medal in their luggage.