The Best Two Wheel Coffee Shops

What makes the best coffee shops?  Is it the coffee?  Is it the staff?  Is it the ambiance?  Is it he snacks or food that are available?

Well, of course it's all of the above.

From a cyclist's perspective, it also means you're welcome with your cleated shoes on and there is a secure place to park your bike where you don't have to be paranoid that it will be gone when you're done the cappuccino.  I was in a local coffee shop the other day, one of my favorites (Leva / www.cafeleva.com), and a cyclist came in to get a coffee and head out to the patio.  The entire time, while the dude was at the counter, he was facing outside to see if anyone was going to steal his Trek.  He may have been overly worried, but also, the bike looked pretty new and he may have still been in the "new baby" phase.

Leva is a great cafe because it has great ambiance, great staff, a margherita pizza that is incredible, and the cappuccino is perfect.  The cafe itself looks great outside and in.  There is a huge patio that accommodates lots of coffee lovers and the whole cafe can open up for an indoor / outdoor experience.  Which unfortunately, usually only lasts a couple of months in Edmonton.  The patrons range from 2 yrs to 82 yrs, cyclists, students, professors and anyone else.  They also have a fantastic selection of beers if you're into that kind of thing ... which I am.

Another of my favorites is the Wild Earth Cafe (www.wildearthbakery.com) in Laurier Heights in Edmonton.  A small, comfortable spot that is easy to access and it has one of the coolest benches you will ever see located right inside the door.  It is really more of a bakery than a coffee shop per se, but the staff is always friendly, the coffee is excellent, and they have never yelled at me about my shoes.

I think my favorite non-Edmonton cafe has to be the Denver Bicycle Cafe (denverbicyclecafe.com). It seems to encompass all of the things that a cyclist wants.  It has bikes, coffee, and beer.  It has a beautiful interior.  They sell custom bikes, not off the rack pre-assembled cookie cutters like every other bike shop does (which is fine, someone has to).  They have a true passion for what they are doing.

The small business in general is not doing well.  Everyone is supporting the Starbucks, Costcos, Walmarts, etc instead of looking for something unique and individual or paying a little more and supporting the little guy.  The power of branding is amazing ... I am guilty of getting my Starbucks too, but if there is a small business option available, I'd take that anytime.  And the reason?  Not only does the money usually stay local, along with the jobs, but the passion of the owner usually shines through. And that's what makes a great coffee shop.  The passion shown by your barista for coffee, the baker who made the sweet treats, or the owner's love of being an independent business owner and having control of quality and customer service.  Next time you need bike stuff, go to your LBS.  Check the price online to make sure you aren't getting totally screwed, but they will usually come close to the price anyways (when you factor in shipping, duties, etc).  It's good for the local business (they need the support) and its good for you (expert advice, immediate delivery).

Someone once asked me: "why do you want to open a bicycle cafe, you're just buying yourself a job?  You'll never get rich!"  I realized I have a passion for a few things: bicycles, coffee, enjoying "my job" everyday, and getting to decide how I can give great customer service and meet interesting people.  Money is just a means to doing interesting things in life.  I know more than a few people who make loads of money, and they are neither happy nor doing anything interesting.  They spend more on bikes than I can, but they don't have time to ride them.  We only have so many hours in our life (about 700,000 for most of us), so make sure you do what you want to do.

So don't be too surprised if one day you see a "Two Wheels & Caffeine" on the corner.  Come in.  Don't expect a bike snob (or act like one yourself).  Expect a passionate bike guy who can talk about bikes all day or make you a great mochaccino.  I also appreciate a fine beer - there is no reason to exclude the finer things in life!  I may go off on a tangent about big mountain skiing or fly fishing.  The TV may be showing a bike race, a classic movie, or even SYTYCD.  You never know.  I plan on building custom bikes of ALL price ranges, not just the ones for my rich friends.  I promise great coffee and beer that should be savoured.

Now, I just have to convince my wife that I am allowed to change jobs ...

The "new" stage race

OK, I imagine that someone has thought of this before and I'm not really coming up with something new here.  In fact, it may exist somewhere in the cycling world and I haven't heard about it yet. However, I have decided that if it is new, then I want credit for it.

The "new" stage race will be a leg of each discipline: road, mountain and cyclocross.  

The first stage would be the road event.  Perhaps it would have a circuit feel to allow for good crowd support and feel like the other stages.  It should allow the road geeks the ability to distance themselves from the peloton before they leave the pavement.  The team aspect to the road portion would be minimal as it really doesn't carry too much to other the stages. Maybe maximum 4 members for each team?  After the first stage, each rider's time will be recorded and placings will be determined with time bonuses, etc.

The second stage would be a mountain stage that is technical but not so much that the roadies are dead at the end of the day.  That wouldn't be fair.  Obviously the two disciplines (road and mountain) are so different that there would be an opportunity for the fat tire freaks to pull equal with the road specialists.  To make it equal to stage one, the race would be a challenging circuit that was X number of laps that was timed.

From usacycling.org 

The final stage would be the lung buster.  A fixed number of laps on a cyclocross bike of a course that would allow both disciplines a chance to shine - some flat out speed and steady climbs mixed with a few gnarly climbs and scary descents.  Normally a timed event, but that would be tough to keep the placing square as far as I can figure.

  

Here are some the things I think are good about this idea:

• You need to have at least 3 bikes.  I love bikes.
• You can wear spandex 3 days in a row - you don't even have to change.
• It lets everyone hang out together like cycling best buds (roadies, off-roadies, pscyo-Xer's)
• Everyone could have a coffee together in the morning and a beer together at night.

Now, that is an intense look.

Drawbacks to this idea:

• Ryder Hesjedal would win every race if it went to a pro discipline (or is that a positive?)
• Lance would come out of retirement and blame Oprah for his downfall.
• Bike shops would be overwhelmed by demand for all the bikes.
• Jens would tell the legs to "shut up" and would take second place behind Ryder after he also comes out of retirement.
• The women's division would be ruled by Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (or is that also a positive?)

So if you want to help me start this discipline, I am looking for a marketing genius with deep pocket to get this off the ground.  I think the public will get behind it ... or not.  But I think the coffee, beer and racing thing seems to work out most times.  Just look at NASCAR, minus the coffee.  

Coffee and cycling or cycling and coffee?

I went for a 2-hour ride yesterday out in the country with two great people.  They are smart and interesting and a lot of fun to talk to.  However, it's hard to talk when you are staring at each others rear ends.  Not to mention the wind blowing, the motor homes honking at you, and the lack of air in my lungs.  In an ideal world, we would be able to ride in pairs in a nice wide shoulder on the highway.  Instead, we were barely fitting into 2 feet of shoulder with cars blazing past.

Cycling can definitely be a social sport in the right places with the right people.  I have been on many a ride with interesting conversation.  It's especially great if the ride is not exceptional for scenery or just plain boring.  Not to mention, it tests your fitness.  If you can't talk, you are probably riding beyond your level by too much.

That's where the post-ride coffee comes in.  Have a snack to replenish some energy and a nice coffee to enjoy while you reflect on your the two wheel journey.  It's the time to talk about the ride, life in general, or some fascinating new topic that your riding partners can teach you about.

When it comes to the coffee, I personally like the mochaccino best.  It seems like dessert after I have had a good ride.  If it's made right, it is the perfect blend of sweet, bitter, and richness.  I have my favorite mochaccinos around my city, but every time I travel, I search out the best mochaccino I can find (send me your suggestions ... I don't care where they are ... I will travel).

The cafe and the bike go together.  You pull up to the outdoor patio, park your bike, and sit down to relax the motors.  If you ride a bike, you tend to love the outdoors - they kinda go together.  The outdoor patio is a must.  And the indoor part of the cafe isn't too shabby when you get caught in the occasional thunderstorm and need refuge.  True cycling cafes honor the sport, but they aren't too common (at least where I live).  It's good to see some of your heroes on the wall, a classic road machine from the past, or a television showing some two wheel events.  Motivation to be like your idol - admit it, you want to be Merckx.

The pre-ride coffee is a different animal.  Many people love the caffeine and carbs before a ride.  I'll be honest, I don't have the time or the organizational make-up to enjoy this.  I'm lucky if I get to the meeting place on time with everything I need.  However, in theory, the pre-ride coffee is a good idea.  Plan your route, get psyched up to challenge each other, put in that last little bit of caffeine and energy, and launch your assault on the 10 km climb up a mountain pass you've been planning for (or the neighborhood bike paths).

In the end, there is no bad time for a coffee shop stop.  Enjoy the ride and the caffeine.

What are your favorite cycle cafes?  Where is your favorite mochaccino?  Do prefer the pre- or post-ride coffee?

 

Riding with your wife is like ... a yo-yo.

All of us out there who are married, know that we married our wives because we love them and we like them.  We want to spend time with them because they are our best friends.  Hence, we want to ride our bikes with them because it means more time together doing what we love.  What is better than a ride on a nice day out in the country pushing each other to ride fast and get better fitness?  I'll tell you.  Not riding together.  It's kind of like working together.  At first it seems great and then you realize that husband and wife USUALLY see things differently. I want to ride for my new best times and she wants to ride for good times (ie. chatting about stuff).  I know there are exceptions and some couples are perfect riding partners, but this is my blog.  And there is no humor in everything going perfectly.

Now don't get me wrong.  I love everything about my wife but riding bikes with her is tough.  And it isn't her fault.  

I always want to push myself when I'm on the bike in some way.  Whether I want to climb the hill faster, or keep my average speed higher than the last ride.  I also ride a lot more than my wife and I have a faster bike than my wife (skinny tires, lighter, more expensive), so it's hard to ride slow for me (relatively speaking).  Our rides usually start with "Honey, let me know if I'm riding too fast and I'll slow down.  Stay pretty close to my wheel and I'll block the wind.  If I don't hear anything from you, then I'll assume you are keeping up."  Next thing you know, I turn around and she is a really far behind me.  That is the yo-yo.  Ride fast ... slow down ... ride fast ... slow down.  Eventually, she says "you go ahead and I'll ride my own pace."  I usually have a bunch of guilt until I'm in the red zone from pushing too hard and nearly collapsing. 

My recommendations for riding with your wife (unless she is the fast one and you are the cruiser):

I would tell her something along these lines ...

• suggest that you'll take the kids and let her enjoy the ride with her friend

• your man parts are really sore from a long ride the other day and if babies are planned for the future, you'd better sit this one out

• the flat tire on your bike needs special parts

• your hang over will just slow her down

• your mother called and needs a job done at her house right now and it can't wait

In other words, just don't do it.  It never works out well for me.

On another note, I would like to say thanks to Trina for her mini-blog post that she spent tons of time on for me.  When I asked her if she wanted to write something for a cycling/coffee blog, she sent me this ...

"Don't drink hot coffee and cycle at the same time.  If you spill, you will burn yourself and crash."  Thanks Trina.  Saving lives is your forte.  I should have put that as a separate post.

Two wheels and caffeine begins!

Bicycles are my passion - not because I race or because they can be engineering and technological wonders, but because they are universal.  People all over the world use them for work and play.  Tiny children all the way to the elderly use them as toys or transportation.  They are environmentally clean and a great source of physical activity.  They can be made relatively inexpensively and provided to millions of people to make their lives better.  They are the ultimate human powered machine which is a thing of beauty in my eyes. 

That being said, what isn't cool about the technology?  The past, present, and future of bike racing?  The new disciplines of downhill racing and terrain parks?  The pursuit of lighter, faster, and stronger bikes?  Personal training and the advent of tools like Strava to track your progress and set goals?  What is the cruiser phenomenon?

And coffee.  Oh how I love coffee.  So many of us enjoy a good cup of Joe.  I plan to explore: the relationship of coffee and cycling, the art of roasting, technology of brewing the best cup, and many more.  I'm not a coffee snob, but I certainly understand how people could become one. 

I want to explore all of these topics on this blog.  I will invite authors from different walks to contribute and share their thoughts and experiences on two wheels.  I will interview "coffee people" and coffee lovers and ask for their stories.  If there are stories about Two Wheels and Caffeine - Jackpot!  And locations ... places to ride and then drink or vice versa.  It's all good.

If you have interest in writing on these topics, forward me a message and let me know more.