Many awesome excuses abound for riding your bike.

I keep threatening to organize a Cupcake Ride, for example, although we’re starting to lose the kind of weather that makes people happy to get out and spend the better part of a day on the bike chasing frosting. (I will put one together, I promise!)

I just encountered another great idea I’ll share in case we can get this rolling: coffeeneuring, courtesy of bike blogger Chasing Mailboxes in the other Washington.

If you’re not familiar with randonneuring the term may sound pretty funny; that’s a long-distance ride form with required check-ins.

Shrink the distance considerably, make the check-ins seven (that’s right–seven) of your favorite coffee shops over the course of the next few weekends, and you have coffeeneuring!

This is not for the over-achiever who wants to pound out the miles and hit seven in one weekend, mind you–this is a leisurely deal. Chasing Mailboxes launched it in September with the idea that you could easily ride to a different coffee shop every weekend through September and October, so her rule is that only one coffee stop per weekend counts.

Since we’re coming to this a bit late, I’ll give full credit if you want to ride to two in a weekend because heaven knows, I do!

For the ladies, this Sunday’s Belles and Baskets ride gives you an easy way to get in a stop, since we always, always have a treat stop on these rides.

Post here, on our Facebook page, or on Twitter using the #coffeeneuring hashtag to share your caffeinated pedaling destinations.

Ideas for Destinations to Get You Started

• Our friends at Roast House Coffee sell their awesome Ride the Edge blend and other great brews online, so you’ll never have to run out of coffee! (You still have coffeeneuring as the excuse to head to local coffee shops) This stop is a roasting facility, not a true coffee shop, but if you come by during business hours you can meet the roasters and buy direct.
• Chairs Coffee serves Roast House and has some incredibly luscious latte flavor combinations. Try First Love, then Second Love, and you’ll be in love forever.
• Main Market Co-op doesn’t have full latte service but they do have Roast House iced toddy and a really wonderful deli case–great place to hit on the west end of downtown for a fast and yummy lunch.
• How about Rocket Bakery on West First as part of a Carnegie Square Bikespedition?
• Look for bike-friendly restaurants like Sante, Madeleine’s, The Elk, and others that have a bike rack.
• Spokane SoDo District offers a number of caffeinated fuel stops; we hit only one in our two-part Bikespedition there at the Spokane Public Market, but there are more.
• For a longer ride, take the Old Palouse Highway out to On Sacred Grounds in Valleyford, which makes a great halfway point.
• Atticus is another fun stop that serves Roast House and other local coffees. They have a great gift shop and a bike rack right out front.
• Heaven knows I love Rockwood Bakery and their awesome quiche!

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