#Coffeeneuring 2014: It’s In the Cup

Nice cup of something hot on a crisp fall day? What could make a better excuse for a bike ride? Add in the fact that all 7 of my coffeeneuring rides constituted bike dates with my Sweet Hubs, and I’m a double winner for completing the challenge this year.

My work schedule threw in a couple of wrinkles to that “weekend” business. Fortunately the rules permit make-up days if you work on a weekend. I worked on a weekend and on Veterans Day (and I’m married to a veteran who gave up the day as a volunteer for Washington Bikes to spend the day with me).

Mayan mocha and eggnog latte, Van Gogh Coffeehouse.

My final 3 rides:

#5, Nov. 13 (make-up day): Van Gogh Coffeehouse, eggnog latte.

Chose this location for its proximity to The Nature Shop run by Seattle Audobon. We biked there for help identifying a mystery bird (yellowish belly, black and white bars on wings — possibly a kinglet or warbler of some type).

Van Gogh’s location lacks charm; it’s in one of those ubiquitous tiny strip malls with cars out front and a hostile environment for people biking or walking. But it was handy and we enjoyed the small reproductions of Van Gogh paintings on the walls. No bike parking — hitch to the railing outside.

The bike rack at Kaffeeklatsch takes up a vehicle parking spot along the curb and is made of bike frames.

#6, Nov. 14 (make-up day): Kaffeeklatsch, hot chocolate.

The rules require that your ride cover at least 2 miles total. Kaffeeklatsch is all of .4 miles from our house, but we headed off to run an errand at the display store (picking up ornaments to decorate the windows at the Washington Bikes bike-themed gift shop) so our total mileage for the trip was 4.

The bike parking here couldn’t be better: good-sized rack made of bike frames that takes up space along the curb in the midst of car parking.

Pastry selection is German, rather than the more typical French. Sweet Hubs had an apfel-something and I opted for the poppyseed lemon cake — both delicious. My hot chocolate was so beautiful I tried to drink it without disrupting the web of chocolate syrup until the very end.

#Coffeeneuring #6 on another makeup day. Hot chocolate done pretty at @kklatschseattle pic.twitter.com/BbyBmhhOGQ

— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) November 14, 2014

Aeropress from @convoycoffee for coffee without walls. #coffeeneuring #7 is in the cup! pic.twitter.com/COGWvMnGV9

— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) November 16, 2014

#7, Nov. 15: Coffee Without Walls, Cascade Bicycling Center What makes “coffee without walls” funny is that this ride was to an event celebrating the opening of the Cascade Bicycling Center — very much a structure with walls. But the coffee service courtesy of bike-hauled Convoy Coffee was a cup of aeropress served outside in the crisp fall air on a beautiful sunny day.

Bike parking galore on temporary racks, some clowning around with my fellow executive directors of bike organizations headquartered in Seattle (five count ’em five headed by women), and a great renovation job in a historic space. Cool finish to the challenge, and I made it just under the wire.