2014 Coffeeneuring Roundup – 74.5 Miles Total

I completed my rides early, taking advantage of the lovely October weather and trips to NY and CA. I love being able to bike in cities away from home, and this year’s standout was my first journey – to Box Kite in NYC. Photos and commentary are on three previous blog posts, but here are dates, locations and distances:

Oct. 4: Box Kite (NYC) – 4 miles

Oct. 5: Filicori Zecchini (NYC) – 2 miles

Oct. 12 – Pie Sisters (Georgetown) – 11 miles

Oct. 18 – Busboys & Poets – 17 miles

Oct. 20 – Carmel Coffee Roasters (Carmel, CA) – 12.5 miles (vacation date)

Oct. 24 – Mojo Bicycle Shop and Café (SF) – 5 miles (vacation date)

Oct. 26 – Trader Joe’s (Arlington) – 8 miles

And, even though those seven trips would be sufficient, to complete the coffeeneuring challenge, I couldn’t resist another couple rides:

November 1, 2014

After a bit of Halloween candy indulgence, and with cold rain in the forecast, I decided to venture out on the early side in search of a new coffee venue. One day last week, as bike and I were headed home on the bus from Rosslyn, I spied a new-to-me coffee shop, Bean Good, right next door to the Rosslyn branch of the D.C. icon: Ben’s Chili Bowl.

I took the city route, correctly predicting that there would be little traffic. With a base layer of smartwool, a wind-resistant outer layer, wool socks, balaclava, and full-finger gloves, I was dressed for the weather. I’m always happy to find the right combination of cold weather and clothing. It’s a fine art to balance the layers needed to avoid discomfort without overdoing it and ending up sweaty.

The “coffee bar” was surprisingly spacious, with a full array of pastries and such and a whole wall of wine to go – if that’s your thing. I ordered a one-shot macchiato, got a double (strangely in a paper cup – even though I was staying to drink it). It was a bit sour for my taste and required extra additions of milk. But the shop was doing a brisk business, so the locals must like it – despite its lack of a bike rack.

 Fueled by my double shot – I breezed home in no time, glad to have had an energetic start to my day.

Total distance: 10 miles.

November 15, 2014

 Yesterday the challenge was to get into gear for the real cold. My I-phone registered 34 degrees, but once I suited up properly the ride was actually quite pleasant. First stop was Pilates and then, on the way home, I got free coffee at the Heidelberg bakery, where I’d stopped for a loaf of my favorite 3-seed bread. It really doesn’t count as coffee, but being able to add it to my list helped motivate me to get out on the bike. For pretzel fans, Heidelberg featured pretzel bread and huge pretzels, the size of pizzas.

Total distance: 5 miles

And with that, I complete my official coffeeneuring for another year. I had intended to ride into DC one Sunday to try the Ethiopian coffee ceremony, but that will have to wait for another time.