We’re two weeks into the 2023 Coffeeneuring Challenge and people far and wide are hopping on bikes and setting out for all sorts of seasonal beverages. In recognition of these coffeeneuring rides, I’ve put together a roundup. A few people asked for these last year, and I am here for you!
Paul Steele is back again and illustrating his way through another year of coffeeneuring. He tends to ride with his buddy and fellow coffeeneuring stalwart @Norvegan2. I always look forward to these visual summaries!
Mary Spence has a great capture of a recent coffeeneuring outing in Tampa, Florida, USA, Earth. As Mary writes “31 miles at sunrise through Starkey Park. Double Espresso with whipped cream from Havanna Dreamers Cafe with a side of fresh pavement!” Look at this dreamy pic!
The only limitations on Coffeeneuring Challenge participation are that all rides must occur on Earth! While longtime coffeeneuring Hal Wronghat Coker Stevens kept his feet firmly on the ground, he spent part of his coffeeneuring ride watching the hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
You do need to ride at least two miles for a coffeeneuring ride to qualify for the challenge, but there is no minimum or maximum speed. Elizabeth Hetrick’s recent ride averaged 1.9 miles per hour, a speed that is likely the slowest on record!
As she writes in this lively summary: “Biking behind a kid is surprisingly challenging!!! I didn’t even bother tracking our time this year, the ‘are you still trying?’ pings on my watch are just too much lol. We did manage to save a worm’s life this year. Poor night crawler was about to shrivel up its last wriggle on the sidewalk, but my bug whisperer safely stopped and carried it off to the wet grass.”
Never a dull moment in coffeeneuring, my friends.
In another part of the world, Jiří Brožovský and partner took a 5 kilometer ride to Plesná village in the Czech Republic for some nighttime tea. Remember, coffeeneuring rides don’t have to be coffee, especially if you go out in the evening and want to get to sleep afterward!
I so enjoy seeing the various folding bikes that appear in Jiří’s rides. This particular coffeeneuring ride features a Bickerton Portable and Moulton Major.
Coffeeneuring can be a solo endeavor and it can also be a team sport. Al and Lizz Miller led a coffeeneuring ride out in Washington state and quite a nice group joined them. Thanks to Al and Lizz for spreading the word about the Coffeeneuring Challenge.
Eclipseneuring, is that a thing? Of course it isn’t. But guess what, a few coffeeneurs including Alex G (@sbalxx on Insta) were fortunate enough to combine a ride with the recent solar eclipse, which I find quite cool. It was cloudy in the District so we saw nothing!
A few people have asked whether the intern is real. The intern IS REAL and I caught him in the act of coffeeneuring! I hope to also catch him in the act of interning soon, too, I’ll keep you posted.
Sometimes the hardest part of a coffeeneuring ride is getting out the door. Lisa Pfeiffer (@elza_per_se on Insta) succinctly captures that sentiment in a recent post about rides that start slow and end up filling your cup.
People take on the Coffeeneuring Challenge for so many reasons: for fun, for contemplation, because they’re returning to cycling after injury or an extended break from riding. Still other times, we ride on in memory of those who are no longer with us.
Brecka Putnam met up with a friend to do a coffeeneuring outing in memory of her father. Brecka writes: “It was such a dreary day and then all of a sudden sun found us!”
Coffeeneuring season, it’s the most beautiful time of year. These are only some of the brilliant posts and rides that people are taking this year.
By the way, it’s okay if you haven’t started yet, there’s still time. Hop on your bike this weekend and you can still complete the Coffeeneuring Challenge. Do it, you’ll thank yourself!
And if you’d like to share a bit or two about your own Coffeeneuring Challenge, feel free to do it on the socials and/or in the comments below! Be well, coffeeneurs, and keep it rolling.
Chasing Mailboxes 