Remember that saying, “Every time a bell rings, a coffeeneur completes a coffeeneuring ride?” I do. Everywhere I look, people are riding here and there in pursuit of coffeeneuring-approved beverages. It’s so exciting, and here at Coffeeneuring HQ we urge everyone to keep riding!
Back by popular demand, I’ve put togetherer a few highlights of the myriad great rides that been happening in the socialsphere. Yes, I really just wanted to use myriad in this post.
I’m leading with the foliage. You know foliage is an essential part of the Coffeeneuring Challenge. It just is. Rashid (@rashidpc on Insta) and Jenn ventured into the mountains of Colorado and worked in a coffeeneuring stop along the way. Oh these views!
And Phillip Stern went for a coffeeneuring ride to Jitters that also included pedaling through Middlesex Fells, Massachusetts.
If that’s not enough to saturate your eyes with the bright hues of fall, Natasha diverted from her 2023 Quebec theme to go leaf-peeping by the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Canada. As she notes, leaf-peeping is a heartily endorsed coffeeneur-adjacent activity.
It’s the perfect season to head to your favorite coffee shop without walls. That’s what Nova (@_nova_lea) and Randy did on a fine coffeeneuring day in Kansas. Perfect shoe placement here!
A person doesn’t have to go to a coffee shop without walls to enjoy the tidings of the season. You can go to a real coffee shop, too, like Corey did (@thompsonbicycles)! Check out this cappucchino (I think?) and black cat cookie just in time for Halloween. And also check out the beautiful custom bicycles that Corey builds, ideal for both long rides and the Coffeeneuring Challenge!
Let’s talk about baked goods. For some – say me, for example – the Coffeneuring Challenge isn’t complete unless you have a nibble of cake here and there. Ken Shoemaker out in Mountain View, California, has made the kouign-amann his 2023 coffeeneuring theme. What deliciousness, and until recently I did not know that this pastry has its roots in Brittany, France. Did you?
People are not required to drink coffee in order to complete the challenge. Nancy, a Washington-based coffeeneur with several challenges under her belt, is one of those who prefers her Coffeeneuring Challenge to feature tea and labels her annual pursuit Teaneuring. Can’t resist the fine coffeeneuring bandana placement in this photo.
You don’t even have to drink a beverage to finish this challenge, although why wouldn’t you want to have at least a beverage or two or three? Colin Moy and company recently for some coffee ice cream for one of their coffeeneuring outings in the San Diego area.
I must be secretly longing to coffeeneur in California because so many places there have caught my eye, including this recent post from Lynda Thompson. She visited the Handlebar Cafe, which looks like a lovely cyclocentric coffeeneuring locale. I hope the coffee tastes just as good as it looks here.
Coffeeneuring can be a solo sport and you can also do it with friends. Recently, Ilga of D.C. and Karen C (@bikiegirlbloomers) of California went for a joint coffeeneuring ride in Arlington, Virginia. Three cheers for coffeeneuring bringing people together!
The area featured in Ilga’s photo is in a recently reimagined park area that now features various food and beverage vendors. Karen and Ilga stopped at Brij.
John V., another coffeeneur local to the DC area, also visited this locale recently and shared that the owner of Brij Coffeehouse was recently featured in the Washington City Paper. As he wrote, coffeeneuring can help you discover incredible people and places.
I’ve mentioned some of the themes that others are doing this year, and here is another fun one. @thecafeclub is sending a postcard from each of their coffeeneuring stops. I confess that the donut also caught my eye. Bike, coffee, pastry, theme within a theme – this is a great classic coffeeneuring shot.
Strava art and the Coffeeneuring Challenge? I never imagined it would happen, but Aaron Vance of Des Moines, Iowa, has made my dream come true! Aaron rode and wrote coffee while on a Coffeeneuring Challenge ride in downtown Des Moines. I love it!
Sometimes pieces of nature call to us. We don’t always know why but we answer the call. They then become like friends that we pass by and even visit now and then. The Druid tree, located in Jasper County, Georgia, has featured in Betty Jean Jordan’s coffeeneuring in prior years and I saw that she stopped by it again last month during an early evening ride.
Betty Jean writes about her first encounter with this tree saying: “I call this the Druid tree because of a ride I did in January a few years ago. After a night of insomnia when I hadn’t slept since 3:00 a.m., I rode in the late afternoon following a long workday. It was relatively warm, and the light was rather surreal. As I rode by this tree, I imagined seven Druids dancing in seven-time, a la the song ‘Solstice Bells’ by Jethro Tull. This has been the Druid tree ever since.”
And that’s the roundup for this week. Thirteen for Lucky 13, I hope you enjoyed it. More to come soon. Please let me know how your coffeeneuring is coming along and if you have any lingering questions.
Also, if you’ve not yet begun the challenge, why not start now? Right after you read this post, even! You have just enough time to make to the official Coffeeneuring Challenge finish line. It’s the best time of year so let’s get going! And if you’ve completed your official 7 rides, keep it rolling with c+1 rides!
Chasing Mailboxes 