Coffeeneuring 2015

Coffeeneuring...bike for coffee or tea 2015 has again come and gone. It's not often that I bike specifically to get coffee, except during the weekends of this challenge; and a challenge it has been for me. It's been a tough year between work schedule, family issues and my own back injury. I haven't biked nearly as much as usual other than the mostly flat ride to work and back and a few easy rides in Central Oregon. At least coffeeneuring kept me concentrating on a goal.

Weekend 1 was the best! I took the bus across the Cascades with my bike and camped in a yurt at Suttle Lake. Coffee was made on a wood stove and it is always a treat on a bike trip to keep warm and dry. Miles = ~ 20 from bus stop in Sisters to Suttle Lake and back. Bike Friday parked in yurt. Coffee A+ = Grounds for Change Guatemalan Forestal Blend (heretofor "the usual").

Weekend 2 was another overnight bike trip to central Oregon, this time via Sisters/Smith Rock Scenic Bikeway. I skipped camping at Smith Rock and pedaled the extra 6 miles to my fav place nearby: Skull Hollow. The camp sites are better, less crowded and the view of the stars is spectacular. BYOH2O because none available there. Miles=~36; coffee, the usual, A+, Bike Friday in tent vestibule.

Weekend 3 was a short trip to do errands and a quick stop at The Hideaway bakery for a scone, latte and fresh veggies at farmer's mkt.  Miles =~3; bike parking gets a C, out of sight unless you park bike by outdoor table, as I did. 

Weekend 4 was another short trip;  bookstore stop then a quick stop at the Market of Choice on 29th St. for a skinny mocha with whipped cream. Miles=~2 Bike parking A+ for covered and visible! Coffee A+ but expensive! 

Weekend 5 was a stop for a mexi-mocha and pastry at Allann Bros Beanery while my Koga Miyata bike was in for a tune up close by at Paul's Bicycle Way on Alder. Miles =~3 bike parking at Beanery=F, none, but you can lock to a small roof support post if you have a cable lock. Sad that bike parking is poor at the shop with the best coffee! 

Weekend 6 was a stop for herbal tea at The Market of Choice on Franklin Blvd. I used my new Swift Industries Hinterland  mug and had French Brie and crackers. Yum. Miles =~ 6 bike parking B, ok, but not visible.

Final weekend 7 was a trip to Dizzy Dean's Donuts. I wanted to check it out, as they open at 5am and I ride by there in the dark at 6am on weekdays and would consider stopping there sometime.  It was mid morning and black coffee was barely warm.  I rode my Koga Miyata with a wheel lock and parked it just outside where I could see bike on other side of window seat. There is one bike rack, but it isn't visible from inside the donut shop. The donut was delicious, as it was covered with marshmallow creme! Miles=~ 7, bike parking C, coffee D, pastry A+

Well, that's it...I had a few more unremarkable coffee outings, not included here, but the above were remarkable simply because I was out on my bike, having fun, forgetting pain and problems. A bike ride can do that.

Coffeeneuring 2014

My first coffeeneuring weekend was actually the second weekend of the challenge on Sunday, October 12. I chose to make my coffee at home and put it in a thermos for drinking later on my ride to Dorris Ranch. My coffee of choice was Guatamala forestal blend from Grounds For Change (organic, fair trade, shade grown and carbon free coffee). My coffee grinder stopped working so I hand ground just enough beans with my small mortar/pestle...now that's dedication to coffee!

Mortar and pestle grinding is hard work!

Hot coffee on the banks of the Willamette River

Day drinking

My total miles for this ride was about 20. I don't really count miles when I bike so it is a good estimate. I love Dorris Ranch because it is a great ride and there is access to the Middle Fork of the Willamette river and a real working farm that allows you to bike through their property on the gravel trails. The new paved bike path from Dorris Ranch to Clearwater Park in Springfield is awesome.

Path along the Middle Fork of the Willamette River

Filbert grove at Dorris Ranch

The second of my coffeeneuring days was Saturday, October 18. On Friday, 10/17, I put my Bike Friday on the transit bus that runs from Eugene to Bend and the driver let me off mid trip at Santiam Junction where I rode 26 miles to a cabin to rendezvous with some friends. The following day, I rose early and filled my old percolater pot with creek water (fresh glacial water!) and put it on the fire to make a pot of Ethiopian Yirgecheffe. I then poured the coffee in my thermos and biked 15 (uphill!) miles via McCoy Creek Rd to a wonder-Full view of Mt. Jefferson in the Cascades. I waited patiently for the summit to emerge from the clouds so I would have the perfect photo on a beautiful fall day. I then biked the traverse road out to the upper Triangulation Peak trailhead to meet my friends (who chose to hike up via the Cheat Creek trail to meet me). Once there, we made a small fire in an established fire ring to warm up and enjoy sharing a hot beverage together. I am blessed to live in such a beautiful state and have such awesome friends. Needless to say, we all returned under the black of night! (Bike friendliness: The bus I rode from Eugene to Santiam Junction does not have bike racks. My Bike Friday fits fine in the rear luggage compartment if there isn't much luggage. I have yet to be turned away with my bike, but a larger bike would not be allowed. The LTD bus from McKenzie Bridge has 3 bike racks on the front and drivers will allow extra bikes inside).

Cheers!

Getting water from Whitewater Creek. Note wine bottle!

Our cabin in the woods

Yay! The wine is still here!

On the gravel portion of McCoy Creek Road

Percolating over the fire in fireplace

My third coffeeneuring day was Oct. 19, when I rode the Madras Mtn. Views Scenic Bikeway out of Madras, Oregon. A friend gave me a ride from the aforementioned cabin to Sisters, Oregon where I bought a nice Hario crystal coffee funnel and found a great coffee bag for sale with 'cafe bob-o-link' printed on it. The bob-o-link was one of my favorite birds when I was growing up in NC! From Sisters, we drove to Madras where we parked and set out on a 26 mile out and back on the Scenic Bikeway. We stopped at an overlook at Lake Billy Chinook reservoir and made fresh coffee using my new coffee funnel...another cup of yirgecheffe. Afterwards, we rode back to Madras and I was dropped off at Santiam Junction where I biked downhill to McKenzie Bridge and took the bus back to Eugene. The best coffeeneuring weekend ever! (Bike friendliness: it's a designated scenic bikeway! Good parking at park in Madras and park has a public restroom. Bikeway is well marked and there are good shoulders or low traffic roads with very few vehicles).

Cafe bob-o-link burlap coffee sack I found at Sisters Coffee Co. It still had green coffee beans inside!

Scenic bikeway this way!

Fresh coffee on the rocks over Lake Billy Chinook

I ♡ bike touring!

Another shot of the lake with the east side of Mt. Jefferson on horizon

I don't know what I would do without this bus that goes from Eugene to the mtns

My fourth weekend day of coffeneuring was on the cold and rainy day of Oct 25th. I met my daughter at our favorite Mexican restaurant just a few blocks downhill  from our home, so I had to ride my Koga commuter bike around the neighborhood prior to the meeting to make the 2 mile minimum on mileage. I was cold and wet and glad to get in the restaurant, where I ordered a mexican coffee that included a nice coffee liqueur and tequila. It was hot and delicious...but so strong I couldn't finish the last third of it. I will have to include this one again next year! (Bike friendliness: Chapala has only 1 bike rack in rear of restaurant near kitchen exit. I would never feel safe parking there. I park bike across the street at the racks near bank, or at nice covered racks at the market nearby).

It's cold and wet outside!

Specialty coffee menu at Chapala

Special...and strong!

My fifth coffeeneuring weekend was November 1st...after a long afternoon spent in my garden, I biked to the local Market of Choice and ordered a mocha with lots of whipped cream and a mini cannoli. I deserved it! Total miles to and from garden/market was only about 3, but it was all I could muster after hauling 23 wheel barrows of mulch! (Note bike parked outside window under covered parking...yay for great bike parking, but they need more racks!!).

Garden before wintering over with mulch

Garden after mulching

Mocha and cannoli

Th sixth coffeeneuring weekend was Nov. 8th. I took a 6 mile neighboorhood ride to my fave local bookstore and to the U of O and back. I stopped at Barry's cafe and bakery to get a loaf of challah bread and also ordered a nice mocha. It was enjoyable to sit there in the setting sun and sip on a hot beverage. (Bike friendliness: The bike racks are nice, but I usually just lock my wheel lock and step in long enough to get coffee to go and sit outside with my bike. You can easily view bike through all their windows).

Mocha, again. Nice to see the sun

The seventh and final coffeeneuring weekend was Nov. 16th. I rented a carshare on Saturday to drive to Portland on 11/15, where I shopped for a few new bike extras and was desperately seeking a new lock. I finally found the Abus Bordo lock that I needed at Clever Cycles. On Sunday the the 16th, I wanted to try out the new lock and get a long ride in so I biked about 14 miles, out and back, to our local arboretum. I stopped at the Dutch Bros. Coffee stand to get a nice cup of black coffee to take on the ride. The Abus lock is the first lock I have owned that works so well with my Bike Friday without using a cable, as I can now lock the frame and the wheel to the bike rack. (Bike friendliness: they have a lot of bike racks because bikes are not allowed on any of the trails. Car break ins are common, so I assume bike parking long term would be a bad idea. Take all items off bike and lock up well, or go when it is busy-not too early or too late in day on weekends). I took my cafe bob-o-link bag with me again and enjoyed sitting on a little bench next to the creek to enjoy my last cup of coffeeneuring  java for the year. Cafè bob-o-link will definitely return for coffeeneuring 2015! Cheers...

New abus lock and bike racks at Mt. Pisgah

Entrance to Buford Park, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum

Cafe bob-o-link by the creek

I love the new Dutch Bros holiday cups!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND HAPPY COFFEENEURING TO ALL!

I couldn't help but notice that all but 2 of my coffee rides were coffee drank outside, or coffee without walls, aka #coffeeoutside. As a carfree person, I like this a lot. I love the freedom of biking everywhere, especially because being carfree allows me to have extra $$ for coffeeneuring. I only repeated one stop (Barry's) from last year, so next year I plan on visiting different areas/coffee shops as well. Happy Coffeeneuring to all!

2013 Coffeeneuring Challenge

My participation in the 2013 Coffeeneuring Challenge is complete! This was my second year for the challenge, but this was the first time I officially completed the competition according to the rules. With my new work schedule (7am to 5:30 pm Mon-Thurs), I really don't have time to make coffee so I sleep until the last possible moment before I have to rise and shine for my 8 mile bike commute to work. Weekends for me are Friday-Sunday, so I picked one of those 3 days for my coffeeneuring day. I used my Koga Miyata Advance commuter bike for all my coffeeneuring trips (which I bought from Larry at College Park/Mt. Airy Cycles in Maryland back in August).

 

My first trip on October 1st was a multi-modal excursion to Cottage Grove on our LTD transit bus to an obsure little restaurant near where the Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway begins: Jack Sprats. I love mochas, but here I only ordered a coffee, since I was also ordering a big breakfast before a 34 mile bike ride.

Jack Sprat's

My next coffeeneuring day was with a new friend, Sally, at The Barn Light in downtown Eugene on the second weekend in October. It's a hipster-type place decorated with old antiques which reminded me a lot of my mother's house. The coffee was good, but it was the breakfast sandwich with bacon that will keep me coming back. It was only a 4 mile ride (round trip) and is just down the street from the Lane Transit station on Willamette Street. Go there! The sandwich is worth it!



The Barn Light



Barry's Bakery Cafe is a little Jewish bakery that I have loved since I first moved to Eugene in 1996. They have relocated quite a bit over the years, but have always remained close to my neighborhood. They make great challah bread and pastries and their mochas are excellent. It's only about 1/2 mile from home, so I made the ride count by making it on the same day as the Eugene Cargo Bike Fair/Disaster Relief Trials  where I "competed" in a 22 mile cache course of fun and adventure around town on October 12th. I came in dead last but had a great time hauling stuff around town on my Burley Nomad bike trailer.



Barry's Cafe

The Quick Fix

The Quick Fix is a tiny drive thru coffee shop that gets the most of my business on weekdays because it opens at 5:30am and is conveniently located on my commute route to work on S. Willamette Street. I think I must have 5 or 6 punch cards that are already full. I stopped there on my Oct. 19th weekend of coffeeneuring on my way to pick up my car share rental. They give you a lot of black coffee for $1.25!! It was a total of only 5 miles of biking.

Another café close to home is a small bakery tucked in the back of  Mazzy's Italian restaurant. It used to be a secret spot, but it's gotten quite popular now. It's aptly named the Hideaway Bakery and is only about a mile from my home, so I usually make it by there when I ride the east/west Amazon bike trails or bike lanes/loop just for a good workout. It makes a great circuit ride that you can do over and over and then take a latte break when your mileage is done. I made it about a 6 mile ride that day on October 26th.

Hideaway Bakery


 The Beanery

The Allann Bros Beanery is conveniently located on my route home from work at the end of an 8 mile ride and I sometimes stop there for chai tea. I made a special trip over there on the first weekend of November just so I could include it in the challenge. Their coffee is the best in town, in my opinion, but I sure wish they would add some bike racks!

 

Last but not least, over the last weekend of  the challenge, was my early evening stop at Vero Espresso cafe. It caters to the student crowd near the university but I wanted to try it since it had such a great patio. There wasn't much bike parking left, so I just pulled up to the wrought iron fence near my table and locked my wheel lock. If anyone wanted to steal my bike, they would have to carry it off in front of everyone seated outside while I was inside ordering. I was both hot and cold at the same time, having finished a 22 mile round trip ride over to Springfield to bike the new bike path around Dorris Ranch. Sitting outside in the cool air was refreshing and the cream cheese bagel was delicious! It was a great place to finish up my coffeeneuring for 2013 and enjoy the sunset. Let's raise a cup to the 2014 Challenge!

Vero Espresso