Coffeeneuring Roundup

Time to put this caffeinated ride series to bed.  Thanks to @coffeeneur from the Chasingmailboxes blog for putting this together!  Riding bikes and drinking coffee just totally go together.  And hey, have you noticed that most of the great biking towns and cities are also known for their coffee culture?  Yup.

Americano, soy milk, Dazbog!

In summary: 7 rides, 7 weekend days, 7 cups of coffee, and approximately 40 miles of riding!

10/5 - 2.1 miles, Outdoors coffee with The Coffee Registry, Fort Collins Farmers Market
10/13 - 4.5 miles, The Steaming Bean in Steamboat Springs
10/20 - 2.1 miles, The Alley Cat Cafe, Fort Collins
10/27 - 2.4 miles, The Bean Cycle, Fort Collins
11/3 - 11 miles, Dazbog Coffee, Fort Collins
11/10 - 3.5 miles, Little Bird Bakeshop, Fort Collins
11/17 - 14 miles, The Wild Boar, Fort Collins

The first four rides are documented in previous posts, but I neglected to put in one of my favorite pics from the Bean Cycle ride (not to document coffee, per se, but to emphasize the coffee/bike/dog friendly atmosphere here in Fort Fun, aka: Fortlandia).

Just trying out the Halloween costume.

My trip to Dazbog happened on a really nice day, and since their shop in Fort Collins is over by the Poudre River Trail, I took a long and leisurely ride along the river before getting my coffee.  Today was so nice, in fact, that I took the old Cosmos Mariner out of hibernation.  I love all my bikes, of course, but this is the only one with a name, and nothing rides like Reynolds 531 steel.

Along the Poudre Trail on my way to Dazbog Coffee.

The following weekend I went to the Little Bird Bakeshop (Little Bird, Big Love), certainly one of my favorite places and a regular stop on the coffeneuring tour of life.

This is the definition of pleasant!

Fabulous french breads and pastries, and the most beautiful espresso machine in Fort Collins (IMHO).

It even lights up from the inside!

Enjoying my afternoon americano and a delicious "Financier", a sort of cake thing with fruit that is quite sublime:

I got there just before they closed, so they gave me a to-go cup.

And for the final coffeeneuring run, I took a nice long ride prior to stopping at my totally local shop, The Wild Boar.

Lots of Boar paraphenalia at the Wild Boar, a fabulous, college-centric shop that has great coffee, yummy food, and local brews on tap. Fast wifi, too.

Today's ride brought out the Cannondale.  Yes, the Cosmos Mariner has a sweeter ride quality, but for shorter rides I love the quick feel provided by the stout aluminum frame, and who wouldn't love the 2-tone blue paint?

Mad bike parking at the Wild Boar

One of the reasons I love the Wild Boar (besides the fact that it's only about 3 blocks from my house) is the coffee card - always working toward that free coffee, gotta love it.

Small coffee in my large travel cup

So hey, that about sums it up, lots of fun trips, and I look forward to another *.*o-neuring challenge in the future!

If this was the World Series, we would have won by now...

It just occurred to me that this is coffeeneuring #4 out of 7, _and_ it will be the 4th game of the World Series tonight.  I'm sure that is a fabulous piece of good luck for the Red Sox (you know, Boston being Beantown and all???).

(I started writing this post last Sunday, before the Red Sox won the World Series, so I'm sure that this bit of prescience (along with having a beard) was an invaluable contribution to the glory the Sox have achieved).

So anyways, October 27th was a beautiful morning.  2 days after my wife Paula's birthday, and 4 days before my daughter Rowan's birthday.  (I guess I'm drawn to Scorpios...)

Aspen leaves, late fall in Colorado

 The look of the sky and the aspens portended a really pleasant day, and for the first time in a long time, I was heading out to have my first cup of the day at a shop (instead of the usual carefully constructed coffee at home).  Due to my obsession with our favorite brew, if I were to trust someone besides myself with the first cup, it had to be the Bean Cycle.

Outside the Bean Cycle

The Bean Cycle was, fortuitously, the first coffee shop I ever went to in Fort Collins (while visiting many years ago).  It has been a favorite ever since, despite the plethora of excellent bean roasters and espresso machines in this town.  One of the things I love about it is that it is built around coffee, books, and bicycles.  How can you go wrong?

The Bean Cycle shares space with the bookstore and Wolverine Farm Publishing

The bookstore features used books, new local art, stickers, and great publications such as The Boneshaker Bicycling Almanac and the The Matter Journal, a compendium of local interest.

One of my intentions this fine morning was to partake of the "Toast Bar" at the Bean.  Sure, I got the americano with soy and croissant, but I had been waiting with great anticipation to try out the local bread from Ingrained Bakery.  Yes, I often get a baguette from Callie at the farmers market, but I've never tried her other offerings.  Today I tried the polenta bread with homemade apple butter, and it was sublime!

Polenta bread with apple butter, croissant, and americano: Heavenly!

The Bean Cycle boasts many coffee making musts: they roast their own of course, and they also make amazing coffee treats with the chemex drip brewers (my favorite at home) and the slow drip cold coffee that I love during warm weather:

Fresh!

Chemex Brewing!

Crazy cold coffee system!

Coffeeneuring is essentially what bicycling is about - being able to stop at a shop after work, or before, or on the weekend.  Traveling by bike is what I do, and chillin' at coffee shops is what I love.  Thanks @coffeeneur!



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