First Coffeeneuring Ride-Zoka's Coffee & Tea House

A gorgeous Sunday morning set the tone for my first coffeeneuring ride. After rounding up the animals my best friend and I set out to Zoka's, the first destination. Conditions were perfect, only a faint breeze whisked the air and scattered leaves darted. The Interurban Trail was full of folks jogging and walking their dogs. I gave a cheery twang to my bell as we made our way to the Linden Ave Greenway. There, a family teaching their son to ride a bike for the first time, being passed by a trio of Lycra clad warriors. We wave hello, and making our way, spot a grandma giving her grandchild a lift in her wheelchair.

In little time we turned onto Dayton, but instead of riding it down to Greenwood, then Phinny, as is my habit on my commute. As any rider can tell you Dayton Ave. has some lovely axle snapping pavement ridges and dips. We invented a hand signal between us to let us know if something hinky is ahead. One of us raises our right hand, makes a fist, then spread open hand, then a fist. The other is able to swerve around. Its a nice down hill, in spite of the pavement, and we glide, roughly down to Woodlawn, and from there it was only a minor jaunt around Green Lake. While Dayton Ave is a traffic calmed roadway, its not exactly in the best condition. From Green Lake it was only a short stretch up to Zoka's Coffee & Tea House http://www.zokacoffee.com/about-zoka/zoka-locations-3/ but coming down Green Lake a car that was parked next to the bike lane started, the swerved into the lane, nearly hitting me and my companion. The driver wasn't going fast, and seemed lost, and seeing him so close anyway, giving space. it was merely a brief exciting moment than a tragedy.

Locking up we laughed, realizing that coffeeneuring and a lovely day, had ensured the bike rack was once again full:

bike rack outside Zoka's

Having already had two cups of coffee before I left I opted to get an iced chai and a ham and cheese croissant, which I chose to enjoy on the deck outside: 

  

My partner got the same snack, but an iced Americano. Both of us agreed the drinks and snack were lovely. The croissant a bit unevenly spiced, but the chai had t  full flavor without have that sickening over biting flavor that can accompany the lesser chai teas. A water dish for dogs sat on the pavement outside, and a few passing mutts found refreshment. A fellow coffeeneuring cyclist came by and said 'hello' and we wished each other well on the road ahead.

Like a gentleman, my companion offered dessert at Mighty-O's Doughnuts and we enjoyed french toast doughnuts (very good) in the sun.

Coming back the map app decided to crap out, but I noticed the street sign said the 44 and the 16 ran through, I told my undaunted companion that, logically, Aurora would run this way. He agreed, I reached out and put my hand over his on the bars, we smiled. An intimate moment you can only really have on a bike, with the change of the light we set down Green Lake again. You could see where they'd moved bike lanes and when the bike lane brought us between cars I felt a bit nervous. My companion admitted much the same.  However, we reached Aurora Ave N. with nothing more exciting than passing numerous cars stopped as we floated on, the bus lane clear.

We walked our bikes up the pedestrian accessway, carrying our bikes, then rolling them along the edges as we could. Taking the E line back was a relief. As much as we wanted to circle Green Lake all the way back, my companion works the night shift and had to be back to head to work. Riding down the driveway we agreed our first coffeeneuring ride was totally a success!

Want to read more about bikes?

Hey, that's like MY bike! http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/brent-toderian/upright-bike-vancouver_b_5831752.html

Want to read more about coffee?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/08/20/340154271/no-1-most-expensive-coffee-comes-from-elephants-no-2

Next Coffeeneuring destination, The Bridge Coffee House! See you there

Getting Ready for Coffeeneuring

Its the 4th annual Coffeeneuring Challenge, but this year will be my first attempt. For me this is an exciting opportunity to visit places I've never been, to go to places I've never seen, even along familiar routes. My friends have all chimed in support, and laughed because I'm not known for athletic challenges. This is, if you know of coffeeneuring, hardly an athletic challenge. You only need to go two miles.

Being a caffeine consumer I've hit the places close to me already, Java Jane's on 15th and 145th and Bareistas on Aurora are well known haunts. Sadly, both are too close to count for the coffeeneuring rides. I don't recommend Java Jane's if you're on a bike. Its in the Goodwill parking lot and cars will not be shy about either cutting you in line, or choking you with their exhaust. Bareistas is nicer, surrounded by smaller shops, and my favorite tobacco shop, the coffee is better than Jane's and the girls are obviously quite charming*

At the end of this post I'll give a list of the Shoreline area coffee shops I'll be visiting for my challenge, and the projected days. If you'd like to meet up send me a message and I'll do my best to ride with you and have a cup, I enjoy helping new riders and meeting other cyclists.

Today, however, I took my coffee the usual way. I started with a ride with my friends R. and D. (names redacted for privacy). R hadn't ridden in a long time, he's an older gent, not quite a young buck anymore, but not old enough yet to be anyone's dad. D is a bit younger, and had been wanting back in the saddle for a while. This was their first ride with another friend in a long time, and I chose a route that wasn't too long, starting on N 160th and riding to the end of the Linden Ave. Greenway, where it hooks back up to the Interurban Trail.

Densmore, as always, gives new riders a bit of push on this side, its a near 180 degree climb, and for me at least, there's no shame in walking up it if you've got any weight. D. was envious of my little basket, because, as usual, my little dog rode in it, jaunty little head poked up. I lent her my Sherpa bag (cannot recommend that brand enough), so she could take her Pom.

The trail was a wonderful experience for these almost-new riders. D. had expressed concerns because they didn't have helmets, and they were scared of riding near cars. I wisely steered us down suburban streets until we hit the Interurban trail. D. marveled at the infrastructure, the trail was full of families enjoying their evening. When we got to the greenway she was a bit nervous at first, it being a street, but within minutes she was riding as confidently as if she owned the street. R. is usually a driver and, frankly, usually a bit grumpy about sharing the streets behind the wheel. Yet this evening he spoke at great length how wise the greenway investment was, how expanding it could change how often he drove, and how much he would like that. D. mourned her job required a car, because she used to ride from Lynnwood to the Seattle Center and back as a teenager. We settled down for a picnic as the sun set, sipping from water bottles and bemoaning the need to go back.  We watched others speed down the trail and D. asked if I minded going so slow. I shook my head, its nice to ride with new folks, to take a slower place and really look at what's around you. When you go slow because you can't go fast you don't look around, you're powering through. When you go fast you're looking out for danger. But when you're riding with novices you can point out the art along the way, and immerse in the beauty around you.

On our return I made cups of hot cocco and asked what it would take to make this a regular thing, D. wanted to go every weekend. I call this "new rider glow" you realize it doesn't take much to get in the saddle and you want to go crazy go nuts. R. was more realistic, work and school for him was going to make these rides something to schedule. So we pledged to ride together every other weekend. And you can bet I'm going to drag them to some pretty out there places.

Shoreline is bikeable, but we need more riders to prove it. I saw so many riders out there on the trails tonight, and it warmed that cold vestigial organ I call my heart. I wondered how many of them became riders because of the greenway nearby. I wondered how many started because a friend just ceaselessly harassed them to go riding with them. I wonder how many got in the saddle as adults because they never stopped riding as kids.

And Shoreline needs those riders, there's safety in numbers. As I rode the Interurban there was one...person of questionable character, who chimed how much he'd love my bike, making R. nervous. He's quite capable of laying down the beats, he just really doesn't like doing it (like any good man). While D. and I rode fearlessly (I can and have used my bike as a weapon of  self-defense) we did because we knew as a group we were safe. D. expressed concern that I rode this trail every morning, asking if it bothered me, and I answered truthfully, yes it does. There should be a way to help the people along the trail, but I'll be darned if I know where to begin.

As a rider, I do know this; we're safer from attacks. We're safer from traffic. We're safer when we ride together. And we need to ride together. Here's the places I'll be visiting for the cofeeneuring challange:

10/5 @ 11am Tomorrow!
Zoka's
2200 N 56th St.
Seattle, WA 98103

10/11 or 10/12 (time TBA)
The Bridge Coffee House
2150 N 122nd St
Shoreline, WA 98133

10/18 or 10/19 (time TBA)
Highlands Coffee Co.
14508 Whitman Ave. N
Shoreline, WA 98133

10/25 or 10/26 (time TBA)
The Bounty-North City
17551 15th Ave NE
Shoreline, WA 98133

11/1 or 11/2 (time TBA)
Seattle Gourmet Coffee
17565 15th Ave. NE
Shoreline, WA 98133

11/8 or 11/9 (time TBA)
Diva Expresso Bar
14419 Greenwood Ave N.
Seattle, (technically) WA 98177

11/15 or 11/16  (time TBA)
Starbucks
17202 15th Ave NE
WA 98155


This would be a perfect time to start organizing trains. If you're unfamiliar with the idea, a train in the non-machine sense, is the term for a group of cyclists who ride together to complete their commute. For example as a group they stop and pick up each rider, and as a group, drop each rider off at their destination. A conductor makes sure everyone knows the route and helps keep the group together.

Let's get together and start some trains. You can contact me via e-mail (vanwolf "at" gmail dot com) or on twitter @HyperboreanWolf. Pick a weekend and a time and I'll help you get started. Or if you just want to meet up and get a cup of something sweet with another rider. .

Want to know more? Here's where you can sign up to coffeeneur officially:
http://chasingmailboxes.com/2014/09/17/fourth-annual-chasing-mailboxes-coffeeneuring-challenge/

Special thanks to Mary who started this wonderful tradition! If you can, please consider kicking more than just the required $4, she does this out of pocket you guys.

If you want to find other local riders participating:
http://wabikes.org/2014/10/01/coffeeneuring-bike-challenge-everyone-can-love/

Cheers and safe travels my friends.

*note: Bareistas baristas dress is a manner that is..risque. It is always tasteful, but do be respectful when you visit them. They are beautiful women, but they are still human beings who be deserved to be treated as such.