Another year, another round of coffeeneuring. Whataneuring, you ask? See my coffeeneuring reports from previous years to get the backstory. Quick answer: Coffeeneuring is a challenge put out each Fall to bike (or run) to seven different coffee shops (or coffee outside locations) over the course of seven weeks, providing documentation. There are a few more rules, but that’s the gist of it. Each year the challenge has a theme, and participants have the option of embracing the theme in their own way, or creating a theme to add to the fun. This year’s theme was “C+1”, and I decided to make that about inviting someone along for each outing. I also find myself unable to resist keeping track of which Bloomers I wore each time (because that’s my thing, as in literally, that’s my side hustle).
The following is my report:
#1: Date: October 24, 2021
Where: La Tropezienne, Mid-City Los Angeles
Beverage: Cappuccino
Lynn and I enjoying our goodies at a sidewalk table in front of La Tropezienne
Distance: 23.5 miles
Bloomers: Dazzling Amethyst
Dazzling Amethyst Bloomers & official coffeeneuring socks
C+1: Lynn
Angie at the Helipad, sporting her Leopard Print Bloomers
My friend Angie and I sometimes ride to Griffith Park together, so when she reached out to ask if I’d like to ride together this time, I was happy to do so. Then another friend, Lynn, ended up joining us. Turns out Angie needed to skedaddle on home right after our ride through the park, but Lynn was game for a coffee run. I hold fond memories of delectable goodies from La Tropezienne, and wanted to visit them again this year. Along with my cappuccino (they do those right), I enjoyed an almond croissant that featured all the perfect flakiness and almondy goodness.
#2: Date: October 30, 2021
The Mt. Vernon Trail runs along the Potomac River
Where: Lot 38, Washington, D.C.
Beverage: Macchiato Caramello
The Memorial Bridge, a Capital Bikeshare docking station, and my yummy treats at Lot 38
Distance: 16+
Bloomers: Pinkadot Black
C+1: Spirit of Frederick Douglass
Exploring the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge
Every year, during coffeeneuring season, I make a trip to our nation’s capitol to attend a conference, where I make use of their bikeshare system and bike routes. One year I was lucky enough to meet up with one of the many coffeeneurs in the area, and share a coffeeneuring ride together, but this year I was unable to find a ride buddy who was available at the same time I was free. Through the marvels of Instagram, I had been following the development of the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge (I love biking over bridges), so I decided to designate the spirit of Frederick Douglass as my C+1. We had a great time despite getting a wee bit lost on the way there (missed my turn off the Mt. Vernon Trail, so took the Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River instead of crossing by way of Hains Point). Before getting to the new Frederick Douglass Bridge, however, I had to get to Lot 38, a coffee shop nearby that was going to close soon so I had to save the exploration for after my treats. The macchiato caramello and cinnamon bun were well worth the trip. Afterward, I had fun riding across the new bridge with its fantastically generous bike lane as well as exploring both sides of the Anacostia River. It was a glorious adventure, and I relished the opportunity to see some autumn colors along the way.
#3: Date: October 31, 2021
The back entrance to Stories Books & Cafe
Where: Stories Books & Cafe, Echo Park
Beverage: Drip Coffee with Milk & Caramel
Distance: 12
Restocking the little free libraries
Bloomers: Rustica Leggings (not Bloomers!)
Proof that I don’t wear bloomers every day
C+1: Quoc
Quoc and my goodies
The very next day, I was back in L.A., and was able to join the Street Librarians for their monthly visit to re-stock some little free libraries in the Silver Lake / Echo Park / Koreatown areas. The group meets up at Stories Books & Cafe in Echo Park, typically enjoying goodies before the ride begins. This time I had the pleasure of meeting someone new to me, Quoc, my C+1 for this ride. It was Halloween, so we embraced a spooky theme, and I had fun dressing for the occasion.
#4: Date: November 6, 2021
Where: Sidecar Donuts, Fairfax District
Beverage: Vintage Brew Coffee
Distance: 25
Heading up Nichols Canyon
Bloomers: Conventional Black Bike Shorts (again, no Bloomers!)
C+1: El Cochinito
This was an unplanned coffeeneuring excursion of the best kind. El Cochinito and I had simply planned to ride one of my favorite routes togethers, the Nichols Canyon / Franklin Canyon Loop that features quiet roads, beautiful scenery, and just enough climbing to feel legitimate without being too taxing. As we were back on the flats and working our way home, he surprised me with a stop at Sidecar Donuts. I was delighted to try this new location, and the Dulce de Leche Churro donut I had was divine, complemented by a brewed coffee with milk and honey. Sweetness with my Sweetie!
#5: Date: November 14, 2021
Tour of the urban forest
Where: Mendocino Farms, Culver City
Beverage: Lemonade
Patricia
Distance: 23
Bloomers: Party Pants
C+1: Patricia
So maybe the theme this year was really figuring out how to turn each weekend’s bike ride into a coffeeneuring ride. Certainly that was the case here, as I didn’t want to miss a tour of the urban forest in Culver City, led by Patricia Bijvoet. Patricia is a local urban landscape architect whom I met through Women on Bike Culver City. I was unfamiliar with urban forestry and what that meant, and this was a fascinating educational experience. Does having lemonade with the ride leader count as coffeeneuring? I think so.
#6: Date: November 20, 2021
Celebrating the new mobility lanes in downtown Culver City
Where: Akasha, Culver City
Beverage: Drip Coffee with Caramel
Jennifer and our goodies
Distance: 15
Bloomers: Dazzling Amethyst
C+1: Jennifer
I found myself back in Culver City the very next weekend, this time not wanting to miss the grand opening celebration of the new mobility lanes that transform the streets through Culver City’s charming downtown from scary-insane to delightful. After all, they didn’t just add bike lanes and a bus lane, they painted pretty flourishes along the way. Afterward, Jennifer gladly joined me as my C+1 for coffee and treats at Akasha. I had a drip coffee with caramel and half & half, and a delicious pistachio croissant.
#7: Date: November 27, 2021
Where: Pailin, Hollywood
Bike parking right in front of Pailin
Beverage: Thai Iced Coffee
Kat
Distance: 8
Bloomers: Red Hot Aqua Dot
C+1: Kat
Time was running out, and here I was, looking for a way to turn my next outing into a coffeeneuring ride. El Cochinito had made arrangements for us to meet up with a former student of his at a nearby Thai restaurant, so we biked there and I made sure I had me a Thai iced coffee with my lunch. I had some time hanging with the former student’s partner, Kat, while our respective dates were outside for a bit. Kat was fun to visit with, and was gracious about letting me photograph her to document my C+1.
And with that, just under the wire, another season of coffeeneuring was completed.
Yes, another challenge. I seem to love these things. Perhaps because they give me a sense of accomplishment without being too taxing. We’ve all been through enough this past year plus, so we don’t need to tackle Herculean tasks, but a little motivator can go a long way. Biking through the pandemic has definitely been a major factor in making these strange times more enjoyable. It keeps me active, it provides a safe way to be social, and it gets me out of the house and back in nature. I believe the structure of the challenge provides just the nudge I need to overcome that pandemic-induced inertia that imagines I’m just fine hanging out at home, even though I know better.
The Guiding Force behind the Errandonnee modified the rules a bit to fit the unusual circumstances this year, dubbing this the “Hyperlocal Edition”. The full details can be found here, but the upshot is to complete 12 errands in 12 consecutive days, and ride, run, and/or walk a total of 30 miles. In a special twist for this year, participants could pick the 12-day stretch, so long as it is be between April 15 and June 30. I was particularly grateful for this last bit, as I had to defer my participation until June due to a minor matter involving some fractures to my pelvis pursuant to a little unexpected contact with the pavement while biking to the office one morning in March. It has taken a couple months, but I’ve recovered sufficiently to be able to do bike rides again, so long as I stick to the flatter, lower mileage type.
Of course, not just any 12 errands will suffice. One must complete errands falling within at least 6 of the 9 categories, with no more than two qualifying rides in any one category. While that can seem intimidating, I found that several of the errands I was inclined to perform could quite soundly fit within multiple categories. Check out the 9 categories:
Discovery (See something new while you’re out and about!)
Helping Hand (e.g., helping a person, helping the environment)
History Lesson
Non-Store Errand
Personal Business
Personal Care
Public Art
You carried WHAT?!
Wild Card (Any trip that does not fall into any of the above categories.
Here is my report:
June 1st: Personal Care
Crazy Daisy Bloomers served me well at my PT appointment — no worries about flashing anyone, either at the clinic, or on the ride to and from.
I biked to my last of six physical therapy appointments that helped me recover from the fractured pelvis. This was my first experience of breaking a bone in my body, and I had no idea how much such an incident screws up various muscles. Some muscles had become super weak, and others were in spasm, either from the impact or from working overtime to compensate for the weakened muscles. I was grateful for the physical therapy, and eagerly embraced the daily exercises I was given to do at home. I’m still doing them, but I’m recovered enough that I walk and bike normally; I just have a limit to how much I can strain myself right now.
Dazzling Amethyst Bloomers as I test ride the newly adjusted brakes while riding away from my local bike shop.
Took my bike to my local bike shop for a brake adjustment. I’d recently had new, wider tires put on my commuter. I had been thinking for several months about turning the Volpe into even more of an all-purpose adventure/gravel bike since I knew it could accommodate bigger tires, and I now have a fancy new road bike that I use for my hillier and longer distance non-touring rides. Since the aging tires that had been on the commuter might have been a factor in the unfortunate incident of March 11th, when I wiped out on a slick patch of pavement, I decided it was time to get the new tires. But the front wheel kept catching in the brake pads, and my attempts to adjust them myself were not successful, I just swung by the shop and they took care of it for me lickety split.
3, 4, & 5. June 3rd: Non-Store Errand + Helping Hand + Wild Card
As much as I love my fancy new road bike, a Bianchi Infinito, I was unable to love the gorgeous coordinating Fizik R7 Aliante saddle that came with it. It’s supposed to be a great saddle, but it just wasn’t a fit for me. I tried tilting the nose down, which usually is the ticket for me and that did help a bit, but I found myself no longer the who-needs-a-chamois rider, and I kept developing one troubling problem or another in my delicate regions, so it just had to go. After many hours spent reading saddle reviews, I decided to go with the Specialized Power Expert with MIMIC. The day it arrived, I put it on my bike and took her for a test ride.
The new saddle, inside the post office where I can easily bring my bike with me inside.
Big, ugly sweater I knitted for my itty bitty daughter-in-law
I also wanted to mail a sweater I’d just finished knitting to my daughter-in-law. She had requested a big, ugly sweater to help her stay warm in Rochester, New York. That was last Fall, but I warned her it likely would not get done in time for this winter. I did have just the right yarn and pattern to knit up what she wanted. I managed to finish the sweater just in time for Summer! I’m counting this as my helping hand errand. She may not be needing it now, but it will be ready for her when the seasons change again.
Satisfied that the new saddle is so far so good, I was eager to try something wild. Although I have ridden my bike up to the Griffith Park Helipad many times, I hadn’t attempted that kind of climb since February, before the unfortunate incident of March 11th. I was eager to see if I could handle it. The other wild thing was that it had been a long time since I’d been to the helipad for the weekly happy hour meet up. Socializing has become a big, wild deal this year. El Cochinito and I decided this was the day to give it a go, and we did. I made it up that hill, albeit slowly, and it was nice to see my bike friends again. The ride also showed me, however, that I’m not quite ready for this. I was okay, but I felt it and knew this was just a bit too much too soon.
When a postmenopausal woman fractures her pelvis, the topic of osteoporosis gets raised. The orthopedist noted that the x-rays revealed a little less bone density than they like to see, and I was referred for a bone density scan. That scan confirmed the expected diagnosis: osteoporosis in the pelvis and spine. That led to an appointment with an endocrinologist, who then ordered some tests. That testing meant I needed to pick up a special “collection device” (I will spare you the graphic details) from a lab not too far from home, but in a neighborhood in which one would not want to leave their bike unattended. So I got out the Volpe and my best Pee Wee Herman bike lock & cable set and set out to fetch the device.
The bike parking was at the back of the building along the sidewalk, which didn’t seem very secure for this neighborhood. But it was still there when I returned, and I was able to manage strapping the awkward package to my rear rack for the ride home.
I was feeling a real hankering to start increasing my mileage a wee bit, and to ride a hill that wouldn’t be too much for my current state of recovery, but could help me build some strength. That called for an old familiar loop through Griffith Park along Crystal Springs Drive. I knew this ride would get me a total of 22+ miles and a couple of doable hills without overdoing it. This route passes by the Pony Rides, through the Wilson and Harding Golf Courses and continues past the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, the Zoo, Travel Town (a kid’s delight of old trains), and back around through some picnic areas. Since I started tracking my rides in Strava, I’ve done this loop at least 45 times. You’d think I’d seen whatever there is to see on this ride by now, and yet, on this day I had to stop and gawk at what was, for me, a first: three deer grazing on the golf course!
Now that folks around here are vaccinated, some social events are coming back. One that I missed was the biweekly coffee meetups with Women on Bike Culver City. Every other Monday (in prepandemic times), they would pick a different coffee shop and invite others to either meet at the coffee shop, or join up for a ride together. It’s a friendly, welcoming group that makes a point of supporting and encouraging women who might not be seasoned riders to venture out and get more comfortable biking around town. Although they’d had some socially distanced meet ups at parks during the pandemic, those meetups had not lined up well with my working-from-home schedule. But here was a Monday when they were back to meeting at a coffee shop (one with outdoor seating), and I was free that morning. It was a small group, but a delight to see two familiar friends and meet a new one. The downside was, it had been a long time since I’d last biked the Venice Boulevard bike lanes during morning rush hour, and that was stressful and miserable. Drivers have always been bad on that street, but they gotten worse during the pandemic: driving much too fast and passing bicyclists much too closely as we navigate the door zone bike lane.
9 & 10. June 9th: Non-Store Errand + You Carried What?
While commuting to work is not part of this year’s Errandonnee, it surely counts as a Non-Store Errand. I’m self-employed, and I’ve been paying rent for an office I haven’t been using except as a place to receive mail these last 15 months. Now that the COVID-19 case rates are down in Los Angeles, and the vaccination levels are up, I am gradually going back to the office a little more each week. The only part that worries me is that darn ramp down into the parking garage, which is where I wiped out that ill-fated morning in March. I’d biked down it a jillion times before, and I know what got me was a slick patch where oil from idling cars must have built up on the surface and had been wetted by the rain we’d had the night before. It’s not like I’m expecting that same thing to happen to me again, but I find myself anxious about how fast it feels I am going as I descend the ramp now. But I’m okay, really (or so I tell myself each time).
I had a couple of BikieGirl orders to ship out that day for two of my best customers. One reason for going to the office was because I needed a product that was not available in the stash of inventory I keep at home. Plus I knew I had a bigger shipping box at the office that would be just right for the larger order. While the mail carrier does pick up outgoing packages from the office building, I prefer to take them directly to the post office when I can, as it is more reliable. The office pick up sometimes appears to result in an extra day before the package actually is officially “accepted” into the USPS system, and that annoys me. I feel better putting the packages directly onto the “ready to ship” counter at the post office. Plus, there is a post office near by that is well-suited for rolling the bike inside, so I don’t have to fuss with locking up the bike.
So, I figured I could use my bungee net to secure the packages to my rear rack for the short ride to the post office on my way home that afternoon. Except I also needed to carry my pannier with my computer and other necessary commuter items, plus I wanted to take a six pack of soda cans home since I now use those more at home than at the office. As I went to pack it all on the bike, I realized I’d put myself in a “you-carried-what” situation. Luckily, I was able to fit the six pack into my handlebar bag (phew, as I don’t always have that bag mounted on my handlebars for regular commuting). The handlebar bag wouldn’t close with the six pack inside, but I was able to use a disposable medical mask to create a strap that would secure the lid of the handlebar bag to the mount for my smartphone.
Next I tried to stack the boxes onto my rear rack, but the bungee net wasn’t big enough to accommodate both boxes. The smaller box could almost fit into the pannier, and by snapping the handles of the pannier bag together, I was able to secure the box there. Finally, with a bit of scooching and nudging, I was able to get the bungee net to secure the larger box onto the rack. Off to the post office I went!
The “Wild Card” category is defined as any trip that does not fall into any of the other 11 categories. Well, the lawyer in me wants to argue both sides here. You see, I biked to the office on this day. Now, this year’s errandonnee does not have a commuting to work or school category like we’ve seen in years past, so that means a ride to the office qualifies for the Wild Card. On the other hand, I managed to submit a previous trip to the office just two days earlier as a “Non-Store Errand”. So how can I argue that my trip to the office does not fall into any of the other categories when I just logged a trip to the office under another category? Ah, but wait a minute: wouldn’t ANY trip that did not involve going to a store fall under the “Non-Store Errand” category? If so, then the Wild Card category would be rendered meaningless. Under the Errandonnee Rules of Statutory Construction, therefore, I proclaim it improper to construe a rule in such a manner as to render it meaningless. Besides, per Rule 9 of the Errandonnee Official Rules Blog Post, we must have fun, and I am having so much fun ruling on the rules here.
And if that doesn’t sound like a “Wild Card” ride, what about my Hot Pink Zebra Bloomers, worn under a tropical floral print dress? If that isn’t wild, what is?
Don’t laugh, but I planned this ride by opening Google Maps and typing in “public art”. I know there is public art hiding in plain sight everywhere, so I figured this might be one way to discover something worthy of a bike trip. Sure enough, at the top of my results list was a piece of public art that I did not recognize (by name or by photo) that is in a location I know I have passed by dozens of times, both in a car and on a bike. And it had an interesting story. And I had a pretty good guess that my bike friend Jennifer would be interested in exploring it with me.
“The Freedom Sculpture” or “Freedom: A Shared Dream” (2017) by Cecil Balmond is a 20,400-pound, 15-foot high by 20-foot by 9-foot sculpture of water jet-cut powder-coated stainless steel double cylinders, supported by two 15-foot diameter high-polish stainless steel gold and silver half-rings, mounted on an approx. 10-foot by 18-foot by 4-inch travertine stone platform, and has internal LED lighting at night. The sculpture is modeled on the Cyrus Cylinder, and has been referred to as one of the Best Public Art in Los Angeles. It sits in the median of Santa Monica Boulevard at the intersection with Century Park East.
Along the way, we rode the bike lane on Santa Monica Blvd as it passes through Beverly Hills, and were delighted to notice a beautiful garden of cacti and succulents. [Surprise!] We just had to stop. I was so taken with the agave in bloom that bordered the bike lane. We wandered around the garden, took lots of pictures, and marveled that we hadn’t known of this place.
We took Charleville, a favorite bike-friendly street through Beverly Hills, for the return trip, and stopped for coffee along the way. All in all, a perfect outing for the twelfth and final day of my Hyperlocal Errandonnee run.
My first few years participating in the Coffeeneuring challenge were heavily-planned exploits with carefully crafted themes. Last year, things had devolved into a matter of simply ticking the essentials off the list. Then, along comes 2020, a year that will go down in infamy for so many things, most notably a global pandemic that has thrown a monkey wrench into just about everything. Enter the official theme for this year’s challenge: One Good Thing. An excellent way to ground and focus us on an attitude of gratitude, key to managing during crazy times.
Since the challenge requires seven rides over seven weeks, the extent of my overall planning consisted of deciding I would come up with something each week that would qualify, including being open to whether or which coffee shop I might visit when I headed out on my bike. I let myself off the hook from past notions that involved extensive planning and placed greater value on only visiting coffee shops that were new to me, or making sure I ventured to different cities or parts of town with each ride. With all that is disrupted this year, and so much time spent at home, just getting out for a bike ride is a super important thing, and there’s no value in ruining it with pressure to push special rules.
Prizes from prior years (still agonizing about where to put them)
So this blog post is my control card, a full report of my sixth year completing the Coffeeneuring challenge. It is presented here so that I can link to it for my formal submission to the Chief Coffeeneur, enabling me to claim my prize. If anyone actually reads this, well, then, bless your sweet heart. If you want to check my submission against the rules, you can find those rules here.
Highly Likely Cafe is just down Jefferson Blvd from the Baldwin Hills Overlook. El Cochinito sure loves his coffeeneuring socks! And that cute bicycle print mask? I’ve been sewing these up; giving some away, and selling some on my Etsy shop (click photo to see it).
Date: 10/10/2020
Beverage: Cortado for me & Cappuccino for him (with croissants)
Bike ride: My beloved, also referred to as El Cochinito, had invited some of his students to meet him at the Baldwin Hills Overlook, one of L.A.’s treasures that many overlook (pun intended). More accurately, many Angelenos haven’t heard of it. It was an easy ride, except for the one steep hill, a necessary element when one seeks to ride to a view point. I knew this outing would put us in a good position to head east on Jefferson to visit Highly Likely on our return to home, one of those cafes I want to support, as I hope they can make it though the pandemic.
Bloomers: Crazy Daisy under Mermaid (a Nuu-Muu dress)
Mileage: 13.6
One Good Thing: Sidewalk dining is an easy solution in Los Angeles, and it allowed us to enjoy a restaurantish experience for the first time in months.
The Griffith Park Helipad is a great place to meet up with friends in a socially-distanced way, and to watch the sunset (and yes I’m wearing a cookie gaiter and cookie socks from Phil’s Cookie Fondo)
Date: 10/18/2020
Beverage: Reed’s Ginger Brew
Bike ride: A group of bike friends has a summer tradition of meeting once a week at the helipad in Griffith Park to watch the sun set while enjoying a beverage and the good company. This year, someone had the bright idea to shift it to Sundays after the sunsets start coming too early for weekday work schedules. This was the first such re-scheduled Helipad Happy Hour. An easy way to socialize outdoors and while maintaining social distance.
One Good Thing: We may not be able to participate in the same organized group rides and events as in the past, but we can still find ways to hang with our bike friends. The helipad provides a great space for safely distanced social interactions.
Control No. 3: Franklin’s Cafe, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California
Riding up to the Griffith Observatory via Vermont Canyon takes you along the Greek Theater and through a tunnel (today’s gaiter is brought to you by Bike Lane Uprising)
Date: 10/24/2020
Beverage: Hazelnut Latte
Bike ride: I have ridden up to the Griffith Park Observatory so many times, it would be impossible to count. This is my go-to ride. Most times, I ride up to the Observatory via the Crystal Springs loop to Mt. Hollywood Drive (aka Trash Truck), and sometimes I ride up Western Canyon from the Fern Dell entrance. Either way, I descend via Vermont Canyon. It’s been bugging me that I had never ascended via Vermont Canyon. It’s so fun to come down (you can hit some sweet speed on that one), that I’d assumed it must be a steep climb to go up that way. Of course, this was a deficiency I had to address: what is it really like to ride up the Vermont Canyon way? That’s what I did, and guess what? It’s not such a hard climb. Yeah, there’s a steep part, but it’s not that bad. According to Strava, there’s a 3/4 mile ascent with a grade of 7.6%. There’s a little more to it than that, but that just means you start climbing (with a lesser grade) before you get to that part. The advantage, I realized, is that by going up this stretch, instead of down, I noticed a lot more as I rode past the Greek Theater. For example, after riding past it dozens of times, I discovered a cafe that I’d never noticed before because it had always been on the opposite side of the road while I was flying downhill, with all my attention focused on the road. So that’s where I just had to get my coffee this time.
One Good Thing: Griffith Park is so amazing, there’s always more to discover. I’m so lucky to have this gem in my neighborhood.
Control No. 4: Zia Valentina, Fairfax Farmer’s Market, Los Angeles, California
The Original Farmer’s Market in L.A.’s Fairfax district features an old timey gas station, a delightful variety of vendors & restaurants, and is home of Zia Valentina’s Waffleshot.
Date: 11/3/2020
Beverage: Waffleshot (an affogato in a chocolate dipped edible cup)
Bike ride: My beloved was going to teach his classes (over Zoom) from the crepe stand at the Fairfax Farmer’s Market, a place I love to visit, and it was Election Day (who can concentrate on work during this crazy election?), so I offered to meet up with him when he was done teaching, and take this opportunity to make up for having skipped a weekend of coffeeneuring. I knew there had to be a coffee shop there I hadn’t yet tried, so I did some research. That quickly led me to the discovery of Zia Valentina and their Waffleshots. It’s a shot of espresso served in an edible waffle cone in the shape of an espresso cup. I was tempted to get the hot chocolate in the edible cup, since it was already afternoon, but the affogato (espresso over ice cream) was irresistible. By the way, those dipped cones in the shape of an espresso cup can be ordered online, in case you’re eager to give it a try at home.
One Good Thing: Another treasured gem of Los Angeles is the Original Farmer’s Market, a collection of shops and restaurants that has been there since 1934. I’m so glad it’s there, and I hope these small businesses are getting enough to get them through the pandemic. I’m grateful it’s a pleasant bike ride away, even if there are no bike-friendly streets to get you there (they do have bike parking, and I just ride the sidewalks when the street traffic is too wild).
Control No. 5: Bloom & Plume, Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
Celebrating the election results with some bike friends
Date: 11/8/2020
Beverage: Mocha (with a chocolate croissant)
Bike ride: I reached out to a couple of bike friends I used to ride with all the time, but hadn’t seen lately, to see if they’d like to help me celebrate the election of our first female Vice President. I was curious to try a new coffee shop that was on a list of black-owned coffee shops in L.A. The Echo Park location was appealing, and leant itself to serve as the beginning or ending to a ride to Elysian Park, which I proposed to my friends. I’d mistakenly pitched Bloom & Plume to them as black-women-owned, thinking it was a great way to celebrate our black female VP-elect, only to later realize I’d confused this one, owned by a black male floral designer named Maurice Harris. So at least we can like the idea that the owner shares the new VP’s last name. We loved the place as soon as we laid eyes on it. Clearly someone with a real sense of design and color is responsible for the whole look, and I ate it up. Had to take a lot of photos here. We started out with treats and drinks here, and then meandered our way through Echo Park, alongside the Echo Park lake (but on the street because the path inside the park says “no bikes”). At the north end of the park, Lynn noted that we were close to Aimee Semple McPherson’s architecturally interesting church and, well, we just had to swing by. I enjoyed hearing Lynn’s telling of the story, as I had only had an impression that McPherson was a bit nutty and had developed a bit of a cult following and had some story involving a potentially staged death/kidnapping. Lynn described her as the founder of the Four Square Church and someone who had intentionally started her ministry in what had been a neighborhood of the poor and destitute, and who reached illiterate followers through the use of drama and theatrics. From there, we moseyed our way to Elysian Park, stopping to take in the view from Angel’s Point before riding around to the exit onto Broadway and then taking the Spring Street Bridge to Los Angeles State Historic Park, on through Chinatown and downtown L.A. on our way home.
One Good Thing: Los Angeles has so much interesting history. There is always more to learn, and it is fun to keep exploring these different neighborhoods and find out more about how they came to be.
The two interesting buildings are part of Aimee Semple McPherson’s original Four Square Church; the right column and bottom row of photos were all taken in Elysian Park (today’s mask is also from my homemade/Etsy collection)
Control No. 6: Tierra Mia Cafe, Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
After looping through downtown, exploring our all-terrain urban adventure, and then through Elysian Park, we refreshed ourselves with some of the Daily Brew at Tierra Mia.
Date: 11/15/2020
Beverage: Daily House Brew (with cream & sugar)
Bike ride: I know, I just rode Elysian Park last weekend, but this time I was riding with El Cochinito, and he had a hankering to ride into Elysian Park via this hilly street near our friend’s house, and he needed to first drop something off with a colleague in downtown. Thus, it made sense to enter the park from the Chinatown/Broadway side. That appealed to me as an opportunity to explore the reverse route to what I rode last week. So off we went. But no sooner had we entered the road into the park off of Broadway when we noticed the road ahead (beyond where we would turn left to follow the usual route into the park) seemed to offer a nice view, plus there was another road veering off to the left up ahead, behind a gate. I’ve never been on that road; might that need to be explored? So we explored. I imagined it might be a back road that leads to the Buena Vista viewpoint, which I don’t believe I’ve visited. We saw a lot of trash along this little road, and a few interesting characters here and there, who seemed like they might not have a typical reason to be hanging out in the park. This was definitely not a main park road, and certainly not the road to Buena Vista I’d been thinking of. I began to think about the fact that I was riding my flashy new Celeste green Bianchi and the fact that this might make me a target for bike thieves. But we just kept on riding and no one disturbed us. And then we saw the end of the road at a fence separating us from the 110 freeway. But there was a dirt walking path that paralleled the freeway, so we walked our bikes along it. And then we saw a hole in the fence that gave us access to a pedestrian walkway that runs alongside the freeway. So we rode that and continued on. And that led to a spiral stairway. We carried our bikes down that and landed at the interchange between the 110 freeway and the 5 (that’s L.A.-speak for Interstate 5). We rode further, now on a pedestrian path on the opposite side of the 110, that took us to a trashy looking stairway that led to San Fernando Road near the roundabout that offers an access point to the L.A. River Bike Path. So we rode the river path north until we found an inviting exit point that allowed us to explore a cute residential neighborhood sandwiched between the river and Riverside Drive (an area I believe is referred to as Frogtown). We came across an intriguing lot filled with rows and rows of some kind of futuristic looking sanitation vehicles we’d never seen before. A large fleet of them —- might those be called upon in the event of a chemical spill? Inquiring minds want to know. We then continued on Riverside Drive until it led us back into Elysian Park from Stadium Way. We made our way through the park and came out on Academy Road. This is where the steep road up to our friend’s house can be found. And up we went, or so we tried. Neither of us was able to bike the entire hill. We made it a little over halfway before having to walk the rest. We circled around and dropped back into the business district of Echo Park and took a right onto Sunset Blvd. At Alvarado, I noticed the Tierra Mia coffee shop, and realized this was our perfect coffeeneuring stop. And so it was.
One Good Thing: That road that intrigues you, calls to you, leads you on a new adventure: Take it!
Highlights from our urban adventure
Control No. 7: Undergrind, Castle Heights/Beverlywood, Los Angeles, California
The three of us in front of our friends’ building; a peek at Lynn’s Chuck Taylors (worn in honor of VP-Elect Harris) under the table outside of Undergrind.
Date: 11/22/2020
Beverage: Dutch (dark chocolate/milk/espresso) plus shrimp & grits
Bike ride: I reached out to Lynn and Jennifer to see if they would like to join me on a ride to rectify the tribute to our new VP-elect by visiting a black woman-owned coffee shop. Of course, they were game. We met up at the Culver City Expo Line station and rolled over to South Robertson (or “SoRo”), just a bit north of Hamilton High School. As we rolled up, my eye caught sight of a red pick up truck painted colorfully. Then we came upon a gorgeous mural on the side of the building at the corner of Robertson & Gibson. Jennifer started exclaiming that she knew this building; that this is the building our friend (another bike person) Aubrey owns, and that this is the gallery of an artist she has met. We drooled over the mural, took pictures of our bikes in front of it, and then proceeded to Undergrind. If you like chocolate with your coffee, then you must try their Dutch, which features dark chocolate and a shot of espresso plus your favorite kind of milk. It was decadent and delicious. I’d also seen from the reviews that Undergrind is known for its shrimp & grits, and I was hungry. Those were the tastiest shrimp & grits ever, and I will definitely be going back again for more. While enjoying our goodies, Jennifer called Aubrey, and by the time we’d finished eating and drinking, along came Aubrey and his wife, Melba, the owners of the building that houses their own direct mail business and also the Barbara Mendes Art Gallery. So we got a tour of the gallery, some stories about its history, a preview of some Haitian art that was about to have an opening in the adjacent gallery space when Covid-19 came along and put those plans in limbo. Then Barbara Mendes, the artist herself, showed up and we got to learn a lot more about her amazing work. Most remarkable is a giant mural she painted that depicts, with both detailed images and Hebrew script, every verse of Leviticus. After that visit, we got back on our bikes and toured the curvy streets and beautiful homes of the Beverlywood/Castle Heights neighborhood, then circled back on the Expo bike path toward the Culver City Station where we’d met up.
One Good Thing: Nothing lifts one’s spirits like stumbling across some colorful and expressive art!
Highlights from the Barbara Mendes Gallery; Aubrey & Melba posing with Barbara Mendes (center) in front of her Leviticus piece.
And, with that, Coffeeneuring 2020 is a wrap. I hope the good folks at Coffeeneuring Central will forgive me for not using a reusable cup at most of my controls. Under COVID protocols, our local places will not fill the customer’s cup (I even remembered to bring it!), and most are using only disposable cups. As for a theme within the theme, I’d say more than one theme emerged upon reflection. Besides managing to do each ride in a different Bloomers/Nuu-muu Dress combo (I do love me some bike style), I found myself living a theme of using each coffeeneuring ride to embrace what my world offers: wonderful bike friends, a city of never-ending fascination, and delightful small businesses doing their best to endure in the face of unprecedented challenge. They are so worthy of our support.
Little tidbit: I did 6 of the 7 rides all on my gorgeous new Bianchi. Can you spot the one exception, when I rode a different bike? Extra credit if you can identify the make & model.
Obviously, there was so much more to savor about each ride than just “one good thing”. What a great way to focus on all that is good during a time when so much is not. May we hold all of it dear, remembering those who are suffering, and remind ourselves to keep doing one good thing to support someone, while also embracing one good thing we are lucky to have in our lives.
Final tidbit: here’s a photo of the interesting vehicles spotted in Frogtown. According to Google Maps, this is the location of Los Angeles Sewer Maintenance.
If these are just regular sewer maintenance trucks, why haven’t I seen them before? Do they only come out at night?
My fifth round of participating in the Coffeeneuring challenge happens to be the eighth year since it was first launched by Coffeeneur-in-Chief of Chasing Mailboxes. She proclaimed “Eight is Great” when announcing this year’s theme. In years past, I’ve had fun working my own theme into the master theme, with themes like making sure each coffee shop is in a different city, or trying different donut shops, or showing off a different pair of Bloomers for each ride. Last year, I honored the master theme of “Best Intentions” by backing away from elaborate planning of special sub-themes, and simply focusing on intention. This year, I had zero interest in planning a theme for my rides, or carefully selecting new coffee shops to try for each ride. I decided to let myself roll through the challenge themelessly. I am quite pleased that I managed to avoid re-arranging my life around coffeeneuring. Rather, I worked the coffeeneuring into whatever was going on each week.
Here is my control card:
Control No. 1: 10/13/19 – Kaldi in Atwater Village, Los Angeles
Beverage: Iced Americano (with pumpkin scone)
Bike-friendliness: Excellent bike parking – large bike corral right in front
Mileage: 26
Outfit: Crazy Daisy Bloomers under a Mermaid Nuu-Muu dress
Notes: El Cochinito had a meeting to attend in Atwater Village and invited me to ride along. Well, what a great way to kick off coffeeneuring season, especially since I hadn’t been to any coffee shops in Atwater Village. Plus, it’s not far from Griffith Park, giving me a great opportunity to spin my wheels while he was at his meeting.
Control No. 2: 10/20/19 – The Helipad in Griffith Park, Los Angeles
Beverage: Delivered by thermos from Kettle-Glazed Doughnuts (along with some donuts!)
Bike-friendliness: Doesn’t get any friendlier than Griffith Park, especially the Helipad, where local bike friends gather regularly to take in a great view of L.A. together.
Mileage: 20
Outfit: Tealicious Nuu-Muu dress over Black Bloomers (not pictured)
Some of the gents looked so dapper, matching their outfits to their bikes.
Notes: Many Thursdays this summer, I joined a group that bikes up to the Helipad after work to watch the sunset and sip beer. As the sunsets became too early in the Fall, the group switched to Sunday mornings and coffee. An advantage to doing it in the morning is that I could then continue riding on through the park. The photo in the lower left panel is the view of the Hollywood sign from the Griffith Observatory. Lower right is a favorite mural I pass on my way home from the park.
Control No. 3: 10/26/19 – Cameron Cafe in Alexandria, Virginia
Beverage: Cafe au Lait (with an apple turnover)
Bike-friendliness: Conveniently close to the Holmes Run Trail and offers bike parking right out front. I was rolling on Capital Bikeshare that day, and there are no docking stations anywhere in that area, so I just parked it in front, next to the bike rack (with timer still running!), and kept an eye on it from my window seat inside.
Mileage: 13
Outfit: Purple Drape Neck Top over Black Hitchable Flounce Skirt & Pinstripe Bloomers (prototype for new style)
Notes: Every year in late October, I attend a conference in the Washington, D.C. area, right in the middle of Coffeeneuring season. In fact, two years ago, I was able to join a fellow coffeeneur who lives in D.C., and share a Coffeeneuring ride together! This year, I was staying in Old Town Alexandria, and thought it would be fun to explore the Holmes Run Trail and visit a coffee shop along the way. Cameron Cafe turned out to be an excellent choice. Both the coffee and the turnover were delicious. Plus I enjoyed visiting with a couple who’d also biked there and had been curious about my use of the bikeshare bike (given that we were well outside the Capital Bikeshare territory).
Control No. 4: 10/27/19 – Stories Books & Cafe in Echo Park, Los Angeles
Beverage: Cappuccino (with coffee cake)
Bike-friendliness: There are bike racks on the sidewalk out front on Sunset Boulevard, but some of us like to bring our bikes into the patio area in the back, off the alley. The bookstore is always kind to the Street Librarians who gather there on the last Sunday of each month for drinks and eats, to gather some books generously offered to us from the clearance rack, as we head out on our bicycles to re-stock the local Little Free Libraries.
Mileage: 16
Outfit: Zen Nuu-Muu dress over Pinka Dot Black Bloomers
Notes: The Street Librarians Ride always has a theme. This time the theme was Day of the Dead. As we stop to do our re-stocking at each Little Free Library, we also take a moment to share a reading, usually in line with the theme. For my turn, I read from a children’s book called “What is Death?”
Control No. 5: 10/28/19 – Bar Nine in Culver City
Beverage: Mocha (with a cheese biscuit)
Bike-friendliness: Well, they got rid of the bike rack they used to have out front, but we are inclined to forgive them since there is now an electric car charging station in its place. Several of us rolled our bikes inside, and no one seemed to mind.
Mileage: 12
Outfit: Blue Toad & Co. dress over Leopard Print Bloomers
Notes: This was a meet up with the Women on Bikes Culver City group. These women have a regular tradition of meeting up at a different local coffee shop every other Monday morning. They are especially great at supporting women who are new to city biking.
Control No. 6: 11/3/19 – Blue Bottle Coffee, Downtown L.A.
Beverage: Cafe au Lait (with a maple pecan scone)
Bike-friendliness: There may be bike parking right in front, I forgot to look. I parked across the street in front of the Grand Central Market.
Mileage: 21
Outfit: Jade Nuu-Muu dress over Shimmering Sapphire Bloomers, topped off with a green Bikie Girl Bloomers Boat Neck Tee
Notes: El Cochinito had a field trip in downtown L.A., having his Economics students explore relevant principles at the Grand Central Market. He first has them walk across the street to see the beautiful Bradbury Building, often used in filming, most notably the original Bladerunner. I rode along and enjoyed my treats at Blue Bottle Coffee, right there on the corner in the Bradbury Building, while they did their field trip. Afterward, he and I continued on through Chinatown into Elysian Park to take in some iconic views of the city.
Control No. 7: 11/10/19 – Hot & Cool Cafe, Leimert Park in South Los Angeles
Beverage: Cinnful Coffee (with coffee cake)
Bike-friendliness: There is bike parking right in front and the Ride On Bike Co-op is next door, should you need any parts or repairs.
Mileage: 15
Outfit: Wildfire Nuu-Muu dress over Romantic Ruby Bloomers
Notes: El Cochinito and I will be doing a bike tour in Cuba over the upcoming holidays, and I wanted to make sure we squeezed at least one ride into this busy weekend. I also wanted to make sure we climbed some sort of hill to get some training value out of a short ride. I decided the perfect route would be to nearby Kenneth Hahn Park in the Baldwin Hills. This 400-acre park atop some sizable hills in the midst of a large metropolis offers great views. I used to think there was no way to ride a bike to this park until a group ride I was on a couple years ago took us there. I was delighted to be able to show this route to El Cochinito (who otherwise knows his way around L.A. more thoroughly than I do). He also hadn’t been to this park in well over 20 years, since before the basin at the top had been made into a grassy meadow. This was once the site of a reservoir that spilled down the hillside in 1963 when a dam broke and the ensuing disaster took five lives and damaged over 200 homes.
We then descended gleefully down into Leimert Park to enjoy one of my favorite local cafes. If you like some flavor and a hint of spice in your coffee like I do, I strongly recommend the Cinnful Coffee. Their coffee cake is a delicious accompaniment.
What looks like a dead-end street actually goes through via a small bridge for pedestrians & bikes.
Control No. 8: 11/17/19 – The Free Cafe in Leimert Park in South Los Angeles
Beverage: Iced Coffee
Bike-friendliness: It doesn’t get any friendlier than this – the host is a bicyclist who sets up the cafe in his backyard. Bikes are welcome, and can be leaned against the fence along the driveway.
Mileage: 7
Outfit: Sirena Nuu-Muu dress over Shimmering Sapphire Bloomers
Approaching the bridge from the south is much prettier.
Notes: The Free Cafe is a friend’s project intended to cultivate community. He invites all his neighbors to come to his yard for coffee and conversation about once a month. Occasionally, he sets up the Free Cafe at other locations, such as parks or other host homes. I enjoy riding there, as it’s only 3 miles from home, and it takes me on some bike-friendly streets through pretty neighborhoods, and over a small bridge that crosses the freeway. I love going over this bridge, because it is a hidden delight.
Originally this was to be my celebratory “Eight is Great” ride, but I completely forgot to snap a photo of my bike or my coffee! I don’t think that made it any less great. In fact, it was a great way to cap another great season of coffeeneuring.
The following week, I was able to sport my new socks!
Transportation is an essential part of how we get things done. Most of the errands we run in our regular daily lives involve short trips. Those trips can often be done more easily by bicycle, and yet, most are not. Sometimes we need a little nudge to help us see how easy it can be.
Enter the Errandonnee: a challenge organized and led by the woman behind Chasing Mailboxes and Coffeeneuring. She’s a randonneur, and loves to meld concepts to create new terms to describe her cycling challenges, which serve to encourage folks to keep biking during the off season. Errandonnee is a fun play on the combination of “errand” and “randonnee”. Like a randonnee, the errandonnee has a set of rules participants are to follow in order to successfully complete the challenge and document their achievements. For this one, participants must complete 12 errands over the course of 12 days, March 20th-31st. The errands must fall within at least 7 of 10 categories, and no one category may be used more than twice. It is permissible to carry out multiple errands in a single day, and there is no minimum mileage per errand. One need only report the total mileage for all 12 errands, and that total must be at least 30 miles. As if all that fun isn’t reward enough, you can even get a patch!
A patch from a prior year’s challenge
This is now my fourth year taking on the challenge. I have found that it is really quite doable, provided I set aside a little time for planning to make sure I hit a sufficient variety of categories. It’s easy to hit the “work” and “store” categories, and I have learned to let my dry cleaning (of which I tend to have very little) pile up so I can take it in as a “non-store” or “personal business” errand. Also easy is “personal care”, as I can always count a recreational ride in that category. Going to an event or meeting a friend for dinner is an easy “social call”. The category that entices and intrigues me, is the “you-carried-WHAT-on-your-bike”. Some errandonneurs have come up with remarkable feats of bicycle transport of sizable loads, and I would love to make my own mark in that category. But, no, I’ve managed nothing more than a giant load of dry cleaning, or several bottles of wine. Perhaps this year I can redeem myself. Then again, perhaps I should just concede this category to one of the cargo bike riders.
Let’s see now, what did I leave out? Other categories are: “arts & entertainment”, “wild card”, and a new one, “peaceful everyday actions”. Yesterday (March 21st) I pulled out my calendar to consider the activities already planned or under consideration, and began making a list of places I’m likely to bike to in the remaining days of March. My list was pretty easy to make. I’d had already taken care of three errands, with two in the “work” category (yesterday’s and today’s commutes), and one run to the “store” on my way home from work yesterday. I think my problem this year is going to be figuring out how to keep it interesting and not too easy.
Observation: We don’t often get overcast skies here in Los Angeles. I noticed today how much cooler and darker the ride home feels under such skies, even when the temperature is rather warmish.
#2, #3: March 21st; Commute to the office (work); stop at store for groceries (store);
Observation: Those ready-to-eat roast chickens available at the grocery store on my way home from the office are wonderful when you need a simple, easy dinner, plus they are easy to carry in a bike basket!
#4, #5: March 23rd: Transport several samples of Bikie Girl Bloomers to my office (personal business); take package to post office for shipment (non-store errand);
Observation: Although the logistics involved in selecting, organizing, and sending samples out of state, plus coordinating with the recipient, are cumbersome and overwhelming, the excitement of having my Bloomers appear in a Bike Fashion Show (at the Pedal Power Bike Expo in Olympia, Washington) is exciting enough to make it all worthwhile!
#6, #7, #8: March 24th: Ride to downtown Los Angeles to attend the March For Our Lives (peaceful everyday action); stop on return at Whole Foods for groceries (store); bike date with El Cochinito to attend the 20th Anniversary celebration of Peace4Kids at Fais Do Do (arts & entertainment);
Observations: seeing families marching together for safety gives me hope; buying fresh produce makes me want to take better care of myself; and seeing people who give their time to help those in need makes me want to be a better person; I really appreciate it when the authorities close off downtown streets from cars – what a great way to ride through downtown L.A.
#9, #10: March 25th: Bike to start and home from finish of a group training ride (personal care); Attend BUSted Storytelling’s 4th Anniversary show at Stories Books & Cafe (arts & entertainment);
Observation: pushing myself (and failing) to climb longer and steeper hills than I can (on the 3rd super-climb, I had to walk the last part of the hill) is still an important part of my self-care — it tells me that I really did do my best, and gives me a goal for next time (I’m so impressed with my ride, I took a screenshot of the route as recorded on Strava); biking to Stories later that same day was still possible even though my legs were feeling it!
#11: March 26th: Women on Bikes Culver City coffee meet up (social call); plus a bonus errand, see below;
Observation: getting up early and heading out on the bike when it’s still cold and dark may be painful, but the fun of riding on a car-free path (Ballona Creek Bike Path) and socializing over coffee makes it all worthwhile. Must do this more often.
I must give credit to a new bike friend, Audrey, whom I met on the group training ride that was #9. She was eager to meet other members of the local bike community, so I had extra motivation to make #11 and #12 happen. Both of these require a certain commitment to getting up early so I can make it to a meeting that is a half hour or an hour from home. Knowing that someone else was expecting me to show up and make introductions prevented me from making excuses or backing out.
BONUS ERRANDS!
Thanks to my thoughtful advance planning for this year’s errandonnee, I knew that my 12th and final errand would be the March 28th social call to join the folks at Camp Coffee. I’ve been wanting to increase my biking miles this year, and nudging myself to get up early for Camp Coffee is a great way to add a chunk of miles int he middle of my week. So, when a few additional errands presented themselves before that day, I decided to treat them as “bonus errands”. Beside, I just wasn’t ready to be finished so soon. It’s too much fun to just tick each one off the list and stop.
BONUS #1: March 26th: Visit to my local bike shop for adjustments (wild card);
Observation: I like maintaining a good relationship with the owner of the shop where I bought my Bianchi last October, and I like maintaining my bike. I’m not so good at the DIY approach with the updated technology since my youth, so I’m happy to have the mechanic make sure it’s done right. After a gentle fall on the group ride the day before, I was concerned that something might be a little off, so I had him check it for me. He said only the rear brake was in need of a little adjustment, but everything else was fine (I’m always nervous if the bike falls to the derailleur side). Since he didn’t charge me for it, I used this as an excuse to buy a spoke light so I’ll be ready for my next nighttime social ride (when all the cool kids light up their bikes).
BONUS #2, #3: March 27th: ATM (personal business), and attending the neighborhood association meeting (wild card);
Observation: It is important to participate in civic discussions when we know there will be NIMBYs and nattering nabobs of negativity trying to shut down any change. The meeting was to discuss a proposed new development immediately adjacent to our lovely historic neighborhood. I don’t like it when developers get waivers to get around all the zoning requirements designed to preserve a neighborhood’s character (as often happens in L.A.), but I also don’t like it when new housing is perpetually blocked by NIMBYs who want it to be done elsewhere. That’s how we end up with urban housing crises. I was happy to learn that, despite all the angry neighbors complaining about the project, the developers have taken a very progressive and “green” approach to their proposal. They are including more set-back, more off-street parking, and fewer units than zoning allows, plus they will include electric car sharing and bike parking, and amenities aimed at attracting families.
I couldn’t bring myself to snap a photo of the actual meeting – it ran so long, and I just wanted to get the bleep out of there! My only photographic evidence shows one of the yard signs announcing the meeting that I passed as I was biking over there.
Although I listed this bonus errand under the “wild card” category, it inspired me to propose a new category for next year: “civic engagement”. Attending meetings like this, working for safe streets and bicycle infrastructure would also count. Many of this year’s errandonneurs, including myself, also participated in a public march to voice concerns about civic issues (in this case, gun violence). It seems to me, we could support a separate category for these activities.
So, TA-DA! There it is: another successful errandonnee challenge completed! Total mileage for all errands combined was 40 miles. Even if we subtract the 4.5 miles of “bonus” errands, it still easily meets the 30 mile minimum.
The question for reflection: was that a challenge? Can I call it a challenge if I had so much fun just doing activities I (mostly) would have done any way? I think so, and for two reasons. First, it was still a challenge to plan and organize how I would hit the variety of categories and fit it all in to the 12 days. Second, I know that I biked more miles and did more social activities than I would have without the errandonnee challenge influencing my decisions. I see no reason why that fact that I finished ahead of schedule and had a blast doing it should negate the accomplishment.
Once again, thank you, Mary, for the inspiration! And thank you to the fellow errandonneurs for their inspiring posts shared on Facebook and Instagram. A great way to grow my network of bike friends. I am so excited for my new patch!
The resolution will not be motorized! My new year’s resolution, that is; wherein I resolve to bike more miles this year. I want to do more rides, and I want to do longer rides.
I had so much fun checking out various donut shops during this past Coffeeneuring season, it left me wanting more. There were so many donut shops on that list from the L.A. Times that inspired my donut quest last Fall, and some of them rather far from home. I had particularly wanted to visit The Donut Man, and then realized that it’s in Glendora, a good 32-37 mile bike ride (one way) from my house, depending on the routing. I thought a ride of that distance would be best undertaken on a holiday, when traffic is light, and it’s easy to devote the entire day to riding. And as long as you’re devoting the whole day to riding, why not break up the ride with a couple more stops at other donut shops along the way? And biking for donuts is fun; I could invite my friends and make it a social ride, perhaps a full-fledged EVENT!
That’s more or less how this idea was born. I imagined knocking several of the remaining donut shops off my list of places to try in one cross-metropolis sweep, starting at Blue Star in Venice, hitting one of the many options in Mid-City, swinging by Donut Friend in Highland Park, and ending at The Donut Man in Glendora. I started planning such a ride for New Year’s Day, a holiday for which I rarely have anything planned anyways. I don’t even like to party on New Year’s Eve, so getting up early for a bike ride the next day would be no problem.
Then it occurred to me that some, perhaps many, donut shops might be closed on New Year’s Day. So I figured I’d better make some phone calls. I was relieved to find out that Blue Star Donuts would indeed be opening, albeit at 9:00, on New Year’s morning. After learning that my two most appealing destinations, Donut Friend and Donut Man, would both be closed on New Year’s Day, however, more research was required. Another one on the list was Monarch Donuts in Arcadia, but they close at noon, and according to the LA Times, they can sell out even before noon. That’s too far to ride with any hope of getting there in time, even without the holiday, especially with a group. I still very much wanted to do an epic cross-metropolis donut ride on New Year’s Day, but I would have to be willing to extend my list of potential destinations beyond those listed in the LA Time article.
On further review of the LA Times article, though, I discovered The Donut Hole. It hadn’t caught my eye on the first read, as it is located in La Puente. I really didn’t know where the bleep La Puente is, but it just sounded like it must be really far away. And now, the potential distance is precisely what makes it a worthy contender. It wasn’t just written up for its good donuts, however, the LA Times calls it an “architectural landmark” that was built in 1968. It’s a drive through that passes through two giant fiberglass donuts! Who wouldn’t want to ride their bike through that?! The distance seemed about right: 38 miles from Blue Star in Venice. By this point, I was getting rather excited.
But where to stop on the way? In Mid-City, I had considered SK Donuts, a place so many have raved about, one that was on the LA Times list, and certainly one I’ve been wanting to try. I rode past it one Sunday morning while out for a spin, and noticed a very long line of waiting customers. Also on the list was Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts, recommended for a delightful variety of creative flavors that go beyond mere novelty, and actually taste good. My telephone research led to the news that SK was getting ready to close for remodeling, but Trejo’s would be open on New Year’s Day, so that made the Mid-City choice easy.
Looking at a map of the LA area, it seemed East Los Angeles would be the logical midpoint between Hollywood and La Puente. Yet nothing in East LA had appeared on the LA Times list, giving me pause. Maybe they aren’t into donuts in that part of town? I turned to the google, and read reviews. There were two shops that seemed to have fairly consistent positive reviews, although nothing that stood out as stellar. I jotted down the names and numbers on an old envelope to carry with me so I could call when I had a chance.
Beloved and yellowed article I saved from a September 2017 issue of the L.A. Times
You see, I had been talking up this plan for an epic donut ride with my various bike friends since November, but now it was getting into the latter part of December, and I was about to leave for an 8 day trip to Cuba, returning late on the 30th. I always meant to set aside some time to get this route sorted out, but there was always something big that I had to deal with first. We had a big family trip to Orlando the week of Thanksgiving, celebrating my mother-in-law’s 90th birthday. And any time I’m getting ready to go out of town for a stretch, I have to scramble and make sure all my work is done that has to be done in time for various deadlines for my clients. So the last week before a trip and the first few days after are always busy. Then we were hosting our annual pig roast party on December 9th, featuring an artist friend who comes to visit from New York and help with the party preparations the week before. Plus El Cochinito and I had a wedding anniversary to celebrate on the 10th. Next thing I knew, I was scrambling to get work done before the Cuba trip, which is extra challenging, since I know I won’t be able to get online very readily while I’m there. So that’s how I ended up planning this while on my way to the airport as I was getting ready to head to Cuba, just 10 days before the big ride, eager to post updates to the Facebook event page before I boarded my flight to Havana.
One of the two East LA shops I’d identified was not going to be open on New Year’s, but the other was, so that settled it. I was pleased with the way the route had worked out: we should be able to burn off one donut’s worth of calories (more or less) with the 12+ miles of biking between each shop. And the distance would be no problem with built-in rest stops along the way. I know it’s risky to host a group ride without first testing out the route, but I figured we’d manage if a route adjustment became necessary on the fly.
I was excited to check in with my Facebook event page as soon as I returned from Cuba. We had a nice little group forming. I had shared the event with a variety of cycling groups, because, why not? As it turned out, everyone who had decided to participate was a friend I already knew, so I didn’t have to get nervous about the possibility of someone bringing mysterious expectations or strange vibes into our ride.
I got up bright and early, making sure I had everything I would need as a responsible ride leader: cue sheets, water bottle, empty travel coffee mug that fits into my second bottle cage (because I can never finish a cup of coffee that quickly), sun screen, lights, reflective vest, jacket, leg warmers, power bank, handle bar bag, pannier basket, helmet. I had even loaded a route on my phone in both Google Maps and RideWithGPS, just in case one system worked better than the other. I wanted to be sure I left the house in plenty of time to be the first one to arrive at Blue Star Donuts, and I had an 11 mile ride to get there. This meant leaving the house by 7:45 or so, when it was still quite cold out.
Biking from Koreatown to Venice between 7:45 and 8:45 on New Year’s morning is smooth sailing! I have never seen Venice Boulevard so quiet. None of the usual bikes versus cars battle for the bike lanes to which I have, unfortunately, grown accustomed. I did see a few cars out, and expressed my gratitude with a friendly wave whenever a driver made a point of waiting for me to pass before pulling into the lane from a side street or driveway. There was one driver who was either clueless or heartless in the way he started his car in the parking lane just alongside the bike lane in Mar Vista as I rolled by, began driving slowly in parallel with me but just a ways behind me, and then made a right turn immediately in front of me, cutting me off. I watched in amazement, yelled, “HELLOOO???!!”, and was grateful that I had been able to stop before colliding with his car. If I wasn’t awake before, I certainly was now!
The gods of the traffic lights were good to me, and I made it to Blue Star in plenty good time. I snapped a bike portrait in front of the shop and posted it to Instagram. Soon others began to arrive. I got me a cinnamon donut and some coffee to fill my travel mug. The donut was divine. Blue Star gets major points for presentation; their display case is quite chic. This is a donut shop worthy of a return visit. So many flavors that beg to be tasted!
We ended up having a nice group of 7 riders. Here’s the official start photo (minus Jennifer, who’d been last to arrive and was probably inside getting her donut when this photo taken):
Ready to roll: Francois, Lynn, Alison, me, Joni (not pictured: Jennifer & Michelle)
We rode up Venice Boulevard all the way to Cochran Ave in MidCity, where we headed north. We zigged and zagged a bit into Hollywood, arriving at the bright pink Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Highland. Word to the wise: Trejo’s does not have a public restroom for customer use. There is a Mobil gas station catty corner from Trejo’s, so several riders headed over there for relief. Trejo’s has a remarkable variety of donut flavors, and I couldn’t resist trying one of the more unusual ones. I bought a bottle of ginger kombucha (that I could only handle a few sips at a time – it lasted me all day and then some) and a margarita donut. It really tasted like a margarita – rather tart, but with a lovely, light donut texture. Glad I tried it, but I would not get it again. There are other flavors to try.
Jennifer flashes a peek at the Pinka Dot Black Bloomers under her jeans, while Alison flashes her nasty woman tee shirt.
Our bikes parked outside Trejo’s; my margarita donut and giant bottle of ginger kombucha wait in my basket pannier.
The full group outside Trejo’s: Lynn, Michelle, Jennifer, Alison and Francois, with Joni & me down in front.
Alison, who had started from her Santa Monica home, decided this was a satisfactory end point for her, and took advantage of the convenience of a bus she could catch right there on Santa Monica Blvd to expedite her trip home. A couple of the others who also aren’t accustomed to longer rides were thinking they would ride at least to the next shop, and I was glad folks had embraced the invitation to join for as much of the ride as they wanted. We said farewell to Alison, and ventured on toward downtown.
From downtown L.A., we took 1st Street over the L.A. River and into East Los Angeles to Sun Donut. Readers tempted to repeat our route are advised that this establishment also lacks a restroom for customer use. We had to travel a significant distance to find a public restroom. Plan accordingly!
Sun Donut is a win for value shoppers. Donuts at this cash-only shop are only 75 cents, and a bottle of water was one dollar. I had a chocolate glazed donut, which was perfectly satisfactory. The woman at the counter was the least friendly server we encountered on this day’s adventure. Not rude; just unamused and disinterested. I bought the bottle of water after she informed me that, no, she could not refill my water bottle for me. I found this donut shop to offer nothing to complain about, and nothing to rave about.
My chocolate glazed donut looked better before I got reckless carrying it in the little sack.
I was excited for the next, and longest, leg of our ride. The trip to La Puente took us along a short stretch of the Rio Hondo Bike Path, and later a few miles along the San Gabriel River Trail. I hadn’t been on these paths before, and it’s nice to be off the streets for a stretch. The longer stretch of bike path also provided an opportunity for Lynn and Francois, our strongest riders, to let loose and go for some speed.
Regrouping as we begin on the San Gabriel River Bike Path
The part after the trail was just as stressful as the river trail was peaceful. We had to ride on Valley Boulevard for two and a half miles, with high-speed traffic alongside us. Where we needed to, we took the full right lane, and sometimes rode on the sidewalk. At least on Valley Boulevard we were able to find a gas station (not the first one we tried, but another across the street) that had a restroom. By this point, all of us were in need of relief! Not too much longer after that pit stop, we made it to The Donut Hole. I have to say, as the place came into view, a wave of euphoria came over me. We had arrived at our target destination!
My moment of triumph! (Yes, that’s a Hitchable Flounce Skirt and Hot Pink Zebra Bloomers from Bikie Girl Bloomers.)
The giant donuts encircling the drive through shop are indeed an inviting spectacle. We rolled up the driveway and got in line behind the cars to go through and place our orders. The donut case is as long as the entire left wall of the building as you pass through. They offer a wide selection, from donut holes, to apple fritters, to conventional donuts, to giant flaky pastries. I got a giant flaky cinnamon twist and a cinnamon crumb donut and some chocolate milk! Each was entirely satisfying. The twist was so large, I was able to share it with others and still have plenty for myself.
Better than even the donuts, however, was the friendliness of the couple who served us. They were most welcoming of our group on bicycles as we came through the drive through tunnel. I told the gentleman we’d ridden our bikes all the way from Venice just to try his donuts, and he seemed duly impressed. He was also kind enough to step outside and take a group photo for us. I heartily recommend this place, and consider it well worth riding a bike from one end of Los Angeles County to the other!
Jennifer, Lynn, Joni, Francois, Michelle, and me
By this time, the sunlight was beginning to dim. We donned our jackets and/or reflective wear, and began the 7.3 mile ride north to the Irwindale Gold Line Station. By the time we got there, it was dark. This last leg of our ride brought our total mileage from the start at Blue Star Donuts to 50 miles. A half century donut ride to ring in the new year.
Note Joni’s coordination of the tee shirt with her awesome donut socks.
A special pleasure of this ride with our group was seeing the excitement on the faces of Michelle and Jennifer, both of whom had originally thought they would end their portion of the ride at Sun Donut. Neither had ever biked this far before, and on this day, they rode 50 miles! They did great, and it was fun to see them delight in the realization that they could ride farther than they thought they could.
We took the Gold Line to Union Station, and it was fun to fill the train will all our bikes. We were all glowing as we reveled in the satisfaction of a mission accomplished, and chatting with fellow passengers. From Union Station, Jennifer and Michelle transferred to trains that would get them close to home, and Joni, Lynn, Francois and I biked together from there. Joni had realized that biking the rest of the way home (or perhaps even just to the expo line) would bring her mileage for the day to 61, a personal goal of hers to mark her recent 61st birthday. I believe she ended up exceeding that goal by a few miles.
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It only occurred to me much later that all seven of us donut quest riders are over 50 years in age, with several over 60. This kind of fun isn’t just for kids, or rather, it’s for kids of all ages!
We all agreed that this should be an annual tradition.
Love the little bike symbols on the bike-friendly street signs, but apparently, it did not entice this gentlemen to ride on the street.
I recently attended a conference, and felt so lucky that it was being held in one of our nation’s top bike-friendly cities, AND during a week of fantastic weather! If you have to attend board meetings, there’s no better way to get there than by bike, except, of course, for taking the long way by bike!
For the last three years, I’ve been serving a term on the Board of Directors of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, also known as AIPLA. It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve, and it also means that, each of the three years, I attend the 3 stated meetings plus a board retreat, held in varied locations, as well as 3 additional day-long meetings at the AIPLA headquarters in Crystal City, Virginia. This makes for quite a bit of travel, and I have been determined to make the most of these excursions by working in some bike adventures whenever I can.
How’s this for bike-friendly infrastructure?
Last year’s AIPLA Spring Meeting just so happened to be held right here in Los Angeles, so I biked from my home to the JW Marriott in Downtown LA each day of the meeting. This year, the Spring Meeting was held in Minneapolis, a city designated as a gold level “Bicycle Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists, among other bikie accolades. Not only that, the meeting was being held right smack in the middle of Bike Week! When I realized that, I started looking into what Bike Week events I might be able to participate in while I was there.
I also got to work at finding the right place to stay. I am not a big fan of paying big bucks to stay at a standard, run-of-the-mill chain hotel room. A room in a Marriott or Hilton can look completely interchangeable with any other corporate chain hotel room in just about any other U.S. city. The tastefully bland decor can be a damper on the spirit, if not outright soul-killing. I prefer to book my stays at nearby bed & breakfast inns or boutique hotels. It means spending significantly less per night, plus staying in a charming place, and meeting interesting people. In most cities, I’m also able to rent a bike and see a bit of the city I’m visiting while commuting from my charming B&B to the conference site. It’s a real win-win-win. So far, I have biked to AIPLA meetings in Austin, Orlando, La Quinta, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington, DC, as well as L.A.
I also love trying out bike share in different cities, and I knew Minneapolis has a bike share system called Nice Ride. I was delighted to find that they offer a 30-day membership for just $18, so I signed up before my trip. Membership meant I could get a key for easier unlocking of a bike and 60 minutes of use per trip instead of 30. A great bargain. Nice Ride mailed me a code that I could use to obtain a key at a Nice Ride station once I was ready to begin using my new membership. I stowed that code in a safe place, or so I thought until I went to retrieve it and spent a few hours searching everywhere I could possibly imagine having been considered a “safe place”. Luckily, the kind folks at Nice Ride were happy enough to issue me a new code — by email this time — when I called to tell them I’d lost the code.
I stayed at LeBlanc House, a Victorian B&B just north of downtown. The house was built in 1896, and is just two blocks from a Nice Ride station. Even though I arrived in the wee hours, I got up early my first morning there, hopped on a Nice Ride bike, and rode to the south side of town for a coffee meet up. I’d reached out to various women in the Minneapolis bike community to explore the interest in a coffee meet-up, in the style I’ve written about before. I contacted people of the Minneapolis Bike Coalition, reached out via the Wheelwomen Switchboard, and emailed a blogger I found. Erin, a woman who responded on the Switchboard pointed me to a Facebook group for WTF cyclists in Minneapolis called Grease Rag Ride & Wrench, so I created an event page and invited that group. That post got lots of likes and started some conversation, but did not draw any others into the coffee plan. Both Erin and Lindsey, the blogger, participated in the coffee meet-up. Erin has lived in Washington, DC, and is already quite familiar with the Women & Bicycles Coffee Club tradition.
Even though I’d only slept for about 4 hours due to my late-night arrival, I was able to rise and shine early enough to make the journey to Peace Coffee on Minnehaha my first experience with Nice Ride. The weather app on my phone said it was 43 degrees outside, so I bundled up with tights and a trench coat. As it turned out, the morning sun was plenty warm and I was over-bundled.I was pleased to have given myself enough time to arrive just a couple minutes ahead of the scheduled 8 a.m.meeting time. I snapped a few pics of Peace Coffee, ordered my mocha & almond croissant, and settled at a central table that made me easy to find. Erin and Lindsey joined me, and we had a great time visiting. Erin shared her comparative experiences with biking in DC and Minneapolis, and Lindsey shared her passion for spreading bike love and making her own bike-friendly clothes. Of course, I had to pull out some samples to share of my Bikie Girl Bloomers.
Over-bundled for my morning ride
Peace Coffee on Minnehaha
Hangin’ with Erin and Lindsey
After Erin headed off to work, Lindsey and I stuck around while she interviewed me about biking in Los Angeles and the Bikie Girl Bloomers story.Afterward, she walked with me back to the Nice Ride station. We stopped briefly on the way to admire her nice custom bike made locally by Handsome Cycles. Lindsey is quite a delightful tour de force, full of great ideas for helping people, and the businesses who employ them, discover how easily they can work bicycling into their lives, improve health and productivity, and find their own win-win solutions. She’s also very efficient, as she posted the interview with me on her blog the very next day!
Lindsey with her Handsome bike
From there, I enjoyed a leisurely meander on Nice Ride back to LeBlanc House, making use of the Hiawatha Light Rail Trail, one of many bike trails in and around Minneapolis. This one took me into downtown right alongside some light rail tracks.
My route back from Peace Coffee
Hiawatha Light Rail Trail
Coming in to the City Center from the south.
Once in the city’s center, I soon found myself near the Old Mill Ruins, riding over wood planks. This area is right along the riverfront, with a view of the beautiful Stone Arch Bridge, one of the highlights listed on the Bike Bridges tour. Of course, I had to cross it! It’s a beauty and fed me right into a beautiful neighborhood greenway. I took great pleasure in all the bike-friendly features along my way.
Stone Arch Bridge
Riding the wooden planks by the Old Mill Ruins
Looking back over the Stone Arch Bridge from the north
Cute bike signs
Beautiful greenway
I was able to get in a much-needed nap before it was time to head to the downtown hotel for my first meeting associated with the conference. What would be my regular commute for the next four days took me into downtown via the picturesque Hennepin Avenue Bridge. Continuing on Hennepin Avenue into downtown was only moderately hectic, as the bike lane gives way to a lane with sharrows and lots of city buses. Shortly before my turn onto 10th Street, I passed State Theatre, whose marquis was advertising an upcoming opportunity to see a final performance of A Prairie Home Companion – so Minnesota!
Hennepin Ave Bridge
State Theater Marquis
Feelin’ floral in my Crazy Daisy Bloomers under the purple Hitchable Flounce Skirt
After an evening event at Hell’s Kitchen, I went to retrieve a Nice Bike from the docking station right across the street from the Hilton where the conference was being held. I’d switched bags for the ride back and realized I’d left my Nice Ride key in the other bag back at LeBlanc House. No problem, though, as I knew I could just swipe my credit card and get a bike through my membership that way. Except that the kiosk wasn’t responding – not to my credit card swipe or to any attempts to press the touch screen. No problem, though, as I knew there was another Nice Ride dock just around the corner. Except that kiosk had an unresponsive touch screen as well. I began to wonder if Nice Ride doesn’t operate after 10 pm. I called their number for assistance, and got a recording telling me it was after hours for customer service, but inviting me to leave a message. I let them know I was rather concerned about not being able to get out of downtown after 10 pm. I figured I would just start walking back toward LeBlanc House, and keep an eye out for another Nice Ride station. I did find another, but had the same problem at the kiosk.
Suzannah and Angie enjoying the reception at Hell’s Kitchen
I looked up and saw what I thought was the Hennepin Ave Bridge I’d come into town on, so figured I’d just walk the rest of the way. Except at some point, halfway over the bridge, I knew that was not the Hennepin Ave Bridge. I was not going over a river; I was going over a freeway. The neighborhood did not look very residential. In fact, it seemed like a rather creepy place for a woman to be walking alone at night without knowing where she was or how to get where she was headed. I was glad I’d already installed the Lyft app on my phone, and requested a ride. I immediately called the driver who was on his way to let him know I did not feel safe standing in place to wait for him — that I was going to keep walking, and we identified a good place ahead of me to meet. I made it back to LeBlanc House fine, but a bit miffed that Nice Ride had let me down.
The good folks at Nice Ride called me back the next day, terribly sorry for my troubles, and reassuring me that it was supposed to work any time of day or night. They did point out that, if I’d had my key with me, I wouldn’t have been limited by a malfunctioning touchscreen, so I made sure I always had it with me the rest of the week. While on the phone with me, they also noticed that I’d had a significant overage from the morning before and asked if I’d had a bike out for 3 hours. I told them I’d discovered my bike was still loose at the docking station where I’d parked it before my morning meeting when I returned to get another bike. They kindly credited my account to remove the overage charges, and advised me to be sure the bike was completely locked back into the dock whenever returning a bike to a dock.
I commuted back and forth between LeBlanc and the Hilton twice each day, finding that I always needed a nap in the early afternoon in order to recharge and get through the evening receptions. On Thursday, which was Women/Trans/Femme Day of Minneapolis Bike Week, I wanted to try to catch an event listed as part of that day’s schedule that would fit my free gap in the middle of the day. At the downtown farmer’s market, there was to be a free bike check and zap-tagging event running from 10-1. I got out of the Hilton around 12:15 and walked over to the market, except I had a heckuva time trying to find it and follow my Google maps walking directions. After wandering in a big circle for a half hour, I got real hungry and stopped at one of the many food trucks parked along 2nd Avenue. After enjoying the best brussels sprouts ever, I finally found the farmer’s market. The bike “event” was just one booth in the park where an occasional passerby would stop and inquire about zap tagging (used to count bicyclists). There was nothing about this event that was connected with the Women/Trans/Femme theme of the day, so I shrugged it off and went back to LeBlanc to attend to some work matters and grab me a power nap.
Free bike checks & ZAP tagging at the Farmer’s Market downtown.
Friday was great because I didn’t have any early meetings to attend. Finally, on my fourth morning at the bed and breakfast, I was able to take advantage of the breakfast offered and get to meet some other guests at LeBlanc. After dining with a couple in town from Ohio to attend their kid’s graduation and visit with old friends, the hostess was kind enough to give me and my suitcase a ride to the Hilton. I stowed my luggage at the hotel, and then took off on my much-anticipated bike adventure.
The Walker Art Center had been recommended to me, and wasn’t too far away, so I headed in that direction. I knew it likely wouldn’t be open when I got there, but figured I could at least explore the sculpture garden. The ride through Loring Park to get there was absolutely gorgeous. Ponds, bridges, gardens, park benches, all right there on either side of the bike path.
Loring Park
Loring Park
Walker Art Center
Then I found my way onto a bike path that runs along a very busy part of Hennepin Avenue, with Walker Art Center visible on the other side of many lanes of fast-moving traffic. Google maps wanted me to do something else, I wasn’t quite sure exactly what, but I saw a bridge up ahead and had to explore that. It was a fantastical contraption, a bit awkward to go up the ramp to get to the bridge, but a fun challenge to tackle with the clunky Nice Ride bike. I got up and over and found my way to the sculpture garden. Except the sculpture garden was fenced off and closed for renovation.
So I continued onward, knowing there were lakes off in the beyond somewhere, lakes completely encircled with bike paths. I saw a sign that announced Kenwood Parkway, an area that was lush and green, so I kept right on pedaling. Soon thereafter, I came upon a crossroads of bike paths to choose from. I saw that I could head left to take the Cedar Lake Trail, so I headed that way. After enjoying that trail for some good while, it dawned on me that I had best figure out where there might be a docking station, as soon my 60 minutes would be up. I consulted the Spotcyle app’s station map, and realized that going around Cedar Lake was not a practical option. Of course, going over the 60 minutes would simply mean incurring a surcharge, but I was a bit uneasy that I would underestimate just how long it would take to go all the way around Cedar Lake. I did have to get back to the Hilton for a meeting at noon!
Kenwood Parkway
Instead, I headed toward Wirth Lake, where I was able to dock the bike at a Nice Ride station and take a little break. There was a playground and a building next to the bike station, so I got real hopeful that there would be a place to get some desperately needed water. Whatever facilities beyond restrooms that the building is used for appeared to be shut down, perhaps waiting for the official start of Summer. At least there was a drinking fountain and a lovely shaded seating area.
Wirth Lake
From Wirth Lake, I continued north alongside the lake and then through a golf course to Plymouth Ave, a nice bike-friendly street that took me back toward the Mississippi River, north of the city center. I had a bike lane most of my way along Plymouth Avenue, and even a protected lane for part of it, with a well-marked zone to guide the transitional zone where cars must cross the bike lane to make a right turn. When I got to the river, I turned right and rode along the waterfront. So many bridges – it really was beautiful.
Protected bike lane on Plymouth Ave
Riding along the riverfront
Styleshot for Friday’s adventure: Pinka Dot Bloomers under black Hitchable Flounce Skirt
Friday adventure: Part One
Friday adventure: Part Two
I decided to arc in a big circle around downtown and then head back to the Hilton from the east. At one point, I missed a turn and went a little too far south, but was able to course-correct quickly enough to get back just in time for my meeting. Maybe not as epic an adventure as I’d hope to squeeze into my morning, but enough to give me a taste of how much there is to explore by bike in the Twin Cities area!
Took the light rail from downtown to the airport – got there at the same time as a group who’d left the hotel at the same time as me, but went by car.
This last week, the most exciting piece of mail arrived: my official Coffeeneuring patch! It arrived straight from the Chief Coffeeneur herself, all official-like and very classy. I do not yet have the slightest idea where to place it for its long-term home, but I knew I had to snap a photo. I laid my new patch against the solid brown skirt I was wearing, and realized that it coordinates quite nicely with the Blue Bandana Bloomers I had underneath. Naturally, I arranged it all to capture the pleasing compilation of complementary pieces. These things make me happy.
Lest anyone be misled into believing that I’m only one to go coffeeneuring when in the midst of official coffeeneuring season, be it known that I did in fact go on just such an excursion this past Sunday. My youngest son, who just turned 21, was in town for a week before returning to college for his Spring semester. He likes to bike, so long as it’s not too far nor too hilly. He has a Public bike that is well-suited for city transportation, and he has no interest in road bikes, wearing special spandex bike clothing, or exerting himself to take on a grueling challenge. I proposed a loop around Silver Lake, followed by breakfast at one of the many dining establishments that can be found along Sunset Boulevard.
I decided to take my Gazelle out for this ride, to better match the style of bike my son was riding. I’ve done the Silver Lake loop a few times, but only on my road bike. I knew we could avoid the fun hill on Hyperion, but I wasn’t sure if we would encounter any other hills that might be a bit much for this occasion. After all, Silver Lake is a very hilly area. As it turned out, we had just enough hill action to give us a little exercise, but nothing too discouraging or beyond the capabilities of our 7-8 speed bikes.
We were able to lock our bikes together around a signpost right in front of the outside seating area at Sunset Junction Coffee Shop. We were very happy with this choice of dining establishment. Noah had the Breakfast Quesadilla, and I had the Sunset omelet. I don’t usually go for omelets, but this one begged me to try it: bacon, sausage, mushrooms, cheese, and avocado. The bonus treat was the biscuit that came with it: one of the best I’ve had.
All in all, it was an excellent excursion. Noah was very pleased with the length and mild hills of our 14 mile route. We had perfect cycling weather (mid-sixties, light clouds). We had bike lanes and/or bike-friendly streets the entire way. And I got to spend some quality time with my son!
We may not have burned as many calories as we consumed, but we burned more than if we hadn’t done the ride at all!
And I enjoyed breezing through Silver Lake in one of my favorite styles from the Bikie Girl Bloomers collection:
This is the quick and dirty summary of my first experience of the Coffeeneuring Challenge. Listed below are the seven qualifying rides of my series. In addition to meeting the rule of going to a different coffee shop for each ride, I made a point of going to a different part of the Los Angeles area (or even farther in the case of #4). I also added a theme within the theme: wearing a different pair of Bikie Girl Bloomers for each ride.
What’s with the bloomers, you ask? This is a line of cute, comfortable, lightweight bike shorts I started once I realized this would be the perfect thing to wear under skirts and dresses when biking around town. If you are curious to try them out, please help yourself to a discount as my expression of love to all fans of coffeeneuring (voyeurs included). Use the code COFFEENEUR at check out and get 15% off any purchase of $50 or more at the Bikie Girl Bloomers online store.
Oh, yes, back to my listing of the official coffeeneuring rides. I’ve linked to the corresponding blog posts (click on the date) to make it easy to get more detail on each ride.
Weather conditions: Sunny & mild on the outbound leg; cool and dark on the return
Distance (complete trip): 10.9 miles
Qualifying Beverage & Bonus edible(s): Cappuccino & Ginger Molasses Cookie (the latter served in a coffee filter)
Bloomers of the day: Hot Pink Zebra Stripes (my route for this final ride may have been tame, but not my bloomers!)
Bike-friendliness: Accessible via bike-friendly streets. Sidewalk bike parking visible from both indoor and outdoor table areas. I had brought along my heavy duty locks, knowing that my bike could be vulnerable in this area, but visibility of the spot I got made me feel the extra lock was unnecessary.
Route map:
Notes:
As much as I would have loved to go out with an epic journey, my full schedule for the weekend just would not allow for a lengthy ride. I decided instead that it would be good to select a coffee shop in a part of town not yet covered in my prior coffeeneuring outings. I rather like that I have covered a fairly decent selection of places in different parts of the Los Angeles area, and it would be a shame not to include something from the mid-city area.
I was only going 5 miles from my home, so I made sure to at least vary my outbound and return routes, forming a loop of sorts. I started out heading west out of Country Club Park, then north into Hancock Park. This is a route I take for my morning commute. It’s a longer way to get to work, and well worth it because the streets are wide, and the big historic homes are beautiful.
My route this late afternoon differed from my commute in that I turned west instead of east when I got to 4th Street. This is a designated bike route that was supposed to be L.A.’s first bicycle boulevard/greenway. Although the street improvements have yet to be installed, and the pavement is in poor shape in many places, it does have sharrows and gets lots of bicycle traffic, without too many motorists. At 4th & La Brea, I snapped this photo of the statue of Lenin’s Head that is always a source of mild amusement.
I continued on past Park La Brea, crossing Fairfax, and then heading north into the area between the Fairfax Farmer’s Market and Beverly Center, to the corner of Beverly & Sweetzer.
Blue Bottle Coffee is described on Google Maps as a “hip café for gourmet coffee and pastries”, which seems in line with the vibe of the place. The counter area is quite designer-esque.
And near the entrance is an impressive display of gadgetry for the connoisseur seeking to perfect their home brew.
I like asking the barista what drink they recommend for someone trying their coffee shop for the first time. This one suggested I try the cappuccino, so I did. I also couldn’t resist trying one of the ginger molasses cookies on display.
Even the cup and saucer were artsy-cute. And my cookie was presented to me inside a coffee filter. Both the cappuccino and the cookie were delicious.
It was dark when I left, and I went further north one block to take Oakwood back east, all the way to McCadden, where I went south until I got back to the good ole 4th Street bikeway, which took me back into my neighborhood. The wide streets of Hancock Park are also pleasant for night riding. It’s dark, but there’s little traffic and the wide streets make it easy for what cars do come along to pass safely.
I arrived home feeling both a little sad, and a little proud, about completing my first coffeeneuring challenge. I look forward to doing it again next year.
Control No. 5: 10/28/19 – Bar Nine in Culver City
My chocolate glazed donut looked better before I got reckless carrying it in the little sack.
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