For my third time, I took on the Coffeeneuring Challenge, which is now in its seventh year. Successful completion of the Challenge requires some reporting, which brings me to this post. I find that it’s one thing to share a few photos in near-real-time for each adventure to the Bikie Girl Bloomers Instagram account and to the Coffeeneurs Facebook group, but I’ve yet to master the art of writing up a complete blog post soon after each ride, as some of the expert Coffeeneurs do. (I tell myself they must be retired, although that’s probably not the case.) I like to use the blog to present my full report, as my social media posts often leave out one or two of the required details, and I refuse to let the reporting get in the way of the actual experience!
Coffee-whatting you may ask? Click here for more complete information on this annual 6-7 week challenge during which participants visit 7 different coffee shops (or create their own special coffee shop experience) and report back on the distance traveled (a modest 2 mile minimum per trip), the bike-friendliness of the shop visited, and the coffee-ish beverage imbibed. It’s a fun way to keep the joy of bicycling as autumn weather sets in, and a great resource for learning from fellow cyclists about places to try new coffee-ish beverages. Best of all, it’s a wonderful way to experience community with fellow lovers of cycling & coffee around the globe. Sometimes I see posts from folks living in places I once lived, and it gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling of connection. Other posts make me want to add new destinations to my ever-growing bike-it list.
Each of the rides reported below was planned in accordance with my chosen theme for the 2017 challenge: The Donut Quest. Coffeeneuring is a theme unto itself, but participants are welcome to introduce a theme within a theme at their discretion. I love themes, and not much thought was required to arrive at this year’s theme. It was inspired by an article listing the best donut shops in the L.A. area that appeared in the Los Angeles Times on September 8, 2017. I knew right then and there I just had to explore these donut shops for myself.
I don’t make a regular habit of eating donuts. I’m more the type who doesn’t mind eating a donut if someone is offering one, but it’s not the sort of treat I regularly seek out. Somehow that made it appealing as a theme for my coffee rides, as it presented me with an excuse to explore something I otherwise wouldn’t. It seemed “safer” to explore donuts in conjunction with bike rides, as well, given that I would stand a better chance of burning most of the unnecessary calories one consumes when eating donuts (I figure I need to ride at least 10 miles per donut). I also like to explore different parts of the sprawling Los Angeles metropolis on my bike, and so I liked that the L.A. Times list included donut shops spread far and wide.
I know I can get a little chatty at times, so if you find my descriptions a bit much, you can get a summary of all my rides by scrolling from one bold-faced list of bullet points to the next. For me, choosing my route, encountering friends or foibles, discovering new things by bike, are all part of the joy of my urban bike adventures! Why do I include in my report which bloomers I wore? Well, you must understand that I wear them nearly every day, and this is my passion. And now, here are my 7 coffeeneuring/donut rides.
Control No. 1: October 14
- Bob’s Coffee & Doughnuts at the Original Farmer’s Market, Fairfax District, Los Angeles
- Beverage: Ice Blended Mocha
- Donut: Cinnamon Bun
- Bloomers: Wick-It Black Pettipants
- Distance: 10 miles
- Bike: Gazelle Tour Populaire
- Bike parking: Excellent
Several of the donut shops on the LA Times list are not far from my home, and Bob’s in particular is in a familiar location: the Original Farmer’s Market at 3rd and Fairfax. This market goes back to 1934, when some depression-era entrepreneurs thought it would be great to have a village-type experience where farmers could offer their fresh produce. The market includes a large number of permanent stalls, and includes a variety of merchants, not just farmers, where shoppers can buy everything from produce, cheese, and meats to toys, postcards, and gifts, as well as enjoy prepared foods from a large selection of restaurants. On the day I visited, I was treated to live music as well.
Since Bob’s is only a nudge under 4 miles northwest from my house, and the ride to the Farmer’s Market is rather familiar to me, I first had to consider how I might make the route a wee bit more interesting, and a nudge longer to meet my 10-mile minimum. Lately, I have been intrigued with working on a better route for riding parallel to Pico Boulevard, just a little south of me. Google maps always seems to think biking on Pico is acceptable, but trust me, it’s better to find alternatives, or at least be ready to use the sidewalk. So I zigzagged my way west and south, until the point where I needed to drop further south in order to be able to cross La Brea, a major north-south arterial that would be suicide to cross without a traffic light. For that, I had to leave the otherwise quite suitable 12th Street, and head south on Longwood to San Vicente, a street that angles northwesterly, and where a bike lane offers some protection from the fast-moving traffic. This street gave me a token hill to climb (does a ride really count if it’s completely flat?), and then carried me all the way to Cochran, a rather bike-friendly street for heading north through MidCity.
This got me to 3rd Street, a street with whom I have a conflicted love-hate relationship. Sometimes I just take the lane, because there are some places you can’t get to except via 3rd Street, and why shouldn’t I? Sometimes (especially at night) I ride on the sidewalk. Today, I took the lane, but the stress of it wore me down, and when I got to the last long block, I hopped over to take advantage of the paved path along the outside edge of Pan Pacific Park.
Then I faced the intersection that screams “NOBODY RIDES A BIKE TO THIS PLACE!!” It’s the access point to The Grove, the Disneyland-meets-Vegas of shopping malls, which was developed, quite intentionally, directly adjacent to the Original Farmer’s Market, creating a fascinating juxtaposition of authentic character and faux glitziness. This intersection is horrible because a continuous stream of automobiles is turning onto the very street I need to cross to access the shopping area, and they are turning from both the westbound and eastbound directions of 3rd Street. This means that, even when the light is green for bikes and pedestrians heading west to the mall and market areas, the threat of a right hook is ever-present. And it’s not as though routing yourself to the area from the north or the west would help, as all of the bordering streets are horrible.
Despite all the intimidation designed to discourage biking to this place, there is a refreshing abundance of bike parking at the Farmer’s Market (and also in the parking structure for the mall, for those wondering). I locked up my Gazelle, and began strolling though the Farmer’s Market, looking for Bob’s Doughnut shop. One can easily get lost in this place. There are a couple dozen merchants in addition to over 30 restaurants in this place, and the somewhat narrow aisles between stalls can get crowded. I found Bob’s and gawked at the doughnut selection, trying to remember which one the LA Times had recommended. I asked the server what she recommended for a person trying this place for the first time. She suggested the apple fritter, or the cinnamon bun, as well as the classic glazed, but that bun looked good to me. Since it was a hot day, I went for the ice blended mocha as my beverage, and took my treats over to the other end of the market, where a live band was performing.
Between the people-watching and the music, it was a lovely place to enjoy my treats. The cinnamon bun had all the delightfully light texture and sweetness of a quality glazed donut, with just enough cinnamon to qualify as a cinnamon bun. I liked that it was not the kind that gets gooey by the time you get to the middle (although that type of cinnamon roll has its place). I tried to mark the occasion of my opening entry into this year’s Coffeeneuring series with a ceremonial dunking of my donut in my drink, but that turned out be be a bit awkward, given the size of my cinnamon bun and the thick texture of my drink. This would surely work much better with a normal donut and a normal cup of coffee. But it’s just too hot and sunny on this Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, so I could not imagine drinking a hot beverage today. Although the ice blended mocha offered an element of refreshment, the blended part was a bit too thick, and it wasn’t something I would order again. A simple iced coffee would have been a better choice.
I took advantage of being at the market to get some necessaries for home. I don’t normally patronize butcher shops, but thought it would make for a nice treat for el Cochinito and me to get some quality goods for our dinner. He has a thing for pork chops on the bone that are sliced more thinly than the usual way they are provided at the grocery store. I asked the butcher if he could cut some to about half the thickness of the pork chops in his display case, and he obliged. I had never watched pork chops being cut before. It was a surprise for me to see the huge piece from which the chops were cut. I also got a few other choice items from the case, and then went over to the produce market, making sure I knew how much room remained in my basket before I got too carried away with the vegetables. It turned out I was able to fit quite a good bit of loot in my pannier basket.
It occurred to me that I could try avoiding the stress of biking on 3rd Street by heading north out of Pan Pacific Park, which is just across the street that borders the west edge of the Farmer’s Market and The Grove shopping mall. It was a nice day to ride through the park, passing children on the playground and men playing soccer. I enjoyed heading east on Oakwood, and adding a modest extra mile or two to my return trip.
Perhaps the most rewarding part of this successful first ride to open Coffeeneuring season was the delicious pork chop dinner el Cochinito cooked up for us that evening.
Control No. 2: October 15
- Dad’s Donuts & Bakery, Burbank
- Beverage: Iced Mocha
- Donuts: Buttermilk Bar and Cronut
- Bloomers: Shimmering Sapphire
- Distance: 34.5 miles
- Bike: Bianchi Volpe
- Bike parking: None; improvised with cable wrapped around light post
My second Coffeeneuring ride of the season took me to Dad’s Donuts & Bakery in Burbank. I was excited for this first Coffeeneuring ride on my new bike, a Bianchi Volpe I bought just a week prior as a replacement for the Specialized Dolce Comp that was stolen the month before. As painful as it was to lose my beloved Dolce – we shared a lot of great memories since I got her in 2004 – it was delightfully exciting to explore my new choice in the road bike category. I had not done any long or strenuous rides since the acquisition, and this was my first test that would really tell me whether I’d made the right choice. The Volpe did not disappoint.
One donut shop that made the LA Times list was in Burbank, a city over in the San Fernando Valley (aka, “the valley”), a place I don’t visit often, and a place that it is easy to turn one’s nose up at from my side of Mulholland. In fact, my only real exploration of Burbank occurred by bicycle during my first stab at Coffeeneuring in 2015, and it gave me a nice appreciation of this suburb to my north. Yes, the valley still has its multi-lane roads that seem to do nothing more than take you from one strip mall to the next, offering little in the way of character, or inviting places to wander, but it also has some nice tree-lined residential streets, and the lovely Verdugo Hills along its northeast border. I happen to like the way you can get to Burbank by biking through Griffith Park, my go-to place for bike rides when I just want to ride without having to plan a route. So I knew where to start for this one, and I knew it would get me a ride with some decent mileage.
I love the bike lanes that await me when I head north out of Griffith Park and turn onto Riverside Drive. The road is nice and wide, and pretty, and in addition to the bike lane, there is some special infrastructure for those traveling on horseback. The north end of Griffith Park includes a horse stable, where folks can rent horses, and this is just one of the riding stables in the area. I post some pics of the special separate bike and horse lanes (and signal indicators) in my 2015 post about biking in Burbank.
I didn’t have to go far from there to get to Dad’s Donuts. Like many donut shops, it sits in an unassuming strip mall. I couldn’t find a bike rack anywhere in the vicinity, but I did find a light post secured in a large concrete base. Luckily, I had the heavy duty cable that came with my kryptonite lock, and was able to use that to secure my bike. Although it was less than ideal bike parking, I felt quite confident that my bike would be safe there.
Inside I found a wide selection of donuts to choose from, as well as a variety of baked goods, including bagels, muffins, and bread. It was difficult to choose between the Buttermilk Bar, which was recommended by the LA Times, and the cronut, so I got one of each. They were both heavy and quite filling, but anything I can’t finish is likely to be welcomed by el Cochinito when I get home. As if that weren’t enough for my sweet tooth, I once again fell for an iced mocha. This one wasn’t put through a blender, and the “mocha” part was a generous pour of chocolate syrup that coated the sides of my cup. I found it quite refreshing on yet another hot day. Both the cronut and the bar were delicious, in a super dense and rich sort of way, and I was glad I was having them on a higher mileage day.
From there, I thought it would be fun to head west on the Chandler Bike Path, a nicely-paved and manicured bike path that follows along the Orange Line Bus Route. The Orange line is Metro’s way of providing subway-like service with a dedicated bus path that is separated from the main travel lanes that other vehicles use. I have only biked this path twice before, and couldn’t resist an excuse to ride it today. I figured I could take this over to Coldwater Canyon, a road I’ve taken to descend from Mulholland into Beverly Hills many times, but one I was a wee bit nervous about from the valley side. I figured I’d just give it a shot.
Did I mention it was a hot day? The high was 96 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was already noonish. I knew Coldwater Canyon would not be the most bike-friendly street, but I took to mentally preparing myself for that, and being ready to use my best urban biking skills. I was feeling the heat, and noticed an ATM, so decided to make a quick stop to get some cash and guzzle some water before I started south toward the climb. I had barely begun the climb when I realized that both the heat and the traffic were bothering me. I noticed a shady spot off to the right, so I pulled over and decided to hydrate some more, and make sure I felt ready to take on the climb. I took a good long rest, and made sure I felt up to it and ready. Although I felt quite re-energized as soon as I started pedaling again, it wasn’t long before the climb began to feel grueling. Coupled with the winding curves, narrow shoulder, and fast-moving car traffic, I was not enjoying it. This seemed notably beyond my current level of conditioning, or maybe I just can’t handle the heat. I decided to give myself permission to stop anytime I saw a space for it and felt the need to refresh myself again. I ended up stopping twice more on the climb, and after I each rest, I had the same experience of a disappointingly short burst of renewed energy. I found myself wondering why I’d chosen such a lousy route, wondering if I’d made a serious mistake, wondering if I was misjudging my ability to handle this climb, wondering if I was going to make it to the top, yet aware that I didn’t have much choice, as walking my bike up that hill would not be any safer.
When I finally got to Mulholland Drive, I was so relieved. I was also aware that I wan’t quite exactly sure how I would descend on the other side. I knew that Coldwater Canyon does a shift at Mulholland, where the northbound and southbound portions of this road don’t line up, and that I might be able to descend via Franklin Canyon by turning right somewhere near there, but I wasn’t quite sure where. I saw what looked to be that option, and I turned. I felt so thrilled to be done with that awful climb in the hot sun.
Heading down through Franklin Canyon was a welcome treat. It’s just plain beautiful. No more heavy traffic. No more grueling climb. And scenery to savor. Once I took in the beautiful surroundings, I wasn’t mad at myself for my choice of route any more. This was awesome, and tranquil, and just what I needed.
From there, I took a fairly direct route back home. I was feeling well aware that I’d done enough for the day, and remained eager to get out of the heat and be done with it. The ride left me feeling spent, but proud (and perhaps a wee bit stupid) that I’d powered through it.
Control No. 3: October 22
- District Doughnut, Barracks Row, Washington, D.C.
- Beverage: Iced Mocha
- Donuts: Dulce de Leche, Caramel Apple Strudel, Brown Butter
- Bloomers: Hot Pink Zebra
- Distance: 13.6 miles
- Bike: Capital Bikeshare
- Bike parking: Bikeshare docking station nearby; bike parking in front of shop
The next week, I was in Washington, D.C., for the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Annual Meeting. I go to this meeting every October, and last year, while in town for the meeting, I met fellow Coffeeneur Ilga at the Women & Bicycles Coffee Club. We had tried to coordinate a Coffeeneuring ride together during that visit, but our schedules just didn’t sync up. This year, my schedule was more flexible, and so was Ilga’s, so we were able to bike together to District Doughnut in Barracks Row, an area of D.C. I’d not seen before.
Ilga’s theme was meeting someone different for coffee each time, and so I was happy to contribute to her series, and glad she was open to participating in my donut theme. The trickiest part for me was finding an available bikeshare bike on this gorgeous Sunday. I had seen all the new dockless bike share bikes out on the sidewalks during the week, and had ridden one of the Mobikes back from a brunch date in Georgetown the day before. I was excited to perhaps get a chance to try one of the other dockless bikes for this ride, but quickly noticed that none were available. I knew I could just walk a short way to get to a Capital Bikeshare dock, if necessary, but those bikes were all gone as well. I walked from Woodley Park into Adams Morgan, and docking station after docking station was empty, and none of the dockless share bikes were around either. I finally found a bike, and grabbed it, deciding I would gladly pay overage charges if necessary in order to hang onto a bike for the full adventure.
That one last bike I found, however, was in rather poor shape, and I had a little time before I was scheduled to meet Ilga, so I tried to bike to another docking station near her place that the app showed had some bikes available. The problem was, the area has a lot of one-way streets, and I kept finding myself stuck going the wrong way. After a few frustrating loops, I finally back-tracked a block on the sidewalk to get to it, and made the switch. The new bike wasn’t much better, but I pedaled on, grateful to have a bike at all!
Ilga led the way south, toward the White House, and we headed east on Pennsylvania Avenue. I love that bike lane that runs right down the middle of the street, heading towards the Capital building. I noticed also that the bike lane has received some added improvements to better protect cyclists from turning cars. That’s the biggest drawback to a bike lane in the middle of the street: you have to guard against conflicts between vehicles crossing the bike lane as they make left turns or U-turns.
Barracks Row refers to a commercial district developed in the Eastern Market area of Capitol Hill. It’s close to the Navy Yard and some old Marine barracks, and in the vicinity is a large swath of new developments built in recent years as part of a revitalization effort after the area had experienced decades of decline. The biking was fine, except for navigating around an awkward freeway that cuts through that part of town.
District Doughnut is on this cute 8th Street SE, and directly across from the Marine barracks. It’s close to the intersection with I Street, where I was able to dock my bike. There was also a bike rack directly in front of District Doughnut, so Ilga was able to park her bike there. While bike parking was easy, choosing a donut was not. There were so many intriguing choices, I ended up getting four! I had to try to Dulce de Leche donut and the Caramel Apple Strudel donut, and I thought the Brown Butter donut looked good, too. There was also an odd-looking Everything donut. It looked just like an Everything Bagel, and that was the idea. I got that one for el Cochinito, who had joined me in D.C. for the weekend, but was holed up in our B&B for the day, grading papers for his students. He doesn’t have the same sweet tooth I do, so I thought he might like the more savory Everything donut. (I thought wrong, by the way; he thought it looked disgusting, and tossed it!) I think he preferred what was left of the others I tried.
For my beverage, I had a cold brew coffee with milk. Ilga had iced tea and some donut indulgence as well. The cold brew was good, and the Dulce de Leche donut was extraordinary. The Caramel Apple Strudel donut was my second favorite. Those two were so decadent, the Brown Butter donut seemed a bit plain, but it may have been overshadowed by the richness of the other two.
We had a nice ride back, riding past lots of large new residential towers, and went farther west to check out a new development along the waterfront. There was a huge amount of bike parking in the new commercial district, which looked quite vibrant. I would have stayed and explored with Ilga, but I needed to get back to meet up with el Cochinito for our evening plans. I was nicely positioned, however, to curve up Maine Street to the Mall area, and catch 15th St NW to head north back toward Woodley Park.
Control No. 4: October 29 – Double Trouble!
- Cofax Donuts & Coffee, Fairfax District, Los Angeles AND Birdies, Downtown Los Angeles
- Beverages: Macchiato and Nitro Cold Brew
- Donuts: Cornflake and Pistacchio-Lemon-Thyme
- Bloomers: Dazzling Amethyst
- Distance: 44.6 miles
- Bike: Bianchi Volpe
- Bike parking: Excellent; both places had bike parking right in front of shop
Today I doubled up on the donut quest, and tried two coffee/donut shops to celebrate an enjoyable climb up Nichols Canyon. This ride also served as my redemption and reassurance that I can still climb hills, especially when it’s not 96 degrees out. I also got a nice early start this day, because I knew I would have to ride on Mulholland Drive, and the earlier I do that, the less traffic there will be. I also had plans for later in the day, and wanted to be sure I had plenty of time for my climb and my coffeeneuring stop beforehand.
Nichols Canyon is one of my favorite climbing rides, but I don’t do it that often (and I don’t do climbing rides that often, which doesn’t help my conditioning or my confidence, and hence leads to less inclination to do climbing rides). It was a nice cool morning, with a heavy marine layer keeping the air damp. I was grateful, as I was itching for a long ride, and did not want heat and sun wearing me down.
The climb was immensely satisfying. I was pleased with both my stamina and my new Bianchi Volpe. I wanted this new bike to be suitable for challenging rides and also sufficiently comfortable for longer touring rides (of which I hope to do more). My last road bike was so nimble, and allowed me to feel strong on climbs. I wasn’t sure yet if the Volpe would give me that same feeling. I’d felt so weak on the Coldwater Canyon ride a couple weeks earlier, I needed to try another climbing ride, and one that I could compare to previous climbs up the same road on my old bike.
I was pleased to find myself spinning comfortably up the switchbacks, and glad that I never felt strained until I got to that last block up Woodrow Wilson, which connects Nichols Canyon Road with Mulholland Drive. That block is super steep, but short enough that I’ve always been able to muster what I needed to get up it. I was so excited when I got to that point, I just kept my focus on the nearest bit of ground before me, knowing that soon I would be at the top. Once I got there, I was certainly very winded and in need of a rest, but thrilling in the triumph.
I rode along Mulholland, grateful for a clean shoulder to ride on and a fairly low traffic morning. I’d noticed my rear brake was still squeaking as it had when I first brought it home from the bike shop, so I decided to stop at one of the pull-outs and adjust it before I get to the downhill part of my ride. The place where I pulled off had some pretty cacti, so I made that the backdrop for my proud-moment-bike-portrait. Normally, I would snap a photo with the view of the valley, but the marine layer was still thick enough to completely block that view.
I was able to get rid of the squeak from my brake and get on my way. I like to descend from Mulholland on Coldwater Canyon. This drops down into Beverly Hills, which has nice, wide streets lined with big trees and mansions to gawk at, a part of the ride I always enjoy.
From there, I made my way to the Fairfax district, to visit Cofax Coffee and taste their cornflake donut. It tastes better than it sounds. It was actually light and fluffy, compared to some of the densely rich donuts I tried on other rides. The cornflake topping is not overdone, nor is it overly sweet. It was a light, delicate donut with a little sweet, crunchy topping, rather than being all about the cornflake idea. The macchiato I had with it was good, and it was nice to have a warm coffee drink on a Coffeeneuring ride for once. Somehow that feels more legitimate.
Cofax is a tiny shop, and I felt very lucky that I was able to get one of the two seats at the window, facing the street. The place has very little seating, and most of it is in the midst of the line of folks waiting to place their orders. Fairfax is not a bike-friendly street, but I was able to ride on the sidewalk as needed, and to park my bike at a good rack right in front of Cofax Coffee.
I had kept my plans fluid, not knowing how I would feel after the Nichols Canyon ride, and whether I might need to stop at home afterward. But I was feeling good, and so I decided to extend my ride so I could sync up with my friend, Joni, when she would be arriving in downtown LA., a good 8 miles away. Riding in to downtown would also give me a chance to check out Birdies, another donut shop on the LA Times list.
I began to realize my timing was off, and that I would get to downtown far too early, so I figured I could head south a bit before heading east. This seemed like a good time to explore the east end of the Expo Line Bike Path, which opened last year. Although I’ve ridden it many times, I had only taken it from La Cienega west to Santa Monica. When I got to the La Cienega Expo Line Station, I was dismayed to realize that the skinny little bike lane I had seen on Jefferson Blvd IS the east end of the Expo Line Bike Path. The part of the new bike path I’d been on is a paved and mostly-off-street path as it follows the Expo Line through Culver City, west L.A. and Santa Monica, but apparently they were not able to make it as nice for the rest of the route.
So I took that skinny little bike lane all the way to the University of Southern California (USC), cut through the USC campus, and on into downtown. Once I got to Birdies, I was pleased to see that, once again, I was able to lock my bike to a good rack right in front of the donut shop.
At Birdies, I wanted to try the pistachio-lemon-thyme donut that was mentioned in the LA Times. I also got a cute panda donut that I figured I could deliver to Joni when I met her, or perhaps take home to el Cochinito. Joni had mentioned not wanting to be late for a 4 pm concert, so I figured I could bring her a donut, in case she did not have time for a donut run. The pistachio lemon thyme donut was a bit disappointing for me, as it tasted very strongly of lemon, and I could not really taste the pistachio or the thyme. I would have preferred more balance to the strong lemon flavor. The mocha I had to drink with it, however, was quite good.
I thought I had a little extra time before meeting Joni, so I planned out a little loop around downtown. As I headed northeast on the Olive Street bike lane, however, I heard a little plop sound. I turned around and saw that, sure enough, my box with the panda donut had fallen off my rear rack. My bungee cord was not holding it securely enough. So, I turned around and walked my bike back to where the box was sitting in the middle of the bike lane. Then a Prius pulled into the bike lane, heading straight for my donut box! I waved my arms, then put my hand up out in front of me, and screamed to the driver, “STOP!!” The driver initially stopped, and looked at me quizzically. I glanced under her car and was relieved to see that she had not run over my box; it was pretty much under the center of her car. I started to walk toward the car, intending to lean down and try to get the box, except I wouldn’t be able to reach it. I tried to tell the driver to please wait while I retrieve the box, but she never opened her window, and I suspect she just thought I was insane. Perhaps she was frightened by the hysterical cyclist walking up to her car, or maybe she just didn’t get it. She started driving again, and promptly ran over the donut box with her rear tire. I screamed at her as she drove on, seemingly obvious to the damage she’d done, and apparently also oblivious to (or unconcerned about) the illegality of driving in the bike lane.
I picked up the partly smushed box and peeked inside. The panda donut was rather disfigured, but not squished. It didn’t look like much of a panda any more. It hadn’t gotten dirty, though, so I figured I’d still keep it, if only to help me tell the story. I secured it back on the rear rack, or so I thought. One block later, I heard the plop of the box hitting the pavement yet again. This time I was able to retrieve it without incident, although it was beginning to seem like a pointless effort. Just as I was fumbling with the bungee cord and the donut box and my jacket and the bag with the bloomers, a nice woman, who’d apparently been watching from the sidewalk, walked over and handed me a plastic shopping bag. I put all of the items inside the bag, and that made it easier to get everything secured under the bungee cord. She not only helped solve my luggage problem, she restored my faith in humanity. I thanked her profusely.
As I proceeded on, I noticed the time, and decided I had better drop my planned loop and head over to the Pico station where the Expo Line train was bringing Joni into downtown. As it turned out, she had more time before the concert than I thought, so we decided to make it a triple and check out Astro Doughnuts, another shop on my list.
Alas, our hopes were dashed when we realized that Astro closes at 3 PM, so it was back to Birdies. Joni wanted to try something else from their menu other than the chocolate cake donut that I had offered to her in the form of a cute little panda. She chose an adorable horchata dulce de leche glazed donut. We visited while Joni got her donut fix, and then parted ways afterward, Joni off to her concert, and me tired and ready to go home.
Control No. 5: November 5
- Astro Donughts & Fried Chicken, Downtown Los Angeles
- Beverage: Iced Mocha
- Donut: Creme Brulee
- Bloomers: Dazzling Amethyst
- Distance: 37 miles
- Bike: Bianchi Volpe
- Bike parking: Excellent; right in front of shop
Control #5 was sandwiched between a planned social ride and a screening of short films about adventure cycling. My friend Jennifer was doing both the social ride and the film screening, and agreed to join me for the in-between trip to Astro Donughts & Fried Chicken in downtown LA.
The social ride was part of a monthly series offered by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) called Sunday Funday rides, each a themed ride exploring a different part of Los Angles County. This one started at Exposition Park, near the University of Southern California (USC) campus, and took us to and along the Expo Line Bike Path that opened in 2016, with a stop in Culver City, and our final stop in Cheviot Hills. Several of us opted for the full route, which meant riding back to Expo Park from there.
By this time, I’d ridden about 25 miles, and worked up a serious appetite. But we weren’t that far from downtown, so Jennifer and I continued on to Astro Doughnuts. They had great bike parking right in front, so we locked up and got inside just before closing time. Luckily, they still had both donuts and chicken available, and Carlos and Eddy served us with a smile. I had an excellent nitro cold brew with my unbelievably divine creme brûlée donut as well as some fried chicken. I was very hungry when we got there and quite stuffed when we left!
We rode on from there to the Filmed By Bike adventure shorts being presented by Bicycle Culture Institute at Boomtown Brewery in the arts district. Despite being full, we were still able to enjoy some beer, as well as some inspiring films.
Control No. 6: November 11
- Sidecar Donuts & Bakery, Santa Monica, California
- Beverage: Steamed Milk
- Donuts: Huckleberry, Carrot Cake, Cinnamon Crumb, Butter
- Bloomers: Crazy Daisy
- Distance: 13.5 miles
- Bike: Bianchi Volpe
- Bike parking: Excellent; right in front of shop
Control #6 was also sandwiched between a social ride and an evening event, but this time I did not include the 14.6 miles of the social ride in my coffeeneuring mileage, since I took a short break at home in between rides, and changed to a different bike. But I did once again bring along a friend from the social ride to join me for the coffeeneuring ride. Joni (the same one who went to Birdies with me as part of Control #4) had been on the Flower Power Ride that morning, which took place in downtown Los Angeles, and featured a visit to the L.A. Flower Market, followed by lunch at the Bread Lounge. In keeping with the theme of the ride, I wore my Crazy Daisy Bloomers.
Joni is familiar with the donut shop I was planning to visit, Sidecar Donuts & Bakery in Santa Monica, and was interested in joining me. She wanted to visit a market near my house, and I wanted to stop at home to switch bikes, drop off the flowers I’d purchased, and coordinate my evening plans with el Cochinito. We then took a fairly direct route west, first along the Venice Boulevard bike lane, and then hopping onto the Expo Line Bike Path into Santa Monica.
Sidecar Donuts also has bike racks right out in front. Once we went inside, I again faced too many good-looking donuts to choose from, so I bought a box of four. I knew I had to try the huckleberry donut, which was highlighted in the LA Times article, and is unique to this donut shop. I also got the carrot cake, butter, and cinnamon crumb donuts to take home for breakfast the next day. Joni got the pumpkin spice donut, in large part because she caught one that had just been cooked. Since it was getting close to 6 pm, I didn’t want coffee, and opted for a steamed milk, which went nicely with the donut.
From there, Joni went on home, and I rode over to the nearby Ingo’s Tasty Diner, and met up with el Cochinito for dinner before the two of us headed on to hear a panel discussion on racial justice at the UU church in Santa Monica. Afterward, we put my bike in the back of his truck and drove home together.
Control No. 7: November 12
- Kettle Glazed Doughnuts, Hollywood, California
- Beverage: Coffee
- Donut: Croissant-style (“cronut”) with creme filling
- Bloomers: Pinkadot Black Bloomers
- Distance: 10.5 miles
- Bike: Bianchi Volpe
- Bike parking: None; brought it inside
For my final ride of the 2017 Coffeeneuring season, I rode to Kettle Glazed Doughnuts in Hollywood. This one was a bit disappointing, mostly because I don’t like biking in Hollywood, and the donut experience wasn’t good enough to compensate for that.
There’s something about Hollywood that makes me want to like biking there. Perhaps it’s the landmarks, or maybe knowing that it has that rough quality that reminds you of all the people struggling to get by in this area and makes you think it should be bike-friendly, or maybe just because there are plenty of otherwise worthy destinations within a reasonable biking distance from my home that make the idea recur on a regular basis. It’s not all bad, either. I’ve had reasonably pleasant experiences biking to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, and that is close to the Arclight Cinema there, where el Chochinito and I like to see movies from time to time. But anything outside that zone seems to be hard to access without having to venture on streets that leave a cyclist feeling quite exposed.
I knew enough not to take the first route suggested by Google maps – straight up Vine. I think the only reason Vine street is considered “bike-friendly” is because it has sharrows and it’s the best north-south street for getting through Hollywood. Unfortunately, it’s also what most motor vehicles use for north-south travel through Hollywood. Instead, I much prefer to take Rosewood west a wee bit, and follow it as it turns north and becomes Wilcox. But today, my destination was on Franklin, which is way north into Hollywood. I used Yucca to go east from Wilcox to Argyle, passing the iconic Capitol Records Building. Sure, there were sharrows and signs asserting that this is a bike route, but it sure didn’t feel like it! It doesn’t help that Yucca is plenty wide, and invites speeding cars to do their thing. Argyle then crosses under the 101 freeway to Franklin, and there sits the strip mall that is home to Kettle Glazed Doughnuts.
I got to Kettle Glazed after having to navigate a left turn mid-block, crossing heavy traffic in both directions. I scanned the parking lot of the little strip mall, and realized that, even if there were a bike rack around, I probably would not want to use it. A homeless guy was busy retrieving items from the dumpster, and had an air about him that made me think he considers himself the owner of the parking lot. There really wasn’t anything that looked like I might be able to lock my bike to it, anyway. I decided to see if I could take my bike inside. The shop is small, and another bike was leaning against the one area of open wall space. I decided to lean my bike against the trash cans by the door, but locked it and took my pannier with me, since it was so close to the entrance.
There was a nice variety of donuts that looked worth trying. I like a classic old fashioned donut, and theirs looked good, but I wanted to try their specialty, the kettle glazed croissant style donut. They offered their cronut with either cinnamon or chocolate on top. How was I supposed to choose between those two? Once again, I had to get one of each, and take the second half of each home to el Cochinito. To go with it, I had a cup of coffee, which was entirely unspectacular. They pointed to an insulated pump dispenser. At least this time, the last of my seven rides, I finally remembered to bring along my own coffee cup, rather than use another throw-away cup. This environmentally friendly idea had been suggested to the group by a fellow Coffeeneur, but I had trouble remembering to bring a cup along for each of the preceding trips.
Since I was so close to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, the biggest and best in L.A., and close to the Bed Bath & Beyond store, where I wanted to pick up a few things for the house, I headed south on Vine and turned it into an errandonnee trip as well. I ended up getting so much at Bed Bath & Beyond (that beyond part always gets me!), there wasn’t room on my bike to add anything more from the farmer’s market. So I headed on home from there, at first trying to make peace with Vine Street, but eventually turning off onto side streets and cutting over to Van Ness, another street I find much more bike-friendly (and pretty) than Vine.
And with that, my seven coffee (and donut) stops by bike were completed. Of course, the LA Times article listed 29 donut shops, flung far and wide across the extended Los Angeles area. I only made it to seven of them, and I’m still curious to try several more. I’ve had so much fun with biking for donuts, and I particularly enjoyed doing these adventures with friends, that I’m now planning an epic donut ride for New Year’s Day. My tentative plan is to start in Venice at Blue Star donuts, and work my way east, all the way to The Donut Man in Glendora, nearly 50 miles from Blue Star. It just so happens that 3 more of the donut shops on my list are positioned in between these two, each about 10 miles apart. We (that’s including anyone who cares to join me for this adventure) can bike the whole way, and then be full enough to require no more fuel stops for the ride back, which can start out along the San Gabriel River Trail, and the Duarte Trail, providing some variety for the return trip. Those not interested in biking more than 50 miles, can hop on the Gold Line at the Azusa Metro Station, which will get them to Union Station in downtown, providing access to the Venice bus, which runs all the way from downtown back to Blue Star, if needed.
As is apparent, the Donut Quest is never ending! If you’re ever in Los Angeles, and want to bike for donuts, message me and we will take it from there.
P.S. Interested in outfitting yourself (or a friend) with something from the Bikie Girl Bloomers collection: Treat yourself to the special discount for Coffeeneurs: use code COFFEENEUR to get 15% off an order of $50 or more.
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