I was getting down to the wire. It was the final weekend of the Coffeeneuring Challenge. I had two days to get in my two final outings. Much to my delight, I had a bicycle-loving house guest who was happy to join me that Saturday morning. I thought it would be fun to show her some of the local architectural and culinary goodies. Besides, charming Larchmont village is just a couple miles from my home, and yet it has more coffee shops than I have yet visited, so something really must be done about that.
My guest for this ride, Judi, is big on bike touring and seeing the world. On a recent trip, Judi spent several months seeing Hawaii, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and New Zealand. You can see her pics from that trip and others on her Flickr page. We met when I saw her post to the Los Angeles Women & Bicycles Facebook page, asking when the next coffee meetup was planned. When I asked what part of town she was in, she replied that she was looking for a place to stay for the next few weeks while visiting. And with our kids out of the house leaving empty bedrooms behind, I figured it was a perfect chance to practice our bed & breakfast services. It was so fun to have a bicyclista staying at our home.
Judi and I rode north into Hancock Park to the northernmost end of Larchmont to check out Coffee + Food, a place on Melrose I’d found in my online research for coffeeneuring destinations. Bike parking was easy to find close to the front of the shop. We went inside and made our selections. I had a flat white coffee with caramel, just because I had never had a “flat white” before, and got some kind of sweet cinnamon thing to go with it. Judi went for a drip coffee and a breakfast burrito.
If, like me, you need a tutorial on what the heck a “flat white” is, here’s the low down. The quick answer: it’s like a latte, but with less milk and less frothy.
We wandered through Koreatown on our way back, stopping by Alexandria House. Just the night before, we’d been at a neighbor’s house for a fundraising party in support of this shelter that provides transitional housing and other resources for women and children. We stopped inside for a bit, and saw a group of women and teens getting makeovers. It’s a gorgeous house, and it was filled with warm and wonderful people.
We completed a loop back towards home, turning our short ride into a respectable 9.1 mile route.
The short dip along the southern edge of our loop (between Wilton Place & Crenshaw) is where I just had to show Judi my favorite mansion in Country Club Park, that has apparently been seen in a show called American Horror Story. The short dip near the northeast part of our loop is where we stopped to check out Alexandria House.
Total mileage: 9.1
Bike: Specialized Dolce Comp
Destination: Coffee + Food, Larchmont Village, Los Angeles
What does coffeeneuring have to do with sex ed, you ask? Nothing, unless you decide to bring them together. As a coffeeneur who also has duties as a facilitator of a sexuality program, I knew what I had to do given the short time remaining to complete the 2016 coffeeneuring challenge. A couple of Sundays a month, on a biannual basis, I help facilitate for 8th & 9th graders at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica. The program is called Our Whole Lives, reflecting a recognition that we are sexual beings throughout our entire lifespan. It’s an awesome curriculum that covers far more than anything offered in the school system. We discuss honestly all aspects of sexuality, not just reproduction and safety. We help young people develop their skills for dealing with peer pressure, seeking consent, understanding the wide variety of sexual identities and different ways of expressing and experiencing one’s sexuality, in a context of values and within a trusted community.
I was scheduled to teach a session on that Sunday in early November, and I needed to get some coffeeneuring in. I normally enjoy biking the 11-12 miles (depending on my route) to Santa Monica, so why not bike to a coffee shop after the session ends? Santa Monica offers a plentiful selection of fancy coffee shops worth trying. For this one, I decided to try out Philz Coffee on Santa Monica Blvd & 6th Street.
I loved the cool design of the bike rack right next door to Philz.
Philz offers some outdoor seating, in addition to a large indoor seating area. There was a substantial line, but they have several servers taking orders at the counter, and the line moves quickly.
Knowing I needed to fuel up for a longer ride home, I got some peanut butter power balls and a yogurt in addition to a refreshing iced gingersnap latte. I strongly recommend the iced gingersnap when you need a combo of spice, creaminess, and potent java on a hot day.
I wanted to take a leisurely route back home by heading a few blocks farther west to the beach. It was a nice day to ride along the beach and then take the Ballona Creek bike path back into the city. This routing added a few extra miles to my ride, but many of those miles were delightfully car-free.
Tank top weather; leopard print bloomers kept me covered under my skirt.
Stopping for a rest along the Ballona Creek bike path.
It felt great to be out on my road bike, enjoying some warm weather again. Soon enough, I was back in my own neighborhood. It was such a clear day, you could see the Hollywood sign.
Total mileage: 30.3
Bike: Specialized Dolce Comp
Destination: Philz Coffee, Santa Monica, California
Official ride #2: The Alchemist Coffee Project & CicLAvia
The Gazelle; ready to roll, CicLAvia style.
When I participate in CicLAvia, I usually like to bring along both of my Nantucket Basket Panniers, one filled with samples of my Bikie Girl Bloomers (never know when I’ll wish I had them with me), and the other with a floral display (just because). This time, I tried adding some Bikie Girl stickers to help advertise, but I think I need a bigger sign.
First things being first, I went straight to my coffee shop: Alchemist Coffee Project. This seemed the perfect choice for today’s coffeeneuring ride, as it was conveniently on my way to the First Unitarian Church, where I wanted to catch the service before joining the CicLAvia fun. I have been curious to try this place, as I often pass it when taking the 7th Street bike lane towards downtown Los Angeles. I was also curious to try this place since noticing it had taken the spot formerly known as the Bourbon Street Cafe, where I had been many times. I have a special place in my heart for Bourbon Street Cafe, as this is where all the first meetings happened back when the plans for Bikie Girl Bloomers were first being hatched.
Alchemist Coffee Project at 7th & Vermont
Once I saw the “New Orleans Cold Brew” on the menu, I knew that had to be my drink. Having recently been to New Orleans, where I was reminded how much I like the taste of chicory coffee, it was a no-brainer. I was quite happy with my choice. Both the drink and my pastry indulgence were delicious.
Almond Danish & New Orleans Cold BrewCool space features lots of Edison bulbs
The interior was appealing, with plenty of tables and interesting decor.
After church was over, hubby was waiting out front to meet up with me and head for the CicLAvia route. The McArthur Park hub was just a few blocks east on 7th Street.
We followed the route into downtown and onto Broadway. Please note the awesome shirt hubby is wearing. It reads: “I never dreamed I’d end up married to a sexy cycling lady, but here I am, living the dream!” You’ll never guess who got that shirt for him.
Hubby capturing the action on Broadway
We continued along Broadway into Chinatown, where we joined a party for volunteers and supporters of CicLAvia hosted by Blossom Vietnamese Restaurant. The food at Blossom was good – I think we will have to go back and experience the restaurant as regular customers.
From Chinatown, we rode back into the heart of Downtown and parted ways. Hubby headed back toward home, while I took the left turn onto 4th Street to explore the remaining part of the route. Along the way, I encountered the biking photographer, David G., who graciously obliged my request for a photo.
From the downtown hub, I followed the route over the 4th Street Bridge into Boyle Heights where the final CicLAvia hub was at Mariachi Plaza.
The play zone in Boyle HeightsMariachi PlazaMariachi Plaza Hub
Once again, I ran into someone I know. This time, I was getting in position to take a photo at Mariachi Plaza when I ran into James. We had just met at the New Urbanism Film Festival the weekend before.
I followed the route back toward McArthur Park and on home. Lots of variety packed into a simple coffeeneuring ride!
Total mileage: 17.5
Bike: Gazelle Tour Populaire
Destination: Alchemist Coffee Project, Koreatown, Los Angeles
Los Pobladores refers to the original settlers of Los Angeles, who founded this fair city in 1781. Every year, to celebrate the birthday of Los Angeles, a contingent joins with descendants of these original settlers and walks the 9-mile route taken in 1781 from the mission in San Gabrial to Olvera Street in what is now downtown Los Angeles. Many walk the route in this annual ritual, while others make the journey by bicycle. This year I joined the group on bicycles.
The pre-ride gathering in front of the San Gabriel Mission
And off we went!We rolled past some cool places, such as the Ming Ya Buddhist Association along Valley Boulevard.
And Lincoln Park.
Soon enough, we arrived at El Pueblo, just across the street from Union Station.
And we got to watch the final part of the procession.
La Plaza United Methodist Church faces El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.
Free bike valet parking was available to us on this street off El Pueblo, just across from the Chinese American Museum – I’ve visited before and highly recommend it.
Heading to the bike valet, I got to meet Bikie Girl Maria, whom I’d noticed riding in her new Wick-It Black Bloomers.
A ceremony featured some direct descendants of the original settlers and natives who shared traditional blessings.
The prayer in the four directions.
One of the dancers, relaxing after the performance with her companion.
Smokey Bear was among the attendees observing the hoopla.
La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles, just across from El Pueblo
Olvera Street Marketplace
If you venture down Olvera Street, you will come upon America Tropical Interpretive Center, where you can see the rediscovered Siqueiros mural completed in 1932, now sheltered for conservation and viewable from a special platform.
Also viewable from above Olvera Street is the beautiful Post Office Terminal Annex Building, which served as the central mail processing facility for Los Angeles from 1940-1989.
My complete route for the day, 30 miles total.
This will be remembered as one of my favorite urban cycling adventures.
Having so thoroughly enjoyed the Coffeeneuring challenge orchestrated by Chasing Mailboxes last Fall, I could not resist accepting her next challenge, the Errandonnee. With Coffeeneuring, the challenge was to visit seven different coffee shops by bike over seven weeks, staying within some rules and documenting the events accordingly. The schedule for the Errandonnee challenge, however, is a bit more compact: 12 errands in 12 days, hitting at least seven different categories. As luck would have it, I was out of town for the first half of those 12 days (March 4-15). Normally visiting another city would add to the fun, but my schedule for these travel days was packed, and managing any of my tasks during that packed schedule by bicycle just wasn’t practical under the circumstances.
I didn’t worry about the scheduling too much though, in view of two things. First, I was confident I could cram my 12 errands into six days, if need be. Second, Rule No. 12 of the Errandonnee is that you should stop if it stresses you out. I couldn’t let that happen! So here’s how it played out:
Ready to head to the office
My Gazelle, parked at the office building
Errandonnee #1, March 10th: My first day back in town, I rode my bike to work, as I normally do. No biggie. Off to a great start! Category: Work. Miles: 1.2 (one way – the direct route – no time for lollygagging along the scenic route!). Bike: Gazelle Tour Populaire. Observation: I really need to fix the left handlebar grip on my Gazelle. It came loose before I left town, and it slides off every time I accelerate, and especially when I go uphill. Bloomers of the day: Tie Dye Pettipants.
Groceries secured with nylon bag inside pannier basket
Errandonnee #2, March 10th: Stopped at the grocery store on my way home from the office. Category: Store. Miles: 1.7 (total from office to store to home). Bike: Gazelle. Observation: Packing the eggs at the top of the nylon shopping bag with the handles tied together, and then set inside my Nantucket basket pannier, provides a stable and secure means of transport for my groceries. I always worry about the eggs, but thus far, no casualties.
Counting on the heat from my flame shorts to keep me dryI’m not the only one commuting to our building Dutch style
Errandonee #3, March 11th: Usual commute to work, again taking the shorter route, as I’m still exhausted from my travels and running a bit late getting out of the house in the morning. Category: Work. Miles: 1.2 (2.4 if we count the round trip). Bike: Gazelle. Observation: Gray skies with rain in the forecast for the afternoon has me thinking about whether I will want a jacket for the ride home – or would that make things worse? I’ve got the right helmet, though. The Closca Waterproof Flatcap not only keeps my noggin dry, but the bill helps minimize the raindrops in my face and eyes. Bloomers of the day: Smokin’ Hot Flame Shorts.
Thoroughly enjoying breakfast with my sonsA gorgeous day for riding
Riding Western styleNoah and Adam with our three bikes locked together around a sign post
Errandonnee #4, March 12th: Breakfast outing with my sons to Grub (that’s the name of the restaurant) in Hollywood. I raised my boys right: they both use bikes as their primary means of transportation. I was delighted to have them both home at the same time for a Spring Break visit. Category: Social. Miles: 7.6 (round trip). Bike: Gazelle. Observation: Without parking signs, many establishments would have absolutely no place to lock a bike! We locked all three bikes together with one long cable and a U-lock around the no parking sign on the grassy strip between the sidewalk and the street. Bloomers of the day: Blue Bandana.
Selfie in front of Griffith Observatory
Red Hot Aqua Dot Bloomers
Clear view of the Hollywood sign
Errandonnee #5, March 13th: Spiritual recharge ride up to Griffith Observatory. Category: Personal Care. Miles: 23.9. Bike: Specialized Dolce Comp (Roadie). Observations: The golf courses at Griffith Park feature an impressive variety of trees, including oak, eucalyptus, redwood. I doubt many urban golf courses can top the foliage here. First time doing this route after some heavy rains means (1) there is a lot more bright green growth alongside Mt. Hollywood Drive, and (2) there is a lot more dirt and gravel washed across the road, requiring extra care, especially when going downhill in the hiker-heavy zone. Bloomers of the morning: Red Hot Aqua Dot.
Looking out over Los Angeles from Griffith Observatory
Adam makes it look like he’s having fun. Noah is a good sport.
Errandonnee #6, March 13th: Coffee shop run with my boys to check out Go Get Em Tiger in Larchmont. Category: Social. Miles: 2.9 (one way). Bike: Gazelle. Observations: The new bike corral in Larchmont Village is nice – plenty of room for our three bikes – but the positioning relative to the adjacent angled car parking makes it awkward. I was nervous that the driver of the van parked right next to our bikes might no be able to see our bikes when getting ready to back out of the spot. The sweet latte on the menu at Go Get Em Tiger is indeed sweet – in a good way, as far as I’m concerned. I will be back for some future coffeeneuring. Bloomers of the afternoon: Crazy Daisy.
Locking up at the O.K. bike corral.
My Sweet Latte on the left, Noah’s Curiosity Cola in front, Adam’s straight-up pure coffee in the carafe
Crazy Daisy Bloomers under my Hitchable Flounce Skirt
Errandonnee #7, March 13th: Stop at Rite-Aid for the eggs and milk hubby needs to make flan. Category: Store. Miles: 0.05 (just down the block in Larchmont Village – there’s no minimum distance in the rules!). Bike: Gazelle. Observation: It’s amazing the groceries available at a drug store. We bought sweetened condensed milk, half and half, and a carton of eggs (yes, more eggs – he’s making two flans).
Errandonnee #8, March 13th: Stop to admire one of my favorite architectural gems of historic Los Angeles, the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. Category: Arts & entertainment (or Wild Card if need be). Miles: 2.75. Bike: Gazelle. Observation: Lots of motorists have to wait patiently for their turn to enter the parking lot upon arriving for whatever event is taking place there this afternoon. It’s so fun to zip past them on our bikes.
Elmer & Marilyn at El Cholo as they passed through town
Errandonnee #9, March 13th: Crazy run-around to figure out where to have dinner with my uncle and aunt, who had just arrived for a stopover on their way from San Antonio, Texas, to Monterey, California. Category: Wild Card (it was a wild ride, and my uncle is a real card). Miles: 1.8 (total). Bike: Gazelle. Observation: During the crazy run-around, I zipped around Koreatown on my Gazelle as quickly as the other two groups did in their cars.
We had initially made arrangements to meet my aunt and uncle at a Japanese restaurant that is just over a mile north of us, but when we called to make a reservation, learned that they would not be able to accommodate both my uncle’s wheelchair and a party of six at the same table. That was disappointing. Then we settled on a place just under a mile east of us: Guelaguetza. Based on the size and lay-out of the restaurant, we thought it would surely be suitable for accommodating my uncle’s wheelchair and our group of six. The restaurant would not allow us to make a reservation on short notice, and then we discovered, after we got there, that the wait was going to be at least 45 minutes. The place was a mad-house, the parking lot completely jammed, and even trying to get through on the street was nearly impossible (for cars, that is). Who knew it could be like that on a Sunday evening?! Noah stood out in the street, near the entrance, to wait for my aunt and uncle to arrive, while my husband and I brainstormed on a back-up plan. Having ridden over on my bike, I’d noticed El Cholo, a Mexican restaurant just a few blocks from our house. Duh! Why didn’t we think of that in the first place? Hubby gave them a call to confirm that they could accommodate the wheelchair and our party of six, and away we went. I was able to ride up alongside my aunt and uncle’s car at a key intersection and give them guidance on where to turn to find the entrance to El Cholo. It worked out perfectly.
Whew! Good thing I was able to get 5 of my trips into one day!
Errandonee #10, March 14th: Bringing 7 bottles of wine home from the office. Category: You Carried WHAT on your bike? Miles: 1.3 (one way). Bike: Gazelle. Observation: I wasn’t sure I could get up the ramp out of the parking structure carrying this much weight, without having to hop off the bike, but I did it! I had 4 bottles in one basket and 3 in the other, along with my computer, my purse, and my lunch bag with my empty food containers. The entire ride, even the hill on St. Andrew’s Place, went more smoothly than expected. I think having the load balanced between the two basket panniers and relatively low on the bike made for a nice, stable ride. Bloomers of the day: Leaping Lady Leopard Shorts.
The ramp emerging from the parking garage
The little hill on St. Andrew’s Place
I think these go well with my wine.
I don’t get the appeal of tagging. Makes me sad.Errand complete: the proof is in my basket
The dirties in the basket as I show off my bloomers.
Errandonnee #11, March 15th: Drop off dry cleaning. Category: Personal Business / Non-store errand. Miles: 0.4 miles (one way). Bike: Gazelle. Observation: The tagging in Koreatown makes me sad. It is most unfair to our neighborhood business owners. Bloomers of the day: Pinka Dot.
To the mailbox, for the win!
Errandonnee #12, March 15th: Mail a payment to Pam, my graphic artist. Sure, I could’ve paid via PayPal, but that doesn’t involve a bike, so why would I? Category: Non-store errand. Miles: 1 (one way; add 0.3 for the rest of the trip home). Bike: Gazelle. Observation: The traffic light at Olympic Boulevard & St. Andrews Place changes frequently. During the time it took me to stop the bike, get the letter out of my pannier, snap a photo to document my errand, and drop the letter in the mailbox, the light went through almost three cycles!
It’s a good thing I decided to throw in an extra errand by mailing the letter/payment on the 15th, as I had miscounted and this was not my 13th or bonus errand — it was my critical twelfth errand I very much needed in order to complete the series! Looking back at my effort to cram twelve errands into six days, I can’t say that I’m terribly proud of my showing. It seemed a bit lame, and I feel like I stretch the rules a wee bit here and there. I am pleased that I managed to pull it off, but the experience leaves me eager to do a better job of it next year. If nothing else, I look forward to coming up with a better submission for the “You carried WHAT on your bike?” category. I would love to devise a plan that makes for an impressive photo. But I did log a total of 45.8 miles (or 47.3 with parentheticals), so I feel good about that.
Post Script: I thought I had until March 31st to submit my Errandonnee report. I’ve been working on it a little each evening, struggling to get it done. I just reviewed the rules and see that I’m a few days late. Will the Chief Errandonneur let me get away with a late submission? Fingers crossed. I want my patch!
A favorite ritual of mine on Sunday mornings is to head out early on my road bike, ride a 24-mile loop from my house to Griffith Park. It starts with about 7 miles of city-riding to the park, leads to a lovely loop through the park, which loop includes climbing up a winding road to the Griffith Observatory. Then I get to fly back downhill and home again. It’s a gorgeous ride, gets in about 1700 feet of climbing, takes a little less than 2-1/2 hours, and I can get home and showered with enough time to catch the 11:00 service at First Unitarian Church of L.A. to complete my spiritual nourishment and recharge for the week. As much as I enjoy that ritual, lately I started feeling like I was getting into a rut and limiting myself from doing longer or more challenging rides.
Griffith Observatory
A couple of Sundays ago, I had a reason to ride to Torrance for a visit with extended family. That took me onto the Ballona Creek Bike Path, which feeds in to the bike path that runs south along the beach all the way along the South Bay. In other words, the bulk of my 25-mile ride that day was on bike paths. I’d forgotten how nice it can be to cruise along on a flat path without having to stop at intersections and interact with automobiles.
Then last Sunday, I had a reason to go to Venice. The Rapha Pop Up Shop on Abbott Kinney was hosting a women’s round table and social ride, and a friend was going to be one of the panelists. To get there on time for the 9:00 a.m. event, I headed straight west on the Venice Boulevard bike lane. The social ride (I opted for the “low-key” alternative, as I knew I couldn’t keep up with the serious roadie gals) was a gentle 14-miler, so I took a little bit longer return route when it was time to head home, allowing me to get back on that Ballona Creek Bike Path. That day I got in a total of 37 miles, and that whetted my appetite for adding more distance.
Rapha LA Women’s Roundtable in front of the Pop Up Shop
The next Sunday, I had an excuse to visit the Unitarian Universalist Church in Santa Monica, and to arrive there between 10-11 a.m. That would allow me to knit a bit with the knitting group I used to hang with each Sunday, catch the 11:00 service, and get in on the final opportunity for bidding on the Dining 4 Dollars events, an annual fundraising tradition that involves bidding on themed dinners and events. I really wanted to try my luck at Lorenzo’s Crawfish Boil.
I decided this was also an opportunity to put together an epic ride. Something that would challenge me on both distance and climbing, since all of my recent rides have been one or the other, and never that much of either. I mapped it out with Google: head up Nichols Canyon (after all, I did that one last Fall – should be doable), descend from Mulholland at Coldwater Canyon, work my way farther west and see if I can handle Mandeville (it’s been 4 years since the last time I climbed that one), and then I would be not too far from Santa Monica. After the service and bidding was done, I could then take the longer way home, along the ocean and then back east toward home via the Ballona Creek Path. The total mileage would be close to 50, a challenge given my current level of conditioning, but not too intimidating or unrealistic.
I figured the first climb was definitely within reach, and if the second was not, well, I could always just turn around and end the climb early, giving me more time with the knitting group. So off I went, leaving the house at 7:15. It was cool and foggy; we don’t usually get such dense fog this far inland. I felt good, and was psyched for the challenge. By the time I was approaching Nichols Canyon to begin climbing, I was rather wet. My glasses were wet with dew, my clothes were damp, and my brake hoods and shift levers were slippery. Even my tissue that I pulled from my pocket to blow my wet nose was damp, just from being in my pocket.
Soon enough, the dampness was no longer distracting me, and must have disappeared somewhere along the climb. It turned out to be a great day for riding, maybe just because I started out early enough that there wasn’t much car traffic on the winding narrow road. I like checking out the variety of interesting-looking homes along the way, and then being awestruck by the scenery once I’m high enough to see out over the Hollywood Hills. By this time it was just plain sunny; no hints remained of my foggy start. Before I knew it, there was the right turn onto Woodrow Wilson, which told me I was beginning the final and steepest part of the climb to Mulholland. I certainly felt maxed out on that last steep part, and grateful for my bike’s lowest gear, and especially grateful for the knowledge that this part of the climb would be short. Otherwise I might have considered giving up.
Once I got to Mulholland, I took a good little break. I needed to catch my breath, chug some water, and snap a photo to memorialize my adventure on Instagram.
The next part, cruising along Mulholland, was better than I had remembered it, in that the road had been repaved, and I didn’t have any scary moments with motorists zipping by too closely. At least not until I crossed Laurel Canyon. Then it was the rough road and hostile/ignorant drivers I remembered. For those reasons, I prefer to limit my time on Mulholland and take the first good option for my descent: Coldwater Canyon. I love this one. The road is in good condition and traffic is fairly light. There is plenty of room for cars to pass me safely, a minimum of cross-streets, and I can really pick up speed without freaking out.
I stopped at the bottom to check google maps and plan the next segment. I felt good enough to continue with my plan to head over to Mandeville, but knew the steep part of that climb would be harder than that last part of Nichols, and I may well not be able to go the whole way. No reason not to see how far I can make it, though, especially since it’s an up-and-back route.
Riding through Beverly Hills is nice: giant mansions and ridiculously manicured lawns to gawk at, plus ostentatiously wide streets. I discovered for my first time that there is a cut through to Santa Monica Boulevard that makes it easy to head over to the west side. You still have to ride the awful part through Century City, with cars swooshing by at freeway speeds and no bike lane. There really needs to be a protected bike lane there, more so than anywhere else I’ve ridden in L.A.
Having made it to Beverly Glen without getting plowed over, I got to ride in bike lanes all the way to Westwood and continuing as I headed north to Ohio. Ohio got me to Federal, which got me to San Vicente. There’s a bike lane there, but this is Brentwood, so cyclists have to be extra vigilant about inattentive drivers, cars stopped in the bike lane, and entitled drivers who think nothing of cutting you off in their hurry to make a right turn.
Colorful nuu-muu dress & red hot aqua dot bloomers to keep me visible!
As I got close to the turn off to head towards Mandeville, I considered the time, and how I could just go straight on to Santa Monica and be able to join the knitting group for the full hour between services. But,no, I was too close to Mandeville not to at least see how far I could go. I survived the scary 0.3 miles one has to ride on Sunset in order to get to Mandeville, and shortly thereafter pulled over to take off my jacket and refill my main water bottle from my backup bottle. At this point, another rider pulled over, too. Turns out he was about to attempt Mandeville for his first time, and asked me about it. I told him I hadn’t done it in 4 years, but that I remember that just when you think you aren’t going to make it, you can see the top, and that helps you make it up that last super steep bit. We wished each other luck, and got to it.
In general, I did okay. I was able to enjoy the ride, and could feel the climb, but without discomfort or feeling discouraged by my limited conditioning. At least not until I got to the steeper part. I was working hard, breathing hard, and reached a point where I began to wonder if I might be pushing myself a little too hard for my own good. Was I starting to cross that line between embracing a challenge and stupidity? I wasn’t sure. I remembered that you can see the end of the road when you are near the top, and it bothered me that I still could not see that end. Maybe I still had a ways to go. My pulse was pounding. If I’m not ready to make it all the way today, I can just stop and turn around and try again another day. No biggie. Yet maybe that guy who was trying Mandeville for his first time was waiting for me. But I couldn’t base my decision on that. I decided I was struggling just a bit too much and ought to stop and turn around at the shady spot just ahead of me, so I did. But as soon as I stopped, I looked up and there was the top, only a short block ahead of me. I took a minute or two to drink some water and catch my breath, and mustered up a little more oomph to get me up that last grunt! Three gentlemen on bikes were at the top, resting, and I recognized one as my friend from the bottom of the hill. They offered words of encouragement, and before I knew it, I’d made it!
I snapped a selfie for Instagram and to send to my hubby, who knew I hadn’t been sure about my ability to do this climb, and took only a short break before getting rolling again. The descent was sweet, especially with the added glow of accomplishment.
Victory selfie at the top of Mandeville
I didn’t get to the Santa Monica church as early as I’d hoped, but it didn’t matter much. I had enough time for a cup of coffee and to catch up with a friend before the 11:00 service began. I got some knitting in during the service, and then joined the bidding frenzy and chatted with old friends in the social hall. My mid-ride break ended up being over 2 hours, as it was after 1 pm by the time I got rolling again.
I headed south toward the beach, and enjoyed watching all the sunny Sunday afternoon action along the Santa Monica oceanside before heading into Venice on ultra-hip Abbott Kinney to get over to the bike path into Marina del Rey.
Ocean Park Beach
By this time, the reality that I hadn’t eaten any lunch was getting to me, yet I didn’t feel like stopping at a restaurant or fast food joint. Hungry as I was, nothing like that sounded very appealing to me. Once I’d started onto the connecting Ballona Creek bike path, I decided to stop at one of the recently added beautiful park-like areas that have been added along the path. I drank a good bit of water and ate my second Kind bar to keep the hunger at bay.
Rest stop along Ballona Creek Bike Path
It was great to zoom along the path without being interrupted by intersections. At the other end, in Culver City, I considered looking for a place to get some lunch, but I really just wanted to finish the trip home. I figured I could just eat something when I got home.
But as I got closer to home, heading east on Venice Boulevard, I saw that Strava showed my mileage was only in the low 40’s. I thought my route was going to be 48 miles, which could easily be nudged up to 50 by altering the last bit home. This bothered me. I’d been out all day and I wanted to claim I’d ridden a half century! I decided to take a left when I got to Country Club Drive, instead of the right turn that would have taken me straight home. I arced west and north, the way I go when taking the longer, prettier route to work through Hancock Park. As I came back east, though, my miles traveled remained disappointingly short of the target, so I extended my route farther east, and took Harvard south to 11th. This looped me through Koreatown and then back west to home. The final tally (49.3 miles per Strava) was still a wee bit shy of 50, but I decided to just go home already!
It was still a ride I could be proud of, and getting home after 3 was late enough!
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.
Bloomers of the day: Wick-It Black (under a nuu-muu dress, with my knitting in my lap)
Bike-friendliness: Not so much. No bike racks on sidewalk or in parking lot. There was one awkwardly placed parking signpost, to which I was able to lock my bike.
Route map:
Notes:
I was curious to try Coffee Commissary, and its location in Burbank had the appeal of taking me into a different part of the L.A. area. Its proximity to Griffith Park made it tempting to simply do one of my routine Sunday morning rides up to Griffith Observatory (an excellent hill climb for keeping one’s ticker in shape with bonus views of the city), and then just head over to Burbank afterward. But a big part of what drew me to coffeeneuring was exploring new places, and feeling a touch of adventure, so I couldn’t go with that plan. Besides, I felt a craving for a little more distance for this weekend’s ride. I’d had to put in a lot of extra hours at work this week, and I needed a substantial ride to work off all that stress.
I consulted my handy guidebook, Cycling Los Angeles, which has 85 bike rides throughout the L.A. area. Wouldn’t you know it, Ride #36 is the “Burbank Bikeway”. The suggested route is a 14.8 mile loop that tours the periphery of Burbank, mostly on bike-friendly streets that go past parks and, most appealing to me, along the foothills below the Verdugo Mountains. Now I had my substance, and a convincing reason to bike to a Burbank coffee shop.
To turn it into a complete trip, I tried to work out a blend of Google Maps’ directions for getting from my house to Coffee Commissary, which is near the southern edge of the Burbank loop, combined with the route map from my book. Unfortunately, the book does not provide a convenient cue sheet, so I made a photocopy of the route map, and had to stop frequently to figure out where my next turn should be. It more or less worked, but I did not quite follow the book’s route the whole way. It was just too hard to keep going back to the map, as I could only read it if I stopped and pulled it off my handlebars to really study it.
First, I had to get onto the LA River Bike Path. It was rather disconcerting to find the gate closed and taped off when I got to the entrance. There were no signs explaining what was going on, so instead of entering at the gate and using this cool bike bridge to cross the many lanes of insane car traffic, I waited at a light to cross the street at the surface, and found an entrance to the bike path that was easy to use, despite being sort of taped off as well.
Turned out there was a half marathon in progress on the bike path. I only had to proceed with caution, dodging a few runners who were not looking at the path in front of them, and before I knew it, I was already turning onto Riverside Drive, entering Burbank. Riverside Drive has a nice bike lane, and is well-designed for sharing the road, not just between cars and bikes, but also with horses.
They even have special buttons at horserider height to activate a crossing light.
As you approach each intersection, the bike lane splits at a median, with a separated horse lane to the right.
I turned off Riverside, and rode past some studios. Lots of TV shows are made in Burbank.
Mostly I rode along quiet, residential streets, lined with unimaginative post-war tract homes. But then I saw this:
It appeared to be a fenced-off empty lot that someone had made a little more interesting. Many who live in this area work in the entertainment industry, so perhaps this is how these creative types deal with properties that would otherwise be just an eyesore.
I love rolling hills on a bike ride, and I was pleased that my route took me into and along the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains.
There were bike-friendly roads throughout this part of the ride. Then I rode back toward downtown Burbank, at which point I switched to using Google maps to guide me to Coffee Commissary. That got odd when the Google kept telling me to turn left off of Front Street in an area that had absolutely no cross streets. Finally, I realized that the Google wanted me to go up this crazy ramp to a bridge overhead.
It was a little dicey when I got to the top, as I had to ride the sidewalk, which at the base of the bridge, fed me straight into oncoming motor traffic. I turned off that scary-busy street at my first opportunity, and within a few blocks, I’d made it to Coffee Commissary, where I enjoyed my vanilla latte and lunched on the best Croque Madame of my life. I took my time, filled my water bottle and hydrated while knitting on the lovely back patio. The patio space is attractive and allowed me to keep a close eye on my bike, which was squeezed into position between a bollard and a parking sign, the latter being the only structure I could find to which I could lock my bike.
After a delightful repast, I made my way back to Riverside Drive, and enjoyed seeing a side of Griffith Park I never see from the L.A. side.
Soon I was back on the LA River Bike Path. Of course, in Los Angeles, we line our rivers with concrete:
But that doesn’t mean we don’t get any wild life. These ducks seemed to be having a good time.
The downtown skyline was visible in the distance as I rode south.
My entire journey was five hours. The San Fernando Valley doesn’t usually interest me much, but to explore it by bike was fun. It made for a most satisfying ride!
on to take a photo at Mariachi Plaza when I ran into James. We had just met at the New Urbanism Film Festival the weekend before.
WeLove2Bike! 
