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| My Precious Surly LHT and me in my tutu |
I've been looking forward to the Great Pumpkin Ride in Warrenton ever since Rootchopper and I rode a metric century there in August.
It was a chilly, sunny morning, perfect for a coffeeneuring ride. Every fall, I look forward to Mary G (@coffeeneur)'s wonderful coffee-fetching-by-bicycle challenge. I had been planning to visit Red Truck Bakery since I read Rootchopper's account of it last year.
I talked my friend
Boots (@bootsni), a fellow ultrarunner and bicycle enthusiast into
coming along. She's always excellent company, and a strong athlete who
is up for anything. I knew we would have a fun day no matter what
transpired.
Boots and I had arrived early (in fact, I was the first to arrive at the parking lot. This is unprecendented). We gave ourselves plenty of time to linger over a hot caffeinated beverage.
I had mapped out a route designed to get at least two miles of riding, but my sense of direction handicap got us a little extra. Already the laughs were plentiful and we hadn't even started the official ride.
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| A few of the many offerings at Red Truck Bakery |
Destination: Red Truck Bakery
22 Waterloo St, Warrenton, VA
Date: Oct 25
Distance: 2.4 miles
Drink: half-caf drip for me, full caf for Boots
Bike Friendly? No real parking, but there was space to lean your bike against the wall.
Notes: The renowned orange and cranberry muffin did not disappoint!
Our bellies full of hot coffee and delicious baked goods, we meandered back to the parking lot and found John (@Rootchopper) and Lisa (@ramblingrider). They were only planning on riding the 43 mile ride, though, so we took off as it was past time for the longer riders to start.
We promptly missed the turn for the 70 mile ride and when we realized that, we quickly accepted that fate had dictated a shorter route.
The first refreshment stop was at Old Bust Head Brewery about 10 miles into the ride. They had samples of two of their fine beers for us. I am signing up for this ride every year.
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| Delicious beer samples at Bust Head Brewery |
They also had a spread of food you would not believe. Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin whoopie pies. Pumpkin soup. Bananas. Granola bars. Candy.
They even had a few GLUTEN-FREE options! How great is that? While I have the luxury of indulging on occasion without too serious repercussions, it's wonderful to have choices for those who can't (or are doing a clean eating challenge). Kudos to the Fauquier Trails Coalition for this and everything else they did to make this a truly wonderful ride.
The weather gods smiled
down on us and suddenly we had a glorious warm fall day. The foliage
was hit or miss along the route but when the colorful leaves were framed
against the cobalt blue of the sky, it was stunning. What a fantastic day to be out riding in the Virginia countryside!
I particularly enjoyed this ride because the vibe was friendly. No one seemed enraged to have to pass us in their cars, and the police were at intersections directing traffic just as they would be during a running event. When I thanked them for their help, they smiled.
This was in stark contrast to the Back Roads Century where the police made it clear from the start that you were on your own at high speed crossings, they were only there to issue tickets to those didn't come to a complete stop. Fair enough, but did that require scowling too? Perhaps that ride field is just too large. Or maybe they need to figure out a way to provide a greater economic boost to the community so the inconvenience is worth it.
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| A particularly lovely wooded stretch |
Those thoughts were soon forgotten in the warm sunshine. Crisp leaves fell steadily into the thick carpet of the woods and crunched under my wheel. It was a captivating, delicious music to my ears.
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| Boots got a ton of compliments on her awesome lobster hat. |
The theme of our ride was "Soaking up Vitamin D" and it was apt. If you didn't know, Vitamin D deficiency in our age of sunscreen is widespread and has serious effects on health and well-being. Getting some exposure to sunshine provides an incredible amount of benefits.
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| Boots and I soaking up Vitamin D |
As the ride came to an end, my right knee was getting tender on the inside. I was glad to be done and my stomach demanded we go straight to Molly's Irish Pub for a beer and hot food. The beer was delicious and it went straight to my head. The burger hit the spot. Later, we joined John, Lisa, Reba and her husband Robert at their table and chatted until it was time to head home.
A good time was had by all. See you there next year!
Our last two coffeeneuring rides took place in the 'burbs this weekend.
You see, we lead a double life. We have a city abode and what I joking call our "country estate." It's in the soulless suburbs, where the only people you see outside are walking their dog (or standing just outside their car with their kids at the bus stop in the morning). Oh, and there's an occasional runner or two, but almost never anyone on a bicycle.
Saturday, I played the part of the occasional runner. I ran five miles (there's actually a pretty nice trail nearby, to give the burbs a fair shake).
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| It was a beautiful day for a trail run |
Then, I dragged Hubz out the door for Coffeeneuring ride #6. We headed to quaint little Occoquan to check out a coffee place neither of us had visited yet.
Despite the fact that Occoquan is just three miles from our abode, with quite a few places to eat, we have never ridden our bikes there. One reason is that we are used to driving. The other is that the only way to get there is along a three lane road where it's not unusual for cars to hit 50 mph despite the curving route and frequent intersections. There is a narrow sidewalk on one side, with no barrier between it and the traffic.
Hubz was dubious, but I was determined to try it. It felt ridiculous riding on the sidewalks, but we weren't brave enough to try to mix with traffic. The burbs are not bike friendly.
I may have forgotten to mention that there are a couple of big, long hills on the way. As I stood on the pedals halfway up the first one, my legs let me know they were having none of that. I sat down again and got in my granny gear, huffing up the hill.
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| Elevation profile of our sixth coffeeneuring ride |
At the top of the hill, a car turning right slowed and paused in his turn lane. We made eye contact, and then as I weakly pedaled forward, he accelerated and cut me off.
In the city, when you make eye contact, you know the driver sees you and you are ok to go. Not in the burbs!
The rest of our ride was exhilarating downhill. Long, steep downhill. As much as I was loving the thrill of the moment, I was thinking, no way in hell can we go back up this monster. Turns out it is named "Mount High."
We pulled up to our destination, in a lovely little courtyard complete with a gazebo. There was no other bike parking, so we locked our bikes to it.
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| Gazebo turned bike rack |
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| Cute place. Next time, I'll try the crepes! |
I ordered the Caramel Apple Cider, expecting a sugar bomb, but it was really quite balanced and natural tasting. Two thumbs up! Since we arrived late in the day, we didn't order any food, but the crepes and sandwiches looked tempting.
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| Cafe Americano for Hubz, Caramel Apple Cider for me |
We took a longer route home to avoid the big long uphill and instead did a more reasonable grade and a longer hill. We arrived home with a sense of accomplishment. New territory conquered!
Destination: Blue Arbor Cafe, 201 Union Street, Occoquan, VA
Date: Saturday, November 10
Beverages: Caramel Apple Cider and Cafe Americano
Total Miles: 8
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In his excellent blog post Why I Don't Hate Starbucks, David Leibovitz talks about his appreciation for the chain, and how it paved the way for all the wonderful independent coffee shops we enjoy. I wholeheartedly agree.
And thus, our final coffeeneuring excursion was to our suburban Starbucks. We took a roundabout way to stretch our mileage a bit. It was a beautiful warm November day and we were ecstatic to be out and about on two wheels.
As we pulled up to our neighborhood shopping center, I noticed that a bike rack had been installed quite recently. This totally thrilled me! I had emailed the company who owns the shopping center to request a bike rack and been told that one was "in the works." I had been dubious as to when that might happen, if ever -- and lo and behold!
It was almost as if this were my prize for completing the final ride of the Coffeeneuring Challenge!
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| The bike rack and the Starbucks in suburbia |
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| Pumpkin spice latte for me, Thanksgiving blend for Hubz. See our bikes? |
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| Note the evidence of freshly drilled concrete. BIKE RACKS FOR THE PEOPLE! |
I splurged and ordered the quintessential Starbucks fall creation, the Pumpkin Spice Latte, to celebrate our accomplishment. We sipped our beverages, then pedaled home through the neighborhood, smiling all the way.
Destination: Starbucks Coffee, 12447 Hedges Run Drive, Lake Ridge, VA
Date: Sunday, November 11
Beverages: Pumpkin Spice Latte and Thanksgiving Blend coffee
Total Miles: 3.2
It was a weekend full of running and plans and all kinds of errands. I knew it would be a wee bit challenging to fit in Coffeeneuring #4 and #5.
Sure enough, darkness had fallen on Saturday by the time Hubz and I set out on our two-wheeled quest for caffeine. Luckily, we had saved our favorite (and closest) coffee shop for just such an emergency occasion.
After
donning reflective togs and sparkly lights we pedaled off into the night, taking a roundabout route to ensure we'd exceed the Coffeeneuring Challenge's 2 mile distance stipulation.
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| A terrible shot of the majestic National Cathedral from my bicycle |
We rode
through the darkness on quiet streets we don't often travel, past the National Cathedral, winding along our indirect route.
It was
pleasant and invigorating. All too soon we arrived at our first stop: The Magical Money Wall. I extracted the rent and we meandered along to Open City, the holy grail of coffee in DC.
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| Open City at night |
We aligned our bikes and it was at this moment that Hubz realized the bike lock key had gone missing. Not to be deterred, we stashed our bicycles on the patio within eyesight of our table and ordered. I chose a decadent Chaipuccino, a delicious hybrid of a cappuccino and a chai tea latte. Hubz went with coffee, straight up. Both came with two animal crackers, the perfect accompaniment.
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| Chaipuccino for me, a drip coffee for Hubz |
We retraced our route and though we didn't find our key, we got in a few extra miles of night cycling. Fun!
Destination: Open City, 2331 Calvert St, NW
Date: Saturday, November 3
Beverages: Chaipuccino and drip coffee
Total Miles: 6
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The next morning, before our 50K race, we hopped on our trusty steeds and headed to Adams Morgan. It was just before 7:00 a.m. and there sure aren't many folks out and about in this neighborhood at that hour on a Sunday.
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| Riding in the sharrows in Adams Morgan |
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| Recent improvements: widened sidewalks and lots of bike racks |
We secured our bikes and hurried inside. We had just enough time to finish our coffee before pedaling back to the start of our trail race.
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| Guatemalan coffee for me, Ethiopian for Hubz |
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| Fun photos of people taking a bath while drinking coffee |
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| Couches and tables give Tryst a very loungey feel |
Destination: Tryst, 2459 18th St NW
Date: Sunday, November 4
Total Miles: 2.64
Beverages: Guatemalan and Ethiopian drip coffee
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| THIS is the way to spectate at a marathon. |
If I'm not running the Marine Corps Marathon, I do the next best thing: I bike around the course.
This past Sunday, Hubz and I set out to kill two birds with one stone: Coffeeneuring and Spectating.
We bumped down Rock Creek bike path, past the Watergate and the Kennedy Center to Ohio Drive. No, that won't work. We backtracked and ascended the grassy hill to Memorial Bridge (Hubz rode it on his single speed mountain bike while I did my best cyclocross bike-carry).
We rode over the traffic-free Memorial Bridge (on the wrong side of the road, even!) and pedaled alongside the Potomac River on the Mt. Vernon trail. The weeping willows were blowing in the stiff wind. Only a few cyclists and runners were out today.
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| Riding south on the Mt. Vernon Trail, trees a-blowing in the wind |
We emerged from the path near mile 23 in Crystal City. Runners were beginning to show the strain of the accumulated miles. We cheered them on as we cruised beside the course, around the Pentagon, along Washington Boulevard and Route 110.
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| Taking the roundabout way to Georgetown via a car-free Memorial Bridge |
There's something exhilarating about being able to bike on major roadways that are normally reigned by automobiles. The roads were all ours today!
Up the down ramp to cross Memorial Bridge again, onto Georgetown and our destination: Baked and Wired.
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| The GT Peace singlespeed and the Dolce Elite at Baked & Wired |
I haven't been to this place in years. Holy quiche, can they can bake!
Two big lattes warmed us up. Then we spied the quiche display. I had the Chorizo & Green Chile quiche (ZOMG!) and Hubz went for the one with spinach in it. Seriously delicious.
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| The quiche was the best I've ever eaten, no lie. |
And we succumbed to temptation of the desserts. I had a Flapjack cupcake and Hubz chose the molasses spice cookie. Good thing we rode 16 miles for this.
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Maple brown butter cupcake, caramel buttercream
and candied bacon on top! |
Of course, no report on Baked and Wired would be complete without a photo of the pink bicycle always parked outside.
We took M Street and Rock Creek bike path back home. Another great day of coffeeneuring in the books.
Destination: Baked and Wired, 1052 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW
Date: Sunday, October 28
Beverages: Lattes for both of us
Total Miles: 16.13
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| The Element and the Dolce Elite in front of Big Bear Cafe. |
Destination: Big Bear Cafe, 1700 1st St, NW
Date: Sunday, October 14
Beverages: French Press coffee for Hubz, a latte for me
Total Miles: 12.16
Awhile back, I told you about my good fortune in discovering the #bikeDC community.
I've been showing up regularly to drink really top-notch lattes, socialize and drool over the bicycles at Friday Coffee Club ever since. Like ultrarunners, everyone is friendly, interesting to talk with, and quite a few of them are endurance junkies just like us.
The latest fun excuse to get in some bike rides is the Coffeeneuring Challenge. What the heck is coffeeneuring? Click that link to find out, and join in if you fancy.
This weekend Hubz and I had a grand Sunday coffeeneuring ride. We tweeted the King and Queen of Coffeeneuring and somehow convinced them to have coffee with us (and suggest the place. Yes, we are the laziest coffeeneur-ers ever).
We dressed for the blustery and cloudy weather. Of course, fifteen minutes into our ride the sun came beaming through and we stuffed our jackets away for the day. You're welcome, DC.
Our route took us through Adams Morgan and we remarked on the improvements: wider sidewalks, smooth pavement, less room taken up by parking, one big lane to share instead of two lanes (one was always blocked by double-parked cars).
We headed east on Q Street in the bike lanes. It was a lovely day to be out on a bicycle!
We arrived at Big Bear Cafe. Right away, I liked this place. They had tables outside and raised garden beds full of Swiss chard, sage,
rosemary, lavender, oregano, grape vines, and possibly even more arugula than
I have growing in my garden.
Hubz, who is a mite suspicious of things that might be Yuppie, Vegan or Fancified was surprised to see meat on the menu, antlers above the door, and a guy with dreds carrying what appeared to be a purse made from the head of a coyote.
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| This place was cute and the coffee was excellent. |
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| Hubz got a kick out of the unusual decor. |
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| French Press coffee for Hubz, a latte for me, and a cookie to share |
If you go on Sunday, you'll find the Bloomingdale Farmers Market just outside. In addition to fruits and vegetables, they offer a bicycle repair area. Pretty cool.
We scored a table outside and enjoyed our beverages. Ed and Mary joined us and we all gathered round Ed's smartphone to watch Felix Baumgartner's jump.
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| The spread at Big Bear Cafe was amazing. |
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| And delicious. We shared a plate. |
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From there we rolled on to Eastern Market where we resumed our conversation about ultrarunning, randonneuring and life. It was a pleasant afternoon, over all too soon.
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| Mary and Ed enjoying lunch at Tunnicliff's. |
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| Sporting my Little Package cycling cap. Look Ma, no helmet hair! |
