Coffeeneuring Q&A

In response to Chasing Mailboxes, 14 Oct

Guest Coffeeneuring Blog Post Questions

1) Where do you live?

I live in Eugene, Oregon.  That's 100 miles south of Portland, about 60 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, at the southern end of the Willamette Valley.  Eugene is a town of approximately 150,000 people, and with Springfield just across the river the urban area is about 200,000 people.  Eugene is a University town, but large enough that the University is not the only thing going on.  In this way it is more like Boulder, Colorado and Madison, Wisconsin than Ann Arbor, Michigan or Ames, Iowa.  Years ago the Wall Street Journal referred to Eugene as "the last refuge of the terminally hip."  We didn't take that as an insult.  

Eugene is the home of Co-Motion Cycles, Bike Friday, Rolf Prima wheels, Burley cycling accessories, and one-person builders including English Cycles and Winter Bicycles.  Eugene also has a high ratio of LBS to population. 

2) How did you decide to coffeeneur?

Peer pressure?  It really doesn't make a lot of sense, rationally.  I roast my own coffee and make espresso drinks at home, and rather seldom venture out to coffee shops.   But several of my Portland-based randonneuring friends coffeeneured last year and seemed to be having fun.   Also I'm hoping to meet a few people through coffeeneuring. Not that I'm a hermit and need some contrivance to meet people, but it seems like potentially a nice social activity. 

3) What bike are you using as your coffeeneuring bike? What makes it a good coffeeneuring bike?

Bike, singular?  Should I designate a single bike as my coffeeneuring bike?  Why would I do that? 

In the first week of coffeeneuring, I used my commuter bike, a Canondale hybrid from the early 90s.  It has a generator hub, flat bar,  twist shifters, fat tires, fenders, and a back rack for panniers. It has flat pedals with "power grips", which work with street shoes roughly like toe clips.  

In the second week of coffeeneuring I used my Salsa Casseroll, which is outfitted for randonneuring.  It has a generator hub, drop bars, bar-end shifters, fenders, a back rack, and SPD clip-in pedals.  It is my winter training bicycle and my randonneuse, and also a pleasant choice if I need to carry a bit but not so much that I need to stuff panniers. 

Both of these are quite suitable for coffeeneuring, because the first lets me wear street shoes and the second lets me wear walkable MTB shoes, which are good enough for a coffee shop.  

4) Where did you choose to coffeeneur for this coffeeneuring trip?

Ah, I see, I am choosing one outing.  I'll choose the outing to Hideaway Bakery on Saturday.  It's a bakery that also makes coffee, as versus a coffee shop per se.  The bread is baked in a wood-fueled oven, and it is fantastic ... the best bread in Eugene, and Eugene has good bread.  The pastries are good too. 

5) Is the coffee shop beautiful and the coffee delicious? Tell us a little about your coffeeneuring locale.

It is very nice, very comfortable, very Eugene.  Outside and inside seating.  Essentially invisible from the street, but full of people nonetheless because people tell their friends about good food and nice settings.   I had once met a friend here to start a ride, and wanted to go back.  The coffee is good, but unexceptional by Eugene standards.  The pastries were excellent. 

6) What other types of riding do you do besides coffeeneuring?

I randonneur.  I rode my first 1000k this last summer, and am aiming to ride Paris-Brest-Paris on 2015.  I also commute to my work, about 3.5 to 5 miles each way depending on the route I take.  Sometimes I take a longer way home to get in an hour or two of exercise.  Western Oregon's weather is mild, making it easy to be a year-round commuter. 

7) What else did I forget to ask you that you want to share?

The cycling around Eugene is excellent, and there is more excellent cycling up and down the west coast.  Although Oregon is known for rain, we actually have fairly dry summers, and much lower humidity than the midwest and east coast of the U.S.   If you have an opportunity to visit, bring your bicycle!