Bike Cafe's

Didn’t know these existed until visiting San Francisco and ending up in one…

Growing number of bike cafés gear up to serve cyclists

‘It’s very common to meet at a café before a ride to have coffee or espresso’ 

Cyclist Diane Meyers talks about her new wheel set March 5 with John Lehman, head mechanic at R+E Cycles in Seattle. Behind them, Amber Madison runs the espresso machine in the bike shop's cafe, Pedal-a-Latte.By Tanya Mohn

At bicycle cafés, travelers can stop for coffee, grab a bite to eat and get air in their tires or even a tune up, all at the same time. These cafés are proliferating across the country, enhancing the “in the saddle” experience for everyone from urban riders and hard-core cyclists to weekend warriors and tourists.

In cycling culture, there is a strong connection to coffee,” said Gene Oberpriller, partner, One On One Bicycle Studio in Minneapolis. “We’re the engine for the bike,” explained the former mountain bike racer, bike messenger and industry spokesman, whose café, opened in 2003 in the city’s warehouse district, he says is known for its quality bikes and service, hearty soup, low key vibe, and of course, great coffee.

“It’s very common to meet at a café before a ride to have coffee or espresso to get the adrenaline going,” Oberpriller said. Bike shops have long provided coffee, but “cycling specialty cafés are relatively new.”

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