Coffeeneuring 2015 Wrap-Up

This is a post with the sole purpose of recycling and recounting. Shameless self-promotion. "Hey, read my blog posts again!"

Recylcing (links to original posts):

It's over.

Shop 1: Devout Coffee (previously visited ...recycled)
Shop 2: The Cool Bean Cafe
Shop 3: Panama Red
Shop 4: Sunol Railway Cafe
Shop 5: Sugarie Bake Shop (previously visited ...recycled)
Shop 6: Pacific Bay Coffee
Shop 7: The Bubble Tree Cafe
Control Card: Here

Recounting:

Except for the Cool Bean, all the coffee shops were relatively close to home.

My Top Three Overall (coffee and "the experience")

1. Devout Coffee - cool place, cool people, good coffee, happy to talk about coffee, nice town
2. Sugarie - cool people, good pastries, good coffee, close to home
3. Cool Bean - cool place, good coffee, cool people, halo effect from Yosemite trip

Total mileage: 130 miles

And the answers to the questions you all want to ask:

What's with the duck?

Mendo, and the stunt-doubles

Well, really it's a failed attempt at doing something clever. I have a stuffed monkey that I take on cycling trips and have created a whole story around him. I cloned the Coffeeneuring interactive map and use it to track his travels. Next I plan to find his original owner and return the monkey along with this amazing story of where it's been. Cool, eh? Mendo the coffeeneuring rubber ducky was a spontaneous idea along the same lines. The monkey was scheduled to be elsewhere for much of the coffeeneuring challenge, so I couldn't use him. So the duck substituted for the monkey. 

Sorry you asked?

Why Coffeeneuring?

CycloMonkey loves coffee!

This is Mary's question to all of us. Two years ago, I was not a coffee drinker. But my cycling hobby had evolved to be my primary mode of transportation. So I was waking up at 5am for a two-hour commute a few times a week. That left me rather sleepy at work, so I started with a half-cup of coffee for the caffeine and grew from there. I figured if I was going to drink coffee, I'd rather drink good coffee and had better learn about it. That's one part of the answer: I wanted to learn more about coffee. A forced taste-testing event served that purpose.

A second part is that I'm a little nerdy (perhaps geeky) and have an abnormal affinity for checklists, accumulating logs of things, record-keeping, or most any form of organizing things. Much like my involvement in Randonneuring, I like to look at the list of things I've accomplished. So here was a chance to display my list to others who also might appreciate a list.

Part and parcel with my nerdiness is general introversion, introspection and creativity in need of an outlet. Facebook and blogging allow me to pretend to be extroverted at a nice, safe distance. So I suspected that I might get a captive audience in this Coffeeneuring group and I might get some pre-made topics on which to write. More practice at writing. More practice at cell-phone photography. And low and behold, I may have gained some friends ...well, acquaintances. Can I get a "like" or a "+1" for that?

Why Food Pairing?

Coffee, like wine or beer, can be very complex and varied. I've had good food with good coffee and the combination made both taste a little off. Look it up, it's a thing. I'm a believer. When is the cycling and donut challenge?

Was There a Theme Within a Theme?

Yes, did you miss it? Actually, I had hoped that one would evolve. So I sub-titled my rides with something and the name of the coffee shop. Nothing clever evolved. So no, there was ultimately no theme within a theme - except for the rubber ducky. If you can find some creative theme, leave a comment.

Thanks for indulging me.

Mendo's Coffeeneuring Challenge 2015 - Day 3

Cloudy with a Shot of Panama Red

Sometimes, coffee can't fix the grumpies. I woke up a 6am, having set my alarm to feed the cats. I was profoundly tired: 200 miles of bike commuting, too little sleep (teenager home from college... oh, the stories). The skies were dark, as was my mood but I was optimistic that CC#3 would help.

### Coffeeneuring Control Stop #3 ###

DATE: 10/17/2015
DRINKS: "Panama Red" - coffee with a shot of espresso
MILEAGE: 20.7 miles
COFFEE SHOP: Panama Red Coffee Co., 2115 1st Street, Livermore, CA

BACKGROUND: They started in 1993 as Panama Bay Coffee Company and now have six locations in the Bay Area. I don't know much more other than they claim to have "rock star baristas!"

COFFEE REVIEW: They offer the usual coffee shop range, but their signature cup is "Panama Red" which is regular coffee with a shot of espresso. Apparently, you can get it as a "red eye" or a "black eye" depending on one shot or two - I went with one. I'd give it a thumbs-up. The coffee itself was pretty good and I could taste the little shot of espresso hiding in there. I forgot to ask about the base coffee (the website says it is a pour-over, but they served me from a pot), but it was medium and well balanced.

Since I sat outside, I didn't get any follow-on conversation with the rock star. I mean barista.

FOOD PAIRING: The iced cranberry scone was light enough to not bother the medium coffee flavor. The hit of sweetness from the icing was just enough to counter the espresso aftertaste.

BIKE AMBIANCE: I'm sure my review is more negative than others would give for two reasons: my foul mood and the dog whose owner said "he doesn't like bikes." Really? So I didn't park my bike by the *other bike* but rather on the 1st street side. This felt rather exposed, so I can't give high marks for bike friendliness. But I could see it from inside while I ordered and there was a table close by, outside. But that put me away from the other people sitting outside, without the social opportunities.

DUCK'S VIEW: Mendo was in a much better mood than me and really liked sitting outside. He also was quite enamored with the barista with her pink hair and nose-ring. She loves it there, thinks their coffee is fantastic and most of the barista's are working on their latte art - she does an awesome heart (I saw the previous customer's). Mendo also loves sitting outside and doesn't mind the lack of conversation - rubber duckies can't talk.

I had forgotten that Mendo can't stay upright when he floats. Hence, there will be no photos of Mendo floating in coffee (unless I get a stunt duck ...I have several to choose from). Regardless, high marks on this place from Mendo.

THE BIKE: Volagi, see Day 1 post.

THE RIDE: The skies were dramatic, but not threatening so I kept catching glimpses of photo-worthy sunrises. That lured me up side streets and hills for better vistas - only to think "not so great." I don't live in Livermore, so there and back was twenty miles with some reasonable hills. Not too many cyclists out, but the soccer field was packed - I'm sure plenty of Starbuck's were there, too.


Note: Inspired by Ms. Coffeeneur herself, I attempted a timer-selfie-action-shot-photo. Clearly, I need more practice - oh, a pun clearly!

Controversy. On the very last turn before getting home, I'm waiting in the left turn lane. The light is red and I know it will never give me a left turn arrow. A nice lady is crossing in front of me from the left. I can see the walk light counting down from 20-something. So I turn after she passes and use the crosswalk to the sidewalk rather than wait. Is that okay? I hear her say "it's a red light" in a calm but condescending way. Why did she feel compelled to say that. Before "the tone" hit me, I said politely, "I know, I'm using the crosswalk." But for the next two blocks home, I got more and more annoyed. Why do people get so bothered by cyclists? True, I don't follow all the rules - but the ones I bend are only because I feel safer with my choice than what the rules dictate. Didn't help my mood.

Coffeeneuring Control Card

Verified and Validated Exclusively by Coffeeneurs USA

Checkpoint 1:_ Devout Coffee	Arrival Time:
Address:______ 37323 Niles Blvd, Fremont, CA	(24 Hr. format)
Open/Close:___ 07:00 / 09:00	08:30
Distance:_____ 29.8 miles	Oct. 3, 2015
Checkpoint 2:_ The Cool Bean Cafe	Arrival Time:
Address:______ 40120 Hwy 42, Oakhurst, CA	(24 Hr. format)
Open/Close:___ 07:00 / 09:00	07:01
Distance:_____ 3.2 miles	Oct. 10, 2015
Checkpoint 3:_ Panama Red	Arrival Time:
Address:______ 2115 1st Street, Livermore, CA	(24 Hr. format)
Open/Close:___ 07:00 / 09:00	08:07
Distance:_____ 20.7 miles	Oct. 17, 2015
Checkpoint 4:_ Sunol Railway Cafe	Arrival Time:
Address:______ 11882 Main St, Sunol, CA	(24 Hr. format)
Open/Close:___ 07:00 / 09:00	08:10
Distance:_____ 15.6 miles	Oct. 18, 2015
Checkpoint 5:_ Sugarie Bake Shop	Arrival Time:
Address:______ 3500 Bernal Ave. #155, Pleasanton, CA	(24 Hr. format)
Open/Close:___ 09:00 / 11:00	09:01
Distance:_____ 4.7 miles	Oct. 24, 2015
Checkpoint 6:_ Pacific Bay Coffee	Arrival Time:
Address:______ 1495 Newell Ave, Walnut Creek, CA	(24 Hr. format)
Open/Close:___ 08:00 / 10:00	08:23
Distance:_____ 46.8 miles	Oct. 31, 2015
Checkpoint 7:_ The Bubble Tree Cafe	Arrival Time:
Address:______ 3120-B Santa Rita Rd., Pleasanton, CA	(24 Hr. format)
Open/Close:___ 09:00 / 11:00	09:23
Distance:_____ 9.3 miles	Nov. 1, 2015

CUSA Member #: 0654

Last Name:          Nelson

First Name:          Todd

RIDER's signature at FINISH: _____________________________________ 

This ride was done in: __5_ weeks, __7_ rides, __130.1_ miles.