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The sweet side of cycling in Sonoma County

After riding through that crisp late fall or winter air, nothing hits the spot more than a warm drink and a sweet something something. As cyclists, we ride for the pleasure of feeling that wind on our faces and experiencing the amazing outdoor scenery in our County. But we also have a mantra:

ā€œWe ride to eat and eat to ride!ā€

The calorie burning aspect of cycling is the perfect excuse for indulgence. We have earned it right? Coffee has also long been a staple of the cyclist, both professional and recreational, with caffeine being a perfectly legal performance-enhancing ā€œdrug.ā€ Carb -loading is also a well understood part of any athletic endeavor ā€” a definite must for a long ride.

Entire rides are planned around a favorite cafƩ stop to meet up with Croissants, Sticky Buns, Vegan Orange Cake and Mille feuille among others...
Entire rides are planned around a favorite cafƩ stop to meet up with Croissants, Sticky Buns, Vegan Orange Cake and Mille feuille among others...

Sonoma County has no shortage of amazing coffee houses and bakeries. From the sticky buns and scones at Wild Flour Bread in Freestone to the vegan orange cake at The Plank in Cloverdale to French delights as Les Pascals in Glen Ellen or Pascalineā€™s in Sebastopol. The list goes on and on. We love them all and no ride would be complete without a stop at one (or more) or these along the way. The question from the group is always ā€œwhere are we stopping for coffee and sweets?ā€ Those routes that include favorite bake shops quickly become favorite routes. From a jaunt to Petaluma Pie, out to the new Route One Bakery in Tomales, or Gold Coast in Duncans Mills, we are always looking for a friendly inviting cafĆ©.

Santa Rosa Cycling Club members bid farewell to Jimtown Store, with owner Carrie Brown in December 2019.
Santa Rosa Cycling Club members bid farewell to Jimtown Store, with owner Carrie Brown in December 2019.

Entire rides are planned around a favorite cafƩ stop: a place to rest, replenish, share a story, and connect with the community.

The cycling community has long been a steady force in keeping these small local businesses thriving and never more so than during the pandemic. Most coffee shops have stayed open at some level throughout this year, and cyclists may have been a large portion of their business during the time when non-essential travel was frowned-upon but outdoor exercise encouraged. Many of these businesses have warmly welcomed us cyclists, several providing bike racks, some providing discounts for those arriving by bike, and filling our water bottles with a smile visible even behind a mask. Cycling has seen an uptick during the pandemic as people find ways to get outside. This is bringing out even more people on bikes, not just the more serious cycling fanatics but families and individuals looking for a social connection and meeting place. When itā€™s raining and we canā€™t ride safely, we will still convene at a coffee house to enjoy coffee, pastries, and camaraderie.

The Trail house in Santa Rosa  is a combo bike shop / coffee shop/ brew pub. ā€™Beers, Bikes and Coffee. Not Necessarily in that order.ā€™
The Trail house in Santa Rosa is a combo bike shop / coffee shop/ brew pub. ā€™Beers, Bikes and Coffee. Not Necessarily in that order.ā€™

Even pre-pandemic, the cycling community helped keep many small businesses afloat. One of our beloved institutions, the Jimtown Store, closed last year, forced out by fires and power outages. But it may not have survived nearly as long without the business from cyclists. Other shops welcome cyclists by stocking not just the goodies we love but cycling essentials like energy bars and tubes. Some even have bike pumps and tools. In many cities, combo bike shop / coffee shop/ brew pubs have popped up. The Trail House in Santa Rosa is a local example.

Cyclists contemplating the choices at the Basque Boulangerie in Sonoma in 2018.
Cyclists contemplating the choices at the Basque Boulangerie in Sonoma in 2018.

The pandemic has made riding and these coffee stops all the more important. A way to get outside, get exercise in the fresh air, enjoy the beauty around us and be grateful for the bounty that we have, even in the face of the current challenges. It is a way to actually see our friends and be social. Social (or physical) distancing does not mean abandoning friendships or the joy of being outdoors. We can patronize (safely) our local businesses too. Getting out on the bike brings me back to pre-pandemic times and reminds me of how much I value these friendships and our amazing county both on and off the bike. Next year, when we hopefully will achieve a sense of normalcy, one hopes that these ways of connecting remain strong and that people keep riding their bikes.

Big group ride on July 4th to CafƩ Noto in Windsor (best mocha!) in 2018.
Big group ride on July 4th to CafƩ Noto in Windsor (best mocha!) in 2018.

So does this sound like your kind of fun? Want to get into cycling? Contact me!

bridgettedeshields@sbcglobal.net

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