UPDATES:
Reader Chuck writes: “There’s one in Austin called “Juan Pelota’s cafe” and is attached to Mellow Johnny’s bike shop…owned by Lance. It’s been there for a few years, and while I have not been there, my daughter will be during spring break (I’m hoping for a hat…maybe)”
Sandi from SLO wrote that her son tells her the CBO Bike Shop is great.
George from Avila writes about CBO: “I had a couple of negative experiences there as well a couple of years ago.”
Original posting:
There’s nothing like having a leisurely coffee break in the middle of a morning bike ride. There are few stores more appealing than a well equipped bike shop.
Imagine if you could have the two experiences at the same time: sip a couple of deeply aromatic joe, while perusing the latest bicycling gear or perhaps have a bit of a tune up on your current mount.
Turns out you can combine the two in the relatively new concept of bike cafes.
One of the first, according to a piece in MSNBC Online brought spotted by Dave Ahbrect, was in Sedona, Arizona, but they have spread all over the country, from Seattle to Pittsburgh, PA, and abroad.
The Sedona Bike & Barn was founded in the mid ’90s, located at the entrance of a major hiking and biking trail. It features what they feel are excellent mechanics and friendly sales people, with a strong commitment to service.
The closest thing to a bike cafe around SLO is on Monterey St., where the CBO Bicycle Shop is next to both a coffee shop and a few steps away from a brewery. Not sure it’s a first-rate bike store, but it’s a start. Also not sure the coffee shop is still open. Gotta check it out.
In San Francisco the is the Mojo BIcycle Cafe and the Velo Rouge Cafe.
In Madison, Wisconsin, a “bike-in, bike-out” cafe is planned along a bicycle path.
Bicycle cafes are found in Portland, Oregon, Seattle, even Louisville, Ky. And some have rather interesting names like “Cars-R-Coffins” (Minneapolis) and “look mum, no hands” (in London).
