Pedalling Caffeine

If you questioned a cyclist on word association, cycling and caffeine would have to rate highly.  The number of bikes parked outside local cafes across the inner city on weekday and weekend mornings is testimony to cyclists either getting their pre or post ride caffeine fix .  Cyclists in the main tend to be a fairly picky bunch and it's no different when choosing their local caffeine peddler.  In fact taking a look at St Ali one new local establishment in my neighbourhood, it would suggest that you would be very unhipster like to turn up to the cafe on anything less than a blinged up or down (depending on your preference) fixie with your courier bag and shiny sliver of a laptop or iDevice for company.  There are bike racks aplenty for those on two wheels and just 5 metres off the bike path and 5 metres from a bike shop. This could be cycling nirvana.

Now what about those who in this time poor world we live in don't have time to sit and sip in a cafe?  Yes another First World Problem/Dilemma has raised its ugly head.  Who's thinking about those whose talents for  multitasking extend to sitting on a bike seat pedalling, negotiating their own daily version of the Hell of the North all whilst sipping a soy skinny latte?

Fortunately the industrial designers of this world have outdone themselves for the ever multitasking people of this world who like to push prams or pedals and drink coffee at the same time.  The mountable cup holder in 3 handy sizes... regular, large and jumbo size.



Now I'm not sure which came first, the coffee holder for the pram or the bike, but if my memory serves me correct the need for caffeine was exponentially stronger when I had 4 kids under 4 and probably only 4 hours sleep for the night, so I'm guessing the pram idea came first and then like some genetic mutation jumped across to the bike.

Me personally, as I've said before on this blog, cycling is my caffeine, so often a post ride coffee is more of a social thing than a necessity.  On a recent Sunday morning ride I was guided by my riding colleagues to Two:Bob and inquired how did you get onto this place and the reply was that they saw a couple of road bikes parked out the front and thought that it must be alright and true to form it was.

So to bring this modern parable to an end, in a neighbourhood saturated with inner city Melbourne's finest collection of groovy, funky, glammed up/down, gourmet, low rent, old school, retro, hipster cafes, when faced with where to buy your next coffee, choose one with at least a few bikes parked out the front and add to the number.  

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