BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

« Back to Archive
163

Coffeeneuring Challenge

For those who need yet another reason to ride their bikes: 2nd Annual Coffeeneuring Challenge.


I approve, and shall be bending all my efforts toward successful completion of the challenge.


reddan
2012-10-01 12:57:20

Is pastry allowed? The photo shows pastry but the rules don't mention it at all. What if you bring your own pastry? What if you fill your water bottle with coffee before leaving and then drink more coffee at the coffeeshop?

I'm confused.


jonawebb
2012-10-01 13:13:57

Heh.


reddan
2012-10-01 13:24:48

You could do an incredible tour like that in PGH.


mayhew
2012-10-01 14:16:16

This sounds like something I should do. It fits in perfectly with my stated goal at the beginning of the year to ride someplace purposeful at least once a week.


At least one of those weekends I'll be out of town, but that might be a good reason to strap a bike to the back of the car, and go find someplace interesting to ride to from where I'm camped out.


stuinmccandless
2012-10-01 14:18:53

Could give me the added push to repair my SO's bike. Would make for a sweet trip to the coffeehouses of Pgh


sgtjonson
2012-10-01 14:24:38

I'm in.


edmonds59
2012-10-01 14:35:42

Yum. Me too!


swalfoort
2012-10-01 15:32:54

I'm totally into this.


BUT, in my masochistic fashion I'd run it all in one day. Stop as many coffeeshops as you can, drink an espresso or 12oz coffee, take a picture of the coffee and receipt and post it online somewhere.


Hmmm....


that-guy
2012-10-01 18:17:47

Check Rule 3...you're only allowed one official coffee stop for credit per day, even if you hit 7 coffee houses...


Coffeeneuring is a serious ongoing time commitment, not for the faint of heart. :-)


reddan
2012-10-01 18:20:33

Count me in!

I love coffee.


pseudacris
2012-10-01 19:12:07

I'm down for this, for sure! @ThatGuy- i did that once. didn't set out intending to over-caffeinate. it just happens sometimes.


parvipica
2012-10-01 20:46:42

ok, so how do we get this on endomondo?


epanastrophe
2012-10-01 22:37:09

i dunno, but i think a.s.a.p would be best.


2012-10-01 22:43:32

"Check Rule 3...you're only allowed one official coffee stop for credit per day, even if you hit 7 coffee houses..."


Yeah, but you know how I feel about rules...


that-guy
2012-10-01 23:38:51

If I may mention this, I am one of the 12 who completed the challenge last year. MG (the blogger who administers the challenge) is very cool, and it seems like she's found a way to expose non-randonneurs to that way of thinking about rules, controls, etc - a sort of soft rando-evangelism, which I think is pretty clever.


SINAM (She is not a militant) in that she's been open to discussion. For instance, the original rules last year was that the rides had to happen on Saturday or Sunday, but on the job I was working then, my weekend was Wednesday-Thursday and changed into Tuesday-Wednesday halfway through the challenge. She considered that and adapted the rule to accomodate your weekend if you work rotating days, which I thought was very cool.


I got a very cool patch for completing the challenge, and it's a fun activity, requires a bit of pre-planning but not too much. I imagine that it encourages people to keep riding through the darkening months of October and November, and to visit coffee shops that are outside their normal pattern.


vannever
2012-10-01 23:51:31

Looks like this weekend is going to be coffeeneuring and rain gear testing. Oh well!


edmonds59
2012-10-05 11:15:22

How loosely can we define coffee shop? I can cover saturday ok, then Sunday i need to be in Millvale. Would a stop at Jean Marc chatellier's for croissant and coffee count? Or the p&g across the street? Or do i need someplace with a barista?


swalfoort
2012-10-05 12:34:35

I'm pretty sure the spirit of coffeeneuring includes Jean Marc. MG is, of course, the final arbiter of such things, but I rather doubt she'd object.


reddan
2012-10-05 12:42:11

I completely agree. It's riding your bike for coffee. Not expensive coffee, not necessarily essssspresso. "Jean Marc" sounds like a coffee place to me. Hell, Dunkin Donuts is a coffee place.


vannever
2012-10-05 13:43:51

If a patisserie cannot be included in a coffeeneuring challenge, there is something profoundly disordered about that challenge.


bjanaszek
2012-10-05 13:46:10

I think anyone partaking in the challenge should post pics here a la the tag-o-rama & wheelset of fortune games. This would be a good resource for finding future caffeine


marko82
2012-10-05 14:19:03

@Vannevar:Hell, Dunkin Donuts is a coffee place.


Agreed. Personally, I would draw the line right around the Dunkin level...much as I love my Sheetz, it just doesn't feel right for this challenge. And McDonalds is right out, IMHO.


@marko: I like the concept of posting pics here...that's a fine idea.


reddan
2012-10-05 15:01:10

@marko @reddan I agree about posting pics here.


IAW Rule 2, my weekends are Thursday-Friday,

so I got my 2012-Coffeeneur-01 in yesterday, and covered the writeup here.




vannever
2012-10-05 16:22:36

@Dan I think Sheetz is ok if you need to go 30 mile or more to get there. :)


2012-10-05 18:36:52

I'd be happier if this was icecreamneuring, but here are my first two. (Thurs/Fri for my "weekend"):

Yesterday



Really, really good raspberry/apple tea!

Today



So-so blood orange tea here. I prefer the blend from Prestogeorge in the strip.


2012-10-05 18:47:33

Coffeeneuring 2012-2



drink: Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte


shop: Starbucks


location: 1302 Freedom Rd, Cranberry, PA


date: 10/5/2012


mileage: 34 miles


writeup: here


vannever
2012-10-06 00:22:02

@vannevar -- you're a braver man than I am for riding a bike through Cranberry Twp and Freedom Road. Of couse, I hate to even have to drive through the Godforsaken place, and my goal is always to get the hell out of there as fast as I possibly can before my blood pressure gets too high and I have a stroke.


cdavey
2012-10-06 01:41:45

@vannevar, great write up! Definitely deserved that venti! Sounds like you need a new whale though


swalfoort
2012-10-06 12:38:42

Thank you both, cdavey and Swalfoort! Twarn't nuthin but a great day to ride.


I'm looking forward to seeing your Coffeeneuring stories. It may be that the Burgh Contingent is a major playa this year.


Cheers, V.


vannever
2012-10-06 14:55:15

First coffeeneuring pickup:



Large house coffee and a Cookie As Big As My Head.

Crazy Mocha, 4032 Butler St, 10/6/2012

~12 miles


I had to run down to my wife's storefront in L-ville to deal with an electrical problem. I failed to solve the problem, but turned my lemons into lemonade with a visit to ye olde coffee shoppe for the Challenge.


reddan
2012-10-06 17:43:26

Any ideas about the details of the mileage rule? It says your ride must be at least two miles in total - is that to the coffee shop, or round trip? Can I take an indirect route? I ask because lots of the coffee shops I keep meaning to try are within about a mile of my house...


2012-10-06 18:07:53

Forgive me if this goes long, but I just had the most amazing morning. Let me see if I can re-trace it all.

I left from home to head to my default destination coffee place in the strip, 21st St Coffee. Closed, out-of-business closed. Sad. So I toodled over a couple of blocks to LaPrima Espresso. People out the freaking door. I was not going to have a cup of java require an entire day. Getting a little annoyed at this point, and wanting coffee, I headed for the Starbucks downtown at Sixth and Penn. This course of events had me standing at a red light on Penn when a 70-something couple driving a rental car asked me directions to the rental place on Fifth. I thought about directions momentarily, then said, just follow me! I heard the woman let out some little “woohoo!” thing, and I led them across town. At the next red light I learned that the gentleman had been a Steeler decades ago, and they were about to board a riverboat for a week long cruise back to Cincinatti. Just wonderful. 60 seconds at a stoplight. And some people bitch.

Had my coffee and baked good and went for a little spin on the Jail Trail and back down the South Side. Followed a pair of families on bikes, the dads were towing two kid trailers side by side and the kids were re-enacting Ben Hur in the back, a blast. I saw a whole gaggle of people on touring bikes at the Sta. Sq. parking lot, so I stopped and asked a middle aged couple what was up. The group had just arrived from riding from DC, and they were quite stoked. I talked to them for a bit and took their picture for them in front of the skyline, and was on my way.

Right near the Sta. Sq. courtyard, I ran into a beat looking man trying to talk to me, so I stopped. I knew what it was about, he gave me the sad story about having no money, kidney trouble, needing bus fare to get to Montefiore, and so on. I was all ready to cruise when an old line from my old Sunday school days popped into my head, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart”. When I left the house this morning I tucked a couple bus tickets into my wallet in case I gassed out and needed to bus-rack home. But I wasn’t in the least tired, and I was in fact Herculean compared to this poor soul. So I handed him a bus ticket and a five and headed for home. I cried like a friggin’ baby most of the way out West Carson and thanked whatever it is that’s out there for my life.

For as long as I can remember, when I’ve gone out riding on Sunday mornings, I’ve told people “riding is my church”. I pity the foolish soul who would dare challenge me on that anytime soon.

30 miles, on the Behemoth, Starbucks Sixth and Penn, non-fat latte and a coffee cake, all of the above. Biking is awesome.





edmonds59
2012-10-06 18:35:12

@edmonds59 -- Wow!! Absolutely one the best stories I have ever seen on this board.


And you're right. Biking IS awesome. None of this would have happened to you if you had driving around in a car.


cdavey
2012-10-06 18:58:41

@edmonds: you are what is right about biking in Pittsburgh. Thanks for sharing.


atleastmykidsloveme
2012-10-06 19:03:40

@edmonds59 - please accept my compliments. It's so funny how it can be frustrating when the primary target is unavailable, but then the secondary path has unexpected rewards. The adventure is the gap between the plan and the experience.


I go out for coffee and get a latte. You have gone out for coffee and taught us all something.


vannever
2012-10-06 19:59:33

@edmonds59 - great story. You're a great ambassador not just for the biking community, but for the 'Burg. Your adventure was representative of what the people of Pittsburgh used to be like - courteous and generous. We've been seeing the other side of the coin recently and it's refreshing to hear someone that feels deeply, appreciates how great his life is, and is willing to share his time and resources with someone that needs it. I tip my hat to you. +10


2012-10-06 23:11:00

Oh, man, it's just coffeeneuring.


edmonds59
2012-10-07 00:23:22

@pearmask: Any ideas about the details of the mileage rule? It says your ride must be at least two miles in total - is that to the coffee shop, or round trip? Can I take an indirect route? I ask because lots of the coffee shops I keep meaning to try are within about a mile of my house...


The total distance for the complete ride has to be at least two miles. You can certainly take an indirect route, or a great circle route, or a sightseeing route; it does not have to be a "shortest distance" route.


It should be a ride to get a coffee, and between time=zero to time=done, you should have ridden at least 2 miles.


You could... ride 1/2 mile to a coffee shop, and ride 1.5 miles afterward to get home, and satisfy the requirements.


You can definitely combine your coffee ride with a trip to the bookstore, yoga, etc.


You can NOT combine your coffee ride with an organized ride, a century, populaire, or brevet.


vannever
2012-10-07 01:05:00

And an update from MG:

UPDATE: Also, when you are out and about, share your coffeeneuring tweets and photos by using the #coffeeneuring hashtag!


vannever
2012-10-07 01:15:29

I am enjoying the hell out of all these stories! @vannevar, as a fellow descendant of the Emerald Isle, I'm still laughing about "My moment of angst, injustice and victimhood passed quickly — which is good, because those are dangerous things in the Irish and we end up bombing post offices." @Edmonds59, you've inspired me. I can't wait to go out riding today. Thanks guys!


2012-10-07 16:04:15

@joanne/@Vannevar: Me Irish blood usually leads me to seek out a bottle of Jameson's in such angst-ridden moments, rather than bombing post offices, but I come from heavily diluted stock.


reddan
2012-10-07 17:09:55

Second pickup, post-Dirty Dozen scouting ride:


Big Dog Coffee(background music alert!), 2717 Sarah Street, 10/07/2012

~3-4 miles.

Medium mocha and an elephant ear. Note that no elephants were harmed in the consumption of this snack, even though the slaughter of innocent baby mochlings was pretty indiscriminate.


reddan
2012-10-07 17:16:09

Low-hanging fruit, but it was the first time out after fixing a mechanical, with no bus service as a backup, so I played it safe and stayed close to home.


The Coffee Buddha, 964 Perry Highway, about 1.5 miles from the house, one-way. I was pleased to see they have a bike rack right by the door.

Coffee Buddha bike rack


Once inside, I got myself a nice big cup of the day's special, some sort of oolong tea with a fancy name I forgot before I got 10 feet from the counter, plus a yummy muffin.

Oolong tea & a yummy muffin


This is a remodeled private home, so the entryway is a living room with a big wide-screen TV, which was showing the Stillers/Iggles game by the time I left. Upstairs are five rooms of varying sizes. I chose the smallest, with mats on the floor, where I finished reading Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, then wrote a short essay. I was probably there about two hours, all told, during which I nibbled my muffin, sipped my tea (which I kept warm over a small stand with an incandescent light), and got a refill on the water for the tea for a second cup. $7 with tip.


Once back out, I biked home without any trouble, though it was a reminder that even at 47F, I need more arm covering than I was wearing. Yep, it's autumn, and this was only a three-mile test run. That's why you *have* test runs.


Here is a video showing the first six minutes of the ride, which was only seven or eight minutes long.


Blog post (somewhat repetitive of the above, but contains the essay).


stuinmccandless
2012-10-07 19:59:55

That coffee Buddha looks very cool, I might have to head that way sometime. I am definitely scouting for more "unchained" places.


edmonds59
2012-10-07 21:59:18

I'm currently working in a coffeeshop/bookstore that has pastries, a section on cycling, and offers a bike pgh discount of 15% off bike-related books and is open til 7 tonight.

/shameless advertising (more like goading people into coming here. Okay I'm here another hour and I'm really bored.)


rubberfactory
2012-10-07 22:05:44

I also like Perry Perk, a much smaller place another 0.1 mile up Perry on the same side. Not open Sundays or evenings.


stuinmccandless
2012-10-07 22:06:25



Hot Chocolate at the Coffee Tree in Shadyside!

6 miles RT. I snuck out of the house while my non-bike-riding houseguest was enjoying a nap (Hi Mom!). It was a cold wet day and the Steelers were playing the Eagles, so the streets were pretty quiet. I saw some girls playing field hockey: one of the few sports I actually enjoyed in Jr High. I enjoyed hearing the sticks hitting the ball.


pseudacris
2012-10-07 23:14:10

@edmonds59 Oh, man, it's just coffeeneuring.


+1,394,256


mick
2012-10-07 23:36:12

(@edmonds I hesitate to point this out, since it would've completely obliterated everything that made your ride awesome, but 21st Street has not gone out of business--they've just moved down the block, next to Kaya. No idea if they'll change their no-longer-accurate name...)


epanastrophe
2012-10-08 01:39:08

Aaah! Ha, ha! Good news that they're still somewhere. Now I can make another trip!


edmonds59
2012-10-08 01:49:12

There IS a 21st street coffee on 5th avenue downtown, so I doubt they'll change the name.


rubberfactory
2012-10-08 08:49:37

When I hit google maps for coffee shops, how the heck did mcdonalds get it's places tagged as coffee shops? Bleh.


edmonds59
2012-10-08 13:00:44

this whole event is prejudiced against tea drinkers and i don't appreciate it one bit.


cburch
2012-10-08 14:47:14

Someone must be undercaffeinated (probably due to drinking weeds in tap water, instead of a real beverage), as they're missing details like Rule 6.


reddan
2012-10-08 15:03:25

McD's was tagged because they bought a few hundred whousand blenders & now they sell "premium" iced coffee beverages.

(but its not really that premium.)


2012-10-08 15:09:54

no, just emotionally damaged from the non-inclusive event title...


cburch
2012-10-08 15:11:08

> If you like riding a bike and enjoy drinking coffee or tea (or even hot chocolate), you should consider giving the challenge a go.


> 6. Hot chocolate qualifies, as do tea beverages.


Thptptptptptpt.


epanastrophe
2012-10-08 15:28:53

I apologize. I keep forgetting about gingers and their emotional frailty, and I'll try to do better next time.


reddan
2012-10-08 15:29:35

^+1!!!! I have a family full of them. It's a red sea of whiners!


pseudacris
2012-10-08 15:42:32

FWIW, I did have tea at my shop, and I'm usually a coffee drinker. I think it's just a simple matter of getting in the game. Ride, photograph, imbibe, document it.


stuinmccandless
2012-10-08 15:50:11

Someone must be undercaffeinated (probably due to drinking weeds in tap water, instead of a real beverage), as they're missing details like Rule 6.


You must never have had yerba mate. I have two cups of peppermint mate every morning (since coffee upsets my stomach too much nowadays), and it's got a big punch to it when it comes to caffeine.


rubberfactory
2012-10-08 19:55:59

Event 3 for 2012.

Today we rode from the Bastille back to Squirrel Hill. This time to The 61C Cafe. What a great pick! Really nice selection of tasty treats to go with the beverage of your choice. For a cold October morning I zeroed in on the hot, spiced cider and found a cinnamon scone to complement it. Very good mid morning snack! We departed 61C Cafe in search of more murals and found one not far away on Murray Ave. From there we headed to East Pittsburgh for the Sprout Fund mural on Bessemer St, then back to Braddock for the really cool Braddock Aviary mural. Rankin Bridge and back to the trail for the return trip - with a detour to Thick Bikes along the way. Very good day for a ride even if we did start out freezing our little petuties off. 40 miles total.




2012-10-11 21:25:43

Coffeeneuring 3 of 7, 2012 Edition



Trip Report: Present Tense, North Braddock Aviary, No Brouhaha


drink: Latte w/extra shotte; coconut macaroon

shop: 61C Cafe, 61Ccafe.com

location: 1839 Murray Avenue, Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

date: 10/11/2012

mileage: 39 miles

tweet: sent


ride details: Rode with S and R, enroute from Bastille to East Pittsburgh. Keith was on duty at the counter, very nicely done. Excellent shop, great coffee, great snacks, great wifi. The cafe is named after the bus route that runs by their door. Very bike friendly.


vannever
2012-10-12 00:15:01

@vannevar: is that a rivendell with the double top tube?


pseudacris
2012-10-12 16:52:35

Pseudacris, Yes! That's my buddy Rusty's Sam Hillborne, which is a very nice bike indeed. I have a minor crush on it.


vannever
2012-10-12 19:58:53

Event 4 took us to Polish Hill this morning where we explored a little bit before heading to Lily Coffee Shop.


Spiced Orange Tea and a Green Pepper/Sweet Onion Quiche:




Departed Lily CS in a light drizzle and rode back to the Point/Jail Trail/Hot Metal Bridge (a stop at REI) then out to Sandcastle for the GAP groundbreaking festivities. Good cookies and promising news on the trail work - then back through town with a stop at a mural on West Carson St before returning to the Bastille. Just under 26 miles with good company.


2012-10-12 21:28:12

My fourth coffeeneuring expedition of the 2012 Coffeeneuring Challenge:




trip report link

drink: Cafe Au Lait with an oatmeal-raisin cookie, very good

shop: Lili's Coffee*Shop

location: 3138 Dobson Street, Polish Hill, Pittsburgh PA

date: 10/12/2012

mileage: 26 miles

tweet: sent

ride details: Rode with S and R, enroute to Sandcastle for groundbreaking ceremony. Bike friendly shop. The place is named "Lily" after owners Robert Levkulich and Carrie DiFiore's young daughter.


vannever
2012-10-12 22:40:15

Third coffeeneuring stop (this time, with junior coffeeneur Owen in tow on the trail-a-bike)


-Brighton Heights Java House, 3619 California Avenue

-10/13/2012

-3.2 miles

-A medium house coffee, and a surprisingly tasty strawberry-kiwi bottled juice.


This was an opportunistic coffeneuring pickup...Owen and I had rolled down the hill to the Woods Run branch of the Carnegie Library, in search of a book of magic tricks for his upcoming family magic show. (Somehow, I have found myself volunteered to play the role of the beautiful assistant, AKA misdirection eye candy. I suspect I shall look dreadful in fishnets, heels, and a top hat.)


Anyway, after puffing our way back up McClure, the idea of hitting a coffee shop really appealed...and I hadn't been in this location since it was The Vault coffee shop, at least a couple of business iterations ago.


Three Rivers rack right out front, often frequented by Pittsburgh bike cops, and friendly staff...what's not to like?


reddan
2012-10-13 19:12:07

Coffeeneur ride #2.

Approx 14 miles RT. Passed a bunch of people listening to a 1960s world series radio broadcast outside of the old Forbes Field. I love how nerdy this is :-)



Then I stopped by Arn City to have some more tweaks done to my new old bike (note dangling cable in first photo). Really old friction shifters swapped out for kinda old friction shifters and new cable. Yay!


Stopped at Big Dog Coffee, but was in the mood for Early Grey Tea with a spot of milk. Delicious buttery toast with cranberries and walnuts. Not too sweet or greasy (not counting the butter).





Then off to find a parking chair for the Wheelset of Parking game. Not as easy as I thought…lots of zig zagging through South Side alleys and crowded streets.


Great day to ride!


pseudacris
2012-10-13 22:41:51

Pseudacris, I must have seen you at Big Dog. You even captured my bike in your picture =)


2012-10-13 23:55:29

They listen to that radio broadcast every year. It's the commemoration of Maz's winning run for the World Series if I'm not mistaken.


2012-10-14 00:55:33

@brybot - Ha!

Now I wish I had said hello. I thought the bike + Ortlieb's looked familiar maybe from Bike Tag? I think you rolled up and were ordering just about as I was leaving.


pseudacris
2012-10-14 14:32:07

IV.



-Marty’s Market, 2305 Smallman Street

-10/14/2012

-3.6 miles

-A fantastic macchiato and tasty blueberry muffin


Another post-ride detour for coffeeneuring purposes. Led (from the rear, to be honest) today’s Dirty Dozen scouting ride, then popped over to the Strip District on my way home to check out Marty’s Market, located at the erstwhile Right By Nature foodie store. The cafe section is very nice; located at the corner of the building, it offers service to patrons inside and outside the market; and the bike racks are located right there at the corner.


reddan
2012-10-14 17:12:39

Coffeeneur(d) #3!!!



Highland Park's Taza D'Oro

A popular spot for cyclists to convene. This is where the seasonal Team Decaf rides depart from. Not only does this place have good coffee, tea, pastries and lunch/sunday savory items, they have a lovely set of baskets filled with inner tubes, water bottles, and a few other items for sale.


The normally springy sfogliatelle was a bit soggy today, but I enjoyed it with a macchiatto.


It was nice to cross paths with a few familiar faces and indulge in some cautious filtering along the seriously-jammed Southbound S. Braddock Ave. These Squirrel Hill Tunnel Diversions are no fun.


Also: IT'S PLONK SEASON! Watch out for walnuts, acorns and beech nuts.

(RT ~6.5 mi)





pseudacris
2012-10-14 18:47:31

No coffeeneuring for me this weekend, as there were no coffee shops in the woods.


edmonds59
2012-10-14 20:28:20

Coffeeneuring ride 5:

I had planned to ride out to the coffee shop we frequent along the Montour Trail today, but changed my mind. I do love their ice cream and baked goods, but they don't have much of a tea selection; they only have fake apple cider; and the forecast said rain in the afternoon and I thought better of doing a long ride and getting wet. Reassessed my options and decided to try a place in Ambridge that I've passed by before but had never been in. Besides, there was a mural just across the line in Belle Acres that I wanted to get. Found the mural of the classic dogs playing poker and then headed back to Ambridge to reward myself with something tasty. When I looked up the Silk House Cafe online this morning the site I found said they were closed Fri/Sat/Sun. When I arrived I discovered that they're now also closed Thursdays. Seems that they're on their way out of business. RATS. By mere chance an older gentleman had stopped me earlier in the ride. He must not see many cyclists in his neighborhood totally lit up with blinkies and neon reflective vests because he assumed I was inspecting a public works project or checking up on the garbage collection or something. Too funny. While he was telling me his life story (I had a hard time moving on here) he mentioned there was a coffee shop "just down at the bottom of the hill". Since I had my plan I didn't ask for more details at the time. Now I was wondering where, exactly, that other coffee shop was. Eventually I found Caffe 501 on Duss Ave. It's a small, cozy, local coffee shop and the owner Kathleen makes excellent homemade biscotti. She was very nice and I enjoyed some Lemon-Ginger Tea with a Cranberry-Orange-Walnut biscotti. Turned out to be a very nice day for a ride. I probably should have done the longer one on the Montour Trail, but then it definitely would have started raining while I was still two hours out from the car. Murphy's Law is hard to avoid.



Kathleen and three other customers said they were tempted to moon me while I was taking this picture!




Good biscotti!


2012-10-18 18:41:31

My fifth coffeeneuring expedition of the 2012 Coffeeneuring Challenge:


drink: Cappuccino with Two Extra Shots (total Four), Black Pepper Biscotti, very good


shop: Cats and Dogs Coffeehouse


location: 4059 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh PA


date: 10/19/2012


mileage: 49 miles


trip report: http://type2-clydesdale.blogspot.com/2012/10/coffeeneur-5-colin-braddock-flock.html#coffee2012


mileage: 49 miles


tweet: sent


ride details: Rode with SR. 40th St. Bridge, Larry-Ville, Coffeeneuring Trip 5 of 7, went to see Colin A at ProBikes, Braddock, Oakland, Flock Ride.


vannever
2012-10-20 09:26:42

^^^What he said, except for me it was Event 6 and I had some orange-spice tea.


2012-10-20 12:51:01

hit the Leaf & Bean 22nd and Penn in the Strip. Iced coffee and nice people.


2012-10-20 14:24:06

Guess I'd better get mah ass up...


edmonds59
2012-10-20 14:40:04

Coffeeneur #4!

A "running some errands" 4.5 mile loop.

Rode the nutty, twiggy, leafy Forbes Ave bike lanes to the Squirrel Hill Post Office. Mailed a package to Connecticut for $6.30. Stopped by Probikes and bought a helmet on clearance for $20. Had the house blend tea at the Café at the Frick with a side of scones (plain, sour cherry & pumpkin sage) + clotted cream for $10.12 + gratuity. Visited the carriage & car museum for the first time: highly recommended and FREE. Stopped by FIKS for a lightning-quick retroreflective transaction, and back home. Found a crisp $20 bill on my front lawn!





Attention, foodies: the cafe was advertising a couple of upcoming prix fixe dinners: one centered around Wigle Whiskey and one around Full Pint beers. Good place for an expensive date!


pseudacris
2012-10-20 21:22:46

Coffeeneuring #2, LaPrima Espresso, 21st St., Strip. Nonfat latte and a chocolate biscotti, 40 miles, uneventful, just a lovely ride. Rode the new guy. Low gear is not as low as I might like it to be, owww. So I can safely say that after 8 months of bike commuting and more recreational rides than I've done in a long time, I still don't like hills. This is a freaking hard place to ride a bike.





edmonds59
2012-10-21 18:51:08

Number 5 (is alive)

-Caribou Coffee, 2729 East Carson Street

-10/21/2012

-5.3 miles

-Carrot cake muffin and hot chocolate w/ whipped cream.


Post-Dirty Dozen scout coffee stop. A good ride...all eight participants conquered all six of the day’s hills; notable, as the last two (Logan and Suffolk-Hazelton-Burgess) almost always result in a bit of hike-a-bike for someone.

After returning to town, enjoyed a nice social cruise up the Jail Trail, then popped over to the South Side and visited Caribou Coffee in the Southside Works buy-ALL-the-things complex. One tasty muffin and delicious cup of hot milk chocolate later, I felt sufficiently fortified to meander home.



reddan
2012-10-21 19:36:44

I forgot you were breaking off at hot metal. Sorry I did not bid thee farewell.


stefb
2012-10-21 20:08:12

I didn't know La Prima was open today. I rode by, slowed down, didn't see anyone, and kept going :(


rubberfactory
2012-10-21 21:29:05

Coffeeneuring #5!

Lots of stuff to do around the ol' homestead today so got another short loop in: ~4.5 miles.


Mediocre Darjeeling tea and an orange-walnut dipped biscotti at Coffee Tree -- Bakery Square. Bike racks and plastic outdoor furniture abound.


Bike Share at Bakery Square (with a dead URL)


"We encourage wearing a helmet." and "Bike not working? Press Red button."


Edit: feedback sought on the proposed rerouting of bicycles between "BqSq" , Mellon Park, ans Shadyside. Please register your thoughts here: http://bike-pgh.org/blog/2012/10/04/comment-on-preliminary-plans-for-bakery-square-2-0/


pseudacris
2012-10-22 01:51:29

Coffeeneuring #7


Today we rode to two murals and two coffee shops. Started at the Bastille again and headed for the city. We stopped by the newest mural at Blvd of the Allies and Market St. It was supposed to be a celebration of the MLK foundation's 10th anniversary, but that design somehow got usurped by the One Young World conference. "They" decided to use the space to commemorate the conference so the design was re-worked to suit it's new purpose. I wonder if the MLK foundation will be given a new place for their original mural. Anyway, departed the city for the Strip and 21st St. Coffee and Tea (no longer at 21st St of course). Tried their "King Crimson" tea and it wasn't bad. Left there and rode out to Squirrel Hill. Another coffee shop stop (61C) to meet someone and then on to Thick Bikes where I began the process of talking myself (with a little help from my friends) into a new bike. Maybe. Back to the trail and return to the Bastille. Total mileage 36.04




2012-10-26 01:32:42

Congrats SRpit on completing the 2012 Coffeeneuring Challenge.


vannever
2012-10-26 02:00:18

My sixth coffeeneuring expedition of the 2012 Coffeeneuring Challenge:


drink: A cortado, two shots espresso cut with two shots of milk

coffee shop: 21st Street Coffee and Tea. Really a nice space, very open air.

location: 2002 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh PA

date: 10/25/2012

mileage: 20 miles

ride details: Rode with S. and R. Downtown, two murals, Squill, SoSide, Thick Bikes, Bastille. S completed her 7th coffeeneur today.

tweet:sent


vannever
2012-10-26 03:20:43


1. Quiet Storm www.qspgh.com/ 5430 Penn Avenue

2. 10/14/12

3. Espresso Mocha soy-milk shake

4. Came from the coop, decent weather, decent traffic; my partner suggested a better route I have never thought of. I usually go Thomas Blvd, Fifth Ave, Hamilton Ave, but she suggested I go Thomas, Dallas, Hamilton, thereby eliminating the fast and potentially dangerous 5th Ave

5. 3.8 miles




1. Tazza D'Oro 1125 North Highland Ave http://www.tazzadoro.net/

2. 10/14/12

3. iced soy lattee, half squeeze of vanilla

4. Wasn't too bad of a ride from Quiet Storm, Highland can be annoying at times, stopped at Home Depot along the way; slightly bugged they moved their toaster rack from under an overhang to kind of in the middle of the parking lot; the seating alongside the Tazza building is nice

5. 1.8 miles


Note: At the time, I didn't realize only one per day was allowed. I thought it was just two per weekend. Also not sure if the QuietStorm would even count


sgtjonson
2012-10-27 14:31:12

Coffeeneuring expedition #6


The reverse keg ride was a lot of fun! Afterwards, I stopped in at Biddle's Escape for a cappuccino and chocolate croissant. It is so great to have an alternative to the terrible Katerbean in the Regent Square area. Biddle's escape now has a wellness center upstairs with yoga, pilates and sundry corporeal offerings. The back of the coffee shop has beautiful beads and spools of hemp twine with which you can do crafty things to your bike. RT 3.8 mi.





pseudacris
2012-10-27 17:52:59

There's also occasionally a cool dog about


sgtjonson
2012-10-27 17:55:33

Missed the dog today. The sidewalk across the street felt kind of squishy and might be one of those newfangled permeable ones that absorbs stormwater runoff. It was nice to walk on.


pseudacris
2012-10-27 18:03:45

Coffeeneuring stop #3, Big Dog on the South Side. What a nice place! I never would have found this place if not for the challenge. Bagel w cream cheese and a latte. Made it home in the nick of time just as the cold drizz started.



Tried to stop at the Beehive, but for a crufty hipster joint the bike parking is nearly nonexistent. Left. No cred.


edmonds59
2012-10-27 18:27:52

@Pseudacris


Ha! I noticed that sidewalk too; it's more like asphalt than concrete; looks cool and is better for runners


sgtjonson
2012-10-27 18:44:22

Coffeeneuring 2012, Trip 7 of 7



trip report: Duquesne Whistles and Braddock's Voluptuous Nude


drink: Mocha Bianca (a mocha with white chocolate) and a cranberry-oatmeal bar.

coffee shop: Big Dog Coffee. I love this place.

location: 2717 Sarah Street, SouthSide, Pittsburgh PA

date: 10/26/2012

mileage: 50 miles

ride details: Rode with S. Went to Riverton Bridge, East Pittsburgh, Regent Square, Wilkinsburg, did 50 miles.

tweet: sent.


DONE !


thanks to all for participating, you've listed a lot of coffee shops that I didn't know about, and now I've got new destinations for days I'm casting about for a place to ride.


vannever
2012-10-27 19:02:06

Coffeeneuring # 6: Coffee in Extremis Edition


Visiting my parents with the kids this weekend...no coffee shop within a 15-mile radius, and only an hour free in the afternoon. Cue: the Brogue General Store, only 3.5 miles away!


-10/27/2012, Brogue General Store, corner of Rt 74 and Muddy Creek Forks Rd, Brogue, PA.

-Drink was something that had been sitting on a burner for a while, but enough French Vanilla creamer made it quite palatable.

-7 miles



reddan
2012-10-27 21:10:00

reddan, I used to live off of 74 in York. Waddaya mean there's no coffee shop in Brogue? There's no "Brogue" in Brogue!


marko82
2012-10-27 22:05:15

Just happy you went with the Twix and not the "Live Bait".


edmonds59
2012-10-28 02:22:25

Coffeeneur #7 (challenge completed -- stick a fork in it!)

RT 3.4 miles

At Marko's suggestion: Eat N Park!

New-ishly remodeled Squirrel Hill location.



I eat plenty of junk food, just not usually at chain restaurants. I'm confused by the gimmicky menus: I like to know what the ingredients are. What is a Breakfast Smile? Promise Spread? Scrambled better-n-eggs?. The waitress was awesome & the place seemed filled with regulars. Overheard: "Parking is gonna be a b*tch dahn 'ere. You'll hafta pay like 30 or 40 bucks." [not if you ride your bike to the stadium!!!]

I do have to hand it Eat N Park for sourcing a portion of their ingredients regionally and for doing a lot of outreach RE nutrition & offering non-heart-attack-inducing square breakfasts that looked appealing on the menu. I ate there by myself but they gave me a huge comfortable booth and didn't make me feel rushed. :-)



I still prefer home cooked scrambled eggs with herbs and greens from my backyard--and sometimes olives thrown in.

Has anyone tried EnP's new "Hello Bistro" in Oakland?


THANKS @reddan & @vannevar for posting this challenge: it has been a fun motivator to ride as the weather cools off. I think it would be fun to cook up a winter version -- anyone game?


pseudacris
2012-10-28 15:21:05

Now that’s a cup-o-joe any yinzer would be proud of! I think you deserve bonus points for the Franks sauce too.


marko82
2012-10-28 15:27:37

Franks + Trappey's are both better that Tabasco!


pseudacris
2012-10-28 15:29:43

I really could have gone for a full on egg breakfast yesterday, rather than the bagel I had. Mmm.

I think an "Egg Challenge" would be outstanding for the winter. Omelettes, crepes, fritatas, scrambled. That would get me out on the bike.

Based on my ability to squeeze in one ride per weekend, under the best of conditions, it will be a while before I kill off my coffeeneuring.

Edit; and yes I am aware that I will not finish by 11/11, haven't been entering mine on the DC site anyway, just using this for motivation to get out and ride.


edmonds59
2012-10-28 15:33:34

I like that idea. How about a once-per-week Egg (or savory vegan substitute) Challenge. for Nov + Dec?


Eggneuring?


I'm willing to make a patch for the completers...


pseudacris
2012-10-28 15:45:26

Lipitor comes in a patch? (nyuk, nyuk)


edmonds59
2012-10-28 15:53:50

^ heh!


pseudacris
2012-10-28 15:54:55

Congrats Pseudacris on successfully completing the Coffeeneuring challenge.


Also, my compliments to Pseudacris and Reddan for recognizing and seizing the essence: bike ride to a cup of coffee within some parametric constraints.


IANAR (I am not a randonneur) but I think that MG is cleverly rando-evangelizing, getting cyclists to think in a rando-mindset in terms of building a series within a limited timeframe and certain constraints while having fun, which is IMO truly brilliant.


vannever
2012-10-28 16:03:30

As chains go E&P is not bad - local, consistently decent food, reasonable prices, good service. I can't remember having one bad experience there, ever.


I've been to hello bistro and it was tasty, especially hopping right off the 28x after a redeye. The menu is small, egg sandwiches and a few other things.


salty
2012-10-28 16:16:54

@ Vannevar, any thoughts on a winter 1x week eggy challenge?


pseudacris
2012-10-28 16:21:14

@Pseudacris, I need any sort of novelty / innovation / nuance that encourages me to ride through the winter.


Extra points for any biking that (1) suggests new destinations that I don't know about, (2) involves food, (3) involves a group activity to encourage me not to dig a hole and hibernate.


And I really like eggs. I'm in.


Philosophically, rules are traps and judgement is better, and we're free moral agents seeking voluntary fun. (right?) I really like MG's general framework of a broad brush, tolerance and flexibility, a short timeframe (7 weeks) and a non-herculean task list (6 coffees, in her application). I don't know that I ever grokked the "weekends" aspect of the Coffeeneur Challenge.


So, let me make a bad first draft that yinz can stick a fork in, identify flaws with, and then come up with something much better.


Yinzer WinterEggBike Challenge v1.0


Rule 1: Make Six EggBikeRides between Dec 16 to Feb 16 (8 weeks).


Rule 2A: Definition of an EggRide: You Ride your bike somewhere and eat egg-based food. Could be a residence, restaurant, your Mom's, a campground, etc. Can be in combination with work, errands, or group/organized rides.


Rule 2B: Substitutions such as EggBeaters, Tofu, or Ener-G Egg Replacer are acceptable. We are encouraging and not judging.


Rule 3A. No More than 1 EggRide per week Except as specified in 3B.


Rule 3B. Except: If Family/Religion/Events preclude you from making an EggRide in any one week, you can claim one week as a WAIVER WEEK and then ride two EggRides in another week.


Rule 4A : Min Distance to qualify as an Egg Ride: Two Miles.


Rule 4B : Persons who prefer Kilometers may substitute an equivalent distance in Clicks.


Rule 5: No Repeat Destinations/Eateries. Multiple locations of chains are begrudgingly tolerated.


Rule 6: Take a digital photo of your egg-related food, along with some identifying aspect of the location if possible. Extra complacency points awarded to those who involves gloves, helmets, or bicycles in the photo.


Rule 7: Post the photo and the following details online via the BikePgh forum. Location, website?, date/time, type of food, brief synopsis, total mileage of the ride


Rule 8: If you tweet, tweet the ride and include the #WinterEggBike thingy.


please critique/amend/improve. Cheers, V.


vannever
2012-10-28 17:11:30

Considering the time of year, what would you all think of Soupneuring? I'd like finding out about new and interesting home made soup locations. Use the same rules as the Coffeeneuring challenge - or modify the time parameters to make it easier to accomplish with a once/week ride. Just set the start/stop dates. I'd ask for the icecreamneuring, but it's just getting too chilly even for an ice cream-a-holic to be motivated by that (but I'll reserve the right to request that next May!).


2012-10-28 17:17:45

How 'bout a compromise: savoryBrunchneuring? That could cover eggs + soup? I like Vannevar's draft rules, only I think the time frame should be expanded and/or an additional waiver week, since many people might be traveling over the numerous winter holidays.


pseudacris
2012-10-28 17:22:28

Happy to move the Egg'neur to Nov.18 to Jan 19th,


if you'd like to Soup'neur Jan20 to March 16th.


vannever
2012-10-28 17:25:58

Sounds good! Each deserves it own thread...


pseudacris
2012-10-28 17:39:27

We can certainly do Soup First, too, and Eggs Later. Do Soup Nov1 to Jan 10, allowing for the holidays? Anybody?


I like the idea of successive distinct themes across the winter.


vannever
2012-10-28 17:44:32

also, I completely missed this:


I'm willing to make a patch for the completers...


Hello, my name is Vannevar, I am a patch whore.


vannever
2012-10-28 17:46:33

Cool!

It may have to be silkscreen or a custom woodblock in fabric paint though, 'cause custom embroidery is $$$.


pseudacris
2012-10-28 17:50:09

I like the successive challenge idea as well. Just don't forget the ice cream next summer!


2012-10-28 18:26:08

I like the coffee challenge for the simple fact that, as long as I stay away from overserious froufrou places like 21st Street, I can usually get a decent cup for $2 or less. A little harder on the egg and soup challenges... On the other hand, I fully intend to ride this winter until I can't feel my toes, anyway.


Promise spread I think is a brand of margarine, btw. Also, I think 'the "weekends" aspect of the Coffeeneur Challenge' was to say "you can't just stop for coffee on your way to work"--it has to be a recreational thing. Same as why you can't just make a stop during an organized Ride--it has to be a new excuse to get out and ride more.


epanastrophe
2012-10-29 15:50:40

I can usually get a decent cup for $2 or less. A little harder on the egg and soup challenges


Yes, but still do-able. I think some fun surprises might come up in this regard, though the days of the 99cent breakfasts at the old basement counter in the Kenilworth Pharmacy @ Center + Negley have long passed.


pseudacris
2012-10-29 15:55:57

(!) I mourn the pharmacy lunch counter every time I go through that intersection... One of my fondest (?) memories is stopping there for a bite during one of those hazy walks home after waking up in a strange place. Exactly what I needed, plus you could buy a bottle of aspirin while you waited.


salty
2012-10-29 16:02:16

I could bike waaaay around the block to end up at Adzema Pharmacy's lunch counter (0.36 miles from the house), but it might make more sense if I biked to someplace and stopped there on the way back.


The drugstore breakfast/lunch counter is not dead, just very hard to find. And yes, they do do bacon-and-eggy type things, and soups, if someone needed a reason to ride north.


stuinmccandless
2012-10-29 18:08:14

you said "do-do" lol


vannever
2012-10-29 19:43:24

Numbah 7: Lemonade (or at least tea) from Lemons



Due to some delightful digestive complaints, I had to hand over leadership of the Dirty Dozen scouting ride to Nick G. (Thanks, Nick!) Instead, I made my tentative way to the Market Square Starbucks and enjoyed a peppermint tea to settle the tummy before heading home.


-11/4/2012, Starbucks (7 Market Square, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222)

-Grande (that’s pretentious for “Medium”) peppermint tea with a squeeze of honey

-11 miles


reddan
2012-11-05 18:55:11

Congrats on finishing the challenge & thanks for posting it here in the first place: it was a lot of fun. Hope the tea worked on your innards!


pseudacris
2012-11-06 01:33:20

Yes indeed, Congrats Reddan. Hope you feel better!


vannever
2012-11-06 12:03:21

Not that I am going to meet the challenge or anything, but I want to point out that the current challenge window is still open. Up to two more options for submissions -- today and tomorrow (especially if you are a veteran, for which special rules have been added.)


I'll be posting mine later today, as I make a swoop that I think will cover both wheelset of fortune tags and a submission for this challenge.


swalfoort
2012-11-11 14:20:30

Yesterday I stopped by the Fire House in Ben Avon.


A nice, locally owned coffee shop on Church Street (the extension of Lincoln Avenue in Bellevue).


I enjoyed my standard..... a delicious biscotti with a drip coffee.


Delicious does not have to be fancy!


Among the things I love about this place are the chairs outside, the dog hitching post (a hydrant) and the collection of books and magazines available in the bookcase.


Crap! I was in the tag mindset, and got a photo of the exterior, but not of my coffee and biscotti. I might have to go back tomorrow to rectify that photographic omission!


Total miles ridden: 3.6, mostly scoping out abandoned or closed roads in the ara for wheelset or fortune. Found 6 to choose from!


Coffee at the Firehouse


swalfoort
2012-11-12 00:03:38

Wow! I come away from that account with a couple impressions. 1. Emma works too hard. 2. You read a lot! 3. You can go a lot of places in Pittsburgh with very moderate total mileage, if you live/start in the right places.


Very cool! Congratulations for completing the challenge. Keep your eyes open for upcoming challenges in November through the Winter....they should keep you riding through the next few months.


swalfoort
2012-11-12 13:49:37

So now that we've hit the end of the Coffeeneuring, do we have a decision on what our follow on challenge is? Is there consensus here to set the next six weeks Soupneuring followed by six weeks of Eggneuring? Further discussion? All those in favor?


2012-11-12 23:37:36

I'd like to mention that if you complete the Challenge, you're supposed to email MG with one message containing the details of all seven coffeeneuring stops.


vannever
2012-11-13 01:00:43

Yes to both Soupneuring and Eggneuring! Some padded time would be good to account for the onslaught of "winter holidays". I have offered to make a Eggneuring prize/patch. Does someone else want to make a Soup Prize?


Also, in my brief correspondence with MG after completing the coffeeneur challenge, she mentioned the possibility that she might cook up another winter challenge. I sent her a link to this thread.


pseudacris
2012-11-14 21:31:55

MG tweeted a very 0.5 graphic of the states represented by Coffeeneur Completeurs:


I think it's a welcome tonic after all the swooshing transitional high noise-to-signal entertainments of the recent election.


vannever
2012-11-14 23:10:46

"Beerneuring" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?


mick
2012-11-15 20:16:16

MG just tweeted that Pittsburgh is leading the coffeeneuring submissions! Anyone that hasn't sent in their info yet, don't forget to do it. We might end up finishing on top!


2012-11-16 00:17:10

SOrry for an almost-repeat, but I had an email from MG: >em>please ask everybody who completed the challenge to email me the details at gersemalina@gmail.com


vannever
2012-11-17 03:16:51

I'd also like to propose a bookeneuring challenge; that being a challenge to go to bookstores


sgtjonson
2012-11-27 15:57:36

Add libraries and I think that would be a great challenge.


edmonds59
2012-11-27 16:02:06

Ok folks, if we are going to get in TWO eight week-ish cold weather "....neuring" challenges, someone needs to get the first one going!


Decision A: Eggs or Soup for Round 1?

Ballot is open until 6 p.m. Friday. Most votes determines the foody challenge.


Decision B: Timing


My proposal is that the first challenge starts Saurday, December 1st, runs through January 31st.


The second challenge can then run from February 1 through the end of March.


Rules as posted by Vannever a month ago. Unless altered by popular vote prior to start of challenge on Saturday.


Work for everyone???????


swalfoort
2012-11-27 16:14:53

I'd do soup first, then eggs. It's gonna be cold for the first round. In fact, historically it is the coldest toward the end of January. By the end of the second round, we're brushing up against Easter, so, eggs then.


Timing is fine.


stuinmccandless
2012-11-27 16:41:09

^Sounds good to me.


pseudacris
2012-11-27 17:33:31

^^agreed! Bring on the hot soup!!


2012-11-27 18:00:52

soup rocks. I'm in.


vannever
2012-11-27 18:55:08

@pseudo Egg Drops Soup!


2012-11-27 19:58:58

^ ha! good one, Mikhail!


pseudacris
2012-11-27 20:02:31

Well, I could sit and stew about the challenge of this for vegans, or I could get out there find stuff


sgtjonson
2012-11-27 20:33:39

Given the use of tea, cocoa, cider, etc., for coffee, I'm sure the substitution of alternative-diet-acceptable foodstuffs would be well within the spirit of the game.


epanastrophe
2012-11-27 21:24:01

Yep! Vannevar already has that in the modified rules. Hello scrambled tofu at the co-op!


pseudacris
2012-11-27 21:28:30

I'd like to restate a slightly revised set of rules/vision, given the timeframe and the change from eggs to soup:


Yinzer Soupaneuring Challenge v1.3


Rule 1: Make Six SoupBikeRides between Dec 16 to Feb 23 (9 weeks).


Rule 2A: Definition of an SoupRide: You Ride your bike somewhere and eat soup-based food. Could be a residence, restaurant, your Mom's, a campground, a soup kitchen, etc. Can be in combination with work, errands, or group/organized rides.


Rule 2B: Substitutions such as Broth, Chili, Tofu Juice, etc are acceptable. If it's soup to you, it's soup to me. We are encouraging and not judging. Hot, cold, it's cool.


Rule 3A. No More than 1 SoupRide per week Except as specified in 3B.


Rule 3B. Except: If Family/Religion/Events preclude you from making a SoupRide in any one week, you can claim one week as a WAIVER WEEK and then ride two EggRides in another week. Only one waiver week per challenge. It is, after all, a challenge.


Rule 4A : Min Distance to qualify as an Egg Ride: Two Miles total distance.

Rule 4B : Persons who prefer Kilometers may substitute an equivalent distance in Clicks but should, for consistency, report the price of their soup in Euros.


Rule 5: No Repeat Destinations/Eateries. Multiple locations of chains are begrudgingly tolerated.


Rule 6: Take a digital photo of your soup-related food, along with some identifying aspect of the location if possible. Extra obsession points awarded to those whose photos involves bike stuff in the photo.


Rule 7: Post the photo and the some of the following details online via the BikePgh forum. Location, website?, date/time, type of food, brief synopsis, total mileage of the ride, type of fun (1,2,3)


Rule 8: If you tweet, tweet the ride and include the #Soupaneuring thingy.


vannever
2012-11-27 21:48:07

@Van - I like everything EXCEPT the dates.


Why wait until December 16th? That's 3 weeks from now!


And, February 23rd is relatively too late to start the egg challenge.


Any objections to December 1 (that's Saturday) to January 31?


swalfoort
2012-11-27 21:57:45

I agree w/ Swalfoort about the dates. I'm ready to start! I think it will be helpful/motivating that the ride can be any time during the week. Who knows what will be going on with the weather? The flexibility will be conducive to more people joining the challenge during cold months. Let's make a few soup meet-ups!


pseudacris
2012-11-27 22:10:01

Not being a foodie, what is/are the technical difference between soups and stews, if any? Viscosity? Aggregate size? Because I've had some pretty viscous soups, as well as some stews with pretty tiny bits.


Also, will caviar be acceptable?


edmonds59
2012-11-27 22:19:07

I concur with 12/1 to 1/31, I think that's great. Isn't a soup just a thin stew, and isn't a stew just a hearty soup? It's a spectrum? You start talking viscosity, then you're talking couscous, then it's hell in a handbasket. Stew is good. Ergo, Stu is good.


Caviar is something I don't know much about. Fish eggs, eaten on crackers, right?


Updating to Vision 1.4:

Yinzer Soupaneuring Challenge v1.IV


Rule 1: Make Six Soupaneur Bike Rides between Dec 01 to Jan 31, inclusive. Because we're inclusive.


Rule 2A: Definition of an SoupRide: You ride your bike somewhere and eat soup-based food. Could be a residence, restaurant, your Mom's, a campground, a soup kitchen, etc. Can be in combination with work, errands, or group/organized rides.


Rule 2B: Variations such as Broth, Chili, Tofu Juice, Vichyssoise, Borcsht, Gazpacho, Stew are acceptable. Stu is good. If it's soup to you, it's soup to me. We are encouraging and not judging. Hot, cold, it's cool.


Rule 3A. No More than 1 SoupRide per week Except as specified in 3B.


Rule 3B. Except: If Family/Religion/Events preclude you from making a SoupRide in any one week, you can claim one week as a WAIVER WEEK and then ride two EggRides in another week. Only one waiver week per challenge. It is, after all, a challenge.


Rule 4A : Min Distance to qualify as an Soupaneur Ride: Two Miles total distance.

Rule 4B : Persons who prefer Kilometers may substitute an equivalent distance in Clicks but should, for consistency, report the price of their soup in Euros.


Rule 5: No Repeat Destinations/Eateries. Multiple locations of chains are begrudgingly tolerated. "Ride globally, soup locally"


Rule 6: Take a digital photo of your soup-related food, along with some identifying aspect of the location if possible. Extra obsession points awarded to those whose photos involves bike stuff in the photo.


Rule 7: Post the photo and the some of the following details online via the BikePgh forum. Location/website of soup supplier, date/time, describe the soup, mileage of the ride, type of fun (1,2,3), brief synopsis.


Rule 8: If you tweet, tweet the rule7 details and include the #Soupaneuring #hashtag #thingy.


Rule 9: On the matter of interpretations: You who bike on the road must have a code that you can live by. Use your judgement. We support you.


vannever
2012-11-27 22:34:48

Well done! Stick a spoon in it!


pseudacris
2012-11-27 22:53:15

Blast, there goes my idea for opening up a good coffee shop in Regent Sq


2012-12-05 19:59:14

I wish there were a coffee shop somewhere on that corner of Forbes @ S Braddock.


pseudacris
2012-12-05 20:21:52

Biddle's Escape is just a few blocks away from that intersection. Wonderful little place.


2012-12-06 17:01:59

Damn. That entry makes my failure all the more bitter.


sgtjonson
2012-12-07 05:29:51