International Coffee Outside Day

Anyone who knows me knows that I love bicycles and coffee. Currently, there is a trend in the bicycle world know as COFFEE OUTSIDE. It is generally a ride to a spot with friends. Once at that spot, you make coffee and have some time to relax and enjoy the company. To enjoy the moment. Talk about bike and life. It is an opportunity to be deliberate and mindful of the bigger picture of who we are as community members, as cyclists, and as individuals. Personally, I have been practicing the art of COFFEE OUTSIDE for a long time. Although it tends to be a solo ritual. I choose my location based on how much or how little time I have available. It is always a casual ride pace to the spot. Then the ritual of inspecting and setting up the coffee apparatus. Grinding the beans. Brewing the coffee. Waiting for it to cool a little. Then the peace and quiet while drinking coffee and listening to the noises that the woods make. It really is a meditation and a ritual for me. This act brings me a sense of calm and clarity. I love it. So, as I mentioned earlier, this has become a trend in the cycling world. This past Sunday was the second official International Coffee Outside Day. Initiated by RideWithGPS and with support of a bunch of other brands. They made an official day to celebrate this ritual. Although I tend to treat COFFEE OUTSIDE as a solo action, I was delighted at the idea of inviting others to join in. I put out a last minute invite. I was delighted to have a small group show up at the start spot. We rolled along the quiet country road past the first lake. Then we dipped into the woods along a dirt road to the spot. A perfect place to unload the coffee gear and to look out over the quiet water. The sun slowly cooking off the cloud cover left over from the previous days rain storm. We talk about bikes and the changing seasons. Slowly we pack up our bikes and start to pedal back to the start. Mission accomplished. As we prepare to say our goodbyes, we all decide to ride a few extra miles down to the farmers market to grab some lunch. Bonus ride! We eat some good food. Cross paths with a few more friends and then we all slowly head off to get back to our normal weekend routines.