Cycling Happy Hour
The cycling equivalent of happy hour is the coffee ride. Social and relaxed, they often bookend the day and feature a favorite drink, or two. It’s these coffee rides with friends that I look forward to the most.
coffee ride atop sunset plaza | photo @lauandy_
By Friday, all the stressors of the week have taken their toll, but there’s also that euphoric feeling knowing the weekend is hours away. This is punctuated by the Friday morning coffee ride, which is the perfect sendoff to the weekend.
Before the pandemic my usual Friday ride started and ended at Bodega in Santa Monica and was coordinated by the Pedal Mafia crew. It was a highlight of the week for many of us as the route and company on the road were as good as the coffee and conversation at Bodega. Throughout the pandemic the Friday coffee ritual changed drastically. It was solo rides for a while, evolving into small groups of three-to-four, all of us wondering when we would get back to those larger group rides.
Over the last few months I’ve been getting together with a handful of friends on Friday morning for a ride and coffee. We link up in Century City and have adopted a route that takes us east and north to the top of Sunset Plaza.
If I’m lucky I’ll get a clear shot of the group as they reflect off of the iconic gold mirror garage door, although that’s been heavily blocked by a Jeep as of late. Vanity checks aside, it’s often a spicy pace to the top but we’re rewarded by one of the best views in the city.
As I got to the top of the climb this past Friday it was incredible to see how large the group had gotten. What used to be a few of us had grown to more than a dozen. Some were friends I’ve been riding with for years, others were new and making their first trip up the climb. Regardless, it was a strong bunch of riders and even better people. This, along with the beautiful view, made me appreciate how incredible the cycling community and riding are here in Los Angeles.
The rest of the route is as varied as the conversation but always features a happy hour staple - the bar - this one just happens to serve coffee.
