Coffee + Bikes in OKC
It’s a great time to ride a bike in OKC! From great events like the Myriad Gardens’ Full Moon Ride and the Pro-Am Classic, to bike tours from Ride OKC, Spokies bike share program, and the City of Oklahoma City’s first comprehensive bike and pedestrian plan, BikeWalkOKC, more and more of our friends and neighbors are leaving their cars in the driveway and exploring our city on two wheels!
As we continue our focus on sustainability in the coffee industry, we wanted to highlight a significant and sustainable part of coffee shops, bicycles! We heard from our dear friend and regular most qualified to speak to the intersection of coffee-sipping and bike-riding, Chad Hodges!
Spokes & ‘Spros
It’s not uncommon to see a bike or two outside any coffee shop. At Clarity, that bike’s probably owned by a barista! Even Google Street View sports Steve’s trusty steed at the rack. Cycling and coffee go together for two reasons: caffeine and affordability!
Cyclists love the mid-ride boost an espresso or cappuccino gives a ride. “You plan your rides around coffee stops,” says Chad, “It’s a great time to catch your breath, refuel, and say hi to all our barista friends.”
Baristas love the two-wheeled commute because it’s a cheap way to get from shop to shop without having to worry about parking, and allowing them to spend more time and money on the things that matter most to them!
A Connected Network
Looking for a longer ride? Explore our trails and bike route network! Chad enjoys heading “out to Jones, out to do a lap around Draper lake, or maybe just hit the river trails and ride out to Overholser. If I’m getting to squeeze a coffee stop in, then I’m definitely stopping at Elemental or Clarity... or BOTH on a great day! Once downtown has a way out to Draper that’s mostly trail, it’ll be great and more cyclists will get to enjoy the new trail going in around the lake.” A connection from Downtown to Draper is in City plans thanks to BikeWalkOKC!
Approved back in the Spring, BikeWalkOKC has four primary goals:
1) walking and cycling is safe in Oklahoma City
2) greater numbers of people are walking and cycling for transportation
3) neighborhoods are connected to jobs, transit, commercial
4) barriers to walking and cycling are removed
Through eight different initiatives BikeWalkOKC sets the course for the future of active transportation in Oklahoma City.
Looking Back
When Chad started riding, he says, "there was a 'river trail'; there certainly weren’t the green bike lanes your find throughout OKC, and there wasn’t a district like Film Row who did a little forward thinking and did an incredible job incorporating bike lines into their renovation.
"I think OKC is headed in the right direction and as you see more and more cyclists on the streets it’ll continue to move forward.”
Are you a regular river-trail rider in need of a pre/mid/post ride caffeine boost?
Here’s how Chad gets to us from the river: “I ride up Robinson, to Reno, then over to Hudson and up to Main. I’m not sure it’s the best way, but I enjoy the ride through Hub Cap Alley, and the view of the city crossing the overpass.”
If you’re a cyclist looking to pick up coffee or coffee drinker looking to check out why everyone talks so much about bikes, listen to Chad:
“The communities built around coffee & bikes are amazing. If someone might be a little nervous to test the waters in either, I’d encourage them to jump in. You’ll find some of the best people around pulled up to a cafe bar or pedaling through the city.”
