photo: Matt Piva
Like many who love coffee and biking, my love for the two was interconnected and grew in tandem. As I was jumping headfirst into the world of riding, I’d meet up with friends early on weekend mornings, eager to stretch my legs after a long week of being cramped at my desk. Sure, we could have started our weekend rides by meeting up at some arbitrary intersection or at one another’s houses. Wouldn’t the day have been so much better though, if we met up to caffeinate ourselves before cranking out 70 miles? Inevitably, we’d end up deciding to meet near a coffee shop close to a trail to get jacked up on tiny espresso drinks that would fuel us with even more energy and excitement without sitting too heavy on our stomachs. As is often the case with coffee shops on beautiful Saturday mornings, we were never the only bikers there – we’d have to fight for space to prop our bikes up against a fence or sign post and weave our way through the lines of tap dancing SPD cleats on worn hardwood floors. Later on during our rides, we’d sometimes resort to shame-eating terrible synthetic energy goos, wishing desperately for the warm and delicate demitasses we held earlier in the morning.
My relationship between coffee and biking wasn’t solely related to my weekend warrior expeditions. At least once a week, I’d rise early to meet fellow women bikers before work. The act of hopping on our bikes, using our own bodies to fuel our movement, and come together in community over coffee was an act that connected us to each other. At the same time, it’s a near-universal ritual that could be repeated anywhere in the world. You don’t need to rip through dozens of miles on a weekend as an excuse to treat yourself to coffee beforehand – the coffee shop is the perfect riding destination in and of itself.
Today, May 20, is National Bike to Work Day. At Sump, we wanted to celebrate the barista’s most beloved form of transportation by sharing a little quiz with you. Match the bike to its Sump barista owner and if you bring your correct answers in on Wednesday, May 25, we’ll brew you up a coffee your choice, completely on us.
Baristas
- Connor
- Dylan
- Jordan
- Matt
- Marz
- Robert
- Sara
- Scott
Bikes
a. 
b. 
c. 
d. 
e. 
f. 
g. 
h. 