The Independent Pedlar (TIP) is a simple concept born from a passion and commitment to maintain an independent life. "We see our world through a prism, one in which each moment is cherished and shared with those we love and every event is a celebration of what is possible."
March 21, 2018
Best Cycling Cafes UK
Drink Triples, don’t ride triples.
For those not familiar with "The Rules" we'd strongly suggest having a search online for them. When wearing cycling kit and enjoying a pre or post ride coffee, it is only appropriate to drink espresso or macchiato and who are we to argue with our fellow Velominati. If the word soy/skim latte is heard to be used by a member wearing cycling apparel, then that person must be ceremonially beaten with Co2 canisters or mini pumps by others within the community.
Cycling is a social sport, a lot of people don't get this. Many riders believe it's a sport of solitude but those not familiar with the thrill of meeting your club early on a saturday morning are missing out. Especially when a club ride can include a couple of cafe stops and that all important post recovery beer. After all beer should be considered a recovery drink, those not familiar with this concept need to speak with their elders and do some home work. Beer should be consumed in quantities equal to or greater than the amount of water consumed during your ride to fully recover. In other words, treat it as the elixir of life and the enabler of post-ride trash talking.
Anyway, here are a couple of our favourite cycling cafes around the UK.
Giro Cafe, Surrey
Exclusive in its design, layout, and products and inclusive in its attitude towards local community and anyone wanting to discover more about the culture and lifestyle of cycling. GiRO is a great place to head and a cyclists paradise!
GiRO is a perfectly proportioned Cafe situated in the heart of Esher, serving an array of home made cakes which are outrageously tasty. There selection of beers, which are locally brewed really give little reason to head home. We found it the perfect place to start with a coffee and head out for a ride and return. You only need to start talking to one of their barristers to get a feel for the passion having partnered with local Artisan Roaster BeanBerry Coffee to serve customers the finest Organic Roasts from around the world.
"Peanut Butter Cookie Slice & Flat Whites are our customer favourites in store!!" They also serve a range of Vegan Cakes which are growing in popularity too. This cafe is a must for those those who head out of London into the Surrey Hills at the weekend.
13cc Cafe, Kent
13cc is another great cafe located towards the South Coast, they wanted to create a space that was primarily set up for cyclists to enjoy, one that had the facilities of a bike shop without being a bike shop. They've created a community space where cyclists and none cyclists can relax and enjoy the coffee house lifestyle, concentrating on the little things you just can't buy online. Great coffee, great beer, great service, cycle workshop, fresh locally sourced food cooked to order.
13cc is like all independent business's a strong believer of supporting local business. So much so that their coffee is roasted locally to their very own specification. There coffee roaster uses ethically grown and procured beans from Ethiopia and Columbia, they know exactly to the batch when the beans were harvested and from which farm. They even have specialists teas from Hythe! Some might say it's obsessive but we like this sort of detail. Importantly those looking for a post recovery drink they also source their beer and wines from Kent too.
"Our best selling coffee is the flat white followed by the cyclists favourite the double espresso. Our Vegan cakes are always a favourite, our Vegan Carrot cake is by far our best seller."
Bicicletta, Essex
Bicicletta sounds reassuringly European and that's a good thing in our books. This is another one of those hidden gems that you might regret passing by. Bicicletta is the ideal pit stop for both cyclists and foodies, brewing locally roasted coffee from The Coffee Officina and serving freshly made breakfasts, lunches and cakes.
And yes you guessed it, there is also a decent spread of Italian goodies inside also including clothing & bikes. We'd say this place is well worth a visit, who wouldn't want to enjoy a coffee whilst unashamedly ogling at a Colnago.
On the last Friday of every month they team up with a local street food vendor and host a late night cocktail evening with beer from Braintree brewer ‘Bishop Nick’ and wines from Saffron Walden’s own Joseph Barnes.
"Our carrot and Courgette is a crowd favourite especially when paired with a beautifully made Flat White".
The Independant Pedlar, Kent
There a few places that really take your breath away when you step inside them but this is one of those places. One of the really special elements of TIP is how the industrial functionality works so well within the space and still manages to be inviting. The mixed materials that they have crafted into the fabric really help with that and its this mix of steel and oak which really sets it apart.
As cyclists we love to talk about the small and sometimes unnecessary details. But who can blame us, our culture was founded on marginal gains. TIP is no exception, a repeated observation here is a level of meticulous ‘attention to detail’. You could say the owner is a little OCD, and we hope he doesn't mind us saying this but it pays dividends.
"We use a Mazzer Koni grinder and Rocket R9 we treat every bean to the best equipment. 18g of finely ground coffee, extracted over 28 seconds to deliver 34g of liquid espresso, all served in our custom made stone cups."
Who could possibly argue with that.
www.theindependentpedaler.co.uk
Summary
This is not an exhaustive list, simply our top picks and importantly places we like to frequent and talk utter nonsense. One conclusion we would draw is that enjoy your coffee however you take it. Whether you like it black, with a crema or milky with a moustache. You won't be disappointed with our top picks. But we'll stick to taking it black.