Rides 1/23: The First Few Friday Coffee Clubs

Yesterday was the third birthday (anniversary?) of Friday Coffee Club, the informal weekly gathering of #bikeDC types at M.E. Swing Coffee Company, a shop and roastery in the parlance of terrible newswriting everywhere 'just blocks from the White House.' (It actually is just a block from the White House, so unlike most of the times when this geographical construction is deployed, this description is actually accurate). It's to remember the beginnings of Friday Coffee Club, but a past version of me happened to have been around during those beginnings and that past version of me happened to be writing the 19th best local bike commuter blog at the time (it's slipped 18 places since in a much more competitive marketplace) and so here are some links to those first few meetings, including the first time I met in person MG, the coffeneur.

Proto-coffee club

"I really like the idea of a bicycle commuter morning coffee club. It seems so civilized."

FCC 1 (which I actually didn't write about, but here's the official 'it happened' tweet by Felkerino)  

FCC 2. And this explanation

Friday has come to mean one thing recently. Well, one thing other than riding to work in jeans. It's #bikeDCcommutercofeemeetupfuntimebreakfastifyouwantbecausetheyalsoservesomepastriesbutivenevergottenoneohyeahforgottomentionthatthisisatswingscoffeeandyoushouldcomenextweektoo (we're still working on the official hashtag). Anyway, I was alerted to this Friday "tradition" by friends of the blog and #bikeDC stalwarts Ed and Mary. Here's how it works: bike (or walk or take the bus or drive, but definitely don't pogo) to Swing's Coffee around 8. Go inside, order coffee, drink coffee and talk other people who have biked (or walked) there. It's not very complicated. Today's very special guest was none other than local businessman and bike shop owner, Erik from Bicycle Space (There's not like an actual guest list or a booker or anything. It's just kinda who shows up, but still, cool people show up). Also, it was very nice to meet Zoe this morning and previously Lisa and previously-er Eric and Lane, in case I haven't mentioned that I had met them through Friday morning coffee club or whatever we want to call this.

FCC 3, by which the gathering already had 'usuals'

And so on and so on for three years. I could sing the praises of bikes and coffee all day- that's pretty easy. But I tend to be kind of a introvert and a bit of homebody and not especially social, so for me Friday Coffee Club has become so much more than just about bikes and coffee. It's about friendship. And yes, that's hokey as all get out but I don't care. Also, every year on the anniversary, there's cake, so it's about friendship and yearly cake. And that's nothing to hold your nose up at. Not at all.

3

***

Rides were fine. Frozen rain on the way home. It stings your face, but otherwise, it didn't mess up the roads and you can deal with a slightly stinging face better than you can impassable roads. That's pretty much all I've got. Have a great weekend.