Trendwatch: Bike Shops and Cafes
By: Anthony Adragna
Published: May 20, 2011

Today is National Bike to Work Day. You might not ordinarily think of putting cycling and food together, but increasingly often you'd be wrong. One of the hottest growing types of eating establishment across the country is the bike cafe: a location where you can get your bike fixed and grab a cup of coffee at the same time. Here are five cool bike cafes from across the country (and internationally): 
1. Ride Studio Cafe (Lexingham, MA): Typical of the trend, Ride Studio Cafe sells really fancy custom-built bikes ($4,000 and up), but also makes delicious treats in their cafe. The food section of the business has been so profitable that more than 50 percent of business comes from non-cyclists. Their food options include:fresh bread with local cheeses, maple butters and organics and other "pre-ride" tasty dishes. 
2. Sedona Bike & Bean (Sedona, AZ): Considered by many to be the first "The Orginal Bike/Coffee Shop," the store is located right by a major trailhead in Sedona, Arizona. It was created because its owner believed many bike mechanics were unfriendly. He saw food as a great way to bridge that divide. The store takes great pride in their coffee and imports it from Sicily. They also do tons of rentals and bike repairs. 
3. Velo Rouge Cafe (San Francisco, CA): The store takes its name from a large red bicycle that hangs above the door. They serve local Blue Bottle Coffee and Expresso, along with several local microbrews. An extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menu is available and live music fills the establishment most Friday evenings. 
4. Dutch Bicycle Co. (Seattle, WA and Chicago, IL): This company has branches in both Seattle and Chicago, and sells imported European bicycles. Their cafe features a large selection of local coffees, pastries and ice creams for your selection. The company recently opened up in a renovated space in downtown Seattle. 
5. look mum no hands! (London, England): Pretty simple message here: "We like riding our bikes and drinking coffee. We had an idea about combining stuff we like to make something special. We found a great space in a great location, cleaned it up and called it 'look mum no hands!'" They show movies on their big screen, have two dedicated mechanics who fix bikes, sell beers and make great coffee. What else could you want? 
Be sure to scope out your local bike cafe. Riding bikes is tons of fun and great for the world!