Sometimes things are connected and you can't quite explain why. In the same way that a football supporter nods in recognition when he sees a like-minded person, cyclists often meet over a cup of coffee. But don't think that you can order anything to blend in. There are both written and unwritten rules to take into account.
Kim Gerhardsen was seriously bitten by the cycling bug a few years ago. Now he spends most of his free time on his bike.
- We often start our bike ride at a coffee shop. Then we like to order an espresso. It's sociable and it gets the body going before we set off on our journey.
It's easy to spot whether you're a "real" cyclist or not. For example, it's not in keeping with etiquette if you go in without taking off your helmet. It should either be hung on the front of the handlebars or placed neatly on the table. A cycling hat, on the other hand, is allowed, but it must be of the right brand and match the cycling clothing.
Many of these rules are unwritten, but there is also a separate book with a set of rules that determine how inside you are. For example, it states that you should never order anything other than an espresso or macchiato when you're wearing cycling clothes.
On the other hand, you'll get kudos from your friends if you order a hand brew and ask the barista to adjust it to your liking.
No long journey without a coffee break
Although you often drink coffee before the trip, the coffee break is the centrepiece of a long-distance trip. Often the trip is organised according to where you want to stop. If you're new to cycling and think that a coffee stop is synonymous with a quick stop at the nearest petrol station, you're wrong.
- "When we stop, we try to find a place that serves good coffee and often cake. That's part of the charm of long-distance journeys," says Kim.
It's not just exercisers who include a coffee stop on their long journeys. Even among the pros, this is a regular part of the routine. In fact, the pros' love of coffee stops is one of the reasons why "all" cyclists do it.
Part of the culture
Coffee has been part of cycling culture for many decades. There are still rumours about the Italian Fausto Coppi stopping at a café during the Milan-Sanremo race in 1946, which is one of the longest and hardest cycling races on the calendar.
Coppi stopped, ordered an espresso, paid and rode on before winning the race by 14 minutes.
The fact that many of the greatest cyclists of all time have been sponsored by different manufacturers has probably also helped.
Legendary Eddy Merckx won the Tour de France in 1968 for a team sponsored by an espresso machine manufacturer. Since then, many coffee brands and manufacturers have sponsored professional teams. If you take a look at the Instagram profiles of the big cycling stars, it's easy to see that coffee is still an important part of their culture.
This is how it will always be.
