Do you enjoy biker cafes?
Discussion
Made my first trip to the Bike Shed in Shoreditch at the weekend and was suprised at how different it was to the rest of them. Although I've been riding for years I only started going to them/bike nights in the last few.
SO MANY of them seem to merely serve the same greasy/over or undercooked/appalling quality, s
te food.
Do you enjoy going to them to socialise? Do you like the food? Would you rather not be spending that time riding?
I enjoyed the bike shed for the experience, Gilks' Garage Café was also very good with excellent roads nearby. Then you've got the likes of loomies with st food and average speed zones, H Cafe, Pinewood and Squires with food so terrible I wouldn't feed it to the dog.
I get people don't want to pay high prices - and the Bike Shed was more expensive than most, but not bad for London - but I wonder why we put up with such grim places. I've been to the Ace Cafe a few times after hearing so much about it and even that seemed to be trading on nostalgia rather than puting any effort at all in.
I still enjoy seeing all the different bikes at these places but that's fast becoming the only reason to go to some of them what with the ever deteriorating quality of food and local roads.
SO MANY of them seem to merely serve the same greasy/over or undercooked/appalling quality, s
te food.Do you enjoy going to them to socialise? Do you like the food? Would you rather not be spending that time riding?
I enjoyed the bike shed for the experience, Gilks' Garage Café was also very good with excellent roads nearby. Then you've got the likes of loomies with s
t food and average speed zones, H Cafe, Pinewood and Squires with food so terrible I wouldn't feed it to the dog. I get people don't want to pay high prices - and the Bike Shed was more expensive than most, but not bad for London - but I wonder why we put up with such grim places. I've been to the Ace Cafe a few times after hearing so much about it and even that seemed to be trading on nostalgia rather than puting any effort at all in.
I still enjoy seeing all the different bikes at these places but that's fast becoming the only reason to go to some of them what with the ever deteriorating quality of food and local roads.
Edited by Biker9090 on Tuesday 8th August 12:20
People (myself included) use them as a quick stop destination for a coffee and a toilet stop, new roads, somewhere different to explore rather than an actual goal.
So "enjoying" is a bit strong, they (usually) offer convenient parking, you might get lucky and see some interesting machinery and a hot drink before heading out again.
Seems to me most people use them in the same way rather than a social/gastro destination.
So "enjoying" is a bit strong, they (usually) offer convenient parking, you might get lucky and see some interesting machinery and a hot drink before heading out again.
Seems to me most people use them in the same way rather than a social/gastro destination.
Even Loomies have a coffee machine now and it’s actually pretty good stuff they put through it IMO. And actually, their filter coffee is proper stuff too, not just the hot brown water you get in 95% of other places.
But yes, I agree with the above - with a few notable exceptions, I don’t generally use the cafe’s destinations, unless there is something going on at them worth a look.
But yes, I agree with the above - with a few notable exceptions, I don’t generally use the cafe’s destinations, unless there is something going on at them worth a look.
I like the social and communal aspect of them as well as looking over the bikes but I don't tend to spend very long at them. More of a pit stop to fill up with coffee and nicotene before heading off again.
There seems to be thousands of them now though! I often go to the Waterfront Inn on a Thursday night near Gainsborough because it's a nice ride from my house and a good atmosphere. The foods decent too!
There seems to be thousands of them now though! I often go to the Waterfront Inn on a Thursday night near Gainsborough because it's a nice ride from my house and a good atmosphere. The foods decent too!
No. I avoid them. In my part of the country they seem to attract the loud-mouths & show-offs. Their odometers say that they hardly use their bikes but their chat is all about high speeds, mad riding, brushes with the law & run-ins with other road users. My riding style tends to be chilled & pleasureable so maybe I'm just far too boring & not 'alpha' enough to enjoy bike specific venues.
Give me a regular cafe or food van anytime.
Give me a regular cafe or food van anytime.
Good for a destination to have a ride to. I do Squires and The Motorist at Sherburn. Both good in their own way. The trick would be a third that is a combination of the two.
If you don't know them do a Google...its a pleasant way to spend an hour as the centre of a morning or afternoon ride.
If you don't know them do a Google...its a pleasant way to spend an hour as the centre of a morning or afternoon ride.
No because the average age of the blokes is easily double my own and mostly the bikes are not of interest to me.
I'd rather just ride the bike and I only stop when me and the bike need fuel.
Caffeine and machine is OK because it's cars mainly and Baffle Haus in Wales is a decent stop off.
I wouldn't entertain a greasy spoon type place.
I'd rather have avadaco on toast and a proper black coffee.
I'd rather just ride the bike and I only stop when me and the bike need fuel.
Caffeine and machine is OK because it's cars mainly and Baffle Haus in Wales is a decent stop off.
I wouldn't entertain a greasy spoon type place.
I'd rather have avadaco on toast and a proper black coffee.
EasternBlocGeek said:
No. I avoid them. In my part of the country they seem to attract the loud-mouths & show-offs. Their odometers say that they hardly use their bikes but their chat is all about high speeds, mad riding, brushes with the law & run-ins with other road users. My riding style tends to be chilled & pleasureable so maybe I'm just far too boring & not 'alpha' enough to enjoy bike specific venues.
Give me a regular cafe or food van anytime.
^this. 100%. Give me a regular cafe or food van anytime.
I've never really bothered - I prefer to carry my own so I can drink what I like, when I like - usually in the middle of nowhere
I have visited Caffeine & Machine in the past - but I'm not paying £5 to park at a pub
Like wise I've been once to Gilks as a mate wanted to go - meh, I'd rather drink my coffee on top of the nearby burton dassett hills
I have visited Caffeine & Machine in the past - but I'm not paying £5 to park at a pub
Like wise I've been once to Gilks as a mate wanted to go - meh, I'd rather drink my coffee on top of the nearby burton dassett hills
Alex Z said:
The traditional type, like the cafe in Quatt near Bridgnorth, not in the slightest. Stop to use the loo, grab a quick drink then leave.
Something modern and different like Baffle Haus is more like it but it’s as much to add a waypoint to a day out rather than an ideal destination
Quatt is exactly the type of place I was talking about.Something modern and different like Baffle Haus is more like it but it’s as much to add a waypoint to a day out rather than an ideal destination
Just a place for the old boys to do their few miles a year.
Proper big mugs of tea and instant coffee...no thanks.
I usually just stop at the tesco down the road.
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