It Didn’t Take Long for Bike Cafes to Take Over Seattle
Cycling-themed cafés are making pit stops all over the city.
By Alexandra Haupt November 21, 2017
This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.
Café, bike shop and training space Métier (First Hill, 1017 E Union St.; 206.816.3436) was born when Seattle business partners and avid cyclists Todd Herriott and Dave Ritcher decided to create a place where cyclists could gather to work on their bikes, work out in the gym—and enjoy good food, good beer and quality coffee.
Opened in 2015, the thoughtfully designed, 12,000-square-foot space includes a café, bike retail store and service center, gym and event space, and has become a place to go before and after rides, and on days off to watch racing on the big screen with riding buddies.
“It’s not just about being on the bike, it’s on and off the bike,” says Herriott, a former cyclist trainer for the Tour de France. “You can have breakfast or coffee, get a good training session in, shower up and even get your laundry done,” he says.
The model is so popular with Seattle’s bike-loving community there are a number of other bike cafés on the scene. If you’re looking for a good meal on wheels, check out our picks below.
MiiR
This LEED-certified, sustainably minded café and bar, located in the Brooks Running building, includes a work space, a private event room, an outdoor deck and a bike and retail shop. Fremont, 3400 Stone Way N; 206.566.7207
Peloton
A full-service bike repair shop and café, Peloton offers everything from tuneups and repairs to Washington-brewed beer and locally-roasted coffee beans. Central District/Capitol Hill, 1220 E Jefferson St.; 206.569.4265
Rapha Clubhouse Seattle
The Seattle hub for a worldwide community of riders, the Rapha Clubhouse offers membership to the Rapha Cycling Club, group ride information, Rapha-branded cycling gear and a café. Capitol Hill, 301 E Pine St.; 206.420.1810
Ventoux Roasters
This local coffee roaster and cycling-themed café is named for a mountain in France famous with cyclists; located just off the Burke-Gilman Trail, it sees a lot of them from Seattle. Ravenna, 3404 NE 55th St.; 206.370.0226
Good Weather Bicycle and Repair
The list of services at this bike repair shop on Capitol Hill’s Chophouse Row recently expanded to include a café serving small plates and beer, wine and cider. Capitol Hill, 1520 11th Ave.; 206.552.9864
Follow Us
Floating with Friends
The benefits of sauna go beyond the physical, and Seattle’s newest wellness experience—which glides around the waters of Lake Union—equally taps into the non-tangible positives.
It only took a few minutes to settle in before I knew—these are my people. I met Emma Griffith, one of the founders of Wild Haus Floating Saunas, on a crisp, clear, late-summer morning to chat about the project she helped start last January. In simple terms, the team of eight created two saunas on…
Dog of the Month: Charlie
A would-be space traveler with a complicated legal history.
Charlie is about 10 months old, though his foster parent describes him as an “old soul.” He loves being around people and other dogs, but his social calendar has been limited after an unfortunate encounter with a skunk before he was found just outside Yakima. He is also the recipient of a lifetime ban from…
The Neighborhood Gym Effect
Inside Seattle Strength and Performance’s small-group training model and welcoming approach to fitness.
On a regular Seattle Wednesday morning, a little wet and dreary, I walk into a small gym feeling unsure of what I’ve gotten myself into. It’s late January, a time when many New Year’s resolutions are failing and motivation to keep exercising may be going out the window. I work out consistently—lifting weights, going to…
I Experienced a Skincare Treatment on the World’s Most Expensive Bed
A Hästens pop-up is currently running at Penelope and the Beauty Bar.
Last week as I was heading out the door for an appointment at Penelope and the Beauty Bar—the spa inside the Fairmont Olympic Hotel—my fiancé yelled up the stairs, “You better not fall in love with that mattress!” I was on my way to experience the spa’s Oxygen Dome Facial as part of a pop-up…