Jittery Java Tour East

Well, my friends, this last Saturday, I explored the possible route for the eastern leg of the Jittery Java Tour.  I came home thinking that I really need to address the logistics of this ride.  Number 1: do not sip coffee at each stop.  I tried and I only hit four places, but by mile 40, I was feeling jittery, really!  I was anxious, excited, very alert.  Now, believe me, I've been a coffee abuser since my days in college, and I have never had a caffeine rush like this one.  I once ordered a triple espresso, and the girl behind the counter wanted to make sure I could handle it before she handed it over.  That sensation was a yawner compared to what 4 cups of coffee and an increased heart rate can do.  If you recall, I cruise on my bike with a 172 bpm.  Now, rush caffeine through all parts of your body at that rate.  Yowza!  The feeling passed in about 10 minutes, but I was seriously concentrating on increasing my pedal cadence so that I could metabolize the caffeine faster.

Anyway, here's how the day began.  From Pasadena, my first stop was Mary's Market and Cafe.  There it is:

 

Nice Day, huh? Cup #1

 

Beantown is actually closer to Pasadena than Mary's Market and they are only separated by about 5 or 6 blocks.  Mind you, the 6 blocks from Mary's Market to Beantown is a lot shorter than the climb up those 6 blocks.  So, I forewent stopping at Beantown and began to wonder about the feasability of all those stops.

Next stop was Monrovia Coffee Company, which was only 4 miles away.  Here's espresso detritus:

 

Coffee and Bike.  Hmm, I sense a theme coming...

 

This was the last stop for coffee before landing in La Verne.  So, that was a good 20 miles or so.  Just in time for the croissant and coffee craving coming from my middle.

 

See!  I knew there was theme forming here.  I also couldn't wait to bite into that french pastry.

 

From La Verne, Claremont is only a hop, skip, and a pedal stroke or three away, so I found that independent place up from the Schmucks.  It's called 42nd Street Bagel Cafe.  I guess that's supposed to be a Manhattan reference, but I could be wrong (not likely).

 

Here's some appreciative folk signage.

 

So, at this point, I had just had a coffee and croissant not more than 20 minutes ago.  Dare I attempt the Jittery Java Requisite?

 

Ooh, I dared!

 

How's that for branding?  By this time, I was considerably juiced, and I had gone to the bathroom twice already.  I've heard tell that caffeine is a diuretic, but I think that's just a story made up to scare little cyclists before dropping off to sleep.  The wind had picked up, and it was not going to be fun going east into a head wind, so I decided not to head down into South Pasadena and Altadena.  But in between Glendora and Duarte, I had the caffeine spazz out, and had to go to the bathroom again.  4 coffee drinks in 3 hours while doing cardio work is not a good mix.  And then I was back safely in Pasadena, coming down from my freakout and feeling pretty good for 60 miles in a head wind.  Oh yeah, there was that little bit of climbing through Sierra Madre, this nice hill in Duarte,and all those rolling hills through Glendora.  Perhaps the Jittery Java Tour should have a couple of different versions.  Like a Climber's Delight and a Fat Frothy Jaunt.  That could work.