I think Rob's probably right about the Marina: lovely in principle, crappy in execution.
LouiseF wrote: ↑Wed Feb 12, 2020 4:50 pm
It isn't necessary for the cross rides to start with the road ride imho.
Perhaps not necessary, but I'll suggest preferred...?
Our Sunday gravel rides nearly always end up somewhere other than Fantastico for coffee/breakfast. So some of us (who don't live in Gordon Head) therefore value our coffee time between 7:00 and 7:30 before a Sunday ride, when we get to socialize and hang out with old roadie friends. Leaving from the same place and time as the regular Tripleshot road ride also preserves valuable cross-pollination between road and off-road parts of the Club.
I've wanted to make similar comments about the tendency of weekday CX rides to find their own coffee spots. Getting creative with coffee aligns with crossers' obvious desire for diversity in experience and making-it-up-as-we-go.
But volumes have been written on these pages about the importance of post-ride coffee to our Club and its culture. So while I think it's great to occasionally do our own CX coffee, I think we should also make sure pre- and post-ride coffees with roadie Clubbies remain a regular thing.
I didn't intend for my comments to come across as self-serving to work better for my location in GH. I know I'm not the only TSer who doesn't live in FF or OB. I just think it is kinda silly to ride away from trails in order to ride trails and that is all I was trying to say - and with so many other factors to consider for a good RR meet up spot it's one less thing to factor in (convenience for crossers), especially since there has been a recent trend for Sunday CX to start sometimes earlier and from different spots. But I also love connecting with friends of the grippy and slick tire variety and wish I could more often, so I agree with Rolf's sentiments too.
For the reasons that Rob and Rolf outline, I agree that F&F Starbucks works better than the Marina. Sad to give up on the "sublime”, Louise, but happy that F&F Starbucks will still give you a break on getting to the start from GH.
John
Last edited by JTyre on Sun Feb 16, 2020 1:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Another advantage of the F&F Starbucks is that we can still have a silly name for it (like Fairbucks—although maybe that’s only a CX thing): FortBucks or FoulBucks.
I haven't heard anyone suggest Cook St. Starbucks. Actually, it was Dvora at the Monday Holiday ride (Feb. 17) who suggested it as that's where she and other regulars from the Fairfield Starbucks have decided to relocate.
Also, coming from the other side of the Johnson St. Bridge, Cook St. is a bit more central for us than Fort and Foul Bay.
Good point Joe. We've occasionally used the Cook Street Bucky's in the past (most recently for the Winter Solstice Ride), and it has the added advantage that it opens at 5:30am in case anyone needs LOTS of coffee before the Sunday ride.
That was decisive. I nominate Fozzy for president! (seriously)
I think Cook St. Starbucks is an excellent choice on several counts noted in the thread above, and also in the amount of waterfront it gives us to ride.
Let's show up to Fairfield Starbucks for their last day (which is this Sunday), to say goodbye and allow time to notify members and update the website with new info. Then we'll start at the new location on March 1.
Dvora is the official Tripleshot Poet Laureate. You know, the friendly, kind lady that sits outside at Fairfield Starbx in ALL weather, and is either penning or reading wise words. She wrote the "murmuration of cyclists" poem a few years ago. Apparently she will be moving to Cook Street on Sunday mornings too...... see, we should have just asked her!
