Bikes and The City: Boys, their bikes & coffee week: William

♥This week, I'll be posting a selection of photos I have gathered of the fine men that roam the city. This is a small series, don't worry I will feature more in the near, near feature. A third of my Bikes, boys + coffee trifecta for a dose of daily charm to add to your flirt factor in addition to your San Francisco's bike lane action :D

Bikes:
1981 Bianchi Super Pista: An anniversary gift from my girlfriend. I think the week I found this frame on ebay, I was going crazy and she took a hint that I had wanted it. She contacted the seller from the very start whereas I was at home trying to bid outrageously high amounts on the frame, ruining her plans to get it for me. In the end, I was so surprised by the very frame on ebay ending up in my hands two days before the auction even ended!

Ebisu All-Purpose: My main steed. Super practical, do-all, type of bicycle. I first set eyes on an Ebisu All-Purpose from Jitensha Studio in Berkeley because the bike shop faced UC Berkeley, where I attended school for undergrad. I would always gawk at the gorgeous frames in the window and making the occasional trip into the shop to buy a stem, some barwrap and some cheap trinkets from time to time. When I graduated and had some money saved up, I felt indebted to the shop owner, Hiroshi Iimura to buy one of these lovely machines from him so I took the plunge and ordered a custom Ebisu. It's my favorite bike to ride because I can really take it on any type of road.

Coffee:
I am a pretty black coffee type of person. No cream, no sugar. When I am feeling more posh and bourgy, I will drink an americano! I really don't have much of a sweet tooth so I like dark and somewhat bitter drinks.

When I am in San Francisco (five days a week), I spend most of my time in the Financial District. Coffee choices are fewer here, but I make do with my usual coffee spots like The Sentinel (also offers delicious fruit muffins) and Prima Cosa on Sutter that serves Illy. The coffee cannot compare to Blue Bottle, but it's pretty decent on a day-to-day basis. While I like Blue Bottle's Linden Street location the most, I rarely get to go there. My favorite Blue Bottle offering is the Koratie (limited to only two months out of the year).

Since I live in Oakland, there are a few East Bay spots I'd like to make shoutouts to because they are so good: Farley's East, Cafe 504, Subrosa and Local 123!

'Hood and fave bike ride in city:
I enjoy riding in NOPA area and through the Panhandle a lot with the occasional Twin Peaks ride in San Francisco.

My favorite route takes place in Oakland by going up Wildwood in Piedmont, through Butters Canyon in Oakland's Diamond District, over Grizzly Peak into Berkeley and down Spruce Street because it's so fast and nicely paved.