Meals on wheels - sampling cycling's cafe culture

While there are some who like to cycle alone, most people prefer the social side of the sport and there's nothing better than a good natter about past conquests, the latest machinery and just why there are so many potholes on our roads over a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

While the cafe has been a staple of British life for as long as anyone can remember, those that cater for cyclists are a relatively new phenomena, the growth of the pastime exposing a gap in the market.

This region is no exception. Pedal around our town's and villages on a weekend and you can come numerous examples, the tell tale sign of bikes locked to railings in the immediate vicinity an indication of just who you will find inside.

One of the more unusual settings is on Mark Fletcher's farm in Little Ayton, near Middlesbrough.

With a bridleway running through his land and on up to Roseberry Topping he regularly attracted walkers. His wife, Kay, began offering them cups of tea and the like from the house, but as the numbers outgrew that which the couple could reasonably accommodate, he took the plunge, employed an architect and a year ago converted a straw shed into a restaurant.

It has helped offset the downturn in the dairy industry and now draws people in from far and wide, many of whom come by bike.

"It started with a little group from the Cleveland Wheelers," said Mark. "It seemed to me as though they picked their territories. Certain people had their cafes and patches where they went.

"It has just sort of grown from there. We used to get half-a-dozen turning up in a group and then it was ten or 12 and if there is a race on you can get 25 to 30 turning up. Early on, we were coming out with a coffee, asking whose it was and hands would go up all over. Now, we take names and as long as we know roughly where they are we can cope."

Mark has a purpose-built area for cycles.

"So long as they can see their bikes they are happy. These bikes are worth a lot of money and so eventually I am going to have a lot more bike racks so they can all be locked up and people can sit and look down on them. I have asked some of the regulars would they be happy and they said 'yes, so long as they could see them'."

As for the fare, Mark says are what you might expect from people in this neck of the woods.

"It's cake, it's bacon, it's sausages," he says. "It's what I would say is proper rustic, proper farmhouse cooking. Cakes, scrambled egg, bacon and eggs, just what you look for at the end of a long ride. These lads and girls are going on 60-mile journeys sometimes. I've said 'where have you been today?' and they'll say 'we have just been to Ripon'. Ripon? That's almost a different county!"

A Full English at the end of a long ride at Chapters in Stokesley. Pic: Matt Westcott

ON Two Wheels asked cyclists for their recommendations and thoughts on what makes a cycle-friendly cafe:

Vincent Duffy: A combination of price versus quality, a nice location is also good. I recently stopped at The Grange at HMP Kirklevington after having it recommended to me and was pleasantly surprised by the quality and bargain prices. Go check it out.

Kevin Fox: Most important thing for me is my bike. Is it safe? So a nice outside seating area so I can look at my bike and then the coffee. It has to be good coffee and then cake, homemade is always a winner. Howards in Stokesley, below, is a nice cafe.

Craig Carruthers: Roots Farm Shop (East Rounton, Northallerton) has got to be up there with the top few. Bit of a farm shop and nice and safe to leave your bike. Good coffee good cakes and not too expensive.

Richard Carter: Most important; what brand of tea they serve. I'm sick of cafés having multiple coffee options, but only cheap tea. It would be no trouble at all for them to stock decent tea - e.g. Yorkshire - and also a premium tea - e.g. Yorkshire Gold.
Also - while I'm having a rant - anywhere serving 'Mad Hatter' "tea" - I use the term "tea" loosely here - should be immediately rated a zero.

Wayne Comby: I think all cafes with outside seats in the sun should have a bike rack nothing fancy, something that holds about five bikes! Then use it for advertising the cycling cafe! Homemade cakes! It's a winner!

Nikki Parker Bell: Homemade a definite. A friendly face with a smile and a sense of humour - sometimes we are hungry wet and tired and forget ours and it makes us remember! Also, value for money. Don't scrimp on the size of the cake or cup.

The Dales Bike Centre in Reeth, Swaledale. Pic: Blood, Sweat and Gears

Blood, Sweat & Gears, ‏@sweatandgears_ : Can't beat Dales Bike Centre exceptional food - hearty soup delicious cakes - and the warmest of welcomes.

Dave Wilcock: Plenty of comfortable indoor and outdoor seats. Good quality coffee. Speedy service and food. Wide choice of sweet and savoury for hungry cyclists.

Shaun O'Shea: Somewhere that is more than happy to have you turn up soaking wet and covered in mud and still smile and serve you, i.e Fletchers in Great Ayton or Stamps in Great Ayton or even a mid-ride stop at Roots Farm café.

David Peacock: Go to Stamps or Bexters. Then use them as an example of what a cafe should be like.

Steve Tilly: Good food, good value, smiling faces, bike parking - with locks? eg Suggitts in Ayton. One that treats cyclists like valued customers, understands their needs - cold, wet, bike, clothes and shoes. Has masses of space indoor and out - Fletchers in Ayton, Roots in Rounton.

Paul Christon: Agree with what's been said above. Have you ever been to the Saddle Back Cafe in Keswick? Got just about everything spot on and did great baked potatoes! Sadly they were flooded last year and I think haven't been able to reopen. Probably the best cycling cafe I've been to. The Legendary Pete's Eats in Llanberis  is a great cafe too, though not cycling specific.

Yorks of Thirsk, ‏@yorkstea : Great @GrumpyMule coffee and homemade cakes are a good start