carlsberg don't make cake stops, but if they did......

popette

what would yours be?
I'm going to give this serious thought before posting my answer.

pedylan

So let's see. A global brewing giant, with an acquisition habit and a world domination plan that would see us all drinking the same characterless brew the world over, builds a refreshment facility.

I'd only stop to use the toilet. :twisted:

popette

Forget the carlsberg bit, what would your favourite cake stop look like?

Yesterday we had a great stop - the cafe was in a garden centre and we could park our bikes right outside under a big covered area. It was really warm with loads of newpapers to read and I had a reallly good plate of poached egg on toast to eat.

To make it even better, Jeremy Clarkson (who, following some life changing experience, had become cyclings biggest champion) would take my bike and give it a bit of a service while I went into the cafe. George Clooney would serve me wonderful carrot cake which had the the taste of 1000 calories but was actually only 100. A quick bit of reflexology would go down a treat whilst wrapped up in an enormous heated fluffy blanket. Then Gordon Ramsey would take all my bottles, refill them all with energy drinks and give me a little packet of some delicious fancy he'd been whipping up in the kitchen to get me through the rest of the ride.

Perfect.

Bronzie

popette wrote:

To make it even better, Jeremy Clarkson (who, following some life changing experience, had become cyclings biggest champion) would take my bike and give it a bit of a service while I went into the cafe. George Clooney would serve me wonderful carrot cake which had the the taste of 1000 calories but was actually only 100. A quick bit of reflexology would go down a treat whilst wrapped up in an enormous heated fluffy blanket. Then Gordon Ramsey would take all my bottles, refill them all with energy drinks and give me a little packet of some delicious fancy he'd been whipping up in the kitchen to get me through the rest of the ride.

Popette - this is all very well, but at some point in time during every cafe stop comes the inevitable point when you actually have to leave the place and head back out into the cold and wind (at the minute, anyway) and face up to riding back home.............I suspect with all the above going on, you'd still be in there 4 hours later.

There is a place near Water End Hemel Hempstead that we occasionally visit that is tucked out of the way in the countryside, with no signposts, so few knew it is there. The interior is decorated with Indian trinkets with relaxing music and josticks burning to soothe the weary travellers soul. They serve tiffin (a cake, not a euphimism for something else!) and tea, and the waitress is er..................very easy on the eye. I quite like it there!

Gavin Gilbert

Mine would be the Waterfront Cafe at Benson. Several lovely ways to cycle there from Gilbert Towers, all giving a round trip of 100 miles. Great tea, great cake, killer beans on toast and the place is staffed by cracking totty

Cyrenne

A pavement café in a beautiful small French town where there are lots of passing attractions. Great coffee, small chocolaty treats wrapped in pastry, several naive waitresses of appearance not dissimilar to Audrey Tatou, Vanessa Paradis and other Gallic gems, somewhere nice to stand the bike and only an hours ride from home.

PETER 216

If Carlsberg made cake stops... They'd collect me and my bike from home and fly me to a warm sunny location where the roads a empty of traffic and I can spend a few hours enjoying a ride on perfectly smooth tarmac. When I decide to stop for a break I'd be greeted by the sexiest lycra clad beauties I've ever seen. My bike would be cleaned and serviced, and I'd enjoy tea with some tasty muffin

bagpusscp

Go to Girls in lycra . Has to be some of them serving :roll: . Right thats lowered the tone :shock: :oops:

graham_g

Quality fresh ground coffee, soya milk and vegan cakes. Plus a rubber matt in front of the toilets so there's no slipping on cleats whilst descending onto the seat for an Eartha Kitt. Oh, and the missus there waiting to give me a mid ride massage.

CHRISNOIR

Could you have a Cake Stop that just materialises when you get knackered, kinda like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn?

"As if by magic... the Cake Stop appeared"

pdstsp

A warm sunny terrace, great coffee and carrot cake. Mathew Parris, Nigel Havers and Clarkson on ducking stools over the ice cold river flowing past the back gate, with a lever by each table to select one to dunk.

A big fan which blows you home afterwards.

Mark Alexander

My Dad's house, free tea and sarnies with great conversation!!!!

popette

Mark Alexander wrote:

My Dad's house, free tea and sarnies with great conversation!!!!

ah, that's a lovely thing to write.

1892

Mark Alexander wrote:

My Dad's house, free tea and sarnies with great conversation!!!!

OK were all round your Dad's then.
What's the address

rob_spedding

Don't you just love it when people hijack threads? Especially magazine editors? Anyway, as you're thinking about your dream cakestops, I'd actually like you to nominate your real favourite cakestop. Drop me a line at cyclingplus@futurenet.co.uk

Go on give your fave stop a plug in CPlus!

As for my dream cakestop? Any cafe that serves coffee and walnut cake. Can't resist it me, doesn't even have to be good coffee and walnut cake...mind you if that cakestop just happens to be in Melbourne, then to my mind it's the best in the world. Probably. Although Carlsberg? Nah, pint of Badger with my cake ta.

Rob, editor CPlus

Ken Night

Rob Spedding wrote:

Don't you just love it when people hijack threads? Rob, editor CPlus

there was such a thread in one of the other parishes a while ago-may still be there Rob. I'm not going to do your research for you

I've emailed you with two faves of mine

pedylan

Two actuals.

When recceing the Etape Caledonia route last summer went up to Rannoch station. What a railway is doing in such a wild place is remarkable enough. Enjoyed an ice cream and strong coffee rather than cake. Not another soul there.

Cycling in France south of Brive in the perigord Noir, a cafe called Ne Pourqoui pas (why not?) close to the Dordogne river, glorious summer afternoon, cycled miles on French roads where cyclists don't get hassled and then find a great cake stop, vin excellent and time seemed to stand still (too much vin probably).

My ideal stop would be a Dylan themed cafe, it'd be called (Not Just) One More Cup of Coffee and would be stuck in St Bob's halcyon period of 1965-1970.

In fact when it's finally becoming obvious that in the rat race it's the rats that are winning; I'll probably push off and open it.