I find that cycling gives me a great excuse to try and eat my own body weight in cake. So when a new cycling-themed cafe opens up it would be churlish not to try it out, wouldn’t it..?
The Pedalling Squares cafe has recently opened in Swalwell, a short distance from the Derwent Walk cycleway and the Gateshead Metrocentre. Nestled at the foot of Whickham Bank (aka Col de Whickham) it provides a welcome addition to the cycling cafe culture springing up on Tyneside, being only about 6 miles or so from the longer established Cycle Hub on Newcastle Quayside.
Pedalling Squares is also an on-line retailer of retro cycling apparel, of which the is a selection to try for size in the cafe. For example, should you wish to emulate the style of Roger de Vlaeminck in his Brooklyn Gum era, then this could be the place for you.
The approach to the cafe was a little disconcerting at first: you head down a short, sharp bank towards the building, an old brassworks, which not only houses a cafe, but also a classic car restorers. The entrance is made clear by a sign outside the door welcoming you in.
There is space inside the cafe to store about half a dozen bikes, which further serves to underline the cycle-friendly nature of the place, The inside of the cafe is distinctive too, with a mix of exposed brickwork and Banksy-esque murals depicting Marco Pantani and Eddy Merckx adorning the walls. The photos from the cafe website do a much better job of illustrating this than my camera-phone possibly can.
The menu is pretty much what you would expect, with a range of beverages, cakes and sandwiches, all at a reasonable price. But what stands out most of all is the owners’ passion for what they do. There’s a real desire to cater for the cycling fraternity, including the offer of complimentary peanut butter and jam rice cakes for club rides that start and finish there. The owner swears by them for his long rides…
To hear the owners talk with passion about their fledgling business is brilliant. “I really look forward to coming to work” is a phrase you’ll hear often if you grab a word with them. And they’ll make time to come and speak to you. And they have plans to develop further; they stock a range of bottled beers and have a temporary licence to serve alcohol at weekends. Opening hours will be extended during the summer months to cater for riders spending long days in the saddle.
I highly recommend a visit for any cyclist heading to Tyneside, and as it’s pretty close to National Cycle Routes 7 (C2C) and 72 (Hadrian’s Way) there’s little excuse not to!
You can find out more about Pedalling Squares via their website and social media feeds on twitter, facebook, pinterest and tumblr.
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