Saigon cafe peddles to cycling enthusiasts

Blogs 10/27/2020 3:40:23 PM 331

A cafe named Bike Coffee in Saigon's District 3 offers urban cyclists a space to gear down.

Formerly a tour guide, but Covid-19 put Dung’s job in a pause. Instead of sitting at home and wait for the pandemic to pass or look for another job, Phuc put his effort in creating this space for people that have the same passion as him. The café was born in July, in between the two Covid-19 waves in the country. It was difficult at first but gradually, the place has attracted many customers.

Vo Hoang Phuc, 32, along with two friends opened Bike Coffee, geared toward Saigon's cycling enthusiasts.
Phuc said he himself had a passion for cycling, having attended elementary school through to university on a bicycle. A tour guide impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Phuc created a space for those who shared his passion.

As a familiar customer, Thuc Quyen really likes the design of the café. Quyen is also a bicycle lover and she wants to find a bicycle for her 11-year-old daughter so she came to the place for the careful recommendations from Dung on how to buy a good one.

Opened in July, right during a lull between two Covid-19 outbreaks in Vietnam, the cafe has slowly attracted a loyal following.

Phuc said this coffee shop is a long-term business. Thanks to it, he can help his friends and others have more income. Most of the staff in this shop is college students and tour guides.Ngoc Thuy, a 22-year-old tour guide that has two years of experience, said that working at this place helps her learn new skills like bartending and knows more about bicycles, as well as practicing her English.

As the cafe's staff consist of mostly college students and tour guides, Phuc said this long-term project has helped him support others through the pandemic times.
Ngoc Thuy, a 22-year-old tour guide with two years of experience, said working here has helped her learn new skills like bartending, bicycle maintainance, and English.

Anh Toan, 35, used to be a domestic and international tour guide. He knows Phuc in a working trip in Mekong Delta. His job at the café is fixing bicycles for people in need. Although the salary is not high, it was enough for Toan to survive during the pandemic. In addition, he gets to meet cycling enthusiasts every day and share his passion with them. People in the café called him Toan mechanic

Tour guide Anh Toan (pictured), 35, first met owner Phuc in the Mekong Delta. Part of his job was to repair bikes for guests in their cycling journey across Vietnam.
Now, his bicycle repair skills help keep him afloat, having earned the nickname "Toan mechanic" since starting off at the cafe.

The coffee shop is also called cycling enthusiasts community. People with the same passion come here to share the knowledge of bicycles, how to take care of your bicycle for the long run or how to keep your stamina in weather conditions like rain or hot days on a distance of 60-80 km.

The cafe has become the informal headquarters of a growing "cycling community" sharing experiences and expertise on racing and maintainanace.

Besides drinks, this coffee shop also sells cycling accessories and gears. The owner also formed a cycling group called Saigon Morning Ride with many members, including Vietnamese and expats. Phuc also held many cycling tournaments to different attractions in the city.

Besides drinks, the coffee shop also sells cycling accessories.
Recently, Phuc formed a cycling group called Saigon Morning Ride that includes both Vietnamese and expat riders, along with hosting several races across the city.

Bike Coffee is located on Hoang Sa Road, District 3. Opening time is from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, including weekend. The price for food and drinks here ranges from VND29,000 to 45,000 ($1.25-1.9).

Bike Coffee is located at 816 Hoang Sa street, Ward 14, District 3. Opening time is from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, including weekends.
The price for food and drinks here ranges from VND29,000 to 45,000 ($1.2-1.9).