Wow! It feels like yesterday I was still calling Austin my home, riding the rolling hills and ripping around on the limestone and cedar tree-lined singletrack. Those were some magical years for me, filled with a lot of amazing memories, solid friendships, and watching my friends open their own businesses, only to have them bloom and grow when I left town.

I’ve been back through Austin a few times since leaving in 2015 but never really had enough time to settle in and document the spaces of these businesses. This past trip, we had all the time in the world, so I got to work documenting my favorite of the Austin scene: the space at Cycleast and Flat Track Coffee…

It’s no secret that Austin is known for its coffee and riding. While there aren’t mountains anywhere near this quant Texas city, there are plenty of steep hills, and best of all, Barton Springs is waiting for you post-ride with year-round 60º water. When Flat Track Coffee first opened up, it was in this tiny, 10′ by 10′ space, just off of Ceasar Chavez, which lasted for a few years. It wasn’t until 2016 that Cycleast opened up a bigger location and invited Flat Track to share the abundant space. It took a while for the two to reach their current status but the wait was worthwhile.

Now, Flat Track has a food menu, an extensive coffee list, plenty of spaces to work, meet up with friends, and park your bicycle or car. The East Side of Austin has changed and while many would argue not for the better but Flat Track has benefitted from this growth. Flat Track’s old location felt intimate, with its small space, yet their new space maintains that good, old-fashioned neighborhood vibes. The environment is welcoming and friendly!

Meanwhile, Cycleast has grown into a full-inventory, full-service, and full-work queue operation. While they have been around for about 8 years in town, this new space serves their clientele perfectly. With massive amounts of display space, storage, and plenty of work stations to keep the work queue flowing, Cycleast is the best version of itself yet.

They carry Cannondale, All-City, Yuba, and other brands, catering to bicycle camping, bicycle commuting, touring, bikepacking, road, gravel, and mountain riding. You can say they’re a jack of all trades kinda shop, welcoming all sorts of cyclists, and getting people out of their cars and onto commuter bikes in this ever-growing city.

Sharing a space with Flat Track Coffee allows for the perfect pre and post-ride meet up. Get a coffee, a breakfast taco, and wait for your friends to show up, or get a snack after your ride while your bike gets tuned up.

I love shops that have textures, details, beausage, and a pleasant attitude, while still being welcoming and encouraging for growing community and embracing everyone. Flat Track and Cycleast are continuing the tradition of bikes and coffee, with style!

Flat Track Coffee and Cycleast
1619 E Cesar Chavez St.
Austin, TX 78702

Monday – Sunday 7 am to 7 pm