LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Sometimes waking up to start the day can be a struggle.
A lot of people need something to help them get going, some type of routine.
For one group of cyclists, that tradition takes them to Henry Clay Estate at Ashland Park.
A cool—bordering on cold—Wednesday morning is met with the flashing lights of bike reflectors before the sun has begun to rise.
The only warmth comes from the coffee they brew as they huddle around for a midweek gathering.
"We do this on the first and third Wednesday of every month at 7 a.m.,” Jos O’Shea said.
“I think the coldest weather we've ever done this in is five degrees."
The cold and dark of an October morning didn’t put a damper on the plans for Lexington Coffee Outside.
Jos O’Shea started the group in 2018 after seeing the trend growing on social media.
“Other cities had been organizing since the early 2010's. I just got wind of it and thought it would be a cool thing. I wanted to organize something like this and find a way to bring the local bike community and coffee enthusiasts together,” O’Shea said.
Attendance has picked up over the last year, according to O’Shea.
Roughly a dozen people come on a given morning, some every so often while others have developed into regulars.
"I'd say for the past six months I've been coming out regularly,” Brian Turner.
“A lot of us cyclists are used to backpacking and camping and stuff like that. We're used to bringing our own coffee gear and making coffee when we're out camping outdoors."
What seems like a small meeting has turned into a true routine for these outdoorsmen and women.
They look forward to getting up and pedaling out in the morning to meet with people they now consider friends.
"There's definitely people who I have known casually in the cycling community that I've definitely gotten to know a lot better,” O’Shea said.
"It's sometimes a little difficult to rouse yourself out of bed but then you think about seeing friends and enjoying the event together."
If you’re interested in joining the Coffee Outside group, you can keep up with them by looking at the Coffee Outside Lexington KY page on Instagram.
