South-West Pit Stop: Musette Bicycles and Cofee
For a lot of us riders, it is almost a reflex to check the local bike shops, bike cafes, and other potentially interesting places when we visit a new city. It’s nice to see people with their own universe and preferences, translated into a space where you can buy nice stuff, have a coffee, talk a little bit, or just have a look around. Well, today I’ll take you on a very small tour of “Musette”, a bike shop/cafe located in Bordeaux. And if you’re in town or if it’s just part of your planned route, you might as well do a little stop to check them out.
A few weeks back I made a write-up about La Chouette and how I was a total fan of the cozy feeling the place had. So it was not a big surprise when they told me that the two stores knew each other since you can find the same kind of vibe over at Musette. It offers a comfy and laid-back atmosphere that can be felt in the place and through the interesting way everything was displayed and organized.
As they describe it so well on their website:
Musette was designed to be a place to drink a good coffee, get your bike repaired, or buy a new bike and also a place for the cycling community to meet and mingle.
The two owners, Robert and Christopher, are both lovely and ready to answer whatever question you have about the brands and products they carry here. I already knew of the shop since I was on the hunt for a French Outer Shell retailer and I remembered having them on the phone a few months back. However, I wasn’t aware of them importing a ton of other brands that you can consider “hard to find” in France. If you know what I mean when I say, “Steel is real, even more so in 2021” then you already know the kind of stuff you can find over there. Genesis, Pelago, Brother Cycle, and Surly for your gravel needs, Omnium and Bullitt if you’re a cargo guy. But of course, there is always an Omnium CXC or a Steamroller laying in some corner for your tracklocross adventures. Finally, like every good bike shop, they will also have some cool bike parts around for you to look at or buy… but I haven’t seen the price tags on these…
It’s a personal point of view, but looking at a workshop that is neatly organized with all the proper tools and mechanics doing a tidy job on fully custom machines gives me enough confidence to leave my bike here for an overhaul or just regular maintenance. The kind of “Oh yeah, they for sure know what they’re doing” intuition. They even have a second workshop in the back only dedicated to custom builds with all the crazy parts you dare to order. From a mechanical point of view, Musette is on point and with a knowledgeable and skilled staff. I’m sure you can leave your bike here for a few repairs jobs as it’ll be in good hands.
To summarise, Musette bicycles and coffee is the exact kind of chill place I enjoy and love to discover. The bikes are great, the staff is nice, and the coffee is good. What else could you want? Reading on their website, I was also impressed by their philosophy of cycling and everything surrounding it. It’s more than a bike shop, it’s also the community around it and the lifestyle of all those people.
One of our biggest reasons for wanting to run a cycle café was our belief in cycling as a whole and the community that surrounds it. Whether you are a competitive cyclist, a weekend warrior, or just use a bike for getting around town what is important is that you are keeping active
And as I was saying earlier, it’s a perfect checkpoint for you to have a break before continuing south. Bordeaux isn’t that big and you can enter the city and be there in ten minutes, just to return back to nature and vineyards five minutes later.
For that one article, I was between 2 rolls so that’s why there is color and black and white, but I’m not against mixing it again in a future write-up. I think it creates an interesting effect.
If you have any good bicycle cafes or places you think I should visit, please leave me a note in the suggestion box. I’ll happily go check it out.
Finally, I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and never forget that discovering new places and new people can only be an awesome experience, especially in that carrying community.
You can find the Musette Instagram here and their website there!
