Cafe Velo

I’m in town from Chicago and was looking for a coffee shop that put a lot of care into their coffee. Café Velo not only has an excellent offering of coffee, but the atmosphere is pleasant, the view looks out to Pikes Peak, and the staff were friendly and kind. I was not disappointed, and will be coming back.

I wrote Mike Creed, the bike shop manager, the following with no response:
Mike,
Being a fan of small businesses, I thought it best to relate my recent experience with yours.
I brought you my Lemond Tete de Course for a Silver service tune on Thursday, April 28. I initially spoke with one of your associates who gave it quick look and said the chain needed to be replaced and recommended Ultra over Dura-​ace (my existing components) and I approved that. I then spoke with you as you were recommending new tires which I approved for you to install. You told me there was currently a 25% discount being offered on the Silver service and I approved that. I left the bike with you with the promise of having the bike on Monday, May 2.
On Monday, May 2, I called to see when I could pick up the bike and spoke with you. You indicated that there had been an illness and the bike would be ready the next day. You also said the bike chain still had 25% of its usable life left and I approved leaving it on.
I received a call around noon on Tuesday, May 3 that my bike was ready to be picked up which I did around 3:00 that afternoon. The bill presented did not include the 25% discount but was quickly recalculated when I reminded your associate checking me out.
I left early the following morning to travel to St. George. UT to compete in the Ironman 70.3 triathlon on May 7. Several detours and and weather prevented me from getting any miles in before the 7:00 am start. While checking my bike in for the cycling component, I notice both tube stays and valve covers were not installed. No big deal, I had some in my bag.
My first shift to the big ring after the transition from swim to bike, 20 feet from the bike start, the chain derailed. Off the bike, quick fix and off I go. First 10 miles were relatively flat that left me on the big ring. After that, nothing but hills and a need to shift the forward dérailleur often. Unless I slowly pressed the shifter, it would derail every time. Additionally, the rear dérailleur could not find #2 ring. The Silver tune was a bust.
I doubt I’ll back for anything but coffee but I hope you can find a better mechanic.
Chris

Really great pour over. My wife and I see in town and just grabbed a cup to go. The downside was that the seating was very limited and we had nowhere to sit and wait for our coffee. Also, we were a little disappointed to pay $ 10 for two cups of black coffee.

Checking out new business’s in my new neighborhood and needed a caffeine boast.
Stopped by the Café-​Velo for a mocha almond flavored anything and was not disappointed.
Great coffee and bikes Hmmmm maybe I should get back into shape now that I’m a permanent resident of Colorado.

Cool environment, good coffee NOVO local CO coffee! Check in on Unilocal or Facebook and get free chocolate. Close to shopping and movies. 4 stars it’s not study environment it’s a meet and chat place.

Good drinks, good food and pretty good service… They have a hot drinks HH and offer military discount, as well. However, their food is really overpriced. Like another reviewer mentioned previously, their portions are small and really not worth the money. The ambiance is a bit off because the bright white light from the bike shop makes the wooden tables in the coffee shop look green.

My latte was great, and it was extra hot, just like I asked for! The barista was polite and the restroom was clean. I’m not a cyclist, but I’d drop by for coffee again.

I like Café Velo. I like their foods, I love their coffee, and the café is a neat mix of bicycle/​coffe shop. The acai bowl is delicious, the breakfast burrito is delicious, the quinoa is also delicious. Those are the positives. The negatives are that the food is over priced and the service is… lacking? I don’t know. It amounts to little things, like watching someone make a coffee for 5 minutes while you stand at the counter and they can’t even glance up to say «Hi! I’ll be with you in a minute!» or just a simple «Good morning!» I guess it’s pretty consuming to make a solid latte, so maybe I’m just asking too much. Aside from that it’s that they also don’t get orders right — note: almond milk and soy milk are not interchangeable. Anyways, Café Velo IS really good, like other reviews state, but I absolutely would not rate them over 3 stars due to the above.

Disappointing experience at the bike shop. I took my road bike in for service and they told me that they would be finished in 2 days. I told them I didn’t need it for 5 days but it wasn’t ready then either. Also, it’s hard to have confidence in a service job when it is returned with deflated tires (they weren’t when I took it in). This shop has few items in stock and staff are not very friendly or helpful. I wanted to give Café Velo a shot due to their proximity to my home and because I like the concept of combined coffee/​bike shop. However, I will be returning to my regular LBS (Criterium).

What a cute place! I love it! Delicious coconut milk chai latte and GF sweet bread. They also have an outdoor patio and it’s a bike store, all in one!

I may consider a five for this. The service was outstanding. The food was food, as were the drinks. I appreciate the free wifi. The views in the outside seating as great and it’s very clean inside. It’s a unique combination of a restaurant and cycle shop.

Who would’ve guessed that a bike shop would have amazing coffee? This is some of THE best Chemex-​brewed coffee we’ve had. Two thumbs up.

Hands down best coffee in the Springs area. My husband is now a coffee drinker because of them and we love going there together Saturday mornings. And their food is delicious! I have never been disappointed with anything I’ve gotten. My favorite is the Rainbow acai bowl and they’re breakfast burritos are BOMB! And I’m a big fan of the mocha menu. Everything they do is awesome. Will be sad to leave them when I move

It’s great coffee, but why is it so slow?! 15 minutes for a single latte when I am the only person here?

Friendly staff! They have a great view — perfect place to sit and hangout or do some work. Excellent lattes.

We are new to the Springs and in desperate search of a good local coffee shop. We drove out of our way to give this place a try TWICE in the last few weeks.
First, the coffee is quite good. However, the customer service (both times) was just poor. Snotty teenagers running the register without a hint of smile or friendliness & not knowledgeable about the products they serve. Also consistent on both trips was an unusually long wait for 2 coffees.
We might give it another try because the coffee is just that good. Will update the review if the customer service improves. Here’s hoping!

I honestly wasn’t expecting much but since it is only a mile from my work I drove up and got a mocha. WOW was I surprised I have to say it was one of the best mocha’s I have had in town. It is comparable to Stir, Serano’s and Colorado Coffee Merchants.
I will be back again and again since they are right down the road.

Great customer service.
Very good coffee.
One of our new favorite coffee stops.
The coffee is good (unless you’re a fan of Starbucks — then move along, move along).
Good service, expected high prices for coffee (it’s the 21^st century), and good coffee.
Seating outside has a nice view, and the adjoined bicycle shop makes people-​watching almost a full time activity.

Excellent dirty chai — I get them everywhere and this lands in the top two I’ve had. Nice balance of spice and sweet. I also tasted my sister’s chorizo burrito and it was very good — far, far beyond what I would have expected when my sister picked it out of the display case. They have some nice seating/​tables and a fireplace.

Always excited to try new spots in Colorado Springs — well, new to us, at least! Café Velo is one of the few places in COS with acai breakfast bowls, so away we went on a lazy weekend morning.
First of all, very interesting concept — the store, as others have described, is half bicycle shop and half coffee shop. As such, the aroma is a mix of rubber, some cyclists’ sweat, and coffee. Not unpleasant per se, just different. I agree with other comments that this is not a place to come cozy up and read or chat quietly. More of a place to stop off after a bike ride or on your way elsewhere.
Great coffee — the house specialty cortado was delicious and beautifully presented. The americano shined equally bright with espresso from Ozo roasters out of Boulder. Decent selection of breakfast burritos; the chorizo was delicious! Same goes for the acai bowl.
Only «dislike» is it took 20 – 30 minutes to get our coffee, and a few minutes after that to get our food. There was a steady stream of clients that died off a bit and the poor boy behind the counter could catch up. But really? Almost a half hour to get coffee on a weekend?