A Moveable Toast

The assignment seemed dubious. Yet Managing Editor Nic Moye’s mischievous conviction, signaled by the finger she pointed at me from across the Source’s editorial department, was unwavering.

I want you to write about Cycle Pub for the Beer Issue!

I could see the logic if I squinted: I love craft beer as much as I love cycling. Ipso facto, I’d love Cycle Pub. Moye additionally tasked me with rounding up staffers and interns for the outing, which would put enough butts in seats — and legs over pedals — to propel any of Cycle Pub’s variously sized party vehicles through the streets of Bend.

Our team: Julia Gilley, the event director for Lay It Out Events, Source Intern Abby Francis, her friend Marley Hardgrave and moi. On a Monday afternoon, we shoved off from the office to begin a two-hour session, drinking and pedaling a roving bar table on bicycle wheels. Hey, it’s not day drinking, per se, if it’s for work.

Cycle Pub was founded by James Watts in 2011. Jesse Havens has operated the business since he and his wife bought it in 2021. We met Havens at a SW Industrial Way storage unit near Crux Fermentation Project — which was convenient since we needed to stock up on beers.

Havens ran us through rules, which mainly revolve around booze (no hard stuff, just wine, beer and cider) and its consumption (containers must arrive unopened; the opened drinks can’t be taken from the vehicle during a stop).

“It’s basically the same as when you go to a bar or brewery around town,” Havens told us.

We situated ourselves on puffy, spring-bound “dad” saddles that circled a center table. I picked the seat facing the driver’s, which meant I sat backwards, the oncoming scenery hidden to me until we’d past. It felt like a rollercoaster, yet the thrills came not from our speed but from that of the drivers who patiently navigated away from our line of traffic.

First stop: the Source office. The summer sun was blazing, and Francis wisely opted to grab sunscreen. Sitting outside the office, I felt self-conscious sipping from a beer can under the tree shade near the recycling bins while coworkers, inside, prepared the day’s news.

Back on the road, our team settled into an ebb-and-flow pedal pattern, which Havens called out like a coxswain on a crew boat.

Pedal, pedal! Havens cajoled us when we approached a hill.

When traffic slowed, Havens gave us the awaited command: Ok, coast.

First real stop: Bend Brewing Company — the gals wanted to spring for some sour beers. But first, we had to navigate our way downtown.

While we weren’t talking about insider baseball at the Source, we steered the conversation toward Havens, who filled us in on his backstory.

Originally from Seattle, Havens told us that he and his wife had planned to relocate to Austin to open a bar in 2019. Then Covid-19 happened, shifting their plans.

Toward the end of quarantine, the Havens heard that Cycle Pub was for sale. They made the leap in 2021.

With a background in woodworking, Havens wasn’t intimidated by the notion of doing maintenance work on Cycle Pub’s fleet of vehicles, which include the big bike (an awning-covered 14-seater that resembles a trolley), several small bikes (four to six riders) and the electric Tuk Tuk (which is pedal-free and sits six guests). Cycle Pub rolls rain or shine, even in winter, so long as the streets are clear, Havens said.

Taking over Bend’s moveable landmark helped Havens achieve the sense of community that had escaped him in Seattle’s suburban sprawl.

“Owning Cycle Pub helped us meet new people,” Havens said. “As for community, I think it’s a twofold win: we get to create a sense of community for Cycle Pub, and a sense of community for us and our friends and family.”

Throughout our two-hour session, we coasted down NW Riverside Boulevard along Drake Park. Since Cycle Pub vehicles aren’t allowed in city parks, we opted to savor the afternoon in a shady parking spot. Some cyclists I recognized from group rides whizzed by; I wondered if they recognized me. No way I’m making the group ride after these day beers. Soon, our group opted for a nonalcoholic treat: Havens recommended Bontà in the River West neighborhood.

We pedaled back to SW Industrial Way via pit stops at UPP Liquids and at Crux. Our two-hour session was up. We’d pedaled a little more than 2 miles, and our team agreed that we felt like we’d gotten a workout.

“The combination of the unique experience along with meeting new people from all over, listening to their experiences, having great conversations and showing them cool places — Cycle Pub is just unique,” Havens said. “There’s nothing else like it in Bend.”