What Are TDA ‘Coke Stops’ & How To Find Them

Benjamin Levin is the Content Creator on the 2025 Hippie Trail Cycling Adventure. 

When riding a TDA tour, you will hear the phrase ‘coke stop’ used quite a bit. “At kilometre 36, 48, and 78 there are coke stops…,” “Let’s meet at the next coke stop to regroup,” “I had the BEST coke stop a few kilometres back…” What is this mythical coke stop? Where do you find them and how do you use them?

A coke stop can be a wide range of things. It can be a woman on the side of the road in Tanzania selling chapati and cold drinks. It can be a bustling market square in India where you can buy anything from livestock to a bag of chips for a few small coins. It can be a gas station with THE best espresso machine in the world nestled in a small French village. At many a coke stop, you cannot even buy Coke!

So, what actually is it? A coke stop is anywhere along the day’s cycling route that TDA has deemed a solid place to stop and get some sort of refreshment. On days when you are in particularly rural areas, there may only be one chance during the day (besides lunch) to refuel, making that stop particularly important.

On days when you are cycling through small towns, villages, or cities, there are places to stop everywhere, and there are coke stops galore. In countries familiar to you as a rider, stopping and buying a cold drink is an effortless task. However, in more off-the-beaten-track countries, stopping at a ramshackle hut with goodies hanging from the ceiling, not knowing if they sell drinks or whether they will understand you, can be a nerve-wracking experience. While this can be intimidating, it is important to know that taking the time to stop at these coke stops and interact with the local vendors will be some of the most exciting and rewarding experiences on your journey—as well as an essential source of refreshment during your ride.

Now that we know what a coke stop is, let’s get on the road and break down some coke stop etiquette, so you are prepared to take on some epic coke stops wherever you find yourself. This day, we are on the 2025 Hippie Trail, riding from Shirdi to Sangamner. I am riding with my buddy Richard Langston from California, a full-tour rider on this year’s trip. We are leaving around 8 in the morning and here in India, there is no better way to start your morning than with a good chai. Chai is an easy coke stop here in India. In nearly every town you pass through, you will find someone making the delicious beverage.

When stopping for your chai, it is important to be aware of where you are putting your bicycle. People across the globe tend to be lovely, but sometimes there is a rotten apple who would love to ride away on your bike, so make sure you lock up or are confident it is in a safe spot. Another key thing to remember is that when you stop for a coke stop, make your bike visible to the staff member cycling sweep at the back of the pack and the vehicles as they drive by. You do not want the sweep or the staff in the vehicles to miss your bike and continue on, leaving you behind. Finally, take your phone or navigation device off your bike. This is an easy one to forget, but remembering is much easier than trying to replace your phone in a foreign country.

Awesome, chai stop done, the energy is high, and now Rich and I are ready to get a few kilometres under our belts and find another coke stop farther down the road. At this point on the Hippie Trail, the days are getting hot. Temperatures are climbing upwards of 35°C during the heat of the day, so after another 20-30 kilometers, we are ready to find a cold drink. Finding a cold drink in some places can be difficult. Shops in some areas do not look like what we are accustomed to, so knowing what to look for is a big help. Frequently in less affluent and more rural areas, people will advertise their wares by putting them on display in front of their shop. As we are riding, we see a place with drinks on the counter, so we stop to check for the second thing we are looking for: a fridge. They have one—awesome. We lock our bikes together, take our phones off, and go ask for some cold drinks.

A tip I learned from another rider on this year’s Hippie Trail, Richard Whitlock, is to look for power lines above the shop you stop at. Power lines mean electricity, electricity means the fridge may work, and that means cold drinks. This coke stop was a success. Rich and I both had an Indian soft drink called One Sip Masala Jeera, a cola-like drink with cumin in it (which I will not be trying again…) As we hit the road again we are refreshed and ready for the rest of our ride!

These small breaks punctuate the day with moments of cultural exchange, camaraderie, and refreshment. Whether it’s a roadside stall, a market in a bustling town, or a coffee shop in the Alps, coke stops are not only a chance to hydrate, but also are an essential part of the adventure. So next time you are on the road, wondering if that little shop over there could be a coke stop, take a moment to check it out. Even though it may not look like where you are used to popping in for a drink, it could be just what you are looking for.

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