Coffee for Cyclists

April 17, 2010

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Over the years, coffee has become somewhat of a theme in all of my tours, no matter where in the world they take place. While there are thousands of brands available, I thought it would be fun to bring out some bicycling oriented coffee companies, and accessories.

53x11 Coffee: The 53x11 refers to the hardest gear on a standard road bike, also corresponds to a gear I can't push. They offer four blends cleverly named after bicycling lingo, which are The Big Ring, The Early Break, The Chain Breaker, and The Down Shift Decaf. They use organic, fair trade beans, and have their own line of 53x11 cycling apparel, and coffee mugs.

Jittery Joe's Coffee: Sponsoring a professional cycling team for a decade, Jittery Joe's offers a cycling inspired 'Morning Ride' coffee. They have also partnered with Team in Training, and created a TNT blend to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Wooden Bike Coffee: Using beans from Rwanda, 30% of your purchase goes back to Project Rwanda, an organization spearheaded by frame builder Tom Ritchey. Project Rwanda uses the bicycle as a symbol and as a tool to help improve economic development in Rwanda.

As far as making coffee on tour is concerned, I have been a big fan of the french press mugs by Planetary Designs. They have a small compartment on the base of the mug that can hold enough coffee grounds for a few days, and the removable press will keep you from getting a mouthful of grounds when your enjoying your brew.

Photo by Sarah Raz.

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TOURING GEAR AND TIPS is written by Joshua Tack of Adventure Cycling's member services department. It appears weekly, highlighting technical aspects of bicycle touring and advice to help better prepare you for the journey ahead.