The light was soft, the gravel still damp from the night before. Riders rolled in slowly, quiet in that pre-race way with legs tense and minds somewhere between stoke and nerves. I had already fired up the kettle in Nacho the Van, the smell of freshly ground beans mixing with pine and chain lube in the cool morning air. It wasn’t anything fancy. Just coffee, a little conversation, and the quiet satisfaction of showing up.
That’s the version of Loam Coffee I’ve grown to love most.
A little over two years ago, Loam unexpectedly came back into my hands. I had been out of ownership for three years. I wasn’t planning a return. There was no business plan, no relaunch strategy. Just a quiet nudge. What would happen if I picked this back up again? What would it look like now?
A lot has changed since Loam first launched. Great coffee is everywhere now. You can find single-origin beans and dialed brew gear in most towns or delivered to your door in a day. Early on, Loam was focused on selling coffee online and shipping out orders as fast as I could roast them. But that model feels less and less aligned with where the world is going and where I’m going.
So I’ve slowed things down.
Instead of chasing online growth, I’ve been leaning into something that feels more grounded. Coffee catering at cycling events. At races like Gorge Gravel, I roll in with Nacho the Van and serve riders as they check in and warm up before the race. I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much, but I do. Serving coffee at the trailhead or campsite has become one of the best parts of what I do.
Maybe it’s because it’s not just about the coffee.
It’s about the moment. The pause. The interaction. I’m not the loudest or most outgoing person at an event, but I love the small windows of connection that open up across the counter. A shared laugh. A question about the van. A compliment on the beans. Even just a simple “thanks” from someone who looks like they needed the coffee to lift them a little more before the race.
My world already revolves around cycling. I’m out shooting photos at gravel, MTB, and road races. I work with trail builders through Trail Builder Magazine. Loam fits into all of that in a natural, seamless way. It’s the connective tissue. A shared cup before or after a ride becomes something bigger than just caffeine.
That’s why I’ve shifted to a new rhythm with Loam: one coffee at a time. When a batch is gone, it’s gone. No massive inventory. No flavor of the month. Just small releases that mean something. You can still buy coffee online, but the heart of Loam now lives on the road, on the trail, and in those simple, meaningful moments between pedal strokes.
Loam Coffee was never just a brand. It has always been about people, places, and stories. Right now, those stories are being written one cup and one climb at a time.
So if you see Nacho parked at a race or trail workday, swing by. Let’s talk gear. Or gravel. Or nothing at all. Either way, I’ll have the water hot.
Words by Sean Benesh. First photo by Wil Matthews
Loam Coffee Founder and Brand Manager
Email: sean@loamcoffee.com
