This past weekend, I had the chance to serve coffee at the Gorge Gravel race for the very first time — and let me just say, it was an unforgettable experience.
From the moment I rolled up with Nacho the Van, I knew it was going to be a special day. The energy was electric, the community was welcoming, and the winds… well, let’s just say they added a little extra adventure to the day! Majorkudos to every racer who braved those crazy gusts and powered through. Gravel events are always about grit and perseverance, and this weekend definitely delivered on both fronts.
One of the most exciting parts of reacquiring Loam Coffee after three years away has been sharing the journey with you—not just re-engaging with the company but also planning for its growth. Since getting Loam back was unexpected, I feel like I’m playing with house money. There’s no rush. Instead, I’m focused on the long game: building and executing a thoughtful, sustainable plan.
So, what’s the plan?
Since the beginning, Loam Coffee has been attached to mountain biking and trails. Some of our earliest outings were serving coffee to volunteer trail builders here in the rainy Pacific Northwest. This past weekend, we linked up with a couple of other orgs for a day of free shuttles plus free coffee. The goal? Not only to get out and ride but also to raise funds for a local trail building and stewardship non-profit.
It is easy to get boxed in with our own thinking. At times, based on social media algorithms, what we see, hear, and consume can be limited to an echo chamber of familiarity. Therefore, what we experience in the daily rhythms of life becomes normalized and then set into a routine. As a result, it is easy to go through life with something like blinders on, you know, like the ones at times placed on horses to limit their vision so they’re not easily spooked.
But then something happens, and it is as if those blinders are ripped off, our echo chamber is depressurized, and our routine is sabotaged. That's what happened when I explored the coffee scene over the summer in Bangkok ...
How do you normally brew coffee? Do you brew coffee differently at home compared to when you’re on a week-long bikepacking trip or exploring the high desert backroads in your conversion van? By the way, there’s no right or wrong answer here. If you feel stuck, would you like some more ideas and options?
Nacho the van has come a long way from being an 11-passenger van used to carry collegiate athletes to games all over the Pacific Northwest. At the same time, there’s still a LONG way to go. Since I bought the van from the university where I teach, many students know its backstory as they see it sitting in the school parking lot. Some joke, saying, “Yeah … it still looks a little sketchy.”
So, what is the latest on the Nacho conversion process?
