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Reflections
We all are creatures of habit. Sometimes those habits are good, but we tend to notice them when they are bad. Maybe not "bad" as in "really bad," but we definitely know areas in our lives where we're mailing it in. Perhaps we're even lazy in those areas as well. So why bring this up? What does this have to do with coffee?
Often, we’re traveling quite a ways to a trailhead to ride. It could be anywhere from 1-2 hours away (or more). What that also means is we’re not in a hurry. We’ve committed a whole day to ride and being with friends in the outdoors. So why should we settle for cold coffee at the trailhead?
Most often, on weekends, I’m either riding or showing up for trail-building work parties. While I’m thinking lots about bikes (and trails) for obvious reasons, one of the other aspects of my planning is coffee. I suppose I don’t overthink about it as it slots into my mental checklist as I’m getting ready to leave … bike (check), helmet (check), shoes (check), knee pads (check), coffee (check) …
Why do we ride bikes? In particular, why do we ride mountain bikes? Yes, we can talk about the health benefits of an active lifestyle, but it’s much more than that. Ultimately we ride because of the community.
Road trips are great opportunities to stare out the window and watch the scenery unfold. The same is true for mountain biking, gravel riding, or bikepacking. Although to be fair, I'm not too keen on the unfurling landscape while bombing a hill on my bike. My eyes are fixated on the trail looking for rocks, roots, and unexpected drops. But I do think about land use a good bit.
While this may sound like the title of an article in an obscure academic journal, we want to have a conversation. No, we won’t be citing any latest research, nor will this be filled with bottomless footnotes. It’s about thinking through the where and how of our lifestyle as mountain bikers, gravel riders, and coffee drinkers.
