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.
One of the topics I want to hear more about is thinking through more sustainable ways to access trail systems than simply driving. No, I am not anti-car or anything like that. I sometimes think about the absurdity of endless shuttled runs and all of the gas wasted, time wasted, and of course, CO2 emissions emitted. Maybe that is why I have been thinking of gravel riding a lot more of late.
Looking back I realize how much of the best experiences we had were from the unexpected detours. Finding a waterfall in the high desert or scrambling up a cliff in search of Anasazi ruins were not on my agenda. But my trip would be incomplete without those experiences
No, I’m not saying that introducing people has to be sequential … first gravel and the single track. But I wonder where my love would be if my first introduction was simply the kinds of trails that we have today. There’s something about learning to enjoy a good pedal, learning to corner, and getting used to bikes before going truly off road.
Loam Coffee was created to roast and deliver coffee to mountain bikers. Simple as that. However, it’s also not as simple as that. Why? Because none of us are purely “one thing.” Meaning, we’re not only mountain bikers. We all have a wide variety of hobbies and activities we’re involved in … hiking, fly fishing, rock climbing, motocross, city bike commuting, backpacking, bike touring or bikepacking, cyclocross, CrossFit, and so much more.
Brewing coffee outdoors is pretty easy … or so it seems. On one hand it is straightforward and uncomplicated. On the other hand there is not only a process, but you need the right equipment. So often the focus is on the specific brew method and even what kind of coffee to use (and rightly so). What we want to share with you in this article is one part of the equation that doesn’t get enough attention … how you actually heat the water for your coffee.