Life In The Saddle

How can you have great coffee on every ride? How can you reduce plastic waste? How can you conform to social distancing guidelines? One simple solution, is a quality insulated coffee flask… The Hydro Flask Flex Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Coffee Flask is a superb example of a portable coffee solution; allowing you to take steaming hot coffee with you for those deep winter mid-ride breaks. I have always been a great fan of #coffeeoutside —it just tastes better. There is nothing like the feeling of sipping on a mug full of freshly brewed coffee sat on the side of a mountain or sheltered from the wind in a forest. Taking a hot drink with you on an outdoors adventure, particularly a bike ride, can be a little problematic though… you need a flask that is robust, leak-proof, and will keep your beverage warm for several hours. After much searching and testing, I came across the Hydro Flask Flex. This insulated bottle, when combined with the new Sip Lid, makes for the perfect cycl...

I have made coffee in some wild and beautiful places… from a tiny tent at the top of an Austrian Alp, to the cabin of a sailing boat in the middle of a storm swept English Channel. Coffee has become an integral ingredient in my adventures—as important as the lubricant on my chain of my bike or the map in my pocket. Coffee outside always seems to taste better. When possible, freshly brewed coffee is also still my strong preference (although I am a great advocate and user of thermally insulated flasks to take coffee with you that you have brewed at home). The KFLOW Portable Coffee Maker came to my attention as a tool for outdoor coffee brews; it is a compact pump-action coffee maker, which could easily be transported in a pannier or bike bag. A quick read of my post Brewing in the Wild – Adventure Coffee Tips will give you an idea of my normal coffee brewing techniques for back-of-beyond adventures; the KFLOW Portable Coffee Maker could be a sixth addition… The KFLOW unit, whilst incre...

On long days in the saddle, a cup of coffee can go a long way to reviving your engine and keeping you riding. The rich dark drink is so much part of cycling culture that last year I wrote a post entitled: Coffee – The Life Blood of Cyclists .  The cafés are open again on the Isle of Wight now (check out my  7 Best Cycling Cafes on the Isle of Wight  post); yet there can often be limited seating capacity inside. So, for when you need that caffeine fix mid-ride, here are the best takeaway coffee stops around the Isle of Wight...  Caffe Isola is still a favourite cafe on the Island If you can, use a reusable mug like these great non-breakable silicone ones from Island Roasted

When it comes to making coffee in the wild , the Aeropress has always been my preferred method. For bikepacking and bicycle touring trips it is the ultimate compact coffee maker. The new Aeropress GO is the brand’s innovation on the already superb design. The GO is smaller, lighter, and has some great functionality improvements. Let us start with how it works… the same as the Aeropress: you place a paper filter in the perforated bottom cup of the chamber, then add scopes of fresh ground coffee to the chamber. You then pour boiled water into the chamber and use the provided stirrer to circulate the grounds. When you have left the mixture to brew for as long as you wish, you take the plunger and push the coffee through the filter into your mug. With the new Aeropress GO the procedure is the same as with the original Aeropress, but there are a few slight changes in the instruments. To make things more compact, the scoop has a smaller handle, and stirrer is foldable; so, both fit ins...

Lightweight bicycle touring and bikepacking is a unique way to discover new countries and meet new people. It comes with its own challenges though; a personal challenge I often encounter is the need to find quality 'fuel' in the form of good food and drink. At home, I strive to make the perfect cup of coffee to kick-start my day's adventures. Camping in back-and-beyond locations does make that more of a challenge. It is still possible though, and with my experience of trying to create a good coffee in many wild locations, these are my five top tips… 1. Water Storage Water quality is a key component of good coffee. When you are touring or bikepacking I suggest making at least one of your water bottles a stainless steel carrier. Plastic bicycle bottles are easier to drink from on-the-go, but they will leave water tainted—especially if you are collecting it the night before a camp. I recommend the Elite Deboyo Stainless Steel Vacuum Thermal Bottle —as it can also be...

It seems every cyclist I know is in love with the dark aromatic drink—coffee. What is it that makes us love this bean-based beverage so much? Is it the caffeine kick we crave to keep our legs spinning? The warming feeling when you are getting ready to brave the elements? Or is it tradition, and part of a long running café culture in our sport? In this post, I look at the natural stimulant that makes so many of us tick. I try to find out what it is that really makes coffee as valuable as liquid gold for many two-wheeled enthusiasts. Stimulate and Motivate We cyclists like to see ourselves as a hardy bunch—often rising at dawn to train throughout the year or pitching up camp in wild and remote places on our bicycling tours. Those brisk mornings are often a struggle. It can be a challenge to pluck up the willpower and strength needed to pull heavy legs from under the duvet or sleeping bag and get them turning those crank-arms. A fresh coffee supplies a unique source of motivat...

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. It holds purpose – to fuel up for the challenges that lie ahead. It also holds excitement and reward for getting out there and trying something new. My favourite breakfasts are not those at the hotel buffet, or indeed a 'Full English'; rather they are ones composed of simple ingredients, accompanied by good coffee, and served with a stunning outdoor backdrop. These breakfasts, often enjoyed when wild camping and adventuring, are the ones that remain in my memory as special starts to special days. In this post, I look at three of my favourite ' Wild Breakfasts ' – with recipes, cooking guidance, and of course coffee recommendations. (1) Soaked Muesli Porridge Using quality muesli to make your porridge is a great cheat to provide a beautifully textured and flavoursome porridge. I use an organic muesli that contains seeds, raisins, and a mixture of different oats and grains – such as the Nairn's Organic Muesli ;...

Smooth Bore, Cannonball Blend and Maximum Charge. These are names that bring to mind naval battles and gunfire, so it seems fitting that the Cannonball Coffee Company is sponsoring this year's Trafalgar Way Ride . I was keen to try out the small batch coffee blends, and review them ahead of the big ride next month. The Trafalgar Way is a historic route running from Falmouth in the west of England to London. It was the route ridden by a horse messenger to take news to the capital's Admiralty of Lord Nelson's death, and also of the successful defeat of the French in the Battle of Trafalgar. It is a historic path, and now the 'Ride The Trafalgar Way' cycle event commemorates the great naval victory. Cannonball Coffee isn't intrinsically tied to the naval battles of old, but it does celebrate being British, 'ballsy', and it promises to give you a serious blast of energy. The founder of the company - Duncan, was in the Royal Artillery for 8 years, and h...

There are few things that go better together than cycling and coffee. The dark rich drink provides a boost, refreshment, a break from the pedalling, and a warming comforter. Whether enjoyed pre-ride with your porridge, mid-ride at the café stop, or during post-ride chill-out time; coffee is fuel for the ride, and fuel for the passion. The range of coffee beans from Union Hand-Roasted Coffee is sustainably and ethically sourced. Union Coffee works with its union of farmers directly, to provide them with the resources they need, a fair price for their coffee, and a reliable income for their families. Union is also special because it small batch hand-roasts its beans. This allows for greater quality control, and overall a richer and better coffee. The new Equinox coffee is a refreshing and fruity blend. Made as an espresso, it provides a good hit, without being overpowering. With hints of orange and dark chocolate, it smells and tastes fantastic on a chilly autumn morning. The Y...

I drink a lot of coffee. Probably too much. The taste, caffeine kick and even the smell, are all great attractions to me; I don't get through many days without a cup, or three. Coffee is a well known caffeine source, and there are proven performance benefits from using caffeine before and during endurance sports. However, the caffeine content of coffee is notoriously varied, so TrueStart Coffee propose to overcome this, with caffeine controlled coffee. Per serving of TrueStart instant coffee, there is the equivalent caffeine content (around 100mg) as a caffeine energy gel. This provides a measured boost, similar to taking a caffeine pill. This seems like a good idea, and it is useful to know how much caffeine you are taking on board through your coffee drinking; it should allow you to optimise your intake for performance gains. However, I have a problem. As I've outlined above, the caffeine kick is only one of the reasons that I drink coffee. I gain as much enjoyment an...

Calm Down...No I haven't turned into Lance Armstrong. This "EPO" is a rather lovely coffee bean blend from Paniagua CC , branded as 'Extract Paniagua Original'. Most of you will know of my love of coffee from my blog Coffee - The Life Blood of Cyclists , and I can safely assure you that this  blend of Brazilian Daterra and Costa Rican beans is the only 'cocktail' that I am taking. It has a lovely deep aroma straight from the grinder, with definite chocolaty undertones. The perfect warming brew to set you up for a winter ride... dreaming of the warm mountains of South America.