Frost covered the grass and there were still patches of snow along the gravel jeep road that we climbed. With temperatures hovering right around freezing sucking in the cool air was refreshing on the long climb. After an hour of ascending we finally hit the turn-off to descend back down the valley on pristine singletrack. Rocky and well-drained, it was the perfect winter riding spot.

All during the climb we rode with our backs to the river below. It was at the turn-around spot where we stopped and soaked in the views. The river, once large and voluminous, now was but a shiny thread far below. Snow-capped mountains punctuated the skyline. It was easy to lose yourself in the moment. You almost forgot about your bike as it performed flawlessly on the climb. Now we'll see how it does once you point it downwards and drop the saddle ...

Coffee and mountain biking continue to run on parallel tracks for us at Loam Coffee. As I shared a while back, we actually view ourselves more as a mountain biking brand than strictly a coffee brand (which we're proud to be). But when push comes to shove while we're in the coffee industry we're also smack dab in the middle of the mountain biking industry as well.

Yes, there are parallels everywhere. If we take the 30,000 foot view of coffee and bikes this is when we see the common thread. Why do we love mountain biking? It's more than the kinds of frames we have (carbon or aluminum?), which components we use (Shimano, SRAM, Box, etc), head tube angles, chain stay distances, and more ... it's about the experiences that mountain bikes deliver us on. In other words, we love our bike because we love our bikes and yet we love where they take us ... the journeys, adventures, memories, and friendships.

That's what we think of when it comes to coffee. We love coffee. We also love the lifestyle and adventures that it brings. While coffee may not be ridden along a ridge line in between glaciated peaks, it may just be the oomph needed to make that ridge line ride happen and the long climb to get you there. Riding mountain bikes is about the experience. The same with coffee ... it's about the experience, lifestyle, and all of the adventures that coffee accompanies us on.

What adventures will coffee take you on in 2018?

Words by Sean Benesh, Loam Coffee Founder and Brand Manager. Photo by Brad Powell.