For the first several years of Loam Coffee’s existence, we never had a van or anything like that. Whenever we did events, we’d move stuff around in my SUV, set up tents, etc. But that all changed once Nacho the MTB Van came into my life … What that also means is every time I head out of town on a road trip with Nacho, I grab a couple of different coffee brew method devices to test out. I have a cabinet full of various brew methods at home. Recently, I made such a trip and brought along with me the Cuppamoka by Wacaco.
It should be no surprise when we talk about building new trails as a potential catalyst for economic development in rural communities. It is met with opposing views. Some embrace it, particularly those who’ve been impacted positively by it. Then others decry it arguing it could very well lead to rural gentrification. Look no further than the Whistlers or Vails to validate this. Which is it?
A few weeks ago, I ventured out to my first mountain bike race of the season. Full confession, though, I didn’t go out to race. Instead, I was there to take photos of the event and race. It was an XC race, the first of the season, and I packed along by 140mm travel trail bike. But the only riding I did was to venture deeper into the racecourse to get better photos.
If you’ve checked out the coffee selection on our website, you would’ve noticed we only had two coffee offerings listed. Behind the scenes, we were doing a lot of recalibration … adding more coffees, transitioning to a different roasting space, creating new labels, and more.
But now? We have coffee! Four, to be exact (we already had the Trail Builder Blend listed, but it has a new label). Here they are!
This past year we created a page on our website called Brew Coffee Do Good. It's one small way to grow our involvement in giving back to the mountain biking community. It's only the beginning too ...
It seems like a rare occasion when you show up for a trail building day, and there’s no coffee. Most often, people are simply bringing their own. Other times, someone will swing by a Starbucks and pick up donuts along the way. Either way, we know coffee is essential. Especially since trail building season goes throughout the winter here in the Pacific Northwest. Mornings typically are cold (but not freezing) and damp.
