Singletrack

The blacK FueL
ODDBALL
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY CRAYONS
Last issue, Chipps filled his crystal tumbler and took us
through five of his top armchair whiskies. This time we look
to Rob Crayons and his pick of coffees for fuelling our rides.
Coffee isn’t just a hot beverage needed to prise one’s eyes open
in the morning – there’s a whole world of flavours and aromas
that can be extracted from each roast, blend or single origin.
Whether it be that first coffee of the day, a mid-ride stop
to break out the flask, or a reward for the end of hard ride,
having a brew at some point during a riding day (or any day)
is a necessity.
Crayons (as a self-proclaimed office coffee snob) shows
us his top picks and preferred brew methods, to give you that
perfect hit of caffeine while out riding, or sitting on your sofa
at home. Prepare your taste buds, slam on the kettle, and dive
into this caffeine-packed selection of trail fuel.
Northern Espresso
V5
Break Fluid
Ethiopian Kayon Mountain
COFFEEKult
Athiopien Sidamo
Sandows of London
Cold Brew
Northern Espresso is the
signature blend of The
Barista who roast their own
coffee in Leeds, and is a
great place to start this hotticket
list. The word ‘blend’
is used to describe a coffee
that is made up of multiple
elements. Built on a base
coffee, a blend typically uses
an additional one or two
elements to add fruitiness,
acidity and character to the
brew. V5 is split 60/40 with
Costa Rican and Columbian
coffees delivering notes of
raspberry and green apple,
with a baker’s chocolate
base. Brewed using a V60
filter, V5 has offered superconsistent
taste throughout
testing. It’s a belter.
Re-establishing the more
tenuous link to mountain
biking, Break Fluid was set
up by two adventure-seeking
friends, Chris and Ant. Both
mad for two-wheeled action,
these chaps came together
to create a coffee brand for
coffee drinkers, and Break
Fluid was born. This is one
of their single-origin coffees
– the sweet, fruity and
mega-distinctive Ethiopian.
This coffee is a great for
those sleepy mornings
with its notes of blueberry,
papaya and cream. Perfect
preparation before setting
out for a day on the bike.
While on a recent trip to
Innsbruck, we had to get our
hands on some COFFEEkult
goodness. Based in that
bustling Austrian city,
COFFEEkult has a range
of roasts, blends and
single origins to try, and
this Ethiopian is a supertasty
example. Roasted for
espresso and filter, we’ve
been tasting it brewed
through an AeroPress
and the results have been
delicious. This is a heartwarming,
bold coffee to have
in a flask for those nippy, or
early morning rides.
Unlike the rest of the coffees
in my hit list, this little bottle
of joy is best served ice-cold.
Based in London, Sandows
brew and bottle all coffee
on site. Brewed overnight,
cold brew is made with fresh
coffee and filtered water.
By brewing slowly, without
the use of heat, the process
extracts minimal acidity to
give you a clean, smooth
and more flavoursome
end product. It may be an
indulgence, but one that
can be kept in the fridge
until after that long, sweaty
summer ride, ready to be
enjoyed over ice or with a
drop of milk.
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