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Copper Snowbike Race Recap.

January 16, 2012 at 8:05 am

The Leadville Winter Mountain Bike race held at Copper Mountain this past weekend, was a great way to start out the 2012 season. I snagged a sixth place spot and came within 1 minute and 45 seconds of the second place position. I do not count the first place finisher because he finished 11 minutes ahead of everyone else. Sounds fishy to me. But who cares, this was a fun race and a welcome respite from the monotony of winter.

You can find the course map here.
The race drew 162 competitors and consisted of two 5 mile loops. Compared to the previous races of 30-40 people, this was a big surprise. The race started around 5:30 and it involved a firework start to signal the beginning of the race. The course rolled over to the south village on hard pack. I found myself in wide open areas with opportunities to pass. The van dessel ramble tamble had the perfect gearing and tires (imo) for this environment and I dropped the hammer all the way up a climb which took me to the top of the tubing hill at Copper.
Things got crazy as the descent left minimal control. Riding on groomed snow, your wheel tends to follow the grooves. This causes a sporadic pathway as you weave down the hill. As I glided down, two people in front of me ate shit hard. I don’t even know if they ever recovered as I barely missed and held my front tire on the tight line which kept me stable. I would later sink my front tire and fall here on the second lap.
We hit a slog of hike a bike for three to four miles. Even people riding snowbikes were often seen walking. The course soon turned back into hardpack trails which wound back up to the main village and west to the furthest gondola of the resort. I found myself mixing it up with all sorts of folks during this time and really thinking about how to exact a good strategy for the terrain. It was so easy to hit snow which slowed you down too much or ice which caused a loss of traction. Luckily, my experience riding in snow from the days spent growing up in PA helped me as I chose tight lines which clearly separated me from the pack and kept me in the saddle. The final part of the loop involved crossing an icy pond and a stair run. I bound through both things quickly the first loop.
The second loop began to separate the men from the boys as the temperature was in the single digits at speed. My face was frozen and I had expended all liquid in my water bottle, which was now frozen anyway. The last sip rewarded me with nothing but ice crystals and a burp of air as I wrapped up the hike a bike.
I passed some people I had raced with at the Leadville 100. Folks I knew who could do sub 9 hour races and had their shit together. I had to be doing well as I passed one of the team racers for Dale’s Pale Ale. I hit the hike a bike section and began running hard but consistently. This put me in a place between no man’s land. (I.E. between two packs of riders) All I can say is that I just ran hard and put distance on people at this point.
The final leg of the fight involved a pitched battle between myself and a fellow singlespeeder. We battled to hold our lines and I started making mistakes as I hit the west turnaround. Perhaps he had a larger gear or higher cadence but by the time we hit the frozen pond, he was on my rear tire. I increased my speed and hit the stairs with bike on shoulder as quick as I could, hopping three at a time. I blew past people remounting their bikes and hit the last turn in a hole shot that I barely won. It was a great race.
The cost of the race involved a touch of hypothermia and being sick for the few days since the event. I kind of regret that this is the only singlespeed race on my calendar this year because I did so well. After all, I ride ss 90% of the time anyway so it makes sense.
Training from this point involves a week of recovery and a trip back to PA. I will commute by bike next week possibly but until I feel better, no super hard workouts or 5:00 AM bike rides in 20 degree weather. At least for now. I am off to brew some Free Wheel Coffee and work on feeling better. Kris

 

Website Ordering

October 15, 2011 at 6:25 pm

The “Add to Cart” buttons for ordering coffee through the website are currently not working.  We are working on fixing them but we want you to know YOU CAN STILL ORDER COFFEE!  Just send an e-mail to either ksimons@freewheelcoffee.com or to jphillips@freewheelcoffee.com telling us what you want to order and we can process your payment through PayPal.

 Internet glitches be damned! We will still keep you caffeinated and happy!

–Kris and Jennifer

 

 

USA Pro Cycling Challenge

August 16, 2011 at 6:24 pm

In addition to providing you with the best coffee available, we are also always looking for opportunities to support the cycling community.  This is often accomplished at the local level, but this month we have the unique and exciting opportunity to reach out both locally and nationally as the USA Pro Cycling Challenge makes its way through our home base in Golden, Colorado.  We are excited to be participating as a vendor in the Golden Sustainability, Health, & Wellness Expo in Parfet Park on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28.  The Expo aims to showcase Golden’s leadership in sustainability as well as promoting active and healthy lifestyles.  We are looking forward to the unveiling of an alternative energy project by Colorado School of Mines students while we are there.

We will have plenty of our signature roast, Peru Organic, as well as the House Blend.  There are less than 50 lbs. of Muddy Spoke Sumatra left. We will be selling what we have left of the Sumatra at the Expo, but of course you can still order it here on our website to make sure you get yours before we run out.  Because we know how inconvenient it can be to go to the ATM while browsing vendor booths, we are happy to announce that we will be able to accept credit card payments on site thanks to the genius designers of the Square app for iPad and iPhone.

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is going to bring a new level of excitement to Golden.  We are eager to meet more of our new neighbors as well as the many dedicated cycling enthusiasts who will come from all over the USA and the world to see these incredible athletes do what they do best.  Events like this are one of the reasons Free Wheel Coffee exists.  We are proud to offer the highest quality coffee to all coffee lovers, cyclists and pedestrians alike, but we are of course equally proud to be a part of a community that finds joy in the spinning of a free wheel.  See you on the road–and, of course, in the park because that’s where the coffee will be!

 

Catching up.

May 4, 2011 at 1:21 am

Time flies when life gets busy. In all honesty, Free Wheel Coffee has taken some time off to sort things out. Bike racing and selling coffee has been put on the back burner as new transitions in life spell the beginning of an even new and brighter chapter. These include a move to Golden Colorado from the humble beginnings in Federal Heights, new quality standards, and collaboration with a new partnership that will help expand this little business.

We will also be repositioning to sell our signature roast through some new creative outlets. Top secret and the lock is on this box for now. Until then, there is work to be done and carbon footprints to reduce.

I have been debating what to use this blog for and I think it will continue to be utilized to share ideas, adventures, and anything else which graces my wandering thoughts. Coffee, bikes, booze, helping the little guy, and things associated with the passion of a free wheel.

So stay tuned and if you get a chance, buy some of our Sumatra. We still have just a little bit left.

Keep cranking out watts!

Kris

 

Limited Edition Ramblings

January 15, 2011 at 11:43 am

2011 is here and it is hard to believe we are already halfway through the month of January. Here in Denver, the weather has been amazing for spinning time on two wheels. As I deliver coffee via bike this morning, I could not help but believe how nice the weather has been. It feels like spring, not a week in January. Truly inspirational.

This brings up the next project as we focus on a seasonal limited edition for the spring. So here goes the story about this little project to bring something unique to your coffee cup. In 2009, I went to Puerto Rico to blow off some steam, surf, and snorkel. During this trip, I hiked El Yunque with my dad. El Yunque is a mountain located in the national rain forest there. It was quite a surreal experience to be hiking in a rain forest where plant leaves were gigantic and water seeped out of ground. Quite different in contrast to the dry and arid ground found here in Colorado. At the foot of El Yunque, I found a small family run operation that grows coffee and sells it at a roadside stand and to some local gift shops in the area. When I say this is a small operation, I mean it is literally grown in someone’s back area of their property, hand roasted, and packed. The major constraint is size thanks to the challenges of crime and poverty in the area. If you ever travel off the beaten path in Puerto Rico, you will know what I mean quite quickly. Very heartbreaking.

Fast forward two years later and my business partner’s dad is in Puerto Rico on a business trip for his own company recently. I had him look up the address of the husband and wife that owned the coffee business and fortunately they reconnected. Coffee was shared and new friendships were forged. The spinoff of this link up resulted in my business partner’s dad buying their next five harvests through the spring in between meeting their own local sale needs. It must be pretty exciting knowing that their business will have a guaranteed income through the spring of 2011, a luxury these days by any standard.

So what does this mean for Free Wheel Coffee? Although most of this coffee purchased will go to Europe and Peru, 40 pounds will be reserved for us around March 20th, 2011.  It will be sold in 1lb bags and retain the Fair Trade Organic Certification. I just received the sample and thoroughly enjoyed a taste which kindled my passion for coffee so long ago. Imagine a dark roast with low acidity, a combination that is hard to match. I know, since we have messed up a lot of coffee experimenting with it in Peru in our attempt to make a dark roast. I know it goes against the grain of my usual taste, but add sugar and cream to this and you get a really flavorful taste that leaves the palette desiring more.

As with all limited roasts, this coffee will be individually numbered and range somewhere in the $15 to $20 price range. And of course, once it is gone, it is gone forever.  I have posted a contest to name this coffee on our facebook page. The winner of the contest will receive a 12oz bag of our organic coffee. Think spring, bikes, and singletrack drying out as quickly as possible.

 

13 Pounds of Muddy Spoke

December 27, 2010 at 1:47 pm

The Muddy Spoke Sumatra is almost gone. 13 pounds are all the remains except for the stock that will be shipped to one more coffee shop to use over the counter. It has been a really great coffee and with it’s passing, I find myself kind of sad to see it go. In the coffee business, sometimes you get a rare opportunity to find something quite delicious. This has definitely been the case with Muddy Spoke. Retrieving more of this in 2011 will be hard, if not impossible. It was really impressive to have this kind of coffee at the USGP in Fort Collins this year. With the growth of cyclocross, we will definitely find ourselves shooting for another limited batch for that time next year. I can’t provide too much insight into the next batch we are searching out for another limited edition but we are working with a farmer in the Dominican Republic. Imagine a dark roast limited to 80 pounds to commemorate the upcoming spring cycling season.

So what else is going on with Free Wheel Coffee as we head into 2011? A few things. For starters, we are partnering with Warriors Cycling to promote our coffee at their events in 2011. We will be providing coffee services/sampling of some sort. Still have to hammer that out. We are also going to collaborate with Breeze Bars to sponsor a U23 Triathlon/Road team as well as a cross team under the leadership of Grant Holicky. (His website http://grantholickycoach.blogspot.com/) We also have our hands in the mix with a mountain bike team. So what does this all mean? Well, for 2011, we will have a road/tri team, a cx team, and mountain bike team, and a series with our support. Should be great exposure but also a return to the reason why we got started in the first place. (To support the cycling community and give some folks a way to make a living) These teams will be our exclusive associates for 2011 in each respective discipline. Stay tuned as we update our sponsorship page.

Also, I want to give a shout out to a new small business based out of North Carolina named Carroll Composites. They build carbon road and cx bikes which look pretty sweet. My friend Grant has been raving about their bikes and wheelsets. Check em out at http://www.carrollcomposites.com/

 

Holidays Are Here!

November 26, 2010 at 8:50 am

The holidays are here and we just wanted to wish everyone the best. With the holiday season in full circle on black Friday, we just wanted give an update on some of our holiday projects and roasts.

So onto updates after a brief rant about the beauty of a brisk morning as I sit here. This morning, I awoke to a cup of our dwindling supply of Muddy Spoke Sumatra and was inspired by the beautiful day that is upon us here in the mountains of Colorado. Although not as intensive with snowfall this year, we have been fortunate to experience a steady number of days to ride bikes. Whether that mean’t a local cyclocross race, an afternoon chasing singletrack with friends, or brushing the dust off the road bike, life has been good. It will soon come to and end though, just for a bit. Temperatures will drop, snow will fall, and the challenge of getting out will soon be upon us. Not everyone but quite a few people will put up the bikes, break the schedule, and retire to other things for a bit.

Don’t fret though. Take the time to realize this lull in the action is a time to regroup in anticipation of 2011. Whether that means loading up your Christmas list with parts and new bikes, getting race applications sent in, or simply revising your new workout strategy for 2011. And of course, make sure to stock up on our coffee. Which brings us to updates.

—-Updates—–

We are well stocked with our flagship Peru Organic roast and are ready to do battle. Our last batch is almost kicked and the new roast has just arrived so stay thirsty! As we roll into 2011, this will continue to be the signature roast for Free Wheel Coffee. We will be bringing this roast to a lot of our events and plan to utilize in morning training rides as well as prior to races such as the Leadville 100 and the Xterra Uwharrie in North Carolina. We are also planning to enter this roast in the 2011 Coffee Fest Competition in Chicago Illinois.

House Blend is holding steady but we do not have a plan to roast another batch until April of 2011. Once it’s gone, there might be a few months where it just isn’t available for a bit. This blend is becoming a favorite due to the strong taste and full body flavor. Overall, it has certainly found a home for customers who desire a stronger tasting coffee. Plus, it is our most affordable coffee.

Muddy Spoke Sumatra- We are just about out of the Muddy Spoke Sumatra. We sold out of our Colorado based batch but managed to grab all that was left from my business partner due to such strong demand. 40 pounds remain. After this roast is gone, it is gone for good. My business partner is not slated to go to Indonesia anytime soon for his real job so that’s all for now. For the number of repeat customers, this coffee is a testament to amazing quality. You will not find a 100% pure organic Sumatra of this caliber. Especially from the Kalamantan region.

That’s all for now. As we head into the holiday season, make sure to keep the chains tight, tires pumped, and Free Wheel Coffee in your mug!

 

Set your clocks early cause you know we’re always late.

October 31, 2010 at 7:54 pm

It has arrived! You toe the line, cowbells go silent, you gulp as much air as you can and hold back. Then bang! In a flash, you redline your heart and try to land the holeshot before careening into the soft mud that will create an hour of hell, for your enjoyment. It’s cyclocross and it is something that is easy to love. With road or mtb roots, you can find your place here amongst the super serious and the intoxicated contingent of folks just having a heck of a good time.

Free Wheel Coffee loves cyclocross. We love it because the combination of fall colors, brisk mornings, and late season growing periods for coffee can amount to some of the most enjoyable and delicious times ever. For whatever reason, the coffee can taste even better than usual. For this reason, we partnered with the United States Grand Prix of Cyclocross to unveil an extremely limited batch of Indonesian Muddy Spoke Sumatra which is limited to 119 pounds. You can read more about how the coffee came to exist on the tab for the Limited Edition Sumatra. The badging has also caused us to change the logo slightly on the bags from the Peruvian Green of our Organic Roast to a dark brown in tribute of the muddy fun of cx racing.

This is the first year that the USGP is being held in Fort Collins. We take this as a major source of pride and want to back it up with our love of something uniquely special for this event in hopes that it stays for many years to come in the great state of Colorado.

So arrive thirsty. We will have hot coffee for sale and some limited sampling as well. You can also stock up on all three of our roasts as all three will be available for sale. It is not an event to miss.

You can also purchase Muddy Spoke Sumatra right now as it is for sale in advance of the race. This will not be sold at our retail locations but it can be purchased through our Google Checkout service and through Paypal in the near future. Limited to 119 pounds, so get it before you miss your chance. There is no telling when the opportunity to get another roast of this quality again.

Now where is that cowbell?

 

Breeze Bars and Free Wheel Coffee. Yum

October 15, 2010 at 3:52 pm

I am not a big fan of breakfasts before riding or racing. Nothing like a burrito turning into a bomb in your stomach prior to hammering out mile on foot, in the water, or on the bike. That is where Free Wheel Coffee came into existence partly. Initially my love of coffee was a two edged sword because try as I might, the Starbucks and bitter roasts we all know so well did not agree with my stomach. I would constantly deal with nauseating feelings from bitter coffee. Once I realized that our organic blend was loaded with caffeine but smoother than some espressos, it was a match made in heaven. Just come to any Free Wheel bike ride with a thirst for coffee prior to setting off and you will see the difference. You can literally sip it right up to the start line with no adverse effects. Yet, coffee doesn’t give you the total package in terms of starting the morning off in high gear. You may be wired but you’re bound to crash without tangible food. That’s where Breeze Bars came into play for me.

I met Breeze (The Owner and Founder) at the Xterra Lory this past summer. She started Breeze Bars about a year ago and evidenced by her rapid growth, let’s just say it is a quality product. Breeze has a background in dietary nutrition and a background in multisport racing. It was only natural that she combined the two talents to make a great product. I recently picked up a box of her bars to use with my morning coffee before work or exercise. For starters, the bars are gluten free so you have no lingering feeling in your stomach that is typical with other energy bars. Secondly, it is just a great combination that doesn’t sit too heavy in your stomach. Overall, I have been very happy with my morning breakfast routine leading up the the Xterra World Championship in Maui. I have enough energy to get to lunch and no major effects are felt on my diet. Overall, Breeze runs a sweet little company and she earned my business.

So that’s my update on giving some respect to a quality product made locally here in Colorado. You can check out Breeze Bars website at www.breezebars.com/

 

The Goings On Of New Adventures.

September 23, 2010 at 8:59 pm

Sometimes I have no reason to update the home page except to say that it was a beautiful day here in Colorado. Waking up to a sunny morning and living the day as active as possible. We are on the verge of stocking coffee at “Venice on the Boulevard.” Hopefully….. This is a little coffee shop (my dream coffee shop) beside Regis University. I love this place because of so many memories. I recall times of studying there during grad school, meeting up with friends, grabbing a morning cup of coffee, and simply sitting there watching people pass and wondering where they are going. You meet a lot of neat folks in a coffee shop. From all walks of life. In a way, it can sometimes make the world feel small.

So getting back to Venice on the Boulevard. It is a really cool coffee shop located right by Regis University. I stop there at least once a week since I live close by. I call it my dream coffee shop because it was a lot of the inspiration behind Free Wheel Coffee. I like the atmosphere and the familiar faces which run the place. The owner and her son Fred know how to keep things nice and consistent and the comfort of knowing a customer by name goes a long way for me. I think in the world of corporate giants where numbers outweigh individuality, there is a cost we incur socially with personal identity. Venice on the Boulevard pulls back the reins on this idea for me and I like that a lot. For anything else, I can recall sitting there on numerous occasions sketching supply chain diagrams and dreaming up logos for Free Wheel Coffee. For what it’s worth, I hope upon hope that they carry some of the coffee. Knowing it will be exposed to folks in the Regis community means a lot to me.

Final thoughts. Music is on my mind and I heard this singer recently. With Halloween quickly approaching, I couldn’t help but really like the morbid twang of this song by Florence and the Machines. Check them out on their official webpage at http://florenceandthemachine.net You can also check out the song below. Good stuff.

My Boy Builds Coffins