(Snap To It) Ride To A View or a Roasted Brew

Here you go, you wake, the espresso machine it’s ticking away as it regulates itself well you stumble half alert to the kitchen to put the puzzle together:

20 grams on the scale:

milk in the fridge cooling to be frothed in the pitcher.

Pull the water so the HX (Heath Exchanger) in the espresso machine is at the correct brew temperature then add the beans into the grinder, tamp. Of course all of this is done by pure unconscious instinct from the days of making 800 so espresso drinks a day in a previous lifetime as a Barista.

As the shots pull and you watch the thick perfection of coffee flow into your cup slowy your senses awake. You walk from the kitchen to your table passing your buddy the Bad Boy on his stand and give a smile that you know you won’t be collecting dust in a while. Still there is a bed with a down toppers with sleeping Snap’s on it that also look tempting in all its goodness….

A sugar free ingestion of caffeine later (because we have god shots) starts to run through your body and slowly your on the Google maps trying to decide where you should go for the first seasons ride. Although I been commuting all winter it was time to improve my physical condition for the longer adventures.  So the season first fear knocks and says avoid the hills, procrastinate, blah blah blah, then the avenger steps in and says go get some new coffee you down to your last 9 grams and WTF are these excuses.

Awesome!

If I go to the roaster I can keep riding and go up the hill which is about %8 incline for a few KM. At the very least it will give me some excuses as to why I suck. Either way hills are the best place to know where you stand as you can not lie to yourself about the performance or coast.

Time to wake up “Monsieur Snap” as he is also the one Snap who will bark the orders and make sure I do the job. Ergon on, Sidi cleats on, 38 psi back tire, 34 front and off we go.  First a series of red lights and head wind is strong but I am just spinning to warm up as its about 8 degrees. Blast through the park as the sun comes up and wow the reward is already starting. Normally I rather race the local commuter but today as I am not off to work I take that second to notice the mist and light. Really the two pictures here say it all and cause me to stop and take a breath. Fresh spring earthy air fills the lungs and then I realize this is something I would never have in a car. Also my bitching about the day I decide to ride not being the 20 degree day(s) we just had I realize also there is a lack of bugs, dust is down and allergies are not too bad today.

A few Kilometres later I pick up the 1.5Kg of espresso, get bit by Monsieur Snap as I try to place them in the bag and off we go up the hill.

Climbing must be one of the greatest experiences for a dedicated biker. I am not sure of why this is true but it is sort of like doing squats when doing weights at the gym. Many people cry about it and avoid the subject and walk around with big arms and twig legs. You know who “that guy” is, the poser, pansy type who looks the right clown. Anyways the hills come and the legs and heart rate start to increase. Past experience tells me to drop to my easiest gear (32 on back)  36 ring even though last season I could crank the same gears on the large chain ring. Still I manage to pass a few others on the way up who where on road and trekking bikes with skinny tires, and then its time for the first down hill portion. Speed limit suggests 30 but 50Km is at least what the cars are doing and with out a problem I am doing this and passing them due to traffic buildup 🙂

I reach the bottom and I could have said that is it and took the bike path home but I am at the perfect temperature and I need a real base-line I know so I take the larger hill back. This hill curves up the hill to the upper part of Dresden from the valley. It has a few curves and a few 8-12% section (although short). Usually I hit the first corners and then I  will have to stop if I go to hard to catch my breath but this time I was just in a groove with the Bad Boy. Even Monsieur was really quite and it wasn’t until I hit the section where the bike path begins again that I even realized I had finished the hardest part. Perhaps another kilometre later I see the guy I passed on the first hill going down. Yes that put a smile on my face and all those winter commutes of not riding the transit had put the greatest smile of reward on me.

Not a lot further and I had reached the top of the hill. Perhaps a kilometre or two and you really start to just cruise down hill. My hardest gear I basically spin out (42X11) but the Bad Boy now is my Porsche. Even better he passes a few, gets the green bike lights and is on his way home.

Back home and after taking Monsieur out of his bag, placing Bad Boy on his resting rack, and enjoying the espresso “I just earned” I get that moment where I realize how funny must have it had been to see the look on the guys faces I passed as Monsiuer had his head popping out the back 🙂

Welcome to the new season, ride safe, take a second to realize those special moments that the excuse makers will never know exists and ever believe it can be done for so little cash.

Yes the new coffee taste awesome, but maybe it is the altitude effect.