A pre-ride cup of coffee, possibly a mid-ride pause for a small one, and probably another post ride recovery cup… coffee is a staple part of the process for us and many other riders. When you stay with us at CCS, you can be assured that the coffee we offer is always of the very highest quality, perfectly made, fresh and ready for you.
The humble coffee bean
Quality is everything when it comes to the raw product, the humble coffee bean. Which is why we always use specialty coffee roasters. They have selected a variety of beans from Africa, Central and South America. Each chosen for their delicacy and depth of flavour, designed to brew the perfect cup with flavour and aroma that will intrigue and delight in equal measure. The roasting teams love bicycles and especially the history of the love affair between cyclists and coffee, so truly, we’re a match made in heaven!
Cycling and Coffee: The brief history
Coffee has historically been a key part of pro peloton life. In 1955 FAEMA, maker of professional coffee machines since the end of World War Two, sponsored a pro road team headed by Belgian ace Rik Van Looy winner of multiple world road Championship titles, a double Roubaix winner and a host of other classic and semi-classics. Van Looy handed the captaincy of the FAEMA team onto a certain Mr Eddy “The Cannibal” Merckx, and we all know he was the greatest road racer ever, and definitely no stranger to a caffeine laden coffee before every victory.
Rocket Espresso Machine
We’re as fastidious about the quality of the equipment and ingredients we use to make our coffee, as we are about the equipment we use on our bikes. Which is why we only use Rocket Espresso machines. Each Rocket Espresso machine is handmade in Italy, in fact Rocket Espresso’s mantra is ‘Fatta a mano’ literally ‘made by hand’. Their craftsmen create artisanal coffee machines that are superlative – they are equal parts mechanical engineering and art. The result of all this attention to detail by Rocket Espresso, is the perfect cup of coffee for you, each and every time. Well, you wouldn’t expect anything less from the Cycle Coffee Society!
Cycling and Coffee: The brief history
Coffee has historically been a key part of pro peloton life. In 1955 FAEMA, maker of professional coffee machines since the end of World War Two, sponsored a pro road team headed by Belgian ace Rik Van Looy winner of multiple world road Championship titles, a double Roubaix winner and a host of other classic and semi-classics. Van Looy handed the captaincy of the FAEMA team onto a certain Mr Eddy “The Cannibal” Merckx, and we all know he was the greatest road racer ever, and definitely no stranger to a caffeine laden coffee before every victory.
The beans had arrived in cycling…
Who can forget the 1980’s, when the Colombians arrived in the pro peloton? The small, but powerful Varta – Cafe De Colombia team arrived with a bang. Led by climbing ace Luis Herrera, or “Lucho” as he was affectionately known. Lucho took stage 17 of the 1984 Tour de France, his Colombian teammate Fabio Parra took another. South America and this band of hardy, coffee-sipping, caffeine powered climbers went on to dominate mountain stages of all the Grand Tours for the rest of the decade, opening eyes and minds of cycling fans all across the globe to the power of Colombian athletes and their home grown coffee.
The relationship with coffee was cemented…
The 1990’s heralded the arrival of the Saeco – Cannondale team. With Italian Saeco coffee machines and American Cannondale bikes they easily had the best kit in the peloton, they also invented the modern method of winning flat stages with what became known as a “lead-out train”. They dedicated a cadre of their number to shepherd their leader – the flamboyant and iconic Mario “The Lion King” Cipollini (192 career victories) to another win. Pre-race, the star-studded Saeco – Cannondale team riders were never far from a gleaming Saeco machine, calmly imbibing freshly roasted, ground and brewed coffee, before guiding “Super Mario” across the line for another sprint victory.
