What does your favorite coffee say about you as a cyclist?
Drinking coffee and cycling a bike belong together. End of story. May the little delight of caffeine be for a short energy or performance boost, a fast increase in concentration or a nice chat during the ride...the cycling community loves nothing more than a quick social caffeine consumption in between. After all, the whole group rides are aligned after him.
The so-called coffee rides are not so much about the sporty excursion per se but more about chill rides with friends in nature - with mandatory stops at just about every café. There, the whole group orders flat whites with almond milk, cappuccino, espresso, and americano...you get the idea. And since we at buycycle are proud of our infallible bicycle knowledge and extensive knowledge of human nature, we have broken it down for you highly scientifically: What does your coffee order say about your character and cycling style?
1. Espresso - the classic.
If you order an espresso, you love the taste of coffee, and either that short little shot is enough to delight your taste buds and give you the caffeine kick you want, or you want to seem a little hardcore after all, cycling pro. You probably also ride an Italian bike and a Campagnolo groupset, and phrases like "expresso" or "two espressos" wouldn't cross your lips in your worst nightmares. If someone else dares to make this mistake, you must complain loudly, or your shocked coffee lover's heart stops momentarily.
What is the advantage of the short shot for you? You are back in the saddle faster than all the others and can directly start an attack ... or you use this much-needed time to bleed your brakes or change your layers. Oh. And you wear a cycling cap. - Alice Huot @ buycycle.
2. Americano - no frills.
It's a pretty dull order, but you don't care. You're direct because you are just like your drink, yet your position is clear and strong. No discussion is needed. You don't care if your group has to wait until you have finished your black water. You love coffee; you don't need anything else with it, and back on your bike, you ride just as unperturbed and impressively calm as you sat and sipped in the café. This doesn't mean that you are not secretly the fittest of the entire group and could easily add another 100 km to your route.
Alternatively, you have not dared ask the cool barista at the hipster café your friends dragged you to about the difference between Vietnamese Fusion Coffee and Black Heavy Blend filter coffee from Colombia. It's better to go with something safe and reliable—just an Americano.
3. Espresso macchiato - the little extra.
You are impressive cyclists, no doubt about it. Or do you want to seem like one? You stick to the classic but need a little icing on the cake. For once, because you want a little extra espresso without anything to smooth it out, it is a little too much for you. But you'll still recognize the roast immediately. You love coffee and cycling equally and know your way around, But that's what you show off, too. You are the first to start an attack or get impatient waiting for the others at a summit. You wear the most expensive clothes: Aero-bike: every pit stop. Yes, you are a little posh and ride too often in the cradle to show off your beautiful stretched legs.
You are not afraid to stand out and make an impression. Maybe not everyone enjoys that, but they can't blame you either. You can be relied upon on every ride. You are punctual, conscientious, and perform, and you know what you are talking about. You are a true cyclist, which people notice and appreciate. - Alice Huot @ buycyle.
4. Flat white - quite chic.
If this weren't a coffee ride, you would have canceled. Coffee comes first, and the ride comes second, so you order the most enjoyable and luxurious thing on the menu: a Flat White with latte art. You take your time to enjoy this work of milk art in peace, sitting there in your expensive chic bike clothes in the sun in front of your clean and functional endurance bike, which has by far the most impressive frame paint and an electronic and fully synchronized groupset. Your legs, dressed in sparkling white cycling shoes, are loosely overturned. Your sight is a pure feast for the eyes. And you know it.
You're here to have a good time on the bike with your friends; you don't attack and ride terribly well or poorly, but you always deliver a solid performance. For some reason, you never break a sweat, not even on the longest of climbs. Oh, and you're the ones who have a 35 mm point-and-shoot camera stowed in your jersey.
5. Cappuccino - take it easy.
You may have cycled to the café a little earlier to have enough time for your frothy wonder. You would never order after 11 a.m. because you are responsible, and certain Italian traditions are not meant to be broken. You are firmly convinced that things also work if you do them a little differently, and we have certainly seen you whizz past us at 37km/h wearing cat eye sunglasses.
But simultaneously, you're always in for a chat during the ride; you are uncomplicated, open-minded and modest. You ride on the best and finest of all-rounder racing bikes, but don't make a big deal out of it. You always ride a bit better, more agile and faster than anyone would have expected from you.
6. Tea - the wild card.
You are unpredictable. You may well be going straight to yoga after this ride. Maybe you have sworn off caffeine and want to (and can!)) strengthen yourself only from your inner peace and still improve your performance. Or maybe you just don't like coffee but want to be able to hold something in your hand while sitting in the café with the others. No one knows because you don't talk about it either.
Your bike is not the most expensive, but it's new and always clean. Your bike clothes fit perfectly and are unexciting, and you have never forgotten anything or been late. Everybody likes you but has a lot of respect for you, too, because you can never be sure whether you are just in for a chill ride or will launch the attack of the century out of nowhere - and win it.
7. Matcha latte - we couldn't help it.
Neither coffee nor a frequent order, but this one still has to be on this list: To anyone who orders a matcha latte... we have no choice but to love and hate you simultaneously. And the two of them have opened a whole new world to you. The kids were right—a perfect butt. You got dropped on the first climb and drove straight to Hot Pilates instead, or you were the first to the top, and your hair still looks like it's been blow-dried.
Or maybe you're the father of two teenage girls, and the two of them have opened up a whole new world to you. The kids were right—this green stuff does taste good!
8. Coke or soda - so fresh and so clean?
Wow. No one else is as effortlessly cool as you are. The whole squad admires you silently, not because they are intimidated, but because you are just the most relaxed, nice and open-minded person on the ride. You are top-trained, and even though you don't ride that well, you wait at every junction and summit and always have a spare tube or a helping hand for everyone. You ran before the ride, and I'll go skating afterwards. You are perfectly dressed and usually ride a fixie, but you have a gravel bike you now use for group rides.
You're sitting in the café with cycling gloves on and an ice-cold bottle of soda or Coke in your hand. You know every one of the regulars and greet them all in a friendly manner with a laughing nod. We can't help it that you're the life of the party.
It's not as if we didn't have perfect coffee at buycycle. Our Munich office is proud of its sparkly portafilter machine. But you're definitely in better hands with us when finding your next dream bike. Because among the 15,000 used and refurbished road, gravel and mountain bikes on buycycle.com you will definitely find the perfect bike for you.
If you feel the need to discuss our coffee-cyclist-character studies, our team is always there for you. But it will adamantly insist on these very scientific facts. Sorry, espresso macchiato drinkers. We still love you. And we wish you all Happy browsing, sipping, and cycling.