Cycling and Coffee

In the world of cycling, the month of July hosts the most prestigious cycling event in the world, the Tour de France. Alongside the Giro D’Italia and the Vuelta a España, the three races are referred to as the “Grand Tours” with the Tour de France being one of the most widely viewed sporting (not just cycling) events in the world. You may be wondering what connective tissue exists between this event and the world of coffee, but connection is far from tenuous.

Cycling and coffee overlap more than you might think, and in honor of the lifestyle we interviewed cycling enthusiasts here at Whole Latte Love, in our local community and internationally to hear their stories and understand how their love of cycling intertwined with their love of coffee. To cap things off we hosted a pop-up café at an event by Towpath Bike, a bike shop located alongside the historic Erie Canal Heritage Trail. The folks there already had an espresso machine for internal use, but we upgraded them for the evening with some equipment from Rocket Espresso and brought along a recipe by Danilo Lodi that he had created for marathon runners.

I’ll have the recipe and our interview with Towpath’s owners Brandon Hanahan and Robert Schuler a little later on in this article, followed by a look at an all-new grinder from Rocket Espresso and our interview with Brent Backhouse. But to start things off, we’ll begin with a bit of our own history with cycling.

Cycling at Whole Latte Love

For many years our CEO and founder Gary Salzman rode his bike to work at our headquarters in Rochester, NY. Gary’s example inspired several employees who started cycling on their commute as well. In addition to Gary, other high-profile Whole Latte Love cycling enthusiasts include our longtime YouTube host and machine expert Marc as well as our sales manager Zach (who even named his previous café after single speed bikes). Other enthusiasts include our photographer Grace along with Steve and Tim from our tech support team. I asked them about their thoughts on how the topics of cycling and coffee relate and included their responses below.

Whole Latte Love Talks Cycling

Marc

In 1973 I turned 9, and life changed on two wheels. My big birthday present? A purple Schwinn decked out with a banana seat, tall sissy bar, and glorious ape hanger handlebars that made me feel like the king of the cul-de-sac. I cashed in my birthday card loot and tricked it out with a speedometer and a flashy turn signal unit—basically turning it into a two-wheeled spaceship. The best part? Weekend jump sessions with my friends. We built sketchy ramps from cinder blocks and wood planks, channeling our inner Evel Knievel. The challenge: how many garbage cans could you clear? My record? Three glorious cans, airborne. And yes—I lived to tell the tale.

Grace

Cycling and coffee are ways of relating to the ritual of being present. Coffee has always been a simple pleasure, a reason to slow down. There are always the same, predictable steps-- brewing coffee brings me into a presentness that allows me to feel embodied. In a way, cycling is like this as well. There are steps, there is a ritual, an attention to detail and moments in between. Gearing up, lubing the chain, pumping the tires, and setting off. Cycling brings me close to the moment, to myself. Both coffee + cycling help me to ground myself and better experience life.

Zack R

I like using coffee shops as a destination or stopping point if I want to ride without a particular destination in mind. A lot of times I find myself stopping for a drink and a rest while riding around the city, or making a run for a bag of beans that I can throw in my pack as an excuse to go for a ride. I find there is a pretty large overlap in people who enjoy coffee as a hobby as much as a commodity and people who enjoy biking as a hobby as much as a means of transportation.

Towpath Bike and the Erie Canal

Located at Schoen Place alongside the historic Erie Canal in Pittsford, NY, the name Towpath Bike comes from the term “towpath” which refers to a road or trail that runs parallel to a river, canal, or other waterway. The canal runs nearly the entire length of the state, connecting the Hudson River to Lake Erie. The canal runs directly through the Greater Rochester area with sections of the 360-mile cycling path known as the Erie Canalway Trail accessible to local and statewide cyclists. The Canalway Trail is part of the larger 750-mile Empire State Trail that intersects the state connecting Albany to Buffalo and New York City to Lake Champlain.

Similar to Whole Latte Love, Towpath is a home-grown small business. In 2022 it changed hands among local owners with longtime employees Brandon Henahan and Robert Schuler taking over for the original founder when he was ready to retire. Both Brandon and Rob share a love of coffee and community and even inherited an espresso machine from the previous owner (that they hope to upgrade in the near future). Both Gary and Marc have purchased bikes from Towpath and have passed it numerous times as part of their regular route along the canal.

In addition to the free coffee, the team at Towpath was eager for some coffee education as well with co-owner Rob getting a hands-on demo of the Appartamento TCA from Zach (he promised he would be in touch for a tour of Whole Latte Love HQ). Unsurprisingly, Rob, who actively follows the cycling social media sphere, was very familiar with Rocket and more than a little keen to have the logo visible in his storefront.

The TCA was released around the tail end of 2023 as an update to their much beloved Appartamento espresso machine. TCA stands for Temperature Control Adjustment and the machine can be set to one of four temperature settings to alter brew temperature and steaming pressure. It was also the first machine from Rocket to debut their new E61 group design that will be making its next appearance on the upcoming Giotto and Mozzafiato Fast models that will be available later this year. Grinders wise the Giannino we brought is the perfect companion to the TCA with 55mm burrs and stepless micrometric adjustment and the Rocket logo stripe on the back. But, since we were brewing for a group, we also brought along Rocket’s FAUSTO grinder to handle the heavy lifting. That’s all I’ll say about Rocket’s grinders for now, but keep reading for more info on their new, cycling inspired Spluga grinder later on in this article.

Talking Cycling and Coffee with Towpath

After some caffeine and coffee education, we sat down with Brandon and Rob for a quick interview before heading out on the ride.

How long have you worked at Towpath?

BH - I worked for the previous owner since 2003 [when] he hired me at 16. I worked for him until 2022 when my partner and I bought the business from him.

RS - I've been here at Towpath for almost 13 years. I started off as a standard sales associate and fit personnel. I was able to move up to manager and then on to co-owner.

How did you get into Cycling?

BH- I've been riding bikes for as long as I can remember. I started on a two-wheeler when I was three, and just grew up on bikes. I got my first mountain bike when I was around 12, and that’s when I really fell in love with that side of the sport. I’ve been doing it ever since.

RS-I've been cycling since I was four and have always had a passion for it. In my early twenties, I started working for a bike company, which led me to a few bike shops, then into manufacturing—and now I’m a part-owner of a bike shop.

What is Your Relationship with Coffee? How does it overlap with Cycling?

BH - I drink coffee every morning, I love it. One of the first discussions we have when we get to the shop is 'who wants coffee?' So, there's always that overlap. There's so many group rides that leave from coffee shops or where we meet up at the shop after to grab an espresso or a pastry or something. A lot of our customers are enthusiasts as well, both in cycling and coffee, and they come in to talk coffee and rides.

RS - I love the first smell of coffee in the morning and I love the flavor of espresso. The more I started cycling, the more I started drinking coffee because I was so tired, before and after rides. Balancing the caffeine is always a trick. The more you cycle, the more coffee you drink. Part of it is the energy or the caffeine boost you get during riding. I've always thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie at the coffee stop before or after a ride, and then you trade stories with friends. That's all part of the cycling experience for me. Stop at a cafe, have a drink and carry on after that.

Does Rochester need more coffee shops or bike shops?

BH - More coffee shops, definitely. We can always use more coffee shops.

RS - That's a tricky question. There's a lot of bike shops. You know, I definitely think we need more dedicated cafés or coffee shops.

Have you ever heard of Rocket Espresso?

BH - I have! They're just really great looking machines, you know. I wish I had more personal experience with using one.

RS - Oh yeah, fully understand what Rocket Espresso is. I follow a lot of pro cyclists and cycling influencers. Rocket espresso machines are all over, Instagram and all over cycling. It definitely correlates and goes hand in hand with cycling. And if you're a cyclist and are aware of coffee, you definitely have seen a Rocket Espresso machine, so yeah, they look great, they function well, they're great products.

The evening concluded with some decaf iced mochas and group shot of the Towpath cyclists (plus Zach) before they headed out for their ride.

Caffeine Meets Electrolytes

An on-location event wouldn’t be complete without a recipe so this time we made something that was fit for purpose. Knowing that the Towpath team would be heading out on a ride, I consulted with Danilo Lodi on a recipe that would keep you energized for the long-haul. This simple mix of cold brew and coconut water was a hit at the event, and so easy to make that we whipped some up on a bike bench! You can grab the recipe in my article linked below.

Rocket Espresso’s Passion for Cycling

Coming full circle on this article’s jet-setting intro, we wanted to showcase someone within coffee who had an active involvement in the world of cycling. It should come as no surprise to you that we connected with our friends at Rocket Espresso and made our way to New Zealand (via the Internet of course) by way of Italy for a chat with Brent Backhouse. If you’re familiar with the lore of Rocket Espresso, you may have heard of Brent, you’ll be filled in shortly. If Rob from Towpath was any indication, Rocket’s affiliation with the world of cycling is well known and actively embraced by the community.

The New Rocket Espresso Spluga Grinder

Earlier this year at the SCA show we got a firsthand look at Rocket’s upcoming Giotto and Mozzafiato Fast espresso machines, but that wasn’t all we saw in Houston. Also featured at the booth were their all new Spluga series grinders. The name is a direct reference to the Valle Spluga, an alpine valley that is traversed by cyclists in the Giro d’Italia and the grinder was developed in collaboration with the Milan based V12 Design Studio who also work with them on the design of their Bicocca espresso machine.

The Spluga is a 65mm flat burr grinder with an output of up to 3.3 g/sec. Front and center on the Spluga is a highly customizable HMI (human machine interface) touchscreen with three color schemes to choose from, a dimmable LED, and a host of additional features for maintenance. Grind adjustment is handled by the “Quick-Release Micrometric” mechanism that uses a threaded worm gear for incredibly precise and secure grind size changes. The grinder can be programmed with up to three timed doses and the ability to grind manually. The Spluga is available now at Whole Latte Love so stay tuned for a complete review sometime in the future.

A Brief History of Rocket and Cycling

In the early days of Rocket Espresso, former CEO Andrew Meo moved to Italy to help shape the future of the newly reborn company. Though new to the local scene, he called on a friend from back home in New Zealand to help bring the brand to life. That friend was Brent Backhouse, a fellow cyclist and long-time friend. While Andrew has since moved on to other ventures, Brent continues to work with Rocket as a designer and consultant, and was the ideal person to share the story of Rocket’s long-standing connection with professional cycling.

In those early years, Rocket didn’t have a dedicated marketing budget. But Brent would travel to Italy each year to lend a hand – setting up pop-up cafés, supporting marketing efforts, and helping to grow the brand’s presence in the cycling world. One standout project from that period was the 100th anniversary Giro edition of the Rocket Giotto, featuring the names of past Giro d’Italia winners engraved on the side panels. A tribute repeated again in 2017 with a special edition R 58.

That connection to the Giro d’Italia, and cycling more broadly, has been part of Rocket’s DNA ever since. Both Andrew and Brent are passionate riders, and their shared love of the sport naturally flowed into the brand. Only 100 limited-edition machines were produced, each shipped in a pink box with a copy of La Gazzettadello Sport featuring that year’s race winner. Andrew kept machine 1 of 100, while Brent held onto number 2.

As Rocket’s profile grew, so too did its relationship with the cycling world. Professional riders began reaching out, asking for custom machines to mark major wins and milestones. What began as a shared passion became an authentic and lasting bond between Rocket and the sport.

BB - We packed them in newspaper with some pink engraving. The affiliation grew. Professional cyclists started going to Rocket for personal machines. Over time the organic awareness and link grew and became a strong and natural bond.

To this day Brent continues to design custom engraved side panel artwork for cyclists and let us know that he was currently working on something for Tim Merlier.

Talking Coffee and Cycling with Brent Backhouse

What is Your Preferred Coffee Drink?

I prefer flat whites, 18 grams in, with 150ml of steamed milk. After midday I like a long black which is sort of a reverse Americano. I’m mainly an espresso drinker, I don’t really experiment with other brew methods and I prefer blends to single origins. They don’t really have the same mouthfeel.

Do You Drink Coffee Before a Ride?

If I’m racing I’ll have caffeine gels. Depending on the race I might have a cup of coffee on the way, there are a lot of good cafés in New Zealand.

What Was Your First Interaction with Bikes?

I got my first bike when I was at school in Wellington, it’s the capital of New Zealand at around 400K people. There were some amazing trails on the back of Mt. Victoria that I’d ride with my sister’s boyfriend. I had a mountain bike and he had a road bike and I’d always try to catch him once we got out onto the road.

What Was Your First Interaction with Espresso Machines?

I got my first machine in 2002 when ECM were making machines. Andrew was working for a café at the time and bought machines from ECM. Before that, I wasn’t into specialty coffee, all I really knew was instant, but there’s a lot of big coffee culture in New Zealand. It’s a small country so we adopt things pretty quickly.

What Machines Do You Own?

I have an R Nine One and a Giro edition R 58. I’ve had them both for a while now and they’re still going strong. If Rocket ever released an updated R Nine One, I’d definitely be tempted – it’s a pretty special machine.

What about Cycling Brings You Back Every Time?

It’s part of who I am, it’s not just a hobby or sport, it’s part of every day. Riding my bike is one of those things that’s a really nice escape, you’re in the moment doing what you enjoy doing. It’s really just a lovely luxury that you can still do when you’re busy with all sorts of things. It’s a bit like the morning ritual of brewing your coffee. It’s a little bit of time to yourself.

Wrapping Up

Like coffee, cycling is an incredibly impactful hobby and lifestyle that forms an integral part of many people’s identities. We had a blast being welcomed into the space where those two passions overlap and made some great friends while we were at it. Whether you ride for fitness, for a moment of mindful meditation, for competition, or just for fun, we encourage you to let your coffee flag fly when you do!

Photography by Grace Walker

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