Tag Archives: coffee

Shop Ride: TACONIC 150 #5

The 5th edition of the Taconic 150 is on the schedule, 150 kilometers of dirt and road riding in Dutchess and Columbia counties.  Map and details coming soon.
For inquiries please contact info@nycvelo.com

NYC Velo Tours: Days 5&6, 2012 French Alps

For the third week of September, NYC Velo (under the “NYC Velo Tours” banner) led a group of intrepid cyclists on a tour of the Southern French Alps.  A photographic review of Days 1 & 2 was posted in November and a review of Days 3 & 4 was posted in December, while the photos below document Days 5 & 6.  The ride on Day 5 started and ended in the town of Briancon, consisting of a loop that climbed the Col d’Izoard and followed the rivers Le Guil and La Durance.  On Day 6, the last day in the saddle for this trip, the crew ascended the highest paved road in Europe, the Col de la Bonnette, before a long descent along (the river) La Tinee and a final 9k climb up to Valdeblore.

The gear supplied by Search and State (the S1-J Riding Jacket) and Grimpeur Bros Coffee (the Greenbelt and River Road Peaberry roasts) once again proved to be up to the task of protecting and caffeinating the crew.

The trip consisted of 6 (usually) long and (usually) difficult days in mountains (total riding elevation gain was just shy of 73,000 feet), but the food, drink, camaraderie, and warm welcome by all of our new French friends made the pain and fatigue disappear.  NYC Velo has plans for similar trips in 2013, stay tuned!

If you’d like to learn more about this trip, or any of the upcoming adventures, stop by the shop or drop us an email at: Andrew@nycvelo.com.

The proper way to start the day in Briancon, Day 5

Evidence of Briancon's Industrial Past, Day 5

Weather pushed the day's ride to post-lunch (Briancon Pizza), Day 5

Host Housing in Briancon, a centuries-old tannery, Day 5

Les Tanneries, Renovated, Day 5

Tools of the trade, Les Tanneries, Day 5

Barn, Briancon, France, Day 5

Bike Lane: Col d'Izoard, Day 5

Ian, at the summit of the Col d'Izoard, Day 5

Descending down the south side of the Col d'Izoard, Day 5

Route D902, above Le Guil, Day 5

Post-ride calorie replenishment, Day 5

Frommage, Day 5

French Barn, Briancon, Day 6

Ascending the Col de Vars, Day 6

Lunchtime fuel stop, Jausiers, Day 6

A mellow start to the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Looking back towards Jausiers, on the lower slopes of the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Climbing the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

The Col de la Bonnette, the highest paved road in Europe, Day 6

Barn, Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Barn, another view, on the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Above the treeline, Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Thin air on the Col de la Bonnette, with much more to come, Day 6

Another switchback, Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Even the sheep are dangerous above 2000m, Day 6

Heed the warnings! Day 6

Ian and Jack, trying the friendly approach, avoiding a furry stampede, Day 6

Ian, navigating a switchback 3k from the summitt of the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

(Young) Ian & Jack, negotiating the finish to the top of the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Ian takes the front, weather moves in as the summit approaches, Day 6

After cresting the summit of the Col de la Bonnette in freezing rain, the team takes refuge in a warm oasis in Saint-Etienne-de-Tinee, Day 6

That's one way to warm up, too bad the team still had 40k to go, Day 6

Instead of vodka, coffee did the job at Lou Ben Manja, Day 6

Looking down the Vallee de la Tinee before the start of the final climb, Day 6

The bikes of Fr2012, at rest

The team tackles the final climb up to Valdeblore, Day 6

The final climb, 9k of this...

Young Ian, nearing the finish, Day 6

The view, looking west, from the hotel in Valdeblore, Day 6

The narrow streets of Valdeblore, Day 6

A bench in Valdeblore, perfect for a rest after 6 days of riding

The final meal of the trip, Provencial Pizza in Valdeblore, Day 6

NYC Velo Tours: Days 3&4, 2012 French Alps

For the third week of September, NYC Velo (under the “NYC Velo Tours” banner) led a group of intrepid cyclists on a tour of the Southern French Alps.  A photographic review of Days 1 & 2 was posted here last month and the final 2 days will be posted after the new year, while the photos below document days 3 & 4.  The ride on Day 3 started and ended in the town of Valbonnais and topped the Col d’Ornon and the famed Alpe d’Huez, finishing with a stretch at sunset along the Grand Lac de Laffrey.  On Day 4, the crew tackled the Col du Glandon/Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col du Mollard, the Col du Telegraph and the Col du Galibier, ending up with over 18,000 feet of elevation gained for the day.

If you’d like to learn more about this trip, or any of the upcoming adventures, stop by the shop or drop us an email at: Andrew@nycvelo.com.

Pre-ride Laundry in Valbonnais, Day 3

Grimpeur Bros Coffee & Croissants, Valbonnais

Gearing up for Day 3, Valbonnais

Day 3 Navigation in Entraigues

Le Maison du Le Perier, Day 3

The Slopes of the Col d'Ornon, Day 3

The Slopes of the Col d'Ornon, Day 3

Ian & Ian, Climbing the Alpe d'Huez, Switchback #13, Day 3

Roundabout, Marking One of the Final Turns on the Alpe d'Huez, Day 3

Young Ian, Calmly Enjoying the Fruits of His Labor at the top of the Alpe d'Huez, Day 3

Route D211B between the Alpe d'Huez and Allemond, Day 3

Climbing Route Monfalcon Between Saint-Barthelemy-de-Sechiliene and Laffrey, Day 3

Le Grand Serre, Day 3

Taking Advantage of the Remaining Sunlight in Fugieres, Day 3

Alpine Architecture at Sunset, Day 3

Riding Towards Le Chauvet, Day 3

Ian, Chasing Daylight, Day 3

Troy & Ian, Apres Ride, Valbonnais, Day 3

Le Diner @ Le Chardon Bleu, Valbonnais, Day 3

The Team, Strategizing Over Sidewalk Morning Coffee, Valbonnais, Day 4

Pacelining Up the Slopes of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Ian, Facing le Barrage de Grand-Maison, Day 4

Andrew & Ian Climbing Route D526 to the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

High Alpine Sheep on the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Looking Back Down to the Col du Glandon from the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

View of the Slopes of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

The Lac de Grand Maison, near the summit of the Col du Glandon, Day 4

The Col de la Croix de Fer, AKA the "Pass of the Iron Cross", Day 4

The High Alps, Near the Summit of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Lunchtime at the top of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

A Well-Equipped Barn near Albiez-Montrond on the Descent from the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Ian on the Slopes of the Col du Galibier, Day 4

The View From the Col de la Croix de Fer, Looking South, Day 4

Jack, Racing Towards the Setting Sun on the Col du Galibier, Day 4

The Goal of a Very Long Day (18,000 ft of elevation gain) at Last, Day 4

Troy, Stringing-out the Crew on the Run Up to the Top of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

The Romanche River Valley, From Route D211B, Day 3

Ian, at the End of a Long Day 3

Alps, coffee, Grimpeur Bros Coffee, Road Biking, Search and State, shop rides, Tour de France, Tours, Trips

2012 NYC Velo Holiday Gift Guide

Phil Wood Hand Cleaner, a home mechanic must-have, $12

Brooks Limited Edition Union Jack-Series Swallow Saddles, Red ($275) and White ($350)

Grimpeur Bros 9 Dub Espresso Beans, roasted in Queens, $14/12oz

Endura 100% Merino Baabaa Base Layer, $69.99

CEP Compression Gear, Team NYC Velo Tested, $39.95

Andy Hampsten's Extra Virgin Olive Oil Co. from Tuscany, $24/.5l

Oakley Frogskins, A Classic, Revised, $100-140

Bailey Works/Independent Fabrication Whale Mouth Duffle, $150

NiteRider Lumina 350 Rechargeable Headlight, $95

Silca Classic Floor Pump, Made in Italy, $100

Silca Classic Floor Pump, $100

Defeet/Team NYC Velo 9 Inch Wool Socks, $20

NYC Velo Custom Wheels, Industry Nine Hubs, Velocity A23 Tubeless-Ready Rims, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, $1100

NYC Velo Wool Longsleeve Jersey, Handmade in Canada by Cima Coppi, $190

Search And State S1-J Riding Jacket, Weatherproof, Handmade in New York City, $245

Bike Of The Week: Pegoretti Cicli Luigino Coffee-Getter

This week’s Bike of the Week extends the “Month of Dario” by highlighting yet another example of the handiwork of Pegoretti Cicli.  The Columbus-tubed, lugged steel Pegoretti Luigino is a very special bike, indeed.

The customerrequested a “cruiser-style” lugged steel bicycle, but fell in love with Pegoretti’s Luigino frame.  Most cycling folks don’t readily associate the Pegoretti marque with “cruiser-style”, but according to Dario, there are more than a few non-road-racing/riding-style framesets in existence.

The component “theme” of this bike is “silver Campy”, a classic that’s hard to come by these days.  Most of the gruppo is New-Old-Stock (NOS) Campagnolo Chorus 10-speed (crankset, rear derailleur, hubset), from the 2000-2002 era.  The shifters are 10-speed bar-end shifters that have been modified to work with a flat-handlebar shifter mount made by Paul Components in California (and hand polished by the team at NYC Velo).  The seatpost is from the Campy Chorus group as well, the chain is Campagnolo Record and the cassette is Campagnolo Centaur.  The stem is a NOS Ritchey 1-inch steel, the handlebars are the Nitto Albatross model, and the reverse brake levers are from Dia-Comp.  The handlebars and leather handlebar wrap are from Brooks of England.  The rims are of the NOS Campagnolo Tokyo variety, the spokes are Colorado-made DT Swiss Competition double butted and the tires are 700x25mm Panaracer Pasela Tourguard.  The chainguide is also from Paul Components, and has also been polished here at NYC Velo.  The chainring guard is a cut and polished 39-tooth Campagnolo Chorus 10s chainring, repurposed.

Should you happen to run across this bike in the streets of New York, take the time to check it out, it’s a stunner.  And yes, Pollo, it’s for coffee.

NYC Velo Tours: Days 1&2, 2012 French Alps

For the third week of September, NYC Velo (under the “NYC Velo Tours” banner) led a group of intrepid cyclists on a tour of the Southern French Alps.  The priorities of the trip were as follows: ride, eat, drink, sleep.  Setting that list to repeat 6 times yielded a week full of climbing (total elevation gain of 72,631 feet), descending, sun, scenery, and warm French hospitality.  Along the way, we thoroughly tested our legs and our gear (see the recent BOTW feature), including the Search and State S1-J Riding Jacket, a variety of Grimpeur Bros Coffees, Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration (USADA-legal we’re told), and Endura compression gear, reviews to follow.

The trip is best seen in photos, which are broken up into 3 News posts (Days 1&2, Days 3&4, and Days 5&6), with little more than captions to accompany the images.  If you’d like to learn more about this trip, or any of the upcoming adventures, stop by the shop or drop us an email at: Andrew@nycvelo.com.

Musette bags from Chris McNally, illustrator

AFter a red-eye flight, the riding starts s-l-o-w

Switchbacks on the Col de Braus

Arrivee #1

Snapping photos before the descent to Sospel

Yan, post-red-eye, pre-cafe creme, Sospel

....and the cafe creme

Le Grande Patron

"Gruppo Compacto" on the climb to Moulinet

The team working on its "Cafe Stance"

The largest vehicle available to rent in all of France

Dinner is calling!

The green lights mean "Pizza!" in Puget-Theniers

The French do a mean Pizza

Wine-fueled Swatch photo bomb

The start of Day 2 in Die

The climb out of Die, Day 2

Captain Jack atop the Col de Rousset

Looking back at the Col de Rousset

Troy, pensive, reflecting on the HC Col de Rousset

Southward, from the Col de Rousset, Day 2's first Challenge

The Vercors

Lunch in Saint-Martin-en-Vercors, Day 2

This Diversion added another 6k climb to Day 2

The view towards Grenoble from the Route du Vercors

The source of our Night 2 happiness, in La Mure

Yan, laughing at his food. Maybe it's the wine.

Night 2 protein, on its way!

Dinner Greens in La Mure

Is there a better way to celebrate a birthday?

Typical end of day scene

5ive Points with Nigel Hall & Dan Manco of Grimpeur Bros. Coffee

Nigel Hall is a Co-Founder of Grimpeur Bros. Specialty Coffee and an interactive designer at Tremor Video. He’s fond of adventures and has spent time in Kenya doing field biology research. During his time there, he climbed Mt. Meru in Tanzania and hitch-hiked from Kenya to Rwanda and back. On weekends, you’ll find Nigel racing bikes for David Jordan Racing, backpacking in the Catskills or Adirondacks, and/or knocking out his wife’s insanely long honey-do list and hanging with the family.

Dan Manco is also a Co-Founder of Grimpeur Bros. Specialty Coffee in addition to his work as a highly accomplished digital strategist, marketer, product developer, producer, and serial entrepreneur. Dan loves all things cycling and coffee related. He recently relocated his family to Austin, TX, from Brooklyn, NY, though he makes a point to get back to NYC as often as he can but it’s never as much as he’d like.

NYC Velo: What’s your favorite bike?

Nigel Hall: I have two favorite bikes. My mountain bike and my road bike. My mountain bike is a 1996-era, Reynolds 531, Walter Croll with a Girvin Suspension Stem and a kinesis aluminum fork. Yes, that’s right, a Girvin Suspension Steam – a relic. I converted it to my commuter bike and it’s a ton of fun to ride around the city. You can really accelerate and maintain speed with it. The stem absorbs all the potholes in the road and I really like the recoil on it. It’s plush and smooth. It’s an oldie, but goodie.

My other favorite bike is my road bike. It’s a Scott Addict R1 – pure machine. It’s light, stiff, and elegant. Similar to my Walter Croll mountain bike, the Scott just feels like it’s a part of me when I ride – pushing me to go further and faster.

Dan Manco: It’s cross season so my favorite bike is my 2010 Kona “Jake The Snake” procured at NYC Velo (we did not solicit that plug, ed.). I’ve been riding it so much that I rode my 2011 Scott CR1 Elite the other day after a long break and it was like going on a date with a new girlfriend. Jake is a fun, tough, just all-round solid CX bike. And doubles as a great commuter bike. Post-cyclocross season, my CR1 “China White” will return as my fave…she’s jealous right now.

NYCV: What’s your favorite ride?

NH: The only riding that I have done in NY has been the typical 9W route and WAY too many laps in Central and Prospect Park. I enjoy it because it suits my style of riding – nice rollers and some flat areas where you can get speed and maintain it. I prefer to take River Road into Nyack and then do some climbing up Bradley and then make my way back on 9W.

DM: In Austin, my favorite ride starts 10 minutes from my front door, the hills of Westlake Hills. They’re steep, short pitches (think the Piermont on ramp on to 9W back towards the GW except longer) and just a lot of fun. And they connect to even steeper climbs in Northwest Austin (Ladera Norte, Jester, Courtyard, Bee Cave Rd., the 360 Loop, Lost Creek, and the Dam Loop). They’re great, scenic routes to climb and are car-light. In NYC, hands down it’s 9W and River Road. I love those routes so much we named the Grimpeur Bros. signature espresso and peaberry single origin 9Dub Espresso and River Road Peaberry Single Origin respectively. And they are available for purchase at NYC Velo. Yes they are!

NYCV: What do you always bring with you on a ride?

NH: A very simple multitool that can handle repairs to get me home, spare tube, air and food. Food is most critical. I’m skinny and I burn calories like crazy. I need to eat. I get the “fringale” too easy, even at my fittest.

DM: Helmet, Road ID, driver’s license, $20, iPhone, tire irons, spare tube, Lezyne tire pump, patch kit, and Halt! dog repellent (3 words: Texas. Country. Dawgs.)

NYCV: What’s your favorite post-ride food?

NH: My favorite post-ride food is an organic burger from Prime Meats with one of their cocktails. Prime Meats is farm-to-table, local and fresh. The burgers are one of my favorites in all of NY, and nothing goes with it better than one of their cocktails. All of their mixes are freshly made and it’s the perfect combo after a good ride.

DM: Espresso or a single origin coffee pour-over plus whatever protein I can find…current protein favorite: Texas BBQ (J Mueller BBQ in South Austin).

NYCV: What’s next?

NH: More Grimpeur Bros.  Coffee and more racing – shooting to upgrade to Cat 3 in 2013. More family. Enjoying life and eating great food. More awesomeness. More adventures.

DM: More cross racing. More climbing. More coffee. More Grimpeur Bros. More Life.

NYC Velo Presents The Taconic 150

Mark your calendars for the innaugural Taconic 150, a ride of 150 (or so) kilometers in the Taconic mountain range north of the city.  The ride starts at 8am on Sunday August 14 at the Metro North train station in Wassaic, NY.

The Taconic Range stretches from Northeastern Dutchess County in NY to Southern Vermont, rising from the Hudson Highlands less than 80 miles north of Manhattan.  The Taconic 150 tours the southern section of the Taconic Range, starting in the Upstate NY town of Wassaic in Dutchess County before rolling through Southeastern Columbia County, crossing the bordering into Berkshire County in Massachusetts, and returning back to Wassaic.

Saturday’s Stumptown Shop Ride

For Immediate Release: Please join us for this week’s Saturday ride (April 30th) at the STUMPTOWN COFFEE ROASTERS “BREW BAR”, located at 219 Van Brunt Street (Commerce Street), Red Hook, Brooklyn. As usual, we there will be goodies and amazing coffee… coffee in this case is directly from the master roaster at the source (as roasty-fresh as it gets.) The ride meets up at 9AM and takes off around 9:30ish.

We look forward to you all joining us for another enjoyable ride!

For the Love of Coffee: Abraco

NYC Velo is a neighborhood joint. We love and support small business, local business, independent business…the neighborhood joints.  One of our favorites, make that definitely our favorite, joint in the hood (well, the east village), is Abraco Espresso. Actually, Abraco would probably have to be our favorite espresso purveyor in the entire city, hell, maybe of all time.  Lucky us, it’s just 4 blocks away.

We’re not professional food writers (Sorry, CJ), so we won’t attempt to review the quality of Abraco’s offerings (you can read professional reviews here).  I wouldn’t even go as far as labeling us “foodies”, though we are really into eating food (a 3 hour ride can really stir up some huger pangs).  We also rely on the legal stimulant caffeine to get us outta bed every morning, onto the bike and through that 8pm closing time.  We prefer to have our stimulant of choice administered via the everyman concoction of scalding hot water forced through dried-then-crushed beans.

This love of coffee, read: good coffee, led us to check out Abraco when they opened up on 7th St at 1st Ave a few years ago.  The drip coffee (both hot and iced) is excellent, the espresso sublime, the food amazing. As much as we love the consumables, we love the atmosphere at Abraco even more.

At the risk of sounding ridiculous: there’s something about having a cortado at Abraco that always puts us in a better mood.  We’ve sampled espresso from many of the downtown mainstays, and the drinks are generally very good, but the rooms lack that je ne sais qua.

Jamie, Liz, and the crew at Abraco, simply put, have created an environment that is friendly, congenial, while maintaining an impeccable level of culinary execution. We love having Abraco in our neighborhood, they’ve raised the bar concerning the small business experience in New York City.  They make us work harder to do the same for bicycle retail.