Commuting - Biggest commuting obstacle - coffee

I just started commuting last month and I like it much more than I thought I would. I've learned alot from this forum regarding the logistics (cleaning up at work, clean clothes,etc).

I would commute much more often if I didn't use up my morning time drinking three cups of coffee before I leave the house. Has anyone found a way to bring your coffee with you? Would you put coffee in your water bottles?

I wouldn't put coffee in my water bottles, but I have carried it in a bag tied to my handlebars. I had mochas from a local espresso place in one of those plastic grocery bags; I made sure they were both upright and then tied the bag carefully to the bars. Spilled only a couple of drops. You could stop off just before reaching work and buy a couple of cups, if there is a coffee place situated well. . .

I have seen insulated bottles for sale in the bike catalogs and have seen insulated travel cups (stainless steel) that looked like they would fit in my bottle holders.
If I were you, I'd just get up earlier in the morning--your commute is so short, you might as well as enjoy your morning coffee at home. If you shower the night before, you can get ready to go in the time it takes for your coffee to brew, if you practice!

I bring my coffee with me every day. I grind my beans in the morning and brew the coffee using a Melitta drip funnel right into a vacuum bottle that fits in a bottle cage. The coffee is still too hot to drink an hour later when I arrive at work, and stays drinkably hot for hours. In the winter, when I need the bottle cage for my light battery, I just carry the vacuum in a pannier along with my rain gear.

In the evening (in hot weather) the empty thermos gets filled with springwater from the office cooler.

Here's a site that discusses cycling and coffee in great depth:

http://nordicgroup.us/bikecoff/

Personally, I find that drinking coffee right before riding has too many downsides anyway.

RichC

Did you say coffee, I have a steel belted coffee cup made by thermos bought it at Target and I use it to haul my morning latte. I have 2 bottle cages one for my light one for coffee. Though if you drink more coffee follow Rich's advice. Like him I don't drink before I ride but I do as soon as I get to work or home

Thanks for the coffee site Rich, some good info and a good laugh for us addicts!:D

Koffee??

Drink the coffee once you get to work, not before. How many cups do you drink in a day if you are having 3 cups before you get to work?

CHEERS.

Mark

I was reading a paper on the train this morning that mentioned an Australian survey that suggested coffee could help cyclists go up to 30% further and burn more fat... I'll try and find out more

Another report on the survey:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3122319.stm

Koffee??

Yes?

Originally posted by Dutchy
Drink the coffee once you get to work, not before. How many cups do you drink in a day if you are having 3 cups before you get to work?

Mark

I have many cups per day, but I reduce the concentration of the coffee.

There is some bad data about coffee emerging.

Originally posted by Max
There is some bad data about coffee emerging.

Yeah, well, there's bad data about a lot of the things that make life worth living. They made me quit all my other vices; they'll have to shoot me before I'll let them take away my coffee!!

:irritated

RichC

Originally posted by Rich Clark
Yeah, well, there's bad data about a lot of the things that make life worth living. They made me quit all my other vices; they'll have to shoot me before I'll let them take away my coffee!!

:irritated

RichC

That is what I mean - do not give it up, even the number of cups, just reduce gradually the concentration of the coffee.

It is almost unnoticeable.

Originally posted by Rich Clark
Yeah, well, there's bad data about a lot of the things that make life worth living. They made me quit all my other vices; they'll have to shoot me before I'll let them take away my coffee!!

:irritated

RichC

Caffeine is my last remaining vice too. I don't have any stomach or sleep problems so I'll keep drinking it. I recently read an article on its performance enhancing effects. I'm not sure if it's the same one posted above.

I drink at least one cup as I'm getting ready to leave and another when I get to work. I've transported it by sealing my travel mug with saran wrap and sticking it in my bottle cage. It's okay for a short, direct ride into work, but I wouldn't take it on a workout day. Just don't pour it into a normal water bottle. It'll get cold too fast and your water will taste terrible later.

When I was able to still commute I bought a thermos for just this purpose. I drank a cup before I left, then another cup later. I would cool the coffee with cold milk or ice so that it was just the right temp. for later or immediate drinking. Thermos brand makes a great little thin thermos that only holds 16 oz. It really does keep it too hot for hours, even in cold temps.

The only problem for me was that horrible aftertaste, which only bothered me when I biked right after drinking coffee. Brush your teeth and your ride will be minty fresh and fully cafeinated! Hey, here's an idea - chocolate covered espresso beans, or caffeinated mints or water... Iced green tea is good in the summer.

Clay

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to buy the Megaslim from Campmor and see how that works out. Tomorrow I'm going to try drinking 1 cup before the shower and fill a water bottle with iced tea. I have a few extra water bottles for experiments.

I drink half as much coffee since quitting smoking (about 3 months ago) but my jones is still 3 cups before work and 2 cups after I get home. Maybe I'll cut back but I've tried kicking the coffee habit before ... I'll probably die with dirty coffee cups in the sink and a half a pot on the stove.

Originally posted by Oxymoron
When I was able to still commute I bought a thermos for just this purpose.

I have two samll Japaneese thermoses. The bottles inside made from the thin stainless steel. Glass thermos would be finished already, but these ones serve me for years.

Maybe I missed something, but why you are not able to commute?

For what it's worth... I have two cups while I'm getting ready, than switch to water. I feel sufficiently caffinated and awake that way. And your right, brushing after coffee really helps with the funky feeling mouth. God Bless.

Max,
I allow one hour for the commute, bird bath and change. It takes me about 45 minutes to eat, drink 3 cups, catch the AM weather report and shower. Wake at 6:45 and I have no problems.

If I run behind schedule (if I hit snooze I loose 10 minutes) I need to skip the coffee to get out the door .... an unlikely scenario.

The car ride is 15 minutes. It is so easy to be seduced by another cup of coffee and get all that free time in the morning as a bonus.

A REVELATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S NOT THE COFFEE, IT'S THAT DAMN SNOOZE BUTTON!!!!

Three cups of hot coffee takes to long to drink. I make mine before I go to bed and chug tall iced coffees in the morning.

Originally posted by zoridog
Has anyone found a way to bring your coffee with you?

Coffee is the easy part. What I had a hard time figuring out is how to knock the ash of my cigar and not spill my beer while hammering up a huge hill. :beer:

Originally posted by TrekRider
Coffee is the easy part. What I had a hard time figuring out is how to knock the ash of my cigar and not spill my beer while hammering up a huge hill. :beer:

Can't help you with the cigar (I usually brush mine along the nearest car :D) but you can buy cup/can/bottle holders for your handlebars :beer:

I really saw in Copenhagen the man cycling with the cigar. How peculiar - I thought then.

Are you serious that you cycle while smoking cigar?

I use an 18 oz. thermos from Walmart for 6 bucks. Hot coffee with a little milk and it will stay hot for hours. I use it everyday whether commuting by car or bike. I throw it in a backpack or my pannier if on the bike.

On a somewhat tangent note, I have been thinking about trying to fabricate a bike for going to the pub. Idea was basically a laid back geometry with somewhat of a chopper look (Ape hangers, bannana seat, chopped out fork, etc).

More importantly, three requirements that needed to be *mounted* to the frame were 1) An insulated bottle/can holder, 2) a bottle opener, and 3) a basket behind the rider capable of holding a 12 pack. And the gearing would need to be low enough that riding.. ahem.. on the way back from a good evening would not be dangerous (i.e. singlespeed, fairly lowly geared). oh, not to mention a generator hub to power a headlight!

I'll have to find a pic of it but the local shop that just opened up down the street has a chopped bike that is really cool only $350

nikolajbaer,
Check out www.phatcycles.com - many choppers