Before I get ahead of myself, I must make one thing clear: I am no coffee expert.

Yes, I drink it most mornings, but there’s no sense in pretending I'm some coffee snob when I’m not. For me, there’s generally two kinds of coffee, good and bad. Some gas station coffee I can muster out of necessity, but I always prefer beans that are fresh ground and made to pour.

Thankfully we have a lot of good coffee to choose from here in the Northwest. From Seattle’s super-giant Starbucks to the plethora of Portland’s in-house roasters, it’s a fact that Northwesterners love their coffee. As for us at Freehub, making a magazine and riding our bikes is what gets us out of bed every morning, but coffee is what helps us get motivated to ride when it’s cold and rainy out and pushes us through late-night production benders.

When we got a few bags of beans from the Portland-based Loam Coffee, we were immediately grateful for the future energy it would provide. However, the realization that followed was that this was coffee made not only to fuel bike rides, but the bike community. Named after the soil that makes this region of the world so special, the goal of Loam is to simply promote mountain biking through coffee, and coffee through mountain biking.

The Syncline roast, named after one of the Hood River area’s prided trails, is a medium roast that aims to have just the right balance of acidity and sweetness. The coffee’s light acidity makes for smooth-sipping blend and the full body contributes to a cup that has a heavy and rich feel. The roast has a slight vanilla smell to it, but not enough to overpower the taste, like some flavored coffees do.

The other roast that has helped fight morning energy lulls is Thrillium. If coffee tastes can translate to trail style, this blend is aptly named for the fast and flowy trail in Vancouver, Washington. Also a medium blend, Thrillium has a lighter body with hints of chocolate.

Like I said before, I am not an expert, so I have no doubt that my limited descriptions cannot perfectly translate taste into words. One thing is for sure in my opinion: Loam’s coffee is in the upper portion of the “good” category and both blends make for a fine early morning energy boost.

The company makes six different blends, all with beans from quality coffee growing regions. So what ever tastes and aromas you prefer, chances are they have a roast that matches your liking. One of the coolest things about this small company is that they are giving back to our community by supporting riders and teams through out the Northwest. They’ve joined their two passions of mountain biking and coffee into one, in a way that benefits both communities, and that is something we certainly support.

12oz Bag: $15
Check out all of Loam's roasts at www.loamcoffee.com