Coffee Cycle

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COFFEE CYCLE 

The Kid has been doing Coffee Rides around San Diego going on two years now.  He and a good friend from the velodrome have explored many of the Arabica Beans haunts north of downtown.

For a true coffee experience, meaning no sugar and cream laced grande mixture over ice, Coffee Cycle is a place to try out.  They do offer Lattes and Mochas, but their specialty is a pour over of one of the 4-6 specialty roast procured locally. Located in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego, 1632 Grand Ave, SD CA 92109, its relatively small size and limited seating work well for the grab and go tourist and beach goers of the area. Car parking is limited, but bike parking is ample, so to speak.

Chris, the owner, is a coffee nut. He started the business from a bicycle cart before relocating the cart permanently into its' current location.

Chris takes pride is producing a fine, tasty cup of coffee.  The beans for each pour over order have been previously weighed out and stored is a small plastic container.  Once a order is placed, the beans are ground to a medium course grind allowing the true flavor of the bean and roast to emerge once the hot waster is poured over them.  The water temperature is monitored so that each pour is the same temperature promoting quality and consistency of the process.  The water is allowed to brew the ground beans for several minutes in a V60, extracting the complexity of the flavor before being released into the cup.

I tried the Ethiopa that was noted at 95 pts, the 3rd one on the menu picture below.  Chris indicated that was a rating scale that one of his bean suppliers reference, similar that the scoring that you find in Wine Enthusiast.  The coffee was very flavorful and smooth.  I drank the majority of it straight up BLACK.  I can't really describe the exact flavors, I guess I should work on that.  I can say it didn't have a bitter after taste. The Kid, well he had his typical Cappuccino.  He likes to rate place on how well they do that standards.  He let me taste it and it was very good.  The milk was froth to a smooth and nearly sweet consistency.  The pulled shot was strong, but not bitter.

We both highly recommend Coffee Cycle, whether you are in the PB area and a looking for a great coffee place to ride to.  Coffee Cycle is worth the trip.



As told by Fabrece:

Coffee Cycle has been on of my go to establishments for some of the best coffee. Chris keeps the menu simple and will explain each of the different bean and what are the best ways to drink each one. All you have to do is decide what you want to drink and he'll tailor it to your liking. As my dad described earlier, cappuccinos are my standard drink likely due to the small bit of Italian in my blood. Chris makes one of the best in town and you can see third wave coffee being practiced here. The beans are single origin and a lot of care goes into each cup. This is the first place where I experienced the complexities of coffee because Chris took the time to explain and let me taste different roasts. 

In addition to great coffee Chris is involved with the local bike community. Before he had an established location he rode his cart everywhere. He has the basic maintenance tools if you need a quick repair and hosts several local bike events. These vary from taking on the local hills of Mt. Soledad and even a camping trip. Look forward to postings about these events when they happen.















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