Peet’s Coffee, Fresher IS Better

Rating:
***** 5 Stars

Pros:

Fresher standards = the best cup of coffee

Instructional tastings daily/weekly

Free samples

Educated employees

Cons:

Higher price, but worth it!

Hard to find a store in the Mid-West, but available online

Review:
We were introduced to Peet’s when the first store arrived in Colorado in 2005 in Cherry Creek Village (Denver). Addicted to Starbucks’ Carmel Macchiatos at the time, and not knowing much about coffee, we were sucked in by the delicious flavors and the professionalism of Peet’s Coffee & Tea.

The first thing the baristas taught us was that the founder of Peet’s used to be part of the Starbucks team and decided to found his own company based on higher standards of freshness. That’s one thing that’s stuck with us for sure, the freshness of the beans. Coffee is supposed to taste sweet, not bitter, and when the beans are old, the coffee tastes bitter. When they’re still oily and ripe, and some of that oil floats on the top of your cup if you don’t stir it, you know you’re going to get a great fresh, sweet taste.

Next we were taught how to make a cup of coffee. It doesn’t involve an automatic coffee maker and a paper cup, we were told. Peet’s often has taste tests and samples out for educational and tasting purposes. In one of these demonstrations, we were shown that when you run hot water through a paper filter, all you taste is paper. That paper taste can indeed ruin a good cup of coffee. The keys to success: buy a French press, heat up a pot of filtered water, and grind only the beans you’ll use that day. If you drink more than one cup of coffee, make sure to buy a larger sized French press and store what you are not drinking right away in a thermos. I know it sounds like more work, but you’ll appreciate the freshness like we do. It only takes us about 8-10 minutes total each morning to make the most superior cup of coffee we’ve ever tasted.

The downfall of Peet’s cautiousness in freshness is the cost. Because they refuse to keep coffee in the store that’s outdated (their freshness policy only allows them to keep beans in the store for 10 days!) you’re certainly paying for quality. Peet’s isn’t wasteful however and what can’t be sold is donated to local non-profit organizations and other good causes. We’ve found that even coffee that’s a month or two old can still be kept fresh in zip-lock bags, if they are put in them right away.

If you’re near a Peet’s Coffee & Tea (their stores are spreading!) and you feel your company or event is a good cause, apply for their donations in the store directly. But even if you’re paying full price for Peet’s their beans go further than the rest because of the freshness and strength, and therefore worth a little extra in price.

If you’re addicted to the quick fix drive-through Starbucks like we were, re-train yourself. It’s worth it!

Other hints:

• Never put your coffee in the freezer, it’s a dry environment and your beans will lose their freshness almost immediately. It might keep your soups from last fall, but not your coffee. Zip-locks in the closet are the best bet.


• Always let your boiling water sit for 30 seconds before pouring it into your press or it will burn the beans and additional reduce the fresh taste.


• Never microwave a cup of coffee. If you know you’re going to drink more than one cup, put it in a thermos. Microwaving cooks out the fresh taste as well.


• Peet’s coffee is 2x as strong in caffeine because of this freshness. Make ½ decaf and ½ regular to avoid the shakes! Or choose a flavored blend like Mocha instead of the typically over-caffeinated French, Sumatra, or Major Dickinson’s blends.

Thanks to the baristas at Peet’s Cherry Creek for the best education in coffee a couple could get!

Invacare XLT Pro Review

by Matt Strugar-Fritsch
Rating: 4/5 stars

I received my Invacare XLT Pro in July of 2004 with stock shimano XT cranks and standard quick release wheels. As parts wore out and I began to focus more on racing and riding long distances, I began to replace and upgrade parts accordingly. Today the only original parts on the bike are the frame, seat and right shifter/brake lever. Overall this bike has performed remarkably well, however there are certain limitations inherent in its design which can limit the performance, adjustability and comfort of the machine.

For a paraplegic, the front mounted horizontal shifter/break lever setup on the cycle is easy to adapt to and effortless to execute. It is easy to flick out a finger on the down stroke to shift both the front and rear derailleur in nearly any riding condition, allowing the user to adapt to terrain “on the fly” instead of relying on intuition to choose the right gear ratio for what lies ahead.

One disadvantage to the stock crank set was the inability to pedal and turn the cycle concurrently due to the cranks clipping my legs. This, in addition to the lack of leverage per revolution that is achieved with V style cranks (which now come stock on this machine) led me to upgrade to V cranks after one year of riding.

After upgrading to the V cranks (length 220mm, width 22 inches) I immediately noticed the increase in leverage which helped dramatically when climbing hills and slightly increased my average riding speed. I also noticed that the V cranks positioned my hands just outside my shoulders with my elbows slightly elevated. This setup utilizes the muscles of the shoulders and back much more than previously. In the long run, more functional muscle groups is an advantage, but in the short run it caused considerable pain and muscle fatigue as my body acclimated to the new riding position.

This handcycle comes stock with a road crown compensator which I feel is one of the bikes greatest assets. An on the fly adjustment of this lever allows you to fine tune the angle of the front wheel to compensate for the downward slope that most roads and sidewalks unfortunately feature.

The biggest downfall of this machine I feel is the lack of adjustability of its seat position. After 3 years of adjustments, it seems that there are only a few functional seat angles that can be achieved on this machine, rendering it nearly impossible to dial in the reclined angle that is desired by most high level paraplegics on the racing circuit. Invacare realized this flaw and recently launched a new bike, the Top End Force, which caters to this demographic much more suitably.

Overall I am more than satisfied with the quality, durability, design and performance of this machine. It is an excellent machine for everyone from the newly injured to the seasoned veterans and I couldn’t agree more with what they say in the bikes promotional material, and that is: “If you want a great way to exercise, cross-train or just have fun, the Invacare Top End Excelerator XLTPRO is what you're looking for!"

Mountain Handcycles, a Comparative

Grove DH-X1 and the One-Off Titanium Flyer

Summary:
Grove DH-X1 and the One-Off Titanium Flyer

One-Off Flyer: Superior for All-Terrain
4 stars
Easier forward momentum
3-wheel system
20+ gears
Additional chest steering mechanism
All-terrain worthyNarrow body

Grove: Superior for Downhill Only
3 stars
4-wheel system
4-wheel suspension, 4 disc brakes
Comfortable ride downhill only
Widebody

Since the 1980s, handcycling has grown into a world-renowned competitive sport in which paraplegics, quadriplegics, and amputees can test their skills. But most handcycles are road cycles (no one seems to like calling them trikes, although that’s what they are), and it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that we started seeing mountain bikes adapted for this crowd.

In 1996, several downhill mountain bikes were brought to Steamboat for some mountain fun. These were some of the first models from Grove Innovations, with four mountain tires, four-wheel disc brakes, full suspension, and no “handcycle” power, just downhill fun. Since then we’ve had the chance to try them with the adaptive program in Crested Butte, and although the shocks and weight of the machines have changed slightly since 1996, the cost hasn’t seemed to.
The Grove DH-X1 is an expensive toy, hand-built at a custom shop in Pennsylvania by Bill Grove in the late 1980s, they revolutionized the concept of adaptive downhill in the summer time. But because of the lack of supply-and-demand, and the cost of making these unique bikes ($5,000 or more for one), few DH-X1s are in the hands of needy users.

But if you can get your hands on a used one or attend a workshop with one of the adaptive programs that owns one (see links below), do, because we had nothing but hair-raising fun on this downhill machine.

It’s a very comfortable ride with four Fox shocks and a soft padded seat. Your arms are at a comfortable distance and angle to the handlebars, and if all you’re seeking is some downhill thrill, this is definitely the type of mountain bike for you.

The only other downfall to this model besides cost is that it’s a downhill bike only, and others have been modeled after it, such as the Cobra A.C.E. in 2000, so you’ll need to drive it to the top of a mountain, or take a chairlift in order to use it.

Even though Bill Grove isn’t making these bikes anymore, look for a few grassroots companies popping up in the near future who want to bring this design, and the price of it, back to the average consumer.

As for its competition, we weren’t the only ones who thought the lack of versatility for the downhill bikes was a minor downfall worth rectifying. The One-Off Titanium Flyer has been climbing a long road since its early conception phase in 1996, and is the first handcycle to finally bridge the gap between mountain biking and handcycling. Designed and manufactured in Massachusetts by Mike Augspurger, this bike is totally different.

Its three-wheel system is reverse of most handcycles, with two wheels in the front and one in the rear. You’re also positioned nearly prone on the bike, and resting on a chest pad that is used to steer when you are pedaling. You can also steer with the handlebars when not pedaling. This pad is a little uncomfortable at first, especially if you’re a woman, but you do get used to it. Your knees are bent below and slightly behind you, giving your chest the frontward power it needs to crank up hills. The design of this bike is revolutionary, and has proven itself against the odds and doubts of many professionals in the mountain cycling field. Its highest recognition comes from a recently-released movie about three paraplegics who brought their One-Offs onto Utah’s White Rim Trail and biked the entire 110 miles in reverse, the more challenging loop, without any able-bodied assistance.

Its twenty-plus gear shift system has a wide range of “granny” gears for easier pedaling, and the rear wheel provides traction at a narrower maneuverability for single-track trails, something that is more of a challenge for the four-wheel downhill bikes. But that’s not to say it’s easy going. The weight of the machine is around fifty pounds, with twenty-inch wheels. Powering these toys up rocky, muddy mountains isn’t something you do unless you’ve got the arms to do it. But for those who don’t have a choice, the One-Off is an amazing machine; which earn Augspurger the MIT Inventor Award in 2001.

The cost of this cycle is still the same, however, around $5000, because it is still custom-made, and only 100-150 have been made in the past ten years, probably double or triple what Grove Innovations released. But you will likely begin to see One-Offs purchased for adaptive programs in the near future, as mountain biking for those with disabilities continues to grow.

To sum up, the DH-X1 is definitely more comfortable than the One-Off for starters, but the freedom that the One-Off provides is unbeatable. The One-Off is versatile, smaller, and even breaks down easily into two parts for travel.




LINKS:

Recent mountain bike clinic in Keystone: http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070624/SPORTS/70624007

One Off Titanium: http://www.titaniumarts.com/

Grove Innovations: www.purplelizard.com/GIintro.htm