A brief introduction

Based out of the middle of Southern Ontario, this blog will be a repository of nice bike rides, routes, and coffee stops. Should you enjoy such things, sit back and enjoy on those rainy or snowy days when riding is less than pleasant.

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Red Circle Coffee Co

When cycling around Kitchener-Waterloo in Southern Ontario, it quickly becomes apparent that there are an awful lot of bicycle and walking trails and bits of bicycle infrastructure which do not actually directly lead to anywhere. This lends locals familiar with the situation to string together a series of bizarre routes which oft times double back on themselves in an effort to avoid automotive traffic. It is worth it to explore and learn what links with what. Thankfully, the Red Circle Coffee Co is ideally situated along one of the busiest trails in the cities and offers a respite and slice of civility away from tortured route planning. Located directly off of the Iron Horse Trail which runs from the southern edge of Waterloo through to about one third of the way through Kitchener where it uncerimoniously dumps riders onto Ottawa Street without even the benefit of a ramp, the Red Circle Coffee Company is an island of civility. The roastery is part of the new Catalyst137 buildin...
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What makes a good coffee shop

For us, several things have to come together for a coffee shop to be considered good. A good coffee shop has to, firstly, have good coffee. Our preference is for coffee roasted on site and sold within a few days or hours of being roasted. Blends of different beans are not needed. Rather, beans sourced and chosen for richness of flavour is the preference. Coffees roasted so that there is an initial flavour which changes as it rolls over the pallet is best. Fair trade and organic beans are a given. It matters that the people who did the work to grow the beans get paid for their efforts. When preparing coffee, the water cannot be too hot lest it burn the beans. Coffee should be weighed (or the barista so good that this is not needed). Milk drinks need to be perfect, and consistent. Coffee art is nice for presentation, but far more important is the quality of flavour and mouth feel. No plastic shall touch our coffee at any step of preparation. Ideally, water will be poured from a cop...
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