Team Highlight: Peace Coffee Racing
Posted June 20, 2024 in Community Support by Matt Levine
This is the second post in a new blog series highlighting the incredible work that’s done by some of the cycling teams that ERIK’S supports. See all blog posts here, and check back soon for more posts in our Team Highlights series!
Team Name: Peace Coffee Racing
# of Members: 80+
Location: Minnesota
ERIK’S: What is the history of Peace Coffee Racing?
Peace Coffee Racing: In 2003, Peace Coffee did the majority of deliveries by bike, and they already had a place in the Twin Cities cycling community. An avid Minnesota Mountain Bike Series racer, Ton Tran, approached Peace Coffee asking if they would be the title sponsor for a small, dedicated group of racers. Scott Patterson, who was one of the first full-time Peace Coffee employees (he also started the bike delivery process), thought that it was an amazing idea to have an official cycling team to connect to the cycling community, and the rest is history!
In a nutshell, describe the riders on your team. Did any shared interests or goals bring you all together?
We have about 80 members ranging from entry level kids comp to expert, first-timers to Minnesota Mountain Bike Series champions. We have social racers and hardcore hammerheads, creating the perfect balance of competitiveness and good times. Most of us enjoy mountain bike, gravel, and fat-tire racing. We do have a handful of roadies and long-distance runners. All of our members are active racers; we are not a club team.
What is the team’s mission statement? In other words, why do you ride?
As part of the bike community, we like to give back and plan a few volunteer opportunities for our members to give back [to the community], from picking up at a local course to helping out at the Karma Kross race event. We are run entirely by unpaid volunteers. Our goal is to establish a community that we can all share and enjoy, and use that as a platform to add good into the cycling community.
What are the team’s plans for the future? Any special events or initiatives coming up?
Keep on racing! We have members that just completed Unbound XL and some members that are currently training for the multi-stage race Breck Epic.
Why do you like partnering with ERIK’S?
We love the convenience and options for our team members who are spread out across the state. To have a bike shop that we can trust and access from various parts of the state (plus more) is everything! ERIK’S has been a great partner of ours for years.
What are your favorite biking trails or routes in your location? This can be mountain biking trails, city streets, hybrid paths, whatever you prefer!
Our team members frequent Elm Creek, Theodore Wirth, and Lebanon Hills. We also all have our local favorites in our neighborhoods that allow us to get some quick miles in, whether that’s bike paths, some gravel, and streets!
Stay in touch with Peace Coffee Racing on Facebook and Instagram.