PeopleForBikes is proud to announce a new partnership with The Coffee Ride, a Boulder-based coffee roaster who delivers coffee by bike, with 25% of sales from the new Better Biking Blend and Quick Brew Coffee supporting our work building more safe and connected places to ride in communities across the U.S.

A business built on two wheels

The Coffee Ride's founder, Josh Crane, didn't initially set out to build a coffee company. While working at the Pro's Closet, a pre-shift coffee ritual he and a coworker started turned an entire office around: People who used to wander in late were showing up 15 minutes early just to see what was brewing.

That small daily habit, plus a nod to his grandfather's 1950s milk delivery route, became the blueprint for The Coffee Ride. For 12 years, the company has roasted coffee and delivered it around Boulder by bike every Thursday, logging more than 30,000 miles on two wheels in that time, roughly double what the average U.S. household drives in a year.

The importance of safe places to ride

Crane sees the partnership as a natural fit. His riders need safe, connected streets to make every delivery, and PeopleForBikes is working to build those conditions — not just in Boulder, but in communities nationwide.

"We have a business where we're working really hard to roast coffee and deliver it by bike, but we can't necessarily be out there advocating all the time,” says Crane. “What we do is roast really awesome coffee that people can get behind, and when we can support PeopleForBikes and allow you to do what you're good at, we’re helping speak up for the needs of our entire community."

He compares the model to Girl Scout cookie sales: a simple purchase that funds a cause people believe in, with a reminder built into every sip.

Crane also carries the responsibility of the riders who deliver for him every week. Boulder has strong bike infrastructure overall, he says, but a single unprotected block — a bike lane that ends at a busy road or a shoulder that simply disappears — is enough to put a rider at risk. Connected networks, not isolated bike lanes, are what actually keep people safe.

It's those critical network gaps that PeopleForBikes works to close. A route can be almost entirely protected, but a single unsafe stretch is enough to keep someone off their bike altogether. That's why PeopleForBikes’ work through programs like City Ratings and the Great Bike Infrastructure Project focuses on connected, low-stress networks — ensuring every ride feels safe from start to finish.

Great coffee and safe streets, for every kind of rider

The Coffee Ride's shop draws in mountain bikers, road riders, commuters, and more — all sitting down at the same table. Crane calls coffee the common thread that breaks down the usual divides between cycling subcultures and beyond, and he sees the same spirit in PeopleForBikes' mission of better biking for people of all ages and abilities.

"I just want more people to feel comfortable and safe, whatever their idea of riding a bicycle looks like," Crane says. "Until people feel comfortable riding wherever they are, they're never going to be able to experience what it's like to enjoy that childhood feeling of riding a bike."

How to get involved

• Order the coffee. The Coffee Ride's Better Biking Blend and PFB Quick Brew Coffee are available now, with 25% of proceeds going directly to the PeopleForBikes Foundation. While they make local deliveries by bike, the coffee ships nationwide.
• Donate. Supporting the PeopleForBikes Foundation directly funds the advocacy and infrastructure work that makes bike delivery, commuting, and daily neighborhood rides safer for everyone nationwide.
• Follow along. Follow PeopleForBikes on social media to learn more about how you can take action for better biking in your community. The biggest change starts with small, local wins.