Motorcycle Grounds

Been a little while since I posted anything but I've been active! Loads of new stories up including the latest: Nottingham Coffee Festival 2026, in two parts. Can I ask a favour too? Sign up to the mailing list :) motorcyclegrounds.com/coffee-festivals/ #Motosky #CoffeeFestival #SpecialtyCoffee

Early morning ride today on one of my favourite Hertfordshire roads. The sun pops out through the trees at around 30 seconds and it was pretty magical. Doesn't get better than this. #Motosky

New story live on motorcyclegrounds.com. Ten years on the same corner of Crouch End, and Velasquez and Van Wezel have built something beyond good coffee. These guys are a great find, and a great stop if heading into London. #specialtycoffee #Motosky #CrouchEnd

New story live on motorcyclegrounds.com. My top 5 coffee stops in Rhodes, all easily reached by motorcycle or scooter. Spent time with each of the owners and heard the real stories behind them. Highly recommend hitting them up next time you're in town. #motosky #specialtycoffee

Wrapping up my Greece trip with another visit to Monk. Managed to get this shot with Panagiotis who’s always busy behind the till. I’ve met so many interesting, hard-working, and passionate coffee shop owners and can’t wait to get my top 5+ summary on the site next week. #motosky #specialtycoffee

New story out now on motorcyclegrounds.com. Rode out to Unik Specialty Coffee Brewers in Rhodes, one of only a few real specialty coffee spots on the island. Helmet off, double espresso on, in that order. #motosky #specialtycoffee

New story out now on motorcyclegrounds.com. Monk Coffee/The Pure Roasters opened right into the pandemic, then lost two of its three founders. Six years later, founder Panagiotis is still standing, still making the standards non-negotiable. #motosky #SpecialtyCoffee

So it turns out that any two wheeled motorised vehicle brings unending happiness. Rented this 80cc bike to get me around my #coffee stop appointments in Rhodes town. Got some fab stories from this side of the world coming to the site soon. And more folks to visit in the week ahead. #motosky

The Motorcycle Grounds Podcast now has a real home on the site. Please give it a listen! First up is an insightful chat with the co-owner of Gramos Coffee Bar, underground in Kings Cross. motorcyclegrounds.com/motorcycle-g... #motosky #coffeesky

Excited to share the first episode of the Motorcycle Grounds Podcast drops this Sunday. Here's a short clip to kick things off, bringing you the stories of the people behind the coffee. First up: Gramos Coffee in King's Cross. #motosky #coffeesky #SpecialtyCoffee

New story out now on motorcyclegrounds.com. Sat down with Harry at Level Ground Co in Letchworth Garden City, the only roastery in town, with a vegan-friendly food menu alongside the coffee. Worth the ride on its own. #motosky #bikersky motorcyclegrounds.com/level-ground...

A 16-mile cruise from St Albans led to Coffee Lab in Hitchin, a stellar independent spot that grew from one tiny roaster in 2016 into five local shops. Caught up with head roaster & fellow biker Seb Kripp over coffee to talk shop and sustainable, slow growth. #SpecialtyCoffee #MotoCoffee #motosky

Something from Sober On A Drunk Planet by Sean Alexander that’s stayed with me: his point that even a “happy drunk” parent, someone who never loses their temper or breaks a promise, can still feel like they’re falling short. Sobering thought on what kids actually pick up on. #SoberSky

Green beans going in, chocolate and floral notes coming out the other end. A look inside the roasting room at Sustain Coffee Co, Hatfield. Full story now live on the site. #Motosky motorcyclegrounds.com/sustain-coff...

Ethical coffee, roasted in the room you drink it in. Sustain Coffee Co, honest transparency about where they can and can't source from, and a trip to a farm in Chiapas that changed how their roaster sees coffee entirely. #Motosky motorcyclegrounds.com/sustain-coff...

One level down from all this, tucked inside King's Cross Underground, is proper single-origin coffee that's quietly built a following for ten years. New post is up: the story of Gramos Coffee, & why it might just be the best-kept secret in the station. #Motosky motorcyclegrounds.com/the-best-kep...

Parking a motorcycle in Camden just got a lot more complicated. New post breaks down what riders need to know, new charges, how it compares across London, & what you can actually do about it. Big thanks to Ben at Save London Motorcycling for the detail. #Motosky motorcyclegrounds.com/camdens-new-...

5 days, 5 coffee stops in St Albans: a café hitting 30 years, a shop still running its original van, a bagel place with its old dry cleaner's signage kept on purpose, a coffee bar inside the old Assize Court, and a bookshop café with a resident ghost. #Motosky motorcyclegrounds.com/5-days-5-cof...

Day 4 of 5 coffee stops in St Albans: Courtroom Café, inside St Albans Museum + Gallery. You're not just having a coffee here, you're sat in what was a working Assize Court until 1966, dock and all. Restored beautifully in 2018. History with your Americano.

Down to London today on the back roads, no motorways, all thanks to Scenic plotting the route. A lovely, easy journey. Research trip for an upcoming piece on parking and access for bikes in the city, plus a coffee interview to go with it. More soon.

Day 3 of 5 coffee stops in St Albans: Brad & Dills, London Road. Still wearing the old dry cleaner's signage on purpose, coffee and bagels where I used to drop off my shirts years ago.

I'm on day 2 of my top 5 coffee stops in St Albans. Today it's Charlie's. Started life in 2008 a van at St Albans station, still running today, before growing into a shop on London Road.

£27k saved. 2.6 million calories avoided. New post: honest surprises from 7 years alcohol-free, from the money to the friendships to a Pixar comparison I never expected to make. motorcyclegrounds.com/sober-for-se...

Up early this morning at one of my favourite spots in St Albans: Café Roma. Going strong for 30 years, and still the kind of place where they know your order before you say it. First stop of five this week.

New post. A ride, a coffee stop with more history than expected, and a nav app I’m still not sure about. Honest review inside. motorcyclegrounds.com/finding-bohe...

New post is up: "Two Comebacks: Royal Enfield's and Mine." My road back to riding after seventeen years off, alongside the story of a brand that got knocked down and rebuilt itself. motorcyclegrounds.com/two-comeback...

New to Bluesky! After 7+ years being #alcoholfree I’ve decided to start writing a blog: motorcyclegrounds.com. Three posts up so far — a 4am ride to catch sunrise on Ivinghoe Beacon, the best coffee stop in the Chilterns, and why I quit drinking. Come take a look and let me know what you think.