Max Riese passed away on September 15 in an accident. Our thoughts are with him and all those close to him.
We planned our ride and coffee tasting with Max and around Max because he loves cycling, coffee, and community.
Michel and Ben will also take a ride next Tuesday and afterward head to the academy for the tasting. We take Max in our hearts with us and invite you to ride with us to share a moment together, to remember Max, and to be on the road with him.
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026: one and a half hours of gravel riding, followed by a decaf specialty coffee tasting at the Coffee Academy. We'll ride with Max Riese and then taste with Benjamin Hohlmann and Michel Indelicato. 20 km/h, casual ride. Please register.
Max Riese: From Modified Cyclocross Bike to Ultra Racing
Max was quickly enthusiastic about the origins of gravel riding. Images from the USA reached us in Europe showing modified cyclocross bikes flying 300 kilometers over rough gravel roads. A young community that experimented a lot and at the same time produced the charm of historical Tour de France stories.
Gravel, ultra, and bikepacking became terms that often went together, and Max was increasingly seen at the starting lines of unsupported bikepacking races. Silk Road Mountain Race, Tour Divide, and more captivated him. So much so that in 2021 he quit his job to make cycling his profession. In addition to his race performances, he is building a European cycling community with gravgrav.cc that offers events and cycling routes across Europe.
Why Decaf?
The thing with caffeine is not just sometimes a challenge in the evening. There are also different strategies for dealing with it in race preparation for ultra events. Max deliberately reduces his caffeine intake before races so he can benefit from the full effect of caffeine during the race.
And if, like Max, you still love making coffee passionately, then you need good decaffeinated coffee. Over the past few years, we've focused intensively on top decafs as a roastery, fine-tuned our roasting, and conducted various experiments with specially decaffeinated coffees made for us. We currently have three decaffeinated coffees in our range and will continue to expand this.
As part of the decaf tasting, we'll taste the current three decafs Sueño, Dipilto, and Apas as well as presumably two surprises.
Who Will Lead the Tasting
Espresso machine expert, barista trainer, and Q-Grader. For several years, he has been active as a hobby triathlete on the bike, in the water, and jogging. After many kilometers on the road, the gravel bike is his new love, though not necessarily uphill.
Founder and CEO of Kaffeemacher AG. The German Cup Tasting Master and Swiss Brewers Cup Master discovered cycling two years ago and has been collecting kilometers on long bikepacking tours and gravel routes ever since.
A gravel bike or whatever you like to ride. We'll take a small route toward Ettingen, no demanding terrain. Helmet and lights. It will get dark on the way back.
