Gorilla Coffee CC
Sean Lacey swings through town with this cafe-based club
It feels a bit odd riding through busy I streets and heavy traffic into an ever more urban environment, but it certainly makes a change from the usual spins to the start point of a club ride. There is no mistaking that we are in the right place either as the distinctive jerseys of the Gorilla Coffee CC riders spill out onto the road outside the Midlands cafe they are based at, a huge turnout on a hot sunny morning. The advantage of being formed by the cafe’s owner, James Connolly, is that even at this early hour on a Sunday they are open and ready to serve shots of caffeine and a bit of breakfast.
Connolly is a larger-than-life character and despite the bleary eyes of the assembled riders — there were a few late nights involved apparently — the mood is jovial and the banter in full flow. It takes a little time to get the groups organised due to the numbers here but a plan is formed, with two main groups heading out; a faster bunch of racing snakes and our medium-paced group. The route out of Kings Heath, which sits just south of Birmingham city centre is easy enough — surprising given that even this early in the morning the traffic is busy. But the concrete soon gives way to greenery as we head south and skirt the village of Hollywood — somewhat smaller and less glamerous than its American cousin. The pace is pretty quick until we reach the first crossing of Earlswood Reservoir. One of the guys tells us how just a couple of months ago the torrential rain had caused it to flood violently causing a lot of damage, but here today in the heat the level was at an almost record low. British weather, never a dull moment.
Easing up slightly now we’re onto the twistier lanes, we catch a chat with Joe Brinsdon, who
has been a member from the early days. “I live locally and the cafe is on my cycle commute,” he says. “One afternoon James was out front and shouted to me as I passed, I stopped and we chatted. I’m out with them every week without fail now.”
We’ve dropped as far south as we’ll get today at Henley-in-arden and the road has got lumpier on the baking hot back lanes, the tar rising to the surface making a satisfying sound as we sweep along. Thoughts turn to how a cold drink would be welcome right at this moment and we tap out a reasonably rapid tempo, making good progress back towards Birmingham.
As we get closer to the sprawl of the city outskirts, riders are getting visibly twitchy; word gets back that the traditional Flamme Rouge sprint is getting itself organised, and the fast guys are soon dots in the distance. On our return, the cafe is packed out as the fast group has been back a while and the rest of our group (save for a few who’d drifted off to attend to Sunday duties) filter into the venue with a view to slaking thirsts.
The sun is still beating down so it would be rude not to enjoy the hospitality and atmosphere with a cold pint of Kona Big Wave, perfect post-ride refreshment while we talk with Dr Joe Baker, fast becoming a fixture. “I only joined in March but love the cafe and the club — so much so that I work out of here a couple of days a week. Keen to get involved more, I organised a Paris-roubaix trip which went down really well,” he says.
Relaxing out in the sunshine, we’re told the club’s unofficial tongue-in-cheek motto is: ‘A drinking club with a cycling problem’, a nod to their always fun side. These guys and this club are an absolute pleasure to ride with. Cheers!
Club history
The club is a new one, only formed in 2017 under anything but usual circumstances. James Connolly had a successful career in local government but wasn’t happy in his work; opening a cafe was a lifelong ambition of his and in early 2017 he quit his job to set about making the dream reality. With premises in Kings Heath just off the high street acquired, the Gorilla Coffee Cycling Collective was established. The location was a handy meeting point for Sunday rides, with a few friends joining together in the early days heading out on a variety of runs, but this has rapidly grown through word of mouth and chance visits to 220 regular participants in just
over a year. Gorilla Coffee Cafe acts as a clubhouse and provides a popular base for cyclists from a range of city-based clubs to meet other like-minded individuals.
Gorilla Coffee CC now has a number of experienced criterium and TT riders and has this season registered with Cycling Time Trials and has also started to have its first riders take part in 10 and 25-mile events in Warwickshire and the surrounding area in their striking colours. Although they aren’t home to any champions yet, it’s surely just a matter of time, and you can bet in the coming years there will be some serious talent rising through the club.