How To Carry Coffee On A Bike?

Coffee and bicycles – the idea just does not go hand in hand, does it?

If you are dwelling on how to carry your Starbucks on a bike, we understand the dilemma in trying to balance out your hand on one cup and the other on the handlebar.

Not only is this risky for you and your bicycle, but you might also just spill out all the coffee before even taking a sip out of the cup. Moreover, the flimsy cups that the hot coffee comes in, are all but trouble to hold on to.

Luckily for cyclists who can’t do without their morning coffee, there are numerous new, reasonable, and safer courses of action that these cyclists can take on. From holders to smart tricks, here are a few ways how to carry coffee on a bicycle.

How to Carry Coffee on A bicycle?

Through research and experience, we have found that every cyclist is different and so is their riding style, and more importantly, their coffee taste and addiction. This means that a holder might work for one cyclist, but it might not be so feasible for another.

To make sure, you can figure out a way to carry that overpriced hot espresso from Starbucks without tipping over, here are a few tips, tricks, and accessories you could use to carry your caffeine to your destination.

Handlebar Cup Holder

The entire idea of carrying your coffee to work involved you sipping on it every chance you get at the red lights. And cyclists can’t vouch for a safer way of doing that, all while keeping their hands free for the handlebar, thanks to handlebar cup holders.

There is a variety of cup holder attachments that are available in the market right now. However, you may want to keep a few factors in mind before shopping for one. You may want to look for a cup holder that supports different sizes of cups and flasks.

Ibera Bike Handlebar Cup HolderCHECK CURRENT PRICE

Keep in mind that practicality and versatile use in a cup holder is important when you want to carry a can, cup, or plastic coffee glass, particularly ones that are made to carry handle-less cups. Ibera Bike Handlebar Cup Holder is the one we recommend for your tapered coffee cups.

The adjustable clamp along with the angled rim makes sure, you can either have a small or large, hot or cold coffee depending on your mood and your cup holder would still be able to secure the coffee without trouble.

Riders also prefer handlebar-mounted cup holders like Ibera’s because of how quick and easy it is to install once into the handlebar. Its lightweight nature is a sure-shot bonus.

Depending on your preference and your bicycle’s condition, you may also want to keep in mind what material cup holder you keep about. Premium quality chrome holder is popular for their looks and ease of use. Other than that, if rusting is your concern, rubber, and polycarbonate materials are also an option.

kemimoto Bar Cup HolderCHECK CURRENT PRICE

Fabric handlebar cup holders like these, although not secured for unlidded coffee cups, is an affordable and trendy choice of carrying coffee cups.

You can also opt for the best of both in a mesh holder, or perch mount holder made of chrome. Kuryakyn 1462 Motorcycle Handlebar Accessory is what we have in mind when we talk of durability and ease. However, these are slightly more costly than a normal fabric or chrome holder.

Flasks with Bottle Cages

How do you carry your water bottle when you are riding? Possibly in an insulated metal flask or a stainless-steel thermos flask?

When it comes to carrying your daily caffeine, you can do just that. Of course, we see the problem here. With a flask, in your messenger bag, you probably cannot stop at every red light for a sip.

However, an insulated flask with a bottle cage allows you to do that as well. This method is for people who just want to pack their coffee and bagel and take the breakfast to work, or school.

Bottle Cages

Bottle cages, as the name suggests, are traditionally and normally used to affix a water container on the frame, fork, saddle, or even handlebar of your bike, much like a handlebar cup holder.

While a handlebar mounter holder is not suitable for gravel roads, a bottle cage is when you couple it with a flask to carry your coffee on longer roads.

Gazeer Ultra-Light Full Carbon Fiber Bicycle Drink CageCHECK CURRENT PRICE

A carbon fiber water bottle cage on your bike frame would not only be light on your bicycle’s structure, but it would also mean a permanent, corrosion-free accessory to your bike, even if the bicycle lacks holes for mounting it.

The biggest benefit of using this way to carry coffee on a bicycle is that this might be a no-investment addition, only if you have a cage and a bottle. Being a cyclist, who needs hydration and coffee, we can assume you already have both.

If you are one to not carry a bag and want to keep your shoulders and bike rack free of burden, a bottle cage might just be for you.

Insulated Travel Mugs

When we are talking about how to transport coffee on a bicycle, how can we forget travel mugs? Travel mugs and coffee addicts go way back, and there’s a good reason why.

A good travel mug to carry your coffee around your bicycle should have a working and tight lid, proper insulation, and of course, easy to wash. Better still, we’d prefer a dishwasher safe coffee flask.

For all that and more, We love the vacuum insulated thermos flask from Under Armour, which is BPA free and can be used by adults and kids alike.

Under Armour 16oz Protégé Water BottleCHECK CURRENT PRICE

Of course, the drawbacks of not spending on an extra handlebar cup holder prevail. If you are carrying a mug on the bottle cage, you are sure to spin it off on the streets with splits and splashes on your face perhaps.

With travel mugs, you have a myriad of benefits and all you have to do is choose the correct bag, cage, basket, or holder to carry the travel mug with you while you are riding.  Front and rear baskets and messenger bags all work well for that purpose.

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Travel MugCHECK CURRENT PRICE

Likewise, Zojirushi stainless-steel travel mug is especially suited for coffee drinkers because of the tightly fitted lid that keeps the hot coffee in soaring temperatures for a long.

Hydration Pack

Coffee is a hot drink, and when it comes to carrying a drink while you are riding, we can’t help but mention the specialized and trusted hydration pack.

A cycling backpack with a hydration pack has been what cyclists have trusted for years to carry about just about any drink, including a hot mug of coffee straight from Starbucks.

Except, of course, you have to cool down the coffee before you take it in your camelback. This is because hydration packs are not designed for hot drinks. With the suction being difficult to control, hot drinks like coffee might cause more trouble.

The good news is, you can still bring coffee on your hydration pack, preferably without sugar and cream, after it has cooled down.

CamelBak Octane 18 Multisport Hydration PackCHECK CURRENT PRICE

Camelback’s Octane hydration pack might just tick all your boxes if you know how to carry your coffee in a hydration pack the right way. Gear storage and adjustable Sternum Straps make the hydration pack comfortable on your shoulders as you ride out.

That’s why we only recommend hydration packs to carry coffee if you plan to take your coffee to a destination or camping, reheat it again before taking a sip off it. This is not convenient if you plan to drink your caffeine while you are pedaling.

Carry it in Your Hand

There is nothing wrong in carrying your coffee on your hand, whether you have the can’s lid off or on. We certainly do not recommend carrying your coffee in one hand if you are not an expert rider or you are not comfortable riding with one hand.

For cyclists with a certain level of confidence and expertise, you can always have a glove on to carry your coffee plastic container in your hands. That way, you would not need additional accessories nor attachments. Nevertheless, be sure to practice and test the balance before you finally head out.

If you ask us, what’s the cheapest and quickest way to carry your coffee hot while you are riding, it is this one. For safety reasons, and to make sure you don’t burn your hands or get distracted by the heat on your palms, we suggest you surely wear bike gloves.

Our favorite, MOREOK Cycling Glove, is integrated with getting padding and shock absorbing materials. The best features are how airy and non-perspiring the glove is, without compromising on the grip.

A small tip from expert cyclists who like to carry their coffee in one hand says you may want to take the lid off just to keep an eye on the coffee because that way, you can balance the cup better in your hands.

DIY Coffee Carrier

We always have readers with an inkling for a DIY project, no matter how many accessories and gears there are in the market.

A do-it-yourself coffee holder is a practical, affordable, and of course fun way of creating an attachment for your bicycle style. The advantage of having a custom coffee holder begins with the freedom to make the holder about any size you want.

You can follow the given steps to create one of your own:

What you need:

• Tin Can
• Screwdriver
• Electrical conduit
• Drill
• Rubber strap
• Foam
• Scissors

Step 1

You would need a can. You can use about any soda can you want, with the lid on the top uniformly cut off.

Make sure the can is not too small, nor too large. It should be about 4 to 6 inches in diameter so that your coffee cup fits in just right. If you have a fixed coffee container to carry, you can take measurements accordingly.

Step 2

Get a ¾ two-hole strap for an electrical conduit. Next place the strap conduit on the can and mark the spots of the holes on the strap. Use a drill to make holes on the spots you had marked.

Step 3

Wrap the handlebar par where you plan to place the electrical conduit with rubber or foam padding.

Step 4

Place the can on the decided spot and use a screwdriver to tighten the screw.

Step 5

You can also cut out pieces of foam and place them inside the can so that it keeps can be insulated. This is an important step, particularly for cyclists wanting to keep their coffee hot and stable while on the road.

Step 6

Now, for the final look, you would probably not want a plain, silvery can to just ruin the look of your bike. You can also paint the can outside or use a covering to make it look fancier.

Final Thoughts

When you are a coffee addict and ride out with your bicycle every morning, knowing how to carry coffee on a bike is essential. More so, you may want to drink your morning coffee before getting to work, while you are on the road.

The first and safest way that we can recommend to keep you caffeinated on the way is handlebar cup holders. These holders are available in numerous styles, and prices, and for all bicycle types.

Not only can you drink your coffee at every stop, but you can also be sure to safely carry your hot drink without spilling too much.

Insulated flasks, cage holders, and travel mugs also work for many coffee drinkers, especially ones who are bikepacking on their ride out. If no ends meet your eye, you can also get a little creative and make your cup holder.

Last but not the least, you can perpetually carry it in your hand when you are riding. We propose you keep your eyes open as you are cycling and keep your hands safe from burning.