Urban Velo

I picked up the original Singletrack coffee mug on a trip to the UK in 2001. For those unfamiliar, Singletrack is a mountain bike publication from smack dab in the middle of old Blighty. The mug bears the slogan, “Not jumpy, not grumpy,” which summarizes their editorial stance on off-road cycling. They’re neither inundated with downhill or freeride coverage (jumpy) nor do they dedicate a lot of space to the racer set (whose excruciated facial expressions make them look grumpy).

While many people primarily associate the British with tea, they in fact drink copious amounts of coffee as well. At least the publishers of Singletrack do. Made by the Crown Pottery Works at Stoke-on-Trent in England, this slipcast white earthenware mug holds a whopping 16 ounces of coffee or tea (18 to the rim). It bears the trade mark of Tams, a company with roots going back to the 1870’s.

Unfortunately, the original Singletrack coffee mug is no longer available. They’ve introduced a new American-made coffee mug and a bone china tea cup. Both look very nice, but I’ll stick with the original. Visit www.singletrackworld.com for more info.