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Peace Coffee Delivery
March 27, 2009
Peace Coffee is one of those rare companies that seems to be dedicated to doing good. They sell fare trade, organic coffee which I love, but to top it all off they deliver by bicycle. Meagan O'Brien is works as a delivery rider, getting there beans out to shops in the Minneapolis area. I was luck enough to have a chat with her.
1. Have you always been into bicycles?
Yeah. As a child, my blue Freestyle was my ticket to freedom. I could get anywhere I wanted to go - the lake, a friend's house, the woods. Eventually I rode to school and to swim practice. And then to ski practice (with my skis) and then to work when I got a job... And then I traveled a bit and saw people hauling chickens and heavy steel pipes on bikes. Then I didn't feel like such a freak and kept it up. I'm 27 and have never owned a car. When I quit college, I happened into a job at a bike shop and hooked up with other like-minded people and the rest, as they say, is history.
2. Have you worked any other bicycle related jobs? (i.e. bike industry, messenger, etc...)
I worked a full-time bike mechanic for two and half years and have been working as a seasonal mechanic ever since. I just can't keep away very long. Recently I started teaching basic maintenance classes which has been really fun and a great change of pace. I love seeing the light go on as people understand how cables and limit screws work. It reminds me of my first day in the shop when I didn't know what a wrench was. And it reminds me of how I fell in love with fixing things and being the boss of my own transportation.
3. How long have you been working for Peace Coffee?
Since October 2007
4. Have you always delivered the coffee for them, or did you start in another role?
I started as a roaster, learning the art of turning green beans into the crunchy, aromatic beans we're so familiar with. I did that for a little over a year when the delivery position opened up. Right about that time I was tired of being cooped up all the time and wanted a job that let me get outside more. I found it.
5. How many kilometers do you average each day?
Each day I usually ride between 8-20 miles (13-32 km) with the trailer. I also commute, which tacks on another few miles.
6. Do you deliver year round?
Yes
7. How much coffee do you deliver, in terms of weight?
Usually between 200-400 pounds of beans per route and I pull two routes a day.
8. What is the best part about the job?
Walking into work on a beautiful day knowing I'm going to walk right back out the door. And being able to eat all the cookies I want.
9. What is the worst part about the job?
Pulling the trailer uphill in unplowed snow.
10. Are you addicted to Peace Coffee?
I love the smell of coffee, but my body doesn't handle caffeine well.
11. What kind of bike do you deliver with, and what other bikes do you have?
A Novara Randonee is my day-in-day-out bike. It's their all steel touring bike. It's been very dependable - I bought when I was working there in 2004 and it's still going strong despite minimal maintenance and many abuses. I also have an old Bridgestone RB-1 built up a single-speed winter bike, a Schiwnn Moab as my single-speed all-rigid mountain bike, and a shiny new Milwaukee that is going to become my around-town bike.
12. What kind of trailer do you deliver with?
We have custom made six foot trailers made by Bikes At Work in Ames, Iowa. They're awesome, do great work, and make many things possible with a bicycle.
13. Would you recommend this type of job to someone? If so, why?
It's not an easy job, but it is an awesome job. It's very demanding and, in theory, a great job to a lot of people. Although you have to be a little bit crazy to actually do it everyday, all year.