Last week, we published a story about the evolution of #coffeeoutside, the nexus point where drinking (and making) coffee meets those pursuits best experienced in the great outdoors, cycling in particular. And this week, those two great forces meet up once again, this time for a greater good. La Marzocco has teamed up with bike maker Specialized to auction off a custom Linea Mini espresso machine and Diverge bike as part of the Grind For Good campaign.
Grind For Good is a fundraising effort created by Enduro cyclists Caro and Anita Gehrig (better known as the Gehrig Twins) and Soil Searching, Specialized’s “movement to recognize, celebrate, and support the trail builders who help shape [mountain biking],” of which the Twins are ambassadors. For the fundraiser, which kicked off over the weekend on eBay, Grind For Good is auctioning off two highly coveted items amongst their respective acolytes: a Diverge gravel bike and a Linea Mini.
One of a kind, the Diverge gravel bike comes in a custom-painted orange and cream design, featuring logos for Soil Searching as well as La Marzocco’s recognizable lion. The retail price of the bike is $10,000, and a full list of its specs can be found here. Likewise, the Linea Mini also see a custom paint job in the same color scheme as the Diverge as well as a Soil Searching and a Specialized logo to boot, retail price $5,700.
Proceeds from the two auctions will be divided evenly between two charities: Hands for Songwa and Outride. Started by La Marzocco in 2007, Hands for Songwa “supports and undertakes community development initiatives to improve social and economic services for the people working and living at the Songwa Estates, and its surroundings, in Tanzania.” Their biking counterpart is Outride, a non-profit “dedicated to improving the lives of youth through cycling” via “[instilling] essential life skills, confidence, and empowerment amongst the younger generations, offering them a brighter and more promising future.”
The auctions will run for 11 more days and as of press time, they had reached $5,144 and $8,916 for the Linea Mini and Diverge, respectively. For more information or to place a bid, visit Grind For Good’s official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
