Cycling and coffee go together beautifully, but just how much would you pay for a mid-ride pick-me-up? I took a trip to the capital to find a shot of espresso that costs more than a decent pair of cycling shoes.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a cyclist in possession of any bike must be in want of a coffee. However, I recently heard rumours of a place in London serving a shot of espresso for a watering-eye £265.
Naturally, I had to investigate. I decided to embark on what must surely be the UK’s most expensive café ride.
To document such a momentous (and expensive) occasion, it would be rude not to film the day out. I got on the blower to Insta360, who were keen to see if the coffee lived up to the price tag. While they wouldn’t shout me the cost of the brew, they did equip me with their latest X5 360-degree camera and a list of challenges to complete on my way to the café.
Challenge 1: the sightseeing tour
Insta360 didn’t want me just beelining for the caffeine. The first challenge was to take the scenic route and I was told to take the camera sightseeing before heading towards Regent’s Park.
The route required tick-list photos of Battersea Power Station, Tate Britain, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Big Ben, and Trafalgar Square.
Capturing these landmarks highlighted one of the X5’s best features: the Invisible Selfie Stick. It sounds like magic, and frankly, it looks like it too. The camera cleverly stitches the footage to remove the stick entirely, leaving you with crispy 8K 360º video that looks like it was filmed by a drone following you.
Even better, they’ve released a folding version of the stick, meaning it now fits neatly in a jersey pocket, for much more secure storage than with the old model.
Liam in London 3 (credit: Liam Cahill)I didn’t want to lug a DSLR around London, and with the X5, I didn’t have to. Flipping it into Single Lens Mode allowed me to snap high-res photos of Battersea Power Station without missing a beat.
But when riding with and simply handling cameras, there is always the risk of dropping them. Thankfully the X5 now has replaceable lenses, so if you do take a tumble, the damaged lens can be removed and you can install a new one in seconds.
Challenge 2: Regent’s Park KOM
Liam’s Regents Park KOM attempt (credit: Liam Cahill / Strava)Having ticked off the tourist spots, it was time for some proper riding. The second challenge: Take the Regent’s Park KOM.
Now, I’ve never ridden around Regent’s Park, but I’ve heard the record is rather spicy. To give myself a fighting chance, I needed to get aero, so I mounted the X5 under my stem. This keeps the cockpit clean and captures an immersive, low-down angle of the speed.
As is often the case in the UK, the tarmac wasn’t always perfect. This is where Flow State Stabilisation shines, ironing out the bumps and vibrations so the footage remains buttery smooth, even when I’m wrestling the bars.
The massive benefit of 360 capture is that I didn’t need to worry about where the camera was pointing while I was turning myself inside out. I could just ride, and choose the framing later – perfect for sweeping through corners.
Did I take the KOM? No. One red light and several taxis put paid to my effort, but I don’t think the record was ever in danger.
Challenge 3: the edit (and the coffee)
Insta 360 coffee-3 (credit: Liam Cahill)Finally, I arrived at the café and after locking up my bike a worrying distance across the street, I ordered the infamous £265 espresso.
Challenge three came through just as I sat down: “Could you make a quick social edit from today?”, asked Insta360.
Insta 360 coffee-4 (credit: Liam Cahill)This actually saved the day. As it turned out, the cafe was rather camera-shy and didn’t allow us to film the coffee being made or consumed. So, while I sipped the liquid gold, I got to work on the edit.
Using the Insta360 app, I could pull in the files and simply pick the vertical framing for Instagram/TikTok without having to have shot it vertically in the first place.
The verdict
So, was the coffee worth £265? It was certainly… an experience. To find out if I liked it, you’ll have to watch the video.
If you fancy capturing your own café rides (expensive or otherwise), Insta360 is currently offering the first 30 people to use code ROAD at checkout a free replacement lens kit with their purchase. Head over to Insta360’s website to claim yours.