Connecting on the Bike and over Coffee
If there’s one thing—besides bikes—that binds the Killat Collective, it is probably our deep love for coffee. Nothing beats waking up early, going out for a hike, trail run, or ride, and that first coffee after. Caffeinated rides have saved our days countless times, and when we are not able to ride or run due to whatever, our morning coffee is probably the next best thing.
Try asking the team about their favorite beans and ways of brewing and you’ll get all different answers (the same goes for their bike preferences or favorite Killat bag). I guess that’s what they call complementary.
Early Morning Rides and Swartberg Pass Adventures
Back in 2021, we were still figuring out the next steps for Killat. We had our first fleet of Mercer bikes on the road, and our range of bags was still quite new. We decided to plan a trip to Calitzdorp to ride the Swartberg Pass and its surroundings, hanging out with our family and friends while also taking the time to create some content and think about the future, before we parted ways again.
Early rides meant a 5am curfew to wake up and head out on time, something I was not quite used to since we were figuring out sleep patterns while travelling with a toddler. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Ronald brought his pro coffee machine all the way from Jo’burg, allowing us to get some shots in before the trails.
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- Crossroads
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- Swartberg Pass
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- Calitzdorp bike check
Connecting in Cape Town
A couple of weeks later, we had dedicated our time to organizing the Bicycle Film Festival in Cape Town, hailing from our temporary base in Sea Point. I remember waking up to the sound of Dane grinding his Comandante in our condo before we would jump on our bikes to head out and do a round of posters. This reminded me of how we became friends in the first place, riding our bikes up and down Suikerbossie before work while finishing off with a coffee at our favorite seaside spot. Connecting on the bike and over coffee.
The Limited-Edition Killat x Bluebird Collection
Fast forward to 2026. Some coffee stops have become vendors, like our friends at The Village Hub and Die Koffieman. We are all still crazy about coffee in our way. When friend of the collective and Killat lead designer Pete approached us with the idea of working together with Bluebird Coffee Roastery, we did not have to think about it; it was a done deal.
Based in Howick, Bluebird Coffee Roastery is a highly respected, award-winning specialty coffee roaster from South Africa. The project was started by Dario Scilipoti as a passion project that grew from home-brewing to home-roasting, and eventually into an international operation. Their quality-first approach, the 100% specialty vs. mass production focus: we could go on about how our values are the same.
We’re very proud to release the one-off edition Killat x Bluebird collaboration, featuring two versions of our signature Wax Moon hip and camera bag alongside four versions of our premium cotton caps. The design is based on the different Bluebird coffee flavours. The best part? We also got our own limited-edition blend which you can order the bundle via our site, directly via Bluebird, or in their shop in KZN.
Stock is very limited, so don’t wait too long to pick your favorite color.
+ Shop the bundle
+ Get the Wax Moon
+ Get the cotton cap
Killat x Bluebird
Creative direction and production: Pete Reynolds , Ronald Jacobs, Dane Zijlstra
A massive thanks to Pete and the Bluebird team-Dario and Katie- for making this happen.
Words by: Thomas Spronk
