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We love the King Cage Manythings cargo cages for carrying Nalgene bottles, fuel, and Jetboils. Over the years, some bag makers have even adorned these versatile cages with custom bags. But what if you wanted to carry something longer? Well, a few weeks ago, King Cage teased these Longer Thing Cages on its Instagram, and then the brand reached out to John to see if he’d like to check them out. Read on for more…
In the 17th century, pockets were standalone accessories. So, Travis’s Evoc Race Belt review is technically retro.
We love our friends in the Maker community, and during a recent build, John stumbled upon some nifty headset spacers from White Industries. Check out what makes these spacers so unique below!
While we give a lot of coverage to big, burly dropbar touring bikes, there’s something freeing about riding a lightweight and zippy gravel bike at a faster pace. Mason Cycles’ Bokeh 3 offered up this exact riding experience for John as he fled the frigid lands of Northern New Mexico in winter for a romp in the grasslands of Patagonia, Arizona. Let’s check it out…
In this review of the Cedaero Fork Lift Pack, Hailey Moore writes about the benefits of hybridizing traditional touring setups with more streamlined bikepacking products, and assesses how Cedaero’s additon to today’s fork bag offerings faired in wet weather this past summer in Colorado.
The revived 2024 Transition TransAM is shiny enough to attract local corvids in your area, progressive enough to melt the mind of your uncle still pearl-clutching his Salsa El Mariachi, and balanced enough to set a new standard. Read on below as Spencer Harding runs the numbers and throws the book at Transition’s new hardtail MTB!
Fat bikes are strange birds in the cycling world, with their crazy-wide q-factors and monster clearances, but they are also extremely capable platforms that lend room for a lot of creativity. As an arctic blast sweeps across much of the US, and snow blankets our favorite Southwest trails, we’re taking a look back at our ten favorite fat-bike reviews from the last few years. You’ll see a few of the usual suspects from Surly, but we’re also resurrecting one-off creations from the archives and even a Readers’ Ride. Drop into the comments and let us know how you’re getting ‘Fat’ this winter!
The new OneUp V3 dropper post is not wireless! But there’s lots to talk about. So, Travis took it apart, put it together, and even rode it.
Old Man Mountain adds to its innovative list of rack options today with the new Axle Pack. OMM’s latest product launch features a combined thru-axle and strut, with several mounting points, to provide riders the ability to carry cargo on the fork on bikes without fork blade mounts. Rated to carry up to 11 pounds per side—while weighing under a pound for the pair—the Axle Pack offers a heavyweight solution for backcountry Check out Spencer’s first-ride review and hot takes on this new product.
As gravel and touring bikes begin to adopt features like bigger tires and dropper posts, it seems that handlebars have been slow to keep up.
Sure, bars are getting wider. But there’s only so much you can do to make them taller. Unless, like the new Ritchey Corralitos handlebar, you build them with a subtle rise and shallow drop. That’s what got Travis Engel interested in trying them out. The hard part would be abandoning the very similar Ritchey Beacon that he’s been using for over a year. So, he weighed the pros and cons of both, and shares his findings.
There was a very broad range of very specific questions rattling around in Travis Engel’s head as he waited for the REEB Steezl to arrive. A lot more questions than normal. Usually, all he has to do for a bike review is keep riding it until he can put all its variables into context. The REEB Steezl, on the other hand, was top-to-bottom known-unknowns. It’s a U.S.-made steel full-suspension mountain bike, compatible with multiple shocks, multiple chainstay lengths, and made of multiple frame materials. Things got interesting. Hold my REEB.
Multi-tools are an endemic part of cycling and the less you have to think about grabbing one as you head out the door, the better. John’s been using the Equipt Sardine ($60) for a few months now, mounting its 3D-printed holder under the bottle cages on his bikes, and is pleased to report back that this tool rules…
While most review bikes go back into a company’s demo fleet pretty quickly, the Fairlight Secan that Morgan Taylor reviewed back in 2022 has gone on to live an illustrious life of ultra-distance riding, mostly of the randonneuring variety, with their friend Andrew. In this re-review, Morgan and Andrew consider the Secan’s updated build and speak to the easy wins and marginal gains of preparing both bike and rider for very long days in the saddle.
If our Top Ten Beautiful Bicycles list serves as an indicator of your interests, our Top Ten Review Bikes speak to the readership’s curiosities and potential next bike buys. This year’s Top Ten Review Bikes ran the gamut from carbon gravel bikes with proprietary passive suspension to actual full suspension bikes and everything in between.
Let’s check out what review bikes pushed the needle for you this year!
While our favorite stories are always ride and event coverage, people love flocking to The Radavist for our opinion on products. We view ourselves as the bike industry’s press corps, offering nuanced takes on hot items each year, while pushing back ever so slightly on the long arm of the industry’s marketing. This year, we cracked a lot of hard nuts but walked away with some compelling products—some of which deserve extra recognition—all while deciphering the world of bikes we know and love, and penning opinion pieces that garnered lots of eyes throughout the past twelve months.
Let’s check out The Radavist Product Awards and our Top 10 Articles of 2023 below!
Over the years I’ve slowly tinkered with my touring setup to really nail down which pieces of kit work best for the type of riding I do and where I’m heading next. I’m always looking for new products that are versatile in terms of the climate and terrain they can be used on, and most importantly I want them to last, as this stuff can be difficult to replace while on the road. Most of the items on this list are things I’ve started to use over the last year or two, but there are also a couple of items that have been a staple of my setup for the last 7 years.
Longtime contributor, product tester, and Bespoked co-owner Petor Georgallou shares his list of Favourite Products of 2023. With an eye for aesthetics, function, and alternative uses, Petor’s top picks run the gamut of what you might expect to find on this site, from boutique bikes to a lowly notebook. Read on to learn how he hacked a Wizard Works bag, made use of a “smiling butt kit,” a look at a couple products he’ll be reviewing next year, and two playlists he recently assembled for Bespoked…
It’s been a wild year around these parts. In addition to the organizational changes we experienced with this website, I feel fortunate to have met and collaborated with many amazing people in addition to traveling to some truly remarkable places. My list of favorite products ended up being rather eclectic, but I think it reflects the wide range of material we get to cover here. Of course, music was an integral backdrop to my work – on rides, traveling abroad, and with my family at home – so I have joined some of our other contributors in offering a selection of favorite tunes, alongside a handful of products, below.
