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Cute, Durable, and Ethical Cycling Bags: A Workshop Visit with Wizard Works

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Cute, Durable, and Ethical Cycling Bags: A Workshop Visit with Wizard Works

London-based Wizard Works makes decidedly cute, sturdy, and durable bags for cyclo-touring and bikepacking. Founders and owners, Harry and Veronica, are committed to producing everything in-house, sourcing materials from within the UK and Europe, and supporting their small staff with livable wages and a positive work environment. They’ve turned what was once a hobby into a robust brand, now with stockists around the globe. Following this year’s Bespoked, Josh got to play tourist and eat biscuits while getting treated to some behind-the-scenes time at Wizard Works’ new workshop in Greenwich. With their cheerful space, happy colors, and employee-first practices, this is some wizardry where you very much want to look behind the curtain. Read on for more from Josh’s shop visit!

Wack Packs and 4.5 Star Bathroom Experiences: A Shop Visit to Oveja Negra

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Wack Packs and 4.5 Star Bathroom Experiences: A Shop Visit to Oveja Negra

Many moons ago I was looking for a place to park my car as a shuttle vehicle in Salida before the beginning of  the second DFL the Divide trip  when a friend suggested, “See if you can park at Oveja Negra.”  A few Instagram messages later and I had secured a parking spot behind their shop in downtown Salida, CO. When we returned at the end of the trip – unkempt and raucous – we were nonetheless treated to showers and a tour by the incomparable Lane. Her tour was full of ghost stories and other fun histories of their historic building. Coming back so many years later to similar open arms is truly a lovely thing.

Thread Lightly: Seven Things I Learned While Making My Own Bicycle Framebags

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Thread Lightly: Seven Things I Learned While Making My Own Bicycle Framebags

After the apocalypse, I’m pretty sure society could learn to rebuild if we just get the Youtube servers back online. When I needed to install a new starter in my Tacoma, Youtube was there. When I needed to safely remove some stitches after knee surgery, Youtube was there. And when I couldn’t wait the six weeks or spend the $200 to have a custom frame bag made, Youtube was there.

Evoc Bike Travel Bag Pro Review: A Few Flights With the Sturdy Travel Bag

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Evoc Bike Travel Bag Pro Review: A Few Flights With the Sturdy Travel Bag

Evoc’s Bike Travel Bag Pro is what the German brand refers to as their “high-end” solution for bike transport. It’s a soft/hard-sided hybrid case with multiple integrated bells and whistles designed to keep bikes safe and secure in transit. I’ve used the Travel Bag Pro on a few flights this year and, while I’m not a big fan of air travel nor checked luggage in general, this bag has been a pleasure to use.

Let’s check it out in detail below!

Initial Reaction: Cedaero Viewfinder Camera Handlebar Pack

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Initial Reaction: Cedaero Viewfinder Camera Handlebar Pack

As you might imagine, we’re bag and camera nerds over here at The Radavist. A lot has changed with cycling and photography since the days of pedaling around with a 35mm SLR jammed into an Ortlieb handlebar bag on tours and overnighters. The name of the game is simplicity nowadays, relying on handlebar straps rather than proprietary attachment methods.

There have been several wonderful handlebar-mounted camera bags that have come to market over the past few years, and the latest comes from Cedaero. The Two Harbors, Minnesota-based bag makers announced their new Viewfinder Camera Pack recently and John got his hands on a production model a few weeks before the launch. He’s spent some time with it and is ready to give you an Initial Reaction breakdown review below so read on…

Review: Two Tours with the Tailfin V-Mount Packs

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Review: Two Tours with the Tailfin V-Mount Packs

The folks over at Tailfin have been steadily adding to the array of options in their collection of waterproof cycle-touring bags over the last couple of years. Another addition to their growing list of offerings comes in the form of the newly announced V-Mount packs. With 1.7L and 3L options, these bags are designed to mount to virtually any bike, even if you have no dedicated mounting points, thanks to their remarkably simple v-mount system.

For the last 9 months, I’ve had a chance to thoroughly put them through the rigors of touring in the South American Andes and offer up a few thoughts on who they might work for and who might want to look elsewhere, just in time for their launch.

A First Look at the Tailfin Cage Packs and Straps

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A First Look at the Tailfin Cage Packs and Straps

People have been strapping dry bags to their bikes since long before the word “bikepacking” joined the cycling vernacular. It’s a simple way to add a bit of storage capacity but that extra space comes with obvious drawbacks. Typically those drawbacks include bag shapes that aren’t especially bike-friendly and instability if the bags are not meticulously secured. I’m not a huge fan of my cooking kit flying into my wheel or having bags constantly shift out of position on a rough downhill, so functional and stable bags are essential to me.