The Cub House opened its doors at their 2510 Mission St address in San Marino two years ago and this weekend, they’re celebrating with a Ringtail Pop-Up and rides both Saturday and Sunday. If you’re in the area, make sure you swing by!
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Vice Looks at the Most Dangerous US Cities to Ride a Bicycle and WTF, Iowa?
In news that no one has to be surprised at, Vice takes a look at the top 10 most dangerous cities for cycling in an interesting, yet terrifying article. As someone who calls Los Angeles home, I must say I’m not surprised, but like the article notes, cycling is the answer to helping save the environment we’re all aware of, yet we’ve got a long way to go to make streets safer…
“In 2019, more and more cities across America are encouraging their residents to commute by bicycle. Cycling, of course, is good for the environment in terms of reducing pollution from car-dominant streets, and it’s a healthier way to travel.
But cities gaining new cyclists are quickly, tragically finding that they do not have the proper infrastructure to keep them safe. Cyclist fatalities have gone up 25 percent across the U.S. since 2010, and up 10 percent in 2018 itself, while all other traffic fatalities have decreased.”
Read on at Vice.
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The Cannondale Carbon Topstone has Evolved Past its Aluminum Sibling
I absolutely loved the aluminum Cannondale Topstone for what it was: a nicely spec’d, well-riding, off-the-shelf all-road bike that has Cannondale’s DNA with build options ranging from $1,050 to $2,100. It was a great bike at a solid price that didn’t skimp on the build kit or frame design. So when Cannondale launched the Carbon Topstone, with new passive suspension design, I was interested in seeing how the bike would ride. To come out with such an evolved design from the original Topstone, it had to be worth it, right? Well… it’s complicated.
Radar
A Sneak Peek at the Upcoming Radavist Jerseys
We’ve been working on a late summer, early fall launch since what feels like a year or so and have finally pushed the button to get these into production. We’ve got three color combinations, in both road and this active jersey, perfect for gravel, MTB, running, backpacking, or other outdoor activities. With an active SPF built into the fabric, the long sleeves protect your arms from the sun’s harmful UV rays, while keeping you cool by wicking the sweat off your body. I’ve been wearing this jersey all summer, to test out how well it performs in the 100º Southern California heat. The material itself doesn’t get as stinky as fast like other fabrics I’ve been testing and the fit is more relaxed, with a longer drop back and extended sleeve cuffs.
ENDO Customs is currently making these in downtown Los Angeles and they should be for sale in the next few weeks. There are three color options, based on the tonality and colors of the desert (pictured), the forest, and plains. Stay tuned for more information here in the next few weeks and check out more teasers below.
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Jun’s Eddy Merckx Telekom SLX with Ornately Engraved Campagnolo
Today is Labor Day in the US, so we’re taking the day easy, and catching up on life’s demands but we wanted to share this bike on Monday, because, you know, it’s Merckx Mondays. When I was at the Cub House a few weeks back, I met Jun, who was out on a ride with this bike. As you can imagine, this bike has quite the story…
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What Almost Was: the Mystic Alluvium 27.5+ Hardtail MTB
Over the years, I’ve had the honor to throw my leg over many bikes, try them out, write a review, and then send them back. While the bikes return to their companies, the experience stays with me, and in the time I’ve been running this website, I’ve developed my own belief for what the perfect geometry for a hardtail mountain bike is. About a year ago, I began talking with Adam Sklar and Colin Frazer, who were about to launch a new production, US-made frame company called Mystic. We wanted to test the waters with a Radavist edition frame, dubbed the Alluvium. After chatting about numbers and branding, we felt like we were getting closer to releasing this frame. Then the reality of such an undertaking took hold and we killed the project.
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This Cub House Built Crust Bikes Lightning Bolt Cruiser Shines!
What do you get when Bené, aka Ultra Romance, aka Ronnie McFly, aka Glistening Gandolf coerces an XC/roadie racer boi into embracing the long and slow lifestyle? Well, you’re about to find out. While Benedict and Sean from Team Dream were working closely on those nifty merino wool bib shorts, Benedict convinced Sean with his silver tongue to build up a dream bike. A veritable ex-roadie 2.0 cruiser, complete with all the iconic componentry of MTB and randonneuring’s heyday, which pinch me if I’m wrong, is always the present time. What you see here is the result of much toodlin’ and many man hours spent scrounging for parts. All aboard a Crust Bikes Lightning Bolt.
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Escape to Santa Catalina Island
It’s not every day you’re presented with an opportunity to step out of the routines of daily life and to reconnect with a couple of old friends in a beautiful, fairly isolated environment; and to get to fully experience that place from the saddle of your bicycle. When a couple of my oldest friends, Josh and Alex, invited me on a bikepacking adventure – and asked me to assist with a video they planned to produce about the trip – help with logistics, carry some gear, etc. – I gave an enthusiastic and immediate, “I’m all in.” Josh and Alex had secured a generous grant from Kitsbow to capture our time on camera, in hopes that our experience would inspire and motivate others to get outside, unplug from life a bit, reconnect with old friends, and explore an exciting and accessible environment within a reasonable window of time. What cyclist wouldn’t want to throw their bike in a travel bag, fly down to Los Angeles for a 3 day weekend, and spend the bulk of that time pedaling around on Santa Catalina Island with a duo of old friends?
Radar
LA River Jump with Caché
The thing about Instagram is while sometimes you end up with these great one-off shots, that have very little story behind them, they end up living on this low-res platform which most people interact with solely on a cell phone screen. Last Saturday, Kyle, Caché, and I headed down to the LA River to take a photo Caché had previously shot with his cell phone. I wanted to get a nice, high res, professional photo because Caché’s eye for urban lines have resulted in many awe-inspiring takes on what it means to ride a MTB within the Los Angeles city limits. The resulting photos made quite the splash on our Instagram but I wanted to share them here as well.
For Caché, he looks at the MTB as a tool for exploration within and on the outskirts of this sprawling mega-metropolis. In the newest print-edition of Bike Mag, Caché gets a full spread of his riding and art as a mural painter with graffiti roots in LA’s scene.
Give him a follow on Instagram and check out some more randoms from our morning in the LA River drainage network. The last shot is my favorite. Which is yours?
Radar
Portland Design Works Gear in Los Angeles
Los Angeles has some incredibly diverse riding. For those wanting to see the sights and sounds of the city, or to find solitude in the mountains, there’s something for everyone. Portland Design Work‘s new video showcases just that.
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Outside Online: Pat Cummins is a UFC Fighter that Rides a Rigid MTB
This was such a fun assignment! I met Pat Cummins earlier this year. He’s a UFC fighter with a heart of gold and a personality of an artist, moreso than a battle-hardened, Rock ’em Sock ’em Robot. He loves riding bikes, listening to music, and talking about his plans in life, post-fighting. Pat’s the kind of guy who would rather give you a hug than beat on you in a ring for an hour. So why does he fight in the UFC?
Well, he was a wrestler in college and was looking for a way to make some extra money. Years later, he’s still in the mix, but with a new perspective on life. Oh and he rides a rigid Niner…
Head to Outside Magazine to read this whole piece!
Radar
A Few From Last Sunday’s Los Angeles Explorers Club 1980s Movie Ride
Last Sunday, the Los Angeles Explorers Club convened in San Marino a the Cub House for a “historic” ride through the surrounding neighborhoods of South Pasadena and Pasadena, stopping at famous homes featured in Hollywood movies from the ’80s. Included in the list were houses used in Teen Wolf, Back to the Future, Pretty in Pink, Terminator, Halloween (technically 1978), Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, and more.
Aimee Gilchrist, the LA Explorers Club founder, dressed up as Doctor Emmett Brown from Back to the Future, as she guided a rather large group of cyclists through picturesque, tree-lined streets, on a 14-mile jaunt around town. Afterward, a dance-off competition ensued, all while BBQ eats and beverages were sold.
If you like informative and very relaxed rides like this, be sure to follow the Los Angeles Explorers Club on Instagram!
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A Cub House Built Cannondale F-Si Hi-MOD Throwback XC Bike!
Most cyclists, and even non-cyclists, who enjoy the type of bike racing that involves going up and down hills know the name Eddy Merckx and of course The Tour de France. Road racing, and the companies associated with it, do a great job of embracing its European heritage and consistently reminding us of how the sport evolved into what it is today. This makes it easy easy to get pulled into the romanticized parts of road racing when companies like Campagnolo, Colnago, and Bianchi do such a great job of celebrating their places in what makes the sport special.
Radar
Team Dream’s Squareback Gets Smoked on the Mountain!
Team Dream took their VW Squareback up to the Angeles Crest to document their new Tie Dye collection with the ENDO CNCPT Team. If this video gets your vintage VW juices flowin’ check out the photos I shot last year when we featured Sean’s Cannondale. The ENDO CNCPT kit is coming July 11th to Teamdreambicyclingteam.com.
Radar
Pure Cycles: Adventure Apex Gravel Bike
Los Angeles’ Pure Cycles have announced their Adventure line of gravel bikes, including the Adventure model (sold out), the Adventure Pro ($899) and an Adventure Apex build ($1099). These entry-level gravel bikes feature 700c x 650b interchangeability, disc brakes, and a geometry tuned for all-road riding. See more at Pure Cycles.
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SPLATTERDAY! a SWRVE and Team Dream Party in Los Angeles Tomorrow!
This Saturday, June 8th, SWRVE and Team Dream are throwing a party at high noon to celebrate their newest capsule collection together which includes all made in Los Angeles apparel and accessories. Be sure to swing by!
The Cub House
2510 Mission St
San Marino, CA 91108
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The Los Angeles Tracklocross Series
Tracklocross. Yeah, you heard it, Tracklocross. It’s exactly what it sounds like and it’s spreading faster than you could ever imagine. With contingencies popping up all over the globe, things are really beginning to culminate this year as we lead up to Nationals in June (Bay Area) and the World Championships in August (Japan). With Los Angeles’ second race of the season in the bag, the vibes are only growing stronger out here as things continue to build momentum. Safa Brian came out and completely crushed the course. He took a commanding lead out the gate and put a significant gap between him and the rest of the pack. The spectator crowd camped out in the middle of the grass and more or less turned their heads as everyone ran laps around them.
Radar
Enjoy Your Weekend!
Shred like Poppi and if you’re in Los Angeles, make sure you head to the California Golde Premiere! Free tickets are available at EventBrite.
Also, we have a new website dropping on Monday, so we’ll be laying low this weekend preparing for the big reveal! Ride ya bike!
