Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
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Reportage
Banana Rando: Zach Small’s Vintage Platano Cycle Works
Platano Cycle Works of San Diego, CA was a highly regarded custom bicycle company that, over the years, has been steeped in lore and virtually unknown to those outside of the city’s rich hand-built bicycle scene of the 1970s and early 80s. When Josh was in Nashville earlier this year picking up the Bug Out frame he purchased from Amigo Frameworks and visiting builder Zach Small’s shop space (more on that coming soon), he couldn’t resist documenting Zach’s original Platano. Zach, who hails from San Diego, has collected, bought, and sold many vintage bikes over the years, but he insists he will never let go of the Platano.
Grab a banana snack and continue reading for Zach’s history of Platano Cycle Works and what makes his bike so remarkable…
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Zach’s 90’s Team Stumpjumper
This week’s Readers’ Rides comes from Zach and his 1990s Team Stumpjumper. We love seeing these old mountain bikes repurposed and Zach’s looks a real treat. Let’s check it out below!
Radar
Radar Roundup: Search and State Spring Colors, Chrome Bike Bags, Spencer’s ’83 Stumpy, and Paris-Roubaix Femmes Grit & Grace
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Reportage
Vintage Bicycles: The Wild Story Behind The 1992 Yeti Ultimate
Today, we’ve got an extraordinary treat in our Vintage Bicycles series, brought to you by Mike Wilk with photographs by John Watson. At Sea Otter, John photographed a stunning 22″ 1992 Yeti Ultimate. This one-off bike has such a unique story; aside from being the only bike this size made in that era, it also has a Tioga Disk Drive rear wheel. It’s not every day you get to feature such a rare bird as this Yeti Ultimate, so read on for an in-depth look at what makes this bike so unique!
Radar
Meet the Maker: Scot Nicol of Ibis Cycles
On this episode of “Meet the Maker”, we get an inside look into the history of Ibis Cycles through the lens of their founder and visionary, Scot Nicol a.k.a. “Chuck Ibis”. Scot takes us on a journey through his early adventures on balloon tire cruisers in Northern California, pioneering the sport of mountain biking, through the ups and downs of building a successful business, and into the modern age of cycling as IBIS continues to build great bikes today. History like this never gets old…
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Jakob’s 1990s Marin Sausalito Gravel Bike
Bikes from the 80s and 90s can be repurposed for modern use with some smart parts speccing. Take Jakob from Austria‘s 1994 Marin Sausalito. Let’s see this beaut in full detail below!
Radar
Radar Roundup: Crust x Frank the Welder, Black Yoshimura, and Ritchey 50th Anniversary
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Reportage
Moth Attack Moves to Tucson: A Shop Visit and Interview with Framebuilder Megan Dean
Longtime readers of this site are likely very familiar with Megan Dean and her frame building operation Moth Attack. Her builds span the typology gamut – track, ‘cross, road, mountain, etc. – and she’s been doing it for quite some time now. Check out John’s visit to her space in LA back in 2012! Over the years she’s sponsored a cyclocross team, taught frame building, and has assumed ownership of Handlebar Mustache apparel company with her partner Wade. After moving around the western US, Megan and Wade recently settled in Tuscon, AZ. While I was in town for some riding earlier this year, I caught up with Megan in her home studio while she brazed and formed tubes for the gravel/adventure frame she’s building for Wade. Continue reading for an interview with Megan and a detailed look at two bikes in her personal collection: a 90s Klein Attitude commuter and Team Moth Attack CX…
Reportage
A Second Spin Cycles 90s Grove Innovations Track Bike
Today we’re pleased to showcase a build from our friend Martin at Second Spin Cycles. Martin works on restoring old mountain, road, and yes, track bikes for his clients by speccing the period-correct components and more.
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Carl’s 1997 GT Avalanche
For this morning’s Readers’ Rides, we’ve got Carl’s ’97 GT Avalanche, with its signature triple triangle, amidst some glowing gold aspen leaves. Read on below for more!
Reportage
A FYXO Build: Ash’s Somec AIR TS Vintage Road Bike
When I was a kid, there was a poster of a white Lamborghini Countach SL5000 on my bedroom wall. An object of unobtainable desire. Thirty laps of the sun later, the poster now hangs in my Dad’s garage, and I’m no closer to owning one.
Radar
Toby’s 1993 Specialized Rockhopper Expert: Readers’ Rides
The early 90s offered a plethora of bikes that would last for ages and Toby’s 1993 Specialized Rockhopper Expert is just another example of a bike that will probably last another 30 years. Let’s take a look in today’s edition of Readers’ Rides!
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Robert’s Restored 1986 Miyata Terra Runner MTB
For the past few weeks, we’ve received an influx of vintage MTBs submitted to our Readers’ Rides inbox and today we’ve selected Robert‘s restored 1986 Miyata Terra Runner. Check it out below with lots of photos and a full component breakdown!
Radar
An Update To Our Vintage MTB Tubeless Tutorial With More Photos!
Last year I posted up a quick “How To” showing how you can set your vintage MTB wheels up tubeless and today while working on another build, I took some more photos to update that tutorial, including taping photos so if you were running into trouble trying this out on your setup, these new photos might help…
Vintage Bike Hacks: A Recipe For 1980s and 90s Mountain Bike Tubeless Conversion
Radar
Time Travel Through the Evolution of MTB with Hans Rey
In nature, evolution is a process that takes hundreds of years, whereas the entire evolution of mountain biking fits within a lifetime. Or Hans Rey’s shed, as it happens!
Reportage
The Radavist’s Top 10 Beautiful Bicycles of 2021
I hope your winter break was refreshing and that you got some miles in over the Holidaze. We’re back in 2022 with the first of our 2021 year-end recaps, beginning with everyone’s favorite: the Top 10 Beautiful Bicycles of 2021. Like years prior, I compiled this list by traffic, comments, and social media/backlink chatter, also omitting bikes from Open House/Expo style showcases. There are some real gems in here, so let’s get to it!
Radar
Riding as Ceremony: A Vintage Road Bike is All You Need
At some point earlier this year, I came down (again) with the vintage bug. I used to comb swap meets in search of a 58-60cm bike, NOS Campagnolo kits, hard-anodized wheels, and pantographed parts but it has been a while. Perhaps it’s because I feel so inundated with “new” tech announcements claiming “lighter, stiffer, faster, more aero” and at a certain point, it just gets to be too much. In the same way, I enjoy riding a rigid or a hardtail 90% of the time over a full suspension. Recently, I began to feel “tech fatigue” when it comes to drop bar bikes and have been looking at ways to simplify that riding experience…
