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First Ride Review: SRAM’s New Eagle Transmission and Stealth Brake Collection

Radar By: Josh Weinberg

First Ride Review: SRAM’s New Eagle Transmission and Stealth Brake Collection

After months of leaks, spottings, and speculation, SRAM unveiled their newest wireless mountain groupset, Eagle Transmission, along with a collection of Stealth Brakes. This hefty product launch encompasses derailleurs, cranksets, cassettes, shift controllers, and more across XX SL Eagle, XX Eagle, and XO Eagle levels along with power meter and e-bike-specific components. SRAM also released an all-new Stealth lever body for their Level and Code brake lineup. As such there’s a lot to unpack here, which we expect to dive deeper into during the next few months of Transmission-equipped bike reviews. Today, however, let’s take a look at product highlights and some initial thoughts about these new components after a few rides on a Santa Cruz Megatower test bike that SRAM sent us a couple of weeks ago.

Archive Re-Up: Gideon’s Rivendell Rambouillet S&S Road Bike

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Archive Re-Up: Gideon’s Rivendell Rambouillet S&S Road Bike

When we lost our 2015 image bucket back in 2018, it was a huge bummer, but over the past few months, I’ve been digging out hard drives and re-editing some photos, in the hopes of filling in the bigger holes. With this real winter we’ve been having, I’ve had a bit more free time to take a deep dive into the archives, and today, I’m sharing one of my favorite Rivendell builds I shot while living in Austin: Gideon’s Rivendell Rambouillet Road Bike

Check it out in all its S&S coupled, lugged glory: Gideon’s Rivendell Rambouillet Road Bike

I should also note that my intent here is only to upload lost photos, keeping the text and formatting intact.

Readers’ Rides: Andrew’s Freewheelin’ Crust Bikes Florida Man Singlespeed

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Readers’ Rides: Andrew’s Freewheelin’ Crust Bikes Florida Man Singlespeed

Say what you will about social media and its adverse effects on society but we’ve been served some stunning bikes through our Instagram Explore page over the years and as a result have connected with some genuinely amazing individuals. So maybe it’s not all that bad? Today’s Readers’ Ride is case in point: Andrew‘s Crust Bikes Florida Man looks like something we’d document in our Philly Bike Expo Reportage. Andrew went to town with this one and boy oh boy is it a looker! Without further adieu…

Snowed Out at the 2023 Sedona Mountain Bike Festival

Reportage By: Spencer Harding & Josh Weinberg

Snowed Out at the 2023 Sedona Mountain Bike Festival

The last time we reported from the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival was in November of 2021 and conditions were perfect with sunny skies, warm days, and cool nights. Bike demos and clinics were abundant; everything went according to plan. This year, however, with the festival back on its spring schedule during the first week of March, the weather wasn’t so cooperative. After a sizeable snowstorm caused the first day of the festival to be canceled, Josh and Spencer ventured up to the land of red dirt and vortexes to see how the subsequent days would be salvaged. Thankfully the event organizers, vendors, and festival-goers made the best of things and there were still plenty of bikes and products to show off along with abundant festivities to partake in. Let’s take a look below at what we found!

Bags By Bird Better Half Framebag: Review and Mini Shop Visit

Radar By: Spencer Harding

Bags By Bird Better Half Framebag: Review and Mini Shop Visit

Filling a niche for pre-made frame bags for bikes with non-sloping top tubes, the Bags By Bird Better Half fits where many other bags won’t. The bag comes in two sizes as well as two lengths and is available in a multitude of fabric and color options. Spoiler alert, I think the Better Half is a home run. It is stylish, utilizes an innovative flap closure system, and is made right here in Tucson, AZ.

Spoke Too Soon: An In-Depth Review of BERD Spokes

Reportage By: Kyle Klain & John Watson

Spoke Too Soon: An In-Depth Review of BERD Spokes

Last year John wrote briefly about his early impressions of the BERD spokes while piloting the Sour Bicycles Pasta Party. Due to mixing around bikes and wheels, he ended up handing them over to Kyle Klain to ride and review. After months of riding in and around Santa Fe as well as across southeast Utah during the Aquarius Huts Tour, Kyle has some thoughts to share on this unusual wheel-building option.

Materialism is Dead; Long Live Materialism: A Workshop Visit with Saffron Frameworks

Reportage By: Sam Rice

Materialism is Dead; Long Live Materialism: A Workshop Visit with Saffron Frameworks

In this shop visit with Saffron Frameworks in London, UK, Sam Rice traces a line from Matthew Sowter’s previous life as a chef to his current trade as one of the most awarded frame builders in the world. Matthew’s skill in transforming basic ingredients into magnificent dishes transfers over into his ability to turn a box of tubes into a frame deserving of the word “perfection.” Materialism may be a concept of the past, but it is very much alive in Matthew Sowter’s craft.