Today, we have a conversation with the one and only Austin Killips. This year, she set a new overall record for the Arizona Trail and now a new women’s record for the Tour Divide. Spencer got the chance to ask Austin some questions as she prepared for the Colorado Trail to round out her Triple Crown. See what Austin had to reflect on and look forward to below…
To add to our already monumental amount of coverage of the 2024 MADE bike show, today we have a massive gallery of everything else at the show. A few new products and sneak peeks, some lovely portraits, and some more bikes that evaded even our herculean coverage of the event. There were just too many amazing bikes and equally amazing people! Check the whole gallery below…
While the 2024 MADE Bike Show was filled to the brim with fantastic custom and bespoke builds, we needed to stretch our legs a bit and look outside the event facility as well. The bike racks around the event’s perimeter were filled with patina and beausage, contrasting the clean and polished builds inside the show. Did your bike make it into our Rack Spotting gallery? Check it all out below…
Today, we’re peeling back the curtain on one of the cycling industry’s most experienced, globally recognized, and revered manufacturers of superlative bicycle components that continue to define and stand the test of time. Join the SimWorks crew for a trip inside Nitto for thoughtful insights into their commitment to traditional craft and manufacturing processes, their uniquely Japanese philosophy on quality and dedication to process, and how their past continues to direct their future.
Spencer Harding was surprised to find the answer to his bike touring handlebar needs from Ritchey of all companies with their Buzzard handlebar. Their touring/comfort-focused Buzzard handlebar has the numbers and bends to make his spine and hands happy and perfectly topped off his Crust Scapebot build. Check out his review below…
After living out their horse girl Cheypie skort dreams for the past 3+ years, Blix has come to the conclusion that long-lasting clothing in the outdoor world doesn’t have to be the hyper technical-looking stuff we see advertised in most cycling spaces. You can have it all with the Cheypie Skort by Casa Verde. Check out the long-term review below.
Bikes Beers Bluegrass (B3) Lost River is a weekend-long gathering of Mid-Atlantic cyclists centered around a non-competitive gravel ride that focuses on casual cycling. Andy Karr attended B3 for the first time after years of prioritizing other local, racing-oriented events instead and was left wondering, “What was I thinking all those years?” Continue reading below for Andy’s recap, supported by a wonderful mix of analog and digital photography!
Today, we are showing off Jordyn’s deep custom Chromag Darco. Unlike your local rad dad selling his 10-year-old MTB as “custom” after swapping the saddle and grips, Tucson local Jordyn went deep to adapt his Chromag Darco to his desert trails. Check out all the dialed details below!
Following his visit with Crust Bikes, Nic Morales‘s road trip across the southeast continues with a trip to Velo Orange in Baltimore, MD. Given his longstanding appreciation of the brand’s ethos and product offerings, it felt only right to finally put a face to the names and influences that had influenced so much of his cycling life.
Through an extensive tour of their headquarters and an interview with co-founder Igor Shteynbuk, Nic learned of the logistics and mindset taken up by those behind the “VO” adorning many of our builds… Check it out below!
Brooke’s preference for mountain bikes leans towards longer and slacker varieties. However, when the opportunity arose to test the all-new Liv Pique 29 Advanced, she couldn’t resist. There’s something to be said about a race-bred bike, no matter the terrain it’s intended for. The review of this cross-country race machine coincided with Brooke’s own training and participation in the Downieville Classic All-Mountain Championships, where light and lean Liv Pique proved to offer an edge.
And special thanks to Ryan Cleek for the stunning photoset!
Surly Bikes released some new handlebars and feed bags recently and you can get them in any color you want as long as it’s black. The new Sunset handlebars help get your paws high enough to claw through golden hour clouds and the Dugout Feed Bag makes sure you have all the snacks and hydration one could ever need. Check out Spencer’s review of both products below…
Alex Bethge breaks down the inspiration behind his new custom Cicli Bonanno Futomaki Disc. With bold lines and an eye toward sustainability, he commissioned a bike meant to last and withstand the ever-changing tides of the bike industry.
After crossing Spain and climbing the highest mountains in the Al-Ándalus area, the Toubkal mountain presented itself as a challenge but also as an excuse to explore a country in which Sonia and Eloi had not cycled before. They knew that the next step was to change continents, and Morocco’s Highest Peaks were just on the other side of the harbor. What they didn’t know was that they were about to cross a land that would surprise them to an extent that, at the time, they couldn’t even imagine…
This June, Meaghan Hackinen set out to compete in the Tour Divide. While no stranger to big rides or bikepacking races, this would be Meaghan’s longest off-pavement adventure yet. After a neck-and-neck race with Ana Jager, Meaghan reached Antelope Wells in a time of 15 days and 23 hours, winning the 2024 women’s division (7th overall) and setting the fastest women’s time for a grand depart.
In this reflective essay, Meaghan weaves together snapshots from her experience while exploring the invaluable but less visible support network that helped her achieve this Tour Divide win.
Supporting photographs from Seth DuBois, Alexandera Houchin, and Megan Dunn
Having always been excited about mixing and matching drivetrains in ways they were never meant to be used, Spencer’s interest was piqued with the D1x Trail shifter offering from Archer Components. With the second generation of the D1x, Archer added a multitude of new features to make this an appealing alternative to big-brand wireless shifting systems.
Allowing for wireless use of any cable-actuated derailleur opened some doors to intriguing (if unconventional) use cases. Check out Spencer’s review of the D1x Trail and all the strange combinations it enables below…
The North South Colorado Bikepacking Race, a 610-mile adventure from Fort Collins to Trinidad, Colorado, is known for its challenging and scenic route over some of Colorado’s iconic (and lesser-known) passes. This year’s event saw around 60 riders toe the line, ready to tackle the diabolical journey. The course, notorious for its demanding 50,000 feet of elevation gain, offers a diverse mix of terrain, including smooth and blown-out gravel roads, trails, and even an abandoned train trestle precariously perched on the side of a mountain.
After a scratch on Day 2 of last year’s race Zack Allison returned this year with renewed confidence and a well-thought-out strategy. Zack, who spends most of his time racing gravel bikes and co-promoting the FoCo Fondo with his wife Whitney, provides a thorough recap of his North South Colorado win. His account delves into the highs and [mostly] the solitary lows of his journey to take the win at one of the toughest bikepacking races in the USA.
Project VA is an annual project from Guy Stone of Relstone Cycles. Each year, Guy builds and donates a custom bike to a veteran, and this year, he fabricated a custom steel gravel bike for Matt. Check out the latest Project VA bike and all the amazing details below with photography from Scott Payne…
Following up on his gear-centric Q&A, this article explores everything food-related from Kurt Refsnider’s 3-month adventure last summer riding the length of the Continental Divide Trail (the bike-legal sections, that is). That trip was documented here on The Radavist in a series of articles – if you want to read more about the adventure, you can find those here.
