The Radavist

Stacked on a foundation of building strong minds, bodies, characters, and communities, The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) has been getting more kids on bikes through mountain bike racing, adventure riding, trail building, community outreach, and scholarship programs since being officially established in 2009.

Katie Sox spills the beans on her experience photographing for the Oregon League and how NICA continues to expand its offerings while cultivating a healthier and more equitable approach to youth sports.

Over the past few years, Mitchell Connell has fallen in love with road riding with his friends – but he never felt at home on his Scott Addict road bike. He turned to Charles Thompson of Fine Bikes to design a dedicated road bike from the perspective of a fellow commuter, bike mechanic, and racer. Read more about their design process, visiting Charles’ shop, and how his bike turned out.

The historic Herne Hill Velodrome hosts the MAAP Summer Cyclocross Series, mixing cyclocross, DJ tracks, pizza, and beer for idyllic, bike-centric summer evenings. Below, Conor Courtney sets the scene for an inclusive racing event in London’s bustling cycling culture. Let’s take a look…

Today, we present a recap of the 2024 LA Invitational put on by all the lovely folks over at The Cub House in Los Angeles, CA. In a slightly different format than our typical event Reportage, the team gathered stories from various participants, who recounted harrowing and ecstatic experiences while out riding the event routes. Then, they conclude with a gallery of drool-worthy two- and four-wheeled machines from the bike and car show portion. Let’s check it out below!

Today Spencer is digging into the downcountry offering from Spot Bikes, the Ryve. Spot Bikes had a major makeover some years ago and since then have brought to market a number of full-suspension mountain bikes that utilize their intriguing Living Link suspension design. Living Link incorporates a small titanium leaf spring into the lower linkage, imbuing some rather enjoyable riding attributes. To sum it up succinctly, the Spot Ryve has pop – lotsa pop. Combine that with lightweight construction and thoughtful details, and you get one hell of a trail bike, even at only 115 mm travel. Let’s take a closer look…

The Crust Bikes “Scapebot” is the third iteration of the original Scapegoat. The frame fits a wide variety of tire sizes and has a unique geometry that is both modern and harks back to the golden age of ATBs. True to form, Spencer has been using this bike as his touring rig for years and decided to put the most outlandish tire clearance claims to the test. Check out his long-term review of the Crust Scapebot below…

Arcouzan bikepacking route is a mixed-terrain, circular cycling track around the wild and remote (but surprisingly accessible) Ariège region of the French Pyrénées. Arcouzan is not a race; it’s about finding connection through adventure. It’s designed as an immersive journey for cyclists, a bike-packing route encouraging you to travel slowly and embrace everything you encounter.

Continue reading below as Claire Frecknall and Tomas Montes document their reconnaissance mission on the new Arcouzan bikepacking route…

Earlier in June Joe Sasada joined a group of 50 riders tackling the inaugural Bristol Rally, an unsupported 300km mainly off-road loop designed to celebrate some of the most iconic riding and historic sights in South West England. Read on for the ride report, whistlestop tour through 5000 years of history, and some musings on why the Rally format works so well for the broader cycling community.

Last week, Bromptons, fixies, and race bikes swerved around hairpin turns in King’s Cross as part of the three-day London Cycling Festival.

Conor Courtney was on the ground at the event and, below, documents the VIA Criterium and Brompton World Championships with in-depth reportage and a stunning photo gallery…

Do event photos tell the true story? Do they just remind us of a cool day on the bike that we can show off on social media? Or can they tell a different story, one we might not even know was taking place? Within the context of the Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo gravel cycling event, photographer Abe Landes wonders what role event photos play in telling the true story of the ride. Cyclist Brian Biggs has some thoughts…

Touring through Colombia’s coffee-growing region, and re-reading of Robert M. Pirsig’s classic, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance has inspired Joe Sasada to reconsider his passion for coffee from a more philosophical angle. He shares some tips and tricks for everyone to level-up their trailside brew game, as well as a photo gallery from that stunning region

 Last summer, Kurt Refsnider rode the length of the Continental Divide Trail (the bike-legal sections, that is) over the course of three months and documented the journey in a series of articles here on The Radavist. You can find those here. This article is the first of a two-part Q&A series about Kurt’s gear choices and bike setup. The subsequent second part will be all about food planning and eating on a 3,000-mile singletrack adventure. 

The Redlands Strada Rossa celebrated its tenth anniversary in the spring of 2024. While the ride has changed over the years, the spirit of the event has remained much the same. Below, Brandon Pfaff dives into the history of the ride, this year’s route, and what makes the Strada Rossa a distinctive cycling event.