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.
Reportage
Bikes Beers Bluegrass (B3) Lost River Recap: A Wild and Wonderful Time
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!
Reportage
Jordyn’s Deep Custom Chromag Darco
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!
Reportage
Velo Orange HQ Visit: “Homage to an Ideal”
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!
Reportage
2024 Liv Pique 29 Advanced MTB Review: The Women’s-Specific PR Seeker
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!
Radar
Surly Sunset Bar and Dugout Feed Bags Review
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…
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Cicli Bonanno Futomaki Disc – Bold Will Hold
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.
Reportage
Morocco’s Highest Peaks By Bike: A Bikepacking Traverse Through the Atlas Mountains
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…
Reportage
Far from Alone: Meaghan Hackinen’s Invisible Support Network Behind her Solo Tour Divide Finish
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
Radar
Archer Components D1x Trail Shifter: Shift Everything
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…
Radar
2024 North South Colorado Recap – A Long, Solo Win
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.
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Matt’s Relstone “Project VA” Custom Gravel Bike
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…
Reportage
Continental Divide Trail Q&A Part 2: Eating My Way to Mexico
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.
Reportage
More Kids on Bikes: How NICA is Changing the Culture of Youth Sports
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.
Reportage
Fine Bikes, Charles Thomas, and My Enamel Road Bike
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.
Radar
Marin Expands Alcatraz Collection Now With Two Builds – Suspension & Rigid
Marin Mountain Bikes Inc has expanded the Alcatraz line of dirt jump mountain bikes. A modern mainstay of the Marin lineup, the model family grows from a single model and frameset to two different builds and an Alcatraz 2 frame kit.
Reportage
A Day Out at MAAP’s London Summer Cyclocross Series
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…
Reportage
2024 LA Invitational at the Cub House: Where Everyone’s Invited
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!