The Radavist

So glad this video is out!

“Music For Free” is a musical celebration of wild people and places on the Great Divide from Canada to Mexico. After half a decade of musical tours powered by a bicycle, musician and poet Ben Weaver will ride 2700 self-supported miles from Banff Canada to the US Mexico border carrying his banjo and guitar giving free concerts to the communities along the way. Following the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route on its 20th anniversary year the objective of this journey, aptly titled Music for Free, was to celebrate the people who have supported this iconic route and its riders while dissecting the question “What is wildness?”.

Producer and musician: Ben Weaver ”

You can also catch screenings of the video at the following locations and dates:

9.19 – Bike Fun Fest, Missoula, Montana
9.21 – Whitefish Bike Retreat, Whitefish, Montana
9.22 – The Stray Bullet Cafe, Ovando, Montana
9.24 – Fitzgerald’s Bicycles, Idaho Falls, ID
9.25 – Saturday Cycles, Salt Lake City, UT
9.27 – Wolverine Farm, Fort Collins, CO
9.28 – Pedal, Litteton, Co

Stephanie and I have been eyeing up cargo bikes basically since we found out we were pregnant early last year. But would it be a good financial move to drop $5000+ on a new setup when we’re also running on one income? Knowing we’d likely be taking the winter off of family biking with Sophia on the younger side, we had lots of time to consider the options and make sure we had the money ready when the time came.

Last summer, we borrowed a friend’s Bullitt for a camping trip. Super rad. Denver loved riding up front. Yet we had our suspicions confirmed that a bike that weighs 60 pounds dry is a tough sell when you live in a hilly area like we do. Load that up with kids or dogs and the rest of the stuff you need every day, let alone on a camping trip, and you’ll quickly find yourself back in the car.

Los Angeles has some incredibly diverse riding. For those wanting to see the sights and sounds of the city, or to find solitude in the mountains, there’s something for everyone. Portland Design Work‘s new video showcases just that.

Building off this year’s launch of the Cache titanium all-road bike, Knolly has just announced a steel version for 2020. The steel Cache maintains the geometry of the titanium Cache, as well as many of the frame details.

ED coating has been added to ensure the lifespan of the bike, as well as a few pricepoint tiers: frame only for $999, frameset for $1399. While there are no details yet of the Cache steel coming as a complete, we can expect it’ll be an option in the future. See more information at Knolly.

If you have a steel bike and live in a part of the country where it rains a lot, or the roads are salted or otherwise treated to melt ice, then surely you’ve heard of Frame Saver. Last year, Peter Weigle sold the Frame Saver brand and now Problem Solvers owns it, opening up the distribution platform to all QBP bike shops. So now, when you get a new steel frame, it’s even easier to order.

Three Norwegians take to the Pacific Northwest to tour the Oregon Timber Trail.

Camera straps. They’re the photography accessory very little people pay attention to. Let’s be honest, for standard use, pretty much anything will do, but add in on-the-bike wear or usage and suddenly there’s a lot more to them. Outer Shell has developed a pretty awesome design, with quick-cinch adjustment and a sternum stabilizer. Their newest update includes a tripod-mount anchor to increase stability and improved compatibility with all types of camera strap mounts. These straps are made in SF by Outer Shell and are in stock now in a variety of colors with a retail of $58.

Swing on over to Outer Shell to see more!

Today Race Face announced two budget products, that look like appealing options for those building out a MTB. The new Aeffect R cranks ($129.99) are made from 7075 aluminum and weigh only 632 grams, while the new Aeffect Dropper ($199.99) is cable actuated and weighs 540 grams. The dropper does not come with a lever, but Race Face sells a compatible one for $39.99. Both product weights very based on spec. These new products, along with Race Face’s entire lineup are available for order from your local dealer, so hop over to Race Face to see more specs.

There aren’t a whole lot of options on the market for those seeking a rigid MTB for shredding trail or bikepacking on. So when a brand like Kona, with their expansive dealer network, puts out something like the Unit X, it piques our interest. With a 29 x 2.6″ wheel platform, multiple bottle bosses, including on the fork, a compact geometry for easier mounting, and SRAM Eagle gearing, it seems like a no-brainer for those looking to make their home trails a little more engaging, or for someone trying to tackle singletrack touring. See more information at Kona.

Rideable follows Steven Mortinson and Brian Donnelly as they ride two cheap bikes to the Oregon Coast and back with a surfboard in tow.

After watching today’s Leave it on the Road post, it reminded me of a piece I read last year, on Science Daily. Coincidentally, I just posted something similar on my personal Instagram account that really resonated with my followers.

If I don’t do something physical, something that causes my heart to race, my legs to ache, then it’s so easy to slump into depressive thoughts. I wonder what the world would be like if more people exercised daily and spent time in the outdoors. It’s the great equalizer…

Telling people to “get outside” is one thing, but emphasizing the importance of exercising and experiencing connectivity to the natural world is one of my main goals with the Radavist. Sure, we post a lot of gear and bike galleries, but the overarching modus operandi revolves around using that gear to further enjoy yourself while recreating in areas that allow for introspective growth.

It’s a busy week for bike companies to jettison their new and improved models into the consumer market. We reviewed the Trek Checkpoint last year and were amazed at how well this bike checked all the boxes. It really felt like Trek listened to its customers and made the most capable bike they could.

For 2020, the Checkpoint stays relatively the same, solidifying its place in the adventure/gravel/all-road space, yet the paint jobs are much flashier and now with AXS integration, the lines on the bike are even cleaner. Head to Trek to see more details!

This past July I was lucky to attend a downhill day with the rad humans who put on the Midwest Dirt Legion. I had heard tales of their group from my partner and friends, so I was very stoked to finally meet them and see what they were up to.  Time after time I hear from non cis male people that they feel there is a lack of places they feel comfortable riding and learning in the mountain bike world, which makes the work that Steph and Ash are doing that much more important. I caught up with them for a spin around the local bandit jumps and got a testimonial from their biggest fan, Chelli. If you are looking for amazing people to ride with in the midwest, check out the Midwest Dirt Legion!  -Spencer

Midwest Dirt Legion is here to build a better mountain bike community for marginalized genders.  Based in Minneapolis, the group was founded in February 2018 by Steph Aich (she/her) and Ash Murray  (they/them) . Our focus is on bringing passionate people and organizations in the Twin Cities together to increase ridership for transgender, gender non-binary, and cis women riders.