Radar Roundup: Gravel Adventure Field Guide Las Cruces, Kitsbow Closes, Chris King ISO MTN Returns, Bedrock Sandals New Colors, and Loam and Range Short

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Gravel Adventure Field Guide: Las Cruces

We don’t need to hear this, but perhaps y’all do. Southern New Mexico is a borderland adventure cycling destination that promotes self-renewal in the desert. Hundreds of miles of unpaved roads and trails, diverse fauna and flora, and expansive night skies will leave you lost and found within the beauty of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.

Riding here is a transcendental experience. The extremes of the desert push you to discover a newly reinvigorated you. Personal transformation is a real possibility when the sound of silence creates the headspace for inward reflection. The quiet desert surroundings slow the internal tempo of the mind as you pedal towards a reset — or whatever you are seeking.

Desert cycling encourages you to shed the psychological weight of daily life. You’ll relinquish old perceptions of yourself, Las Cruces, and the borderland region. A Chihuahuan Desert cycling experience pushes you physically and mentally towards renewal.

Ride here once or multiple times, you’ll never be the same.

Pick up a new Gravel Adventure Field Guide!

Kitsbow Closes

In an email the company sent out yesterday, Kitsbow announced that due to a lack of funding for its Made in the USA facility in North Carolina, they will be closing shop:

“It is devastating and disappointing – in ways that words cannot possibly convey. Terrible for our community Old Fort and McDowell County, North Carolina. In each of the past three years, Kitsbow injected an annual payroll of approximately $2 million dollars into a rural town previously in economic decline for 30 years. Our presence sparked a resurgence of employers – two manufacturing operations have since followed to Old Fort, adding more jobs to the local economy…

Our apparel industry is deeply broken, and like to think we were showing that there was a different way: made local, respecting artisan skills, paying a Living Wage, and working together as a community. Our crew made 17,000+ garments during 2022 right here in the U.S. and we humbly hope that we have changed minds about the way clothes have to be made, and by whom…

Each and every one of you helped this dream grow into a new kind of factory and a unique brand. Our investors and our customers stepped up to help when we asked. You bought products, encouraged us, championed us and invested in us.“

Read the full letter from Kitsbow CEO.

We send our love to this brand, who has helped change the cycling apparel industry for the better in their decade+ of being in operation. Right now, its entire inventory is on sale, so roll on over to Kitsbow and give them a fond farewell.

Chris King 6-Bolt Boost Mountain Hubs Return

You asked and Chris King answered. 6-Bolt Boost mountain hubs are back in production and can be ordered through your favorite King dealer now. Like most manufacturers, Chris King was capacity-limited during the pandemic and had to make a hard choice about its mountain hubs then, and since there were Center Lock to 6-bolt adapters available, they opted to produce only Center Lock hubs for a time.

But there’s no demand quite like popular demand, so the Portland-based manufacturers are really happy to be able to bring 6-bolt back.

For Boost axle spacing only (110x15mm front, 148x12mm rear).
Available in all current component colors.
Available in 28H and 32H drilling.
Available with HG, XD, or Microspline Driveshell.
Can be ordered in any MTN wheelset offered.

Contact your favorite King dealer to get a set on order, or email info@chrisking.com with any questions. You can see more about these hubs at Chris King.

Bedrock Sandals New Strap Colors

If you’re in the market for summer sandals for your beach, river, rafting, or yeah, bike touring activities, Bedrock just announced a handful of new colors for the ’23 season. Choose from Yellow Ochre, Dusty Lilac, and Patchwork Pattern straps in Cairn, Cairn 3D, Cairn Pro II, and Cairn 3D Pro II models. All in stock, all made in the USA, and shipping today from Bedrock.

ENVE Loam & Range Short $140

This fitted riding short embodies the spirit of the Loam & Range Collection delivering on features and performance for drop-bar and flat-bar riders alike. Utilitarian features like the zippered cargo phone pocket, and a Cobrax snap with a drawstring ensure function first performance and simplicity. To keep the fit optimally tight and tidy we developed the Loam & Range Short using a recycled, lightweight, four-way stretch fabric that is quiet while pedaling, and breathable during aerobic efforts. Loam or Range, Flatbar or Drop, this short is your trusty sidekick for an endurance adventure.

See more at ENVE.