Announced today, the Revel Bikes Tirade is a 29er, 140-millimeter travel titanium hardtail, unlike anything the brand has offered in the past. With generous tire clearance, beautiful cable routing, and more, it’s clear Revel has used merged its own design prowess, learned through making phenomenal full-suspension bikes, and the re-labeling of its titanium brand, Why Cycles, to force an evolution of the almighty hardtail. Read on for John’s nerdy science talk intertwined with commentary on how hardtails are still having a moment in 2024 below!
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Longform
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Cobbles and Comedores: An Introduction to the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route
After extensive touring through Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina, the only remaining “missing link” in Ryan Wilson‘s Andean traverse was Ecuador. Last year, he met up with fellow cyclo-tourist Joe Sasada to share miles on the dirt-road variation of the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route, an 850-mile mountainous traverse through the country’s volcanic corridor. Read on for Ryan’s introduction to Ecuador…
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Obscura: A Fuji GW690ii Camera Review
As much as The Radavist is about bikes, it is also intrinsically linked to cameras and film photography. There is even a whole category of strictly film galleries called Recent Roll that dates back to 2010! We take pride in our photography so it makes sense for us to feature some of our favorite cameras in a series we’re calling Obscura.
This is a reference to the first-ever photographic device, the camera obscura.
Kicking off this series is Kyle Klain, who has a review of his Fuji GW690ii. Fans of film photography will know of this quirky system, so read on to hear Kyle’s take on what makes the Fuji so unique and so maddening at the same time…
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Coarse Grounds: Bicycles and Coffee With Gravelo Workshop
Bicycles and coffee go together hand-in-hand. We’ve covered countless shops that seamlessly pair the two and today, Andy Karr takes us inside Gravelo Workshop in Asheville, North Carolina…
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2024 Single Speed Arizona: If You Find It, Look For It
Single Speed Arizona (SSAZ) is an annual gathering that takes place every year during the first weekend of February. Part family reunion and part celebration of bikes running on one gear, it moves around to a different hosting location annually and takes advantage of southern Arizona’s favorable weather and exemplary singletrack riding. Josh Weinberg and Chris “Dirty” Reichel were in attendance at this year’s event, which saw a solid turnout of riders and volunteers descend on West Tuscon for a weekend of stout trail riding and (for some) even stouter partying…
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The Gumbo Hauler: Jesse’s Stumpjumper Clydesdale Conversion
Everyone loves dogs and bikes so of course hauling them together just seems right. Spencer Harding recently documented Jesse’s classy vintage Stumpjumper frame, equipped with a Crust Bikes Clydesdale fork, and full cantilever brakes that’s an adept doggo transporter and so much more. Let’s dive into all the fun details and gawk at a cute pupper below!
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Bike Touring Cork in Ireland: Hardtails, Hills, and Horses
Nick McIntyre takes us on a mosey through Ireland’s southernmost county on some choice cuts from the Golden Age of 26-inch MTBs. Sharing company with a small group of friends, Nick writes about rolling past stashed-off coves, winding back roads, and an unexpected day making petty bets at the Ballabuidhe Horse Fair after one of the wettest Irish summers on record. It was a given that there would be some downpours to deal with along the way, but these only made the odd break in the clouds all the sweeter. Read on for Nick’s retelling of bike touring in Cork and don’t miss his 35 mm gallery.
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Mental Detours Part Two: The Italy Divide to Rome and a Dolomites Mini-Tour
In part two of her Reportage from bike touring in Italy, Hailey Moore writes about arriving in Rome and feeling the weight of history in the Eternal City. She and Anton Krupicka also tack on a three-day multi-sport tour in the Dolomite mountains.
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Shredding With the Stone Eaters: Knolly Tyaughton Steel 29er Hardtail Review
On a recent Radavist Retreat, John and Hailey left their wintery homes to ride the various trails and gravelly terrain down in Phoenix with Josh. While there, John rode the Knolly Tyaughton Steel he’d procured from the brand earlier this winter and spent time riding amongst the Stone Eaters of South Mountain Park. Find out what he thought about this wild hardtail 29er with an even wilder price point ($2,449 complete) below!
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A Bikepacking Traverse Connecting the Highest Peaks of the Iberian Peninsula
During a month-long tour, Sònia Colomo and Eloi Miquel trace singletrack and rough roads en route to summiting the highest peaks in the Iberian Peninsula. Come along for the ride through the backcountry of Spain!
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A Homecoming at the 2023 Hodag Country Ramble
The Hodag Country Ramble is a ride. It’s a tour, a campout. But it has also become so much more. Read on for an insight into the event and what makes it so special for its founder, Jeff Frane with some marvelous photos by Alex Horner…
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Groove Chronicles: A PAL X Slowrider Helmet Art Show and More
In a world where boundaries blur and possibilities collide, two extraordinary individuals emerge from different realms, united by a shared vision. Matthew Mata-Aguilar, a seasoned veteran with a decade of wisdom in the cycling industry, and Glen Repol, a maven of street fashion culture for over eleven years, embark on an epic journey that transcends the ordinary. Together, they shatter the confines of traditional cycling norms, pushing the limits of imagination and innovation. From bike builds to cycling fashion, their collaboration ignites a spark that sets the stage for a mesmerizing spectacle.
Brace yourself as they unveil a groundbreaking event, a helmet art show like no other, where creativity intertwines with functionality, and the cycling culture is forever transformed. Get ready to witness the collision of worlds, the convergence of ideas, and the birth of a new era in cycling. This is the story of SLOWRIDER and PAL, two trailblazers on a mission to redefine what it means to ride.
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Hooked on a Feeling: How I Prepped for Atlas Mountain Race
Mel Webb is an ultra-distance bikepack racer and host of Detours: An Ultra Cycling and Adventure Podcast. She’s lined up at the start of events like the Silk Road Mountain Race, the Hellenic Mountain Race and the Alberta Rockies 700.
In just over a week she’ll be racing the 2024 Atlas Mountain Race and will be putting her body and setup through their paces in one of the world’s toughest, and most beautiful, ultra-endurance events.
Standing at 5’2, she’s no stranger to the game of tetris that is packing a small bike. Come along as Mel takes us through the evolution of her ultra race kit with photos from Morgan Taylor.
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Sueños de Colombia: Scarab Cycles Paramo Ultra Gravel Bike Review
The Paramo Ultra from Colombian bicycle builders Scarab Cycles is arguably the brand’s most versatile offering. With clearance for thicc tires, sliding dropouts, and comfortable geometry, the Paramo Ultra is inspired by the unrelenting high-elevation Andean mountain terrain where Scarab is based to provide a capable ride experience in even the most demanding pursuits. And because every Scarab is built to order based on a rider’s size, discipline, and style, no two builds are ever the same.
Josh has ridden a Paramo Ultra for the past six months both in Colombia where it was made and on his local roads and trails around the Sonoran desert. Below, he shares his thoughts on the build as well on Scarab’s overall approach to fabricating custom bicycles in the mountains outside Medellín…
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Rogue Panda Check-In and Tall Bike Check
Even as the custom and production bag maker community has continued burgeoning over the past few years, one name has remained an innovator in the space: Rogue Panda. When John was in Flagstaff, Arizona, last October, he swung by the shop for a quick peek and spent some time documenting one bike that stood out among the rest!
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Road to Desolation: Gravel Racing Across the Karoo
The Karoo is not flat, both in personality and profile. The Road to Desolation gravel race seeks to capture the essence of the Karoo—the idiosyncratic small towns, the solitude of its expanse, and the way the bicycle represents the ideal vehicle for navigating the internal and external challenges of the terrain. Simon Pocock photographed the inaugural edition of the event in 2023 and writes about the Karoo’s imposing appeal.
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Yosemite of Southern Arizona: Two Nights Around the Chiricahua Mountains
The often overlooked Chiricahua Mountains sit between Las Cruces and Tucson. Sitting on the edges of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, the range boasts incredible scenery and biodiversity. Spencer and some buds spent a long weekend bike camping around the Chiricahua mountains. Check out one of the most underrated areas in Southern Arizona and all it has to offer.
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Rutted and Gutted: ‘Cross Returns to Louisville for the 2023 Cyclocross National Championships
Brett Rothmeyer transports us from our desks, our computers, or phones this morning and whisks us away to the 2023 Cyclocross National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, for an action-packed medium format and 35 mm film gallery full of moments so vivid you can hear them…