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Laces, OUT!: Testing Seven BOA-Equipped Flat-pedal MTB Shoes

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Laces, OUT!: Testing Seven BOA-Equipped Flat-pedal MTB Shoes

After four months riding BOA-equipped flat-pedal shoes from Scott, Crankbrothers, Pearl Izumi, Leatt, Giro, and Ride Concepts, Travis Engel has come back with a thorough review on how each performed according to protection, comfort, fit, and ease of ons and offs. Oh, and of course, which ones will actually stick to a pedal. Continue reading below for the full rundown on these seven options in a MTB footwear category that’s grown quickly in just a few short years…

A Long-Term Review of the 1UP USA Recon 5 Bike Rack and RakAttach 2.0

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A Long-Term Review of the 1UP USA Recon 5 Bike Rack and RakAttach 2.0

In early 2022, Wisconsin-based bike rack manufacturer 1UP USA purchased Recon Racks and began offering the Recon 5 and Recon 6 for, you guessed it, carrying five and six bikes respectively on a single vehicle. With attractive features such as no frame/fork contact with the rack, off-road rating, Smooth Pivot recline, and accommodation for a variety of tire and bike sizes, our interest was piqued. Josh has been testing a Recon 5 for the better part of a year, taking it everywhere from Arizona’s remote forest roads to local shuttle runs and cross-country road trips. 1UP also recently redesigned their RakAttach swing-out adapter, which Josh has been using in tandem with the Recon. Continue reading below for a full rundown on these new offerings from 1UP…

A FoCo Collabo: Josh’s Bender 29+ Touring MTB with Oddity Squid Fork

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A FoCo Collabo: Josh’s Bender 29+ Touring MTB with Oddity Squid Fork

Will Bender is a bicycle frame builder based in Fort Collins, CO. His custom frames run the gamut from all-road to gravel, touring, and modern hardtails. Last summer, Josh paid Will a visit to document his shop and learn about his background and approach to building bikes. While he was there, he enlisted Will to build the touring MTB of his dreams — a comfortable 29+ rig capable of carrying heavy loads and designed to harmonize with the Oddity Squid Fork made concurrently by another Fort Collins frame builder, Sean Burns. Continue reading below for the full rundown on this build…

A Different Kind of Coffee Routine: Espresso Forge is Owned and Run by Cyclists

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A Different Kind of Coffee Routine: Espresso Forge is Owned and Run by Cyclists

I value my coffee ritual each morning. As I’m sure, many of you do. The five minutes it takes me to make my americano/long black in the morning is a way to ease into a busy day. I’ve been using the Espresso Forge for the past year and couldn’t be happier. It’s not compact enough for on-the-bike outings, but I throw it in a bag and bring it on the road when I travel for events, car camp, or photoshoots.

Let’s take a look at this unique no-nonsense product that makes a killer shot of espresso…

An Evolved Steel Trail Bike: REEB Cycles SST Full Suspension Review

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An Evolved Steel Trail Bike: REEB Cycles SST Full Suspension Review

While steel full-suspension bikes are nothing new, there has been a resurgence in recent years with many small framebuilders making trail-ready, competent bikes that leave their genetic predecessors in the proverbial dust. When I first rode a Starling Murmur in 2019, I wasn’t prepared for how engaged I felt with the trail or the flex and movement the Murmur provided. If you like the feel of steel hardtails or gravel bikes, chances are you’ll vibe more with a steel full-suspension than a carbon model.

These bikes are incredibly niche (though you can find them being made in workshops worldwide), and they still feel like a product from a cottage industry, not an engineered machine. It wasn’t until I spent some time with the REEB Cycles SST that I felt like steel full suspension bikes had finally leaped into the next stage of their evolutionary process. Let’s take a look at the SST below.

Bearing Gifts: Two Quiet Years on a BBInfinite Press-Fit Bottom Bracket

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Bearing Gifts: Two Quiet Years on a BBInfinite Press-Fit Bottom Bracket

Launched by a Kickstarter campaign in 2014, BBInfinite makes several solutions for the often problematic world of press-fit bottom brackets. Their signature one-piece design makes up for not-so-perfect frame manufacturing. Travis Engel has been running one for two years, so he figured now would be a good time to give us a verdict, and dig a little deeper into why we even need a product like BBInfinite in the first place.

The Radavist’s Top Ten Bike Reviews of 2022

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The Radavist’s Top Ten Bike Reviews of 2022

Every year, we get offers from companies, both large and small to review one of their upcoming bike models. We take on what we can and lean on our contributors for the ones we can’t fit into our own schedules. We’re still just three people running this site over here! At the end of the calender year, we dig through our analytics, social media channels, and comments to determine which bikes did the best and compile a list. This year’s ran the gamut from full suspension mountain bikes to, cargo, all-rounder and gravel racing machines. There’s something for everyone in this one, so read on for The Radavist’s Top Ten Bike Reviews of 2022!

Meet the New Boss: The Updated, Made-In-House Trail Boss Hoe Rake Does More With Less

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Meet the New Boss: The Updated, Made-In-House Trail Boss Hoe Rake Does More With Less

This is not a review of the Trail Boss collapsible tool system as a whole. That’d be kinda pointless. These U.S.-made splined sectional trail tools don’t really have any worthy one-to-one competitors. So, until that changes, Trail Boss wins by default. But that’s not a bad thing. Although traditional tools are sturdier and cheaper, you can’t stow traditional tools inside a pack, do legit heavy tread work, then pop mad wheelies while comfortably carrying them home. So, instead of stretching my not-so-hot take for hundreds of words, I’m just going to talk about Trail Boss’ new made-in-house tool head, the Hoe Rake, and stretch that for a mere hundreds of words.

Category Purgatory: Turning the YT Industries Szepter Into a Mountain Biker’s Gravel Bike

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Category Purgatory: Turning the YT Industries Szepter Into a Mountain Biker’s Gravel Bike

The Szepter is YT Industries‘ first foray into designing a gravel bike. But unlike other gravel frame designs that are subtly-tweaked road bikes, the Szepter shares more DNA with the German company’s line-up of trail bikes. After putting—and pushing—the Szepter through its paces on his local Los Angeles-area trails, below Travis Engel shares his review alongside some suggested adjustments to the stock build to get the most out of this gravity-focused gravel bike. 

Soften the Ride: A Review of the Mosaic x TPC GT-2 45 with Cane Creek eeSilk Components

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Soften the Ride: A Review of the Mosaic x TPC GT-2 45 with Cane Creek eeSilk Components

When the summer months roll through Santa Fe, my drop bar bikes tend to get hung on the wall in favor of my flat bar mountain and touring bikes. The main reason is that our “gravel” in town is exposed, hot, and windy. Rather than battle the elements on gravel roads, we escape from town into tree cover and savor our luscious singletrack. 

So when we released The Radavist edition Mosaic bikes, both in the GT-2X and GT-2 45 models, I had my friends at The Pro’s Closet hold onto a size 58cm GT-2 45 mechanical bike for me to ride this winter. In the interim, I did my best to “soften the ride” by incorporating Cane Creek‘s popular eeSilk components.

Well, I’ve spent some time riding the bike, both in Santa Fe and down in Southern Arizona, and am ready to spew my thoughts in a fully-detailed review, so let’s get to it!

Product Shout Out: Velo Canteen Stainless Double Wall Insulated Canteen

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Product Shout Out: Velo Canteen Stainless Double Wall Insulated Canteen

Coffee-carrying devices on your bike are fairly ubiquitous, yet if you’re looking for a classy-looking, and modern functioning coffee canteen, look no further than the Velo Canteen, a fluted, double-wall insulated coffee canister, explicitly designed for traditional bottle cages. John’s been enjoying this simple product for a few months and is ready to give it a quick Product Shout Out, so read on below.