As it goes in the pleasant winter months in Los Angeles, we get a lot of cycling tourists, rolling through town like a tumblin’ tumbleweed. Last week, my friends Brad and Rhys were in town, soaking up the sun and riding all the dirt roads LA county has to offer. Rhys was riding on this Pioneer Valley ‘cross bike and I had to document this noble steed.

Rhys was tired of stock bikes not really doing it for her. They either didn’t have the geometry she wanted for racing UCI ‘cross or she just didn’t like the way they looked. She contacted Pioneer Valley to build her a bike she could race cross on and ride gravel on in the off-season. This bike was born and it needed a name.

As the head badge implies, this bike’s name is the Cowgirl Spaceship. Rhys made the head badge herself. She’s a jeweler and makes custom head badges for people. You can send her a design or even just tell her what you want and she’ll make it for you, completely custom. They start at $262.

That goes for jewelry too. All the jewelry she was wearing that day she made in her shop.

Rhys is a ripper and a maker. Her work carries a stout fanbase and it was great to finally meet her in person.