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Announced today, SRAM’s RED XPLR AXS groupset combines elements of its UDH-compatible mountain bike components with its high-end road group for an all-new gravel-specific product lineup. SRAM designed it to be light, fast, and durable for the needs of today’s gravel racers and riders wanting the highest performing upper echelon groupset.
To discover how RED XPLR AXS stacks up and who it’s best suited for, check out Josh’s review below.
Since posting our first look back in April, John’s been putting in miles on the Kona Ouroborus Supreme and finally wrapped his head around not only how to classify this bike but also what its best use case is. Is this the next stage in the evolution of gravel bikes?
Today, we present a recap of the 2024 LA Invitational put on by all the lovely folks over at The Cub House in Los Angeles, CA. In a slightly different format than our typical event Reportage, the team gathered stories from various participants, who recounted harrowing and ecstatic experiences while out riding the event routes. Then, they conclude with a gallery of drool-worthy two- and four-wheeled machines from the bike and car show portion. Let’s check it out below!
Earlier this month, Josh stopped over in Paris, France, following his time in the UK covering Bespoked Handmade Bike Show. During his visit to the City of Lights, he visited multiple bike shops and fabricators. First up in a series of reports from his time there, Josh checks in with Marie and Laurent of Avalanche Cycles, who take an innovative approach to building bicycles and components from steel, stainless, and titanium.
Learn more about this duo of French builders below!
Dirt drops are mentioned periodically here on The Radavist, usually in the context of a modern hardtail, rigid mountain bike, or adventure touring bike. But where did this terminology come from, and how are vintage dirt drops wildly different from what we have today? Using his 1983 Steve Potts as a platform for discussion, John unfurled the unique history behind this bike and looked at a proper 1980s dirt drop setup. Let’s check it out.
We’re trying something new here at The Radavist. We have been exploring various ways to keep providing free, top-notch photography, reviews, news, and Reportage to our audience, and sponsored content is one way to keep the lights on and the bills paid. We’re unwilling to compromise your trust, so we pledge to always operate with the utmost integrity and be fully transparent about any spon-con on the site.
Full disclosure: this article was supported by Leatt. If you’d like to keep the Radavist independent, please consider joining the Group Ride today – a monthly or yearly subscription is the best way to support the longest-running alternative cycling website.
Whew! Now that that’s out of the way… Our newly-minted Copy Editor, regular Radavist contributor Nicholas Haig-Arack, recently caught up with Leatt’s Dain Zaffke to learn about the brand’s history and discuss matters of safety, both physical and existential. Let’s begin with an intro to Leatt…
Do event photos tell the true story? Do they just remind us of a cool day on the bike that we can show off on social media? Or can they tell a different story, one we might not even know was taking place? Within the context of the Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo gravel cycling event, photographer Abe Landes wonders what role event photos play in telling the true story of the ride. Cyclist Brian Biggs has some thoughts…
For the start of summer, Hailey Moore shares a brief review of four casual women’s cycling short options: the Rapha Women’s Explore Shorts, ORNOT Women’s Mission Short, Fjällräven S/F Rider’s Hybrid Short and Ripton Diesel Jorts. Find your new warm-weather uniform for on and off the bike!
John likes to review a carbon full-suspension bike at least once a year to challenge his opinions on his preference of chassis material, and this summer’s bike is the 2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct. Thanks to new geometry, details, and a simplified RIDE-4 adjustment, the Instinct proved to be a very capable 140/150 trail bike. Perhaps the bigger picture of this review is John’s ever-questioning of his quasi-religious, cult-like zealotry for metal bikes…
After an extended hiatus from riding a dedicated road bike, Hailey Moore dips back into the category with a review of UK-based Temple Cycles Road 2. Read on for Hailey’s thoughts on this neo-classic with future vintage ambitions…
Our buddy Paul can ride any balleur, custom bike he wants, yet he chooses to have a gaggle of Surlys… why?!?! This is great, team Paul Component!
Initially released in the mid-aughts, the Singular Cycles Swift was one of the first bikes to embrace 29-inch wheels, which, as we now know, became a highly popular size during the proceeding decades. Still, nearly twenty years later, the Swift endures. The frameset has undergone multiple updates over the years, with the most recent incarnation featuring elements true to its roots, like thin steel frame tubing, eccentric bottom bracket, thicc tire clearance, and reasonable pricing. Yet the MK5 version, launched in late 2023, finally gets internal dropper routing, tapered headtube, boost spacing, and thru axles.
When Josh swung through Portland, Oregon, earlier this year, he picked up a Swift test frameset from US distributor Biciclista and outfitted it with choice parts from generous partners like Ingrid, Chris King, and Paul. A longtime fan of plus tire bikes, Josh reviews the Swift after a few months of riding on his home trails in southern Arizona. Is this 29+ suspension-corrected rigid bike still relevant in 2024? Read on to find out…
Yesterday, John walked us through the electronic shifting Pinion C1.12i Smart.Shift gearbox in an in-depth review, and today, we’ll be looking at the bike it was installed on, the Viral Bike Derive hardtail. You know we love hardtails at The Radavist, and this one did not disappoint…
While Arya from Rons Bikes missed being able to ride amongst the flowers of this year’s Nutmeg Spring Fling, that did not keep her from reflecting. Waxing poetic about ancient river ferries, French Randonneur bikes, and East Haddam Land Trust alike, make sure you don’t miss this recap of Nutmeg Spring Fling.
The Reaper lineup of bikes from Rocky Mountain utilizes many of the brand’s popular features from its adult-sized siblings but in smaller versions for growing younger riders. Featuring dialed kinematics and adjustable RIDE-9 geometry, the Reapers–which include 24″, 26″, and 27.5″ wheeled models–are designed as ripping platforms for kids with the same Rocky Mountain DNA as the rest of the storied Canadian brand’s lineup.
Last year, Josh brought in a Reaper 26 for his now twelve-year-old son Holden to ride on their loose and chunky southern Arizona trails. Holden also used the bike to race his first XC season with the Arizona Cycling Association’s Youth Development League.
If you have a young rider at home and are curious how this bike fit, handled, and held up for Holden over nearly nine months of extended use (and abuse), continue reading below…
Travis often sneaks a scornful jab at thru-headset cable routing into his stories. In this Dust-Up, he explains why. And it’s not for all the obvious reasons.
Boulder, CO, founded and based DEAN Ultimate Bikes, one of the USA’s longest continually running titanium bicycle manufacturers, announced that it has updated its bike lineup and “RetroFresh”ed its website and visual aesthetics. Let’s check it out…
After an eleven-year hiatus, Ira Ryan is back building bicycles under his namesake moniker, Ira Ryan Cycles, in Portland, Oregon. While Josh was visiting the City of Roses earlier this year, he stopped by Ira’s to catch up and check out some new projects. Continue reading below to look inside Ira’s workshop and drool over some of his exquisite recently built bicycles.
