Sea Otter Classic 2024: Neuhaus Metalworks – HBSL Titanium XC Race 29er Hardtail

Reportage

Sea Otter Classic 2024: Neuhaus Metalworks – HBSL Titanium XC Race 29er Hardtail

The Radavist thanks 1-Up USA for sponsoring our Sea Otter Classic 2024 coverage!

Josh and John are out at Sea Otter this week, covering people, products, and bikes on display. We’re starting the show coverage off a little differently this year with a feature on Neuhaus Metalworks’ newest offering: the HBSL Titanium XC Race 29er. Read on for a look at this new titanium Superleggera chassis and a comparison to the steel Hummingbird hardtail 29er…

ENVE Fray Endurance/All-Road Bike First Look

Radar

ENVE Fray Endurance/All-Road Bike First Look

Released today, the Fray is ENVE’s new all-road/endurance road bike. The Fray is positioned in ENVE’s lineup between the Melee and the MOG, with a geometry optimized for tire sizes between 700 x 31c and 700 x 35c, and clearance up to 40c.

Petor stumbled on one of the first production Fray bikes ahead of its release for a long weekend in Girona last October. Below, he shares a first look and some initial ride impressions…

BTCHN’ Bikes Paul Crank Adapter

Radar

BTCHN’ Bikes Paul Crank Adapter

The problem with the PAUL cranksets is the chainrings wear out and they’re not compatible with narrow-wide 1x setups, so you’ve gotta run a chain guide. They’re also not compatible with 10, 11, or 12-speed drivetrains. BTCHN’ bikes have been there… so they made this PAUL crankset adapter. This is 3D printed in aluminum and will bolt up to your Paul Crankset using their factory chainring bolts. It will adapt to any 104BCD chainring using standard 1x chainring bolts while maintaining the original chainline.

First debuted at the 2022 MADE Bike Show and pre-ordering now for $95.

See more at BTCHN Bikes.

Monē Bikes SB2 Review: Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’

Reportage

Monē Bikes SB2 Review: Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’

We talk a lot about the early klunkers, from Breezers to Cunninghams and Ritcheys, but what about the very first MTBs in the US, the coaster cruisers, aka mountain cruisers? These esoteric singlespeeds rely on a coaster brake hub to control their speed and were adapted from old Schwinn newspaper bikes.

Read on as John reviews his coaster cruiser, a Monē Bikes Small Batch Straight Bar, aka the SB2. These bikes are the simplest mountain bike you can ride: No hand brakes. No gears. Big bars. Balloon tires. This is peak coaster cruiser!

Forever Bike: Josh’s Custom Oddity Singlespeed With Ignite Components

Reportage

Forever Bike: Josh’s Custom Oddity Singlespeed With Ignite Components

Nearly three years ago this week, Josh picked up a custom titanium singlespeed Oddity hardtail that was originally Burnsey‘s show bike for the 2021 Philly Bike Expo. It’s become his most-ridden bike and has been subject to plenty of component swaps over the years, yet it hasn’t been fully documented with a dedicated article here on this site. Josh recently outfitted the bike with Ignite Components and (finally) shares a review and breakdown of the build below, including an interview with Ian Colquhoun of Ignite…

The Search for the Perfect Noodle: An Elephant Bikes National Forest Explorer Review

Reportage

The Search for the Perfect Noodle: An Elephant Bikes National Forest Explorer Review

For Morgan Taylor, there’s a magical nexus that happens when a bike has a certain amount of frame flex and low-trail randonneuring geometry. In this long-term review of Elephant Bikes National Forest Explorer, Morgan recounts how past bikes have contributed to this preferred combination and then offers an in-depth look at why the NFE might just be the perfect noodle.