Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo: Telling the True Story Through Photography

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Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo: Telling the True Story Through Photography

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…

Casual Women’s Cycling Shorts Round-Up: Rapha Explore Shorts, ORNOT Women’s Mission Short, Fjallraven S/F Rider’s Hybrid Short and Ripton Diesel Jorts

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Casual Women’s Cycling Shorts Round-Up: Rapha Explore Shorts, ORNOT Women’s Mission Short, Fjallraven S/F Rider’s Hybrid Short and Ripton Diesel Jorts

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! 

Otso Cycles Hoot Ti Review: Titanium Hardtail Gets the Last Laugh

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Otso Cycles Hoot Ti Review: Titanium Hardtail Gets the Last Laugh

Launching today, the Hoot Ti from Otso Cycles is the brand’s first foray into designing a truly modern and progressive hardtail mountain bike. Built around 140 mm of front suspension with short 425mm chainstays across all sizes, the Hoot is meant for demanding trail riding yet is playful enough for riders who like to get airborne. It’s an evolution of where the brand, which has been innovating since day one, is going while also showcasing its ability to deploy new technologies to solve challenging design problems.

Josh has put considerable mileage on the new Hoot over the past few weeks, both in his usual testing grounds of southern Arizona and a big week in the steep mountains of northern New Mexico. Continue reading below for Josh’s review of the Hoot and a peek inside Otso’s Minneapolis, MN-based operations.

Cycling is More Than Just a Hobby: A Story of Recovery and Community Involvement

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Cycling is More Than Just a Hobby: A Story of Recovery and Community Involvement

Maxwell Johnston, an Austin-based photographer, blends his love for cycling and photography to capture stunning scenery and vibrant local events. He is a dedicated advocate for mental health, sharing his journey of recovery and the positive impact of outdoor pursuits. In this article, he draws parallels between maintaining sobriety and sustaining a passion for cycling, emphasizing the importance of community involvement.

Singular Cycles Swift MK5 Review: 29+ Ain’t Dead

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Singular Cycles Swift MK5 Review: 29+ Ain’t Dead

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…

Rocky Mountain Reaper 26 Review: The Kids are Alright

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Rocky Mountain Reaper 26 Review: The Kids are Alright

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…

Wolf Tooth GeoShift Angleset Headset Review: The Future is Now

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Wolf Tooth GeoShift Angleset Headset Review: The Future is Now

Is your bike getting old? Are you having trouble keeping up with yearly geometry inflation? Has your bike’s lack of low and slack geometry got you down? Well, if so, Wolf Tooth’s engineers have just the product you need: a GeoShift Performance Angleset Headset.

Spencer decided to install a GeoShift Angleset in his 2021 Ibis Ripley AF, hoping to catapult it into the future. Will his tinkering in this review portent the arrival of an updated Ripley AF? Or is he barking up the wrong tree? Read on to find out…

Fitz Cyclez Shop Visit: NorCal Terroir

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Fitz Cyclez Shop Visit: NorCal Terroir

During his sojourn to Northern California in April, John Watson wanted to document one framebuilder in particular whose work had caught his eye. John Fitzgerald has been building elegant custom steel bicycles under the name Fitz Cyclez for just under two decades, yet he tends to fly under the radar. He doesn’t attend the big bike shows, and he’s not really interested in marketing his brand. But as anyone who’s seen a Fitz in the wild can attest, his work speaks for itself – and his work is seen often throughout Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area, thanks to Fitz’s popularity within the randonneuring community.

To tell the tale of Fitz Cyclez from the eyes of a local, John Watson tapped Santa Rosa’s own Nicholas Haig-Arack to interview John Fitzgerald. Take a peek into the world of Fitz Cyclez.