The Radavist

Cell Bikes is an Australian company who offer up a rather affordable complete cross bike and they made a video showcasing a race from their last season… all I can think is damn, I wish our courses had a pump track in them!

Over the past few years – since moving to Austin in 2010 – I’ve been struggling with weight loss. Look, we’re all cyclists. We probably all ride with skinny, fit dudes and as a bigger guy, it’s frustrating. Even now, at the peak of my fitness, I still get dropped by “climbers”. What I found was to take these experiences and use them as part of my motivation. There was one defining moment however. A majority of it came from a ride I did in Australia a few years back…

No, it’s not April 1st, this one’s for real. In fact, it’s so real that it’s in stock now at the Velocity Web Shop… Tempting, isn’t it?

“Convinced there was a better use for leftover Australian-made rims (we now manufacture our rims in Jacksonville, Fla.), our in-house wheelbuilders at The Wheel Department set out to find it. We posted a picture of a prototype “upcycled” hanger online, and the response was overwhelming.”

Crikey!

Where do I even begin with 2013? If I can say anything about PiNP, it’s that the site is ever-evolving, much like cycling and my own experiences with it. As my own habits change, so does the content. Looking back over the past twelve months, I still can’t wrap my head around how much I traveled. It was overwhelming at times, but in the end, worth it.

So where do we begin? How about with the first Photoset: a new camera.

Check out the PiNP 2013: A Year in Photos below!

As I’m packing for Australia, I was going over some essentials and two things I always take with me are a rain jacket and a lightweight, merino pullover. When layered, the combination ensures dry, breathable warmth. I’ve been using the Faroe pullover from Mission Workshop since they first released it. It’s the best merino pullover I’ve owned in both fit and durability. Now, don’t be mistaken. A lot of people will say there are cheaper options, but those options use Chinese merino and are made overseas.

The Faroe is made from doubleknit Australian wool and is made in San Francisco, California.

Mission just received stock of the Faroe in this grey color. Pick one up at Mission Workshop and you won’t regret it.

I wish I could be everywhere at once, especially with all these great events approaching in the coming weeks. The Rapha Continental undeniably changed cycling in the USA. As part of their First Thursday Rapha Exhibition series, Rapha will be presenting select pieces from the Continental, as well as a group ride on Friday:

First Thursday Rapha Exhibition – Exploring The Road Less Traveled
The exhibition will feature photographs, films, journals, the riders themselves and their individually handmade steel bicycles.
Thursday June 6th
6-9 PM
Nossa Familia Coffee
1319 NW Johnson Street
Portland, OR 97209

Lunch Ride With The Rapha Continental
On Friday June 7th, Rapha North America will host a group ride with the riders of The Rapha Continental at 12:30 PM. The ride will depart from and finish at the Rapha North America offices at 1915 NW Kearney Street in Northwest Portland. The ride will be approximately 35 miles and will include Skyline Road, Rock Creek Road and Old Germantown Road. All levels welcome, the ride will take place rain or shine.

See more information below!

Let’s see, brightly-colored, capable of holding water and made in Australia. Yep. That’s a FYXO Bidon. Swoop here. Oh and check out his new sticker packs while you’re at it.

“Le Petite Cannibal”

I have a ton of Merckx Mondays content coming from Australia over these next few weeks but today I’ve got one piece of radness to share. This year, all my friends seem to be having kids and it’s no secret that FYXO‘s a daddy now. Hence the mini Molteni Baby Skinsuit.

$40 and guaranteed to make your offspring faster. Or something. Made to order, bespoke baby wear and ends this week, so get on it. This is one example when it’s acceptable to buy upgrades…

Scoop at FYXO

Depending on how light you travel by bike, these two bags could very well hold everything you need for a week-long bicycle tour or camping trip and the best thing is, you don’t need rack mounts or any additional provisions. Just a seat post, saddle rails and handlebars. The frame, bar and saddle bags that are coming out of Porcelain Rocket’s shop in Calgary are strikingly beautiful.

This isn’t your traditional waxed canvas and leather saddle bags used by randonneurs. These bags are made from Dimension Polyant VX21, HDPE and clasp together with Rock Lockster buckles. They can be customized to any number of color combinations and patterns (see above). Used primarily by MTBrs, these packs will fit on just about any bicycle frame.

I’ve never used a Porcelain Rocket bag, but I had great luck with my  Viscacha saddle bag by Revelate Designs, which looks similar. I’m heading out to Asia in a few weeks and then to Australia, where I’ll be using my Viscacha yet again. I would be picking up a set from Scott if he didn’t have such a long lead-time.

You’ll have to wait about 10-12 weeks for your Porcelain Rocket bag but they look like they’re worth the wait. Check out the full line at Porcelain Rocket and see more of Scott’s creations on his Flickr.

Last year, at NAHBS, I met Jeremy and Neil from Cedar Cycling, a new cycling wear brand. Using high-end Australian merino wool blend fabric and local manufacturing in California, I knew Cedar was really doing something genuine and legit. Over a bottle of bourbon, we discussed working on a jersey. But since they had barely just launched their brand, we knew it would be some time before we’d have samples.

Earlier in the summer, I met up with them in SF to look at fabrics and discuss the jersey in detail. Then, a few weeks ago, I finally got my hands on one. I was really, really impressed. This is one of the nicest jerseys I’ve ever owned. We worked really hard getting everything right, especially the fit. It’s form-fitting, without being race cut. The sleeves sit just right and the front lies flat on your chest.

One of my biggest qualms with a lot of jerseys that I own is the pocket room. Especially during the winter. You end up stuffing arm warmers, a gillet and gloves into your pockets on the daily. Three generous open rear pockets hold all your ride essentials, plus two hidden zippered pockets to keep your valuables safe. The whole jersey is held in place by silicone gripper imported from Italy. The fit is true to size. I wear a large shirt and a large jersey.

It fits great and is incredibly comfortable. What I’m trying to say is, this is far from just a new “colorway”…

Pre-order one at the PiNP Web Shop today! These will be shipped on January 18th.

*One small note, our factory sewed up all of the jerseys with the rear pocket purple trim except for the mediums. Medium jerseys will have a grey pocket trim, matching the jersey. See this picture. Everything else is the same. Sorry!

In 2012, PiNP’s content was like a pinball machine. It seemed like every other month, I’d find myself in another city. Some familiar, some new, but I traveled everywhere with my bike and camera in hand, ready to see what was out there. Throughout these travels, I formed a lot of strong friendships with a lot of incredible people. Some of which have become my best of friends. We rode hard, we partied harder and somehow, I managed to keep the year in focus.

Here’s the PiNP 2012: A Year in 55 Photos…