We lost a good brand last year. All-City Cycles’ parent company, Quality Bicycle Products, announced they’d be closing down the brand in 2024. After a heartfelt outpouring here on The Radavist, John penned an homage to the brand vis-à-vis some abstract photos of the All-City Cycles Cosmic Stallion Titanium and includes a note from Saisha Harris, All-City’s creative director, and final closing thoughts by Jeff Frane, the brand’s founder. Read on for this fond farewell…
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Radar
Alexandera Houchin’s Ultra Racing Hacks
If you follow ultra racing, then you have most likely heard of Alexandera Houchin. Today we’re sharing a few hacks she’s tried over the year, from her beginning roots bike touring all the way through bikepacking races. Read on for a bit of self-deprecating humble pie and innovation, rolled in one!
Reportage
Long Term Relationship: A True Love Cycles Heart Breaker Review
After spending nearly six months riding Polish builder True Love Cycle’s Heart Breaker, Hailey Moore pens a long-term review of this drop-bar 29er, and compares and contrasts two vastly different build specs.
Reportage
Ritchey Hangout: I’m Telling You, It’s Great Here
On February 25th, Ritchey and The Bike Sauce hosted a Ritchey Hangout event at Maverick Cycles in Whittier, CA. The meetup brought together cyclists from across Southern California in appreciation of all things Ritchey. The event was part group ride and part social hang, punctuated deliciously with a lunchtime BBQ pop-up from Bep Bep Kitchen.
Reportage
More Than It Seems: A 2024 Revel Rascal Review
After its first top-to-bottom update, the new 2024 Revel Rascal may be the most versatile mid-travel 29er Travis has ever ridden. But does versatility matter when you’re just here to have fun?
Reportage
Built PNW Tough: Super Pacific and X1 Camper Review
While many of us attempt to adhere to a bike-centric lifestyle most of the time, vehicles are an unavoidable aspect of transportation. Especially for those of us living in the expansive Western United States. And for folks who like to travel distances for recreation, or need to travel for work, having a vehicle that doubles as a somewhat self-contained living space is more than just a luxury. Josh learned long ago that #vanlife wasn’t for him, and pull-behind campers were more of a hindrance than help. So a few years ago he outfitted his pickup with a bed-mounted wedge-style canopy camper. Then earlier this year he swapped that camper for a Super Pacific X1.
Josh has been fielding a lot of questions about the X1, both at the trailhead and on social media, over the past few months. In advance of a long-term review, he shares an overview of Super Pacific, the X1 camper, and aspects that differentiate the brand in a crowded truck camper space…
Reportage
Opening the Door: Onur Reflects on How His Single Speed MTB Saved His Life
John first met Onur through the Land Cruiser world. He’s a legend in that community. Then, scary life stuff happened, and suddenly, Onur realized his lifestyle needed to change. He had a heart attack and had to get into shape… fast! His life depended on it. Read on for a heartfelt story about how Onur reconnected with the bicycle, thanks to his supportive friends, and how he’s addicted to his trusty single-speed mountain bike!
Radar
Monday Rad Bazaar Finds
Today, we’ve got a fine selection of used goods from the Rad Bazaar, our Group Ride subscribers‘ selling platform, featuring some unique offerings. Let’s check it all out!
Reportage
~70% Reduction: A Classified Powershift MTB Hub Review
Sun and planet gears, proprietary internals, electronic signals, and precise shifting under load. Those are just some of the topics that John will walk us through in his Classified Powershift Hub for mountain bikes review below…
Reportage
From Madrid to Tucson: The 2023 Komoot Women’s Arizona Rally
Last fall Cristina Maristany joined 70 other riders from all over the world in the Sonoran Desert for the Komoot Women’s Arizona Rally designed and hosted by Lael Wilcox and Rue Kaladyte. Over eight days, the self-supported group camped under the stars and overcame the challenge of traveling through remote zones with limited food and water. The total route was over 400 miles (650km) and 25,000ft (7,600m) of elevation through breathtaking Southern Arizona landscapes.
Below, Cristina recaps this spectacular ride with her own wonderful photos, in addition to a gallery from event photographer Ashley Gruber, and a video she produced about the rally….
Reportage
Obscura: A Fuji GW690ii Camera Review
As much as The Radavist is about bikes, it is also intrinsically linked to cameras and film photography. There is even a whole category of strictly film galleries called Recent Roll that dates back to 2010! We take pride in our photography so it makes sense for us to feature some of our favorite cameras in a series we’re calling Obscura.
This is a reference to the first-ever photographic device, the camera obscura.
Kicking off this series is Kyle Klain, who has a review of his Fuji GW690ii. Fans of film photography will know of this quirky system, so read on to hear Kyle’s take on what makes the Fuji so unique and so maddening at the same time…
Reportage
Coarse Grounds: Bicycles and Coffee With Gravelo Workshop
Bicycles and coffee go together hand-in-hand. We’ve covered countless shops that seamlessly pair the two and today, Andy Karr takes us inside Gravelo Workshop in Asheville, North Carolina…
Reportage
Mental Detours Part Two: The Italy Divide to Rome and a Dolomites Mini-Tour
In part two of her Reportage from bike touring in Italy, Hailey Moore writes about arriving in Rome and feeling the weight of history in the Eternal City. She and Anton Krupicka also tack on a three-day multi-sport tour in the Dolomite mountains.
Reportage
Shredding With the Stone Eaters: Knolly Tyaughton Steel 29er Hardtail Review
On a recent Radavist Retreat, John and Hailey left their wintery homes to ride the various trails and gravelly terrain down in Phoenix with Josh. While there, John rode the Knolly Tyaughton Steel he’d procured from the brand earlier this winter and spent time riding amongst the Stone Eaters of South Mountain Park. Find out what he thought about this wild hardtail 29er with an even wilder price point ($2,449 complete) below!
Radar
Saturday Rad Bazaar Finds
Today, we’ve got a fine selection of used (and new) goods from the Rad Bazaar, our Group Ride subscribers‘ selling platform, featuring some unique offerings. Let’s check it all out!
Reportage
A Homecoming at the 2023 Hodag Country Ramble
The Hodag Country Ramble is a ride. It’s a tour, a campout. But it has also become so much more. Read on for an insight into the event and what makes it so special for its founder, Jeff Frane with some marvelous photos by Alex Horner…
Radar
Wearing the Pants: Dovetail Is Making Workwear for Women, By Women
Started in 2018 by the two owners of a landscaping business in Oregon, Dovetail Workwear aim to make “top-to-toe, all-season, all-reason” utility apparel for women. Hailey Moore stumbled upon their work pants at her local hardware store and wanted to know more. Read on for her review of Dovetail’s workwear and thoughts on how the brand’s mission is having an impact beyond the retail space.
Reportage
Hooked on a Feeling: How I Prepped for Atlas Mountain Race
Mel Webb is an ultra-distance bikepack racer and host of Detours: An Ultra Cycling and Adventure Podcast. She’s lined up at the start of events like the Silk Road Mountain Race, the Hellenic Mountain Race and the Alberta Rockies 700.
In just over a week she’ll be racing the 2024 Atlas Mountain Race and will be putting her body and setup through their paces in one of the world’s toughest, and most beautiful, ultra-endurance events.
Standing at 5’2, she’s no stranger to the game of tetris that is packing a small bike. Come along as Mel takes us through the evolution of her ultra race kit with photos from Morgan Taylor.