The Sierra Buttes Lost & Found 2019: Straight From the Mid-Pack

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The Sierra Buttes Lost & Found 2019: Straight From the Mid-Pack

Introduction: We pinged Erin Lamb to write about her experience at this year’s Lost & Found with John’s experience told through the gallery captions. We’re trying new models for event Reportage, so please let us know what you think in the comments! Enjoy!

I lost my wallet a couple of weeks ago, and I’m not searching to find Jesus. I’m pretty sure the wallet fell out of my purse in a parking lot when I pulled some shit out to throw into the back seat. And, the Jesus thing, just not interested. If you’re looking for a feel-good story about stumbling upon the light, then maybe this isn’t for you. This is more of a coming-of-age gravel riding tale dispatched straight from a middle of the pack 65-miler on the Sierra Buttes’ Lost & Found.

A Complete South African Immersion at the Karoobaix

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A Complete South African Immersion at the Karoobaix

Romanticising the desert is as old as literature. From Edward Abbey to Aldo Leopold and Mary Hunter Austin. Over the years, authors and artists alike, have taken to these vast, arid landscapes for inspiration. I, myself, identify with these places and feel most at ease while traversing their planes and mountains. Perhaps its the ability to see for miles, in any direction, or it could be the intricacy of their flora and fauna, but the desert to me is the most wonderful place. Riding a bike in these conditions can be challenging, however. Typically, water is an issue, as is the sun and its oppressive rays, but probably the most incapacitating element is the wind, for you can take measures to block the sun and you can always carry more water.

Last year, I was supposed to travel to South Africa to partake in the Eroica, as well as a cycle tour around the Karoo Desert but I came down with the worst flu of my adult life the day I was supposed to depart. Fast forward a year and I really wanted to return, so I contacted Stan Engelbrecht, the Cape Town local race organizer to see if he wanted to do another trip. Stan also throws the Tour of Ara, a six-day, vintage steel bike-only race. He’s no rookie to races and so I struck up an email thread with him again. That’s when he told me that the Karoobaix was happening.

Soaking in the South with Maxxis Tires in Northern Georgia at their Appalachian Summit

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Soaking in the South with Maxxis Tires in Northern Georgia at their Appalachian Summit

With a title like that, there isn’t much more to the story, yet there is so much more to the story.

Press camps are fun. Bike launches are fun, yet Maxxis wanted to try something a little different in their recent Appalachian Summit. With the popularity of their tires and only a few new models on the horizon, this “launch” was more of an immersion. Not so much into their product but into the dirt and riding that inspires all their tires, from gravel to downhill, the mountains of Northern Georgia are in Maxxis‘ back yard. PR&D for new tires begins and ends in these mountains. The team of designers conceive of a pattern that would excel in a certain condition, then the product designers work on the tread pattern, samples are made, athletes are seeded these samples, feedback comes in and before too long, a new tire emerges from the already plump lineup. This is all pretty standard for most component companies and honestly, is interesting but the purpose of this press camp was far deeper than that.

Look. The South doesn’t get a whole lotta love. Maybe it’s the wayward political system, or the fact that it’s perceived to be flat. The Appalachian mountains are some of the oldest in the USA, meaning after millions of years of erosion, aren’t as high as the Western US’s offerings but don’t be mistaken. There’s a lotta elevation change happening below the Mason Dixon line.

PiNP EXCLUSIVE: Purchase Southern Safari Now on Vimeo

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PiNP EXCLUSIVE: Purchase Southern Safari Now on Vimeo

While I’m in the middle of packing for, flying to and getting settled in Taiwan / China, check out the long-awaited Southern Safari video. Embedded above is the trailer and here’s the information:

“Southern Safari is the latest Loose Nuts Cycles team video starring fixed gear freestyle riders Miles Mathia, Kareem Shehab, Torey Thornton, and Tom Lamarche. Watch as this group brings fixed gear bikes into uncharted territory across the southern United States. Ledges, rails, stairsets and more all get destroyed by this four man army. Sit back, crack a cold one, and see what life is like on tour with the Loose Nuts Team.”

Buy it now on Vimeo for $8

Southeastern North Carolina’s Lost Gem: McLean Bicycles

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Southeastern North Carolina’s Lost Gem: McLean Bicycles

McLean Fonvielle was born in Wilmington, NC, my home town. He went to the School of the Arts in Winston Salem to study art and shortly after, he dropped out since his interest was in bicycle building. In the late 60’s he started an apprenticeship at Holdsworthy in London, under Roy Thame. Later, he moved back to NC where he started Silk Hope, named after a town near Chapel Hill, NC. Many people wanted a Silk Hope but couldn’t afford one, prompting McLean to begin a new company, aptly-named McLean Bicycles. These bikes flourished in the South and between 1978 through the end of his life in 1983, McLean built many beautiful bicycles.

Even though he died at the young age of 29, his bikes are regarded as devoid of ostentation and a true example of American craftsmanship. I had the opportunity to document a pristine example of one of McLean’s bicycles yesterday. Owned by the proprietor of Two-Wheeler Dealer here in Wilmington, NC, this bike is not only period correct, it’s been hanging in the rafters since the mid-80’s!

Check out some photos of Jim’s McLean road bike below!

Trevor Mid-Flight in Savannah

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Trevor Mid-Flight in Savannah


Photo by Eric B.

Savannah, Georgia has a small freestyle scene building. The kids in the dirty South are picking up fixed gears and hitting skate parks and street spots. Eric B’s got a bunch of photos from a little session the guys had last weekend and this shot of Trevor clearing the pyramid top came out killer! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love seeing air on fixed gears. Keep ripping guys!

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Hailey’s Crust Bombora: A Work in Progress

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Hailey’s Crust Bombora: A Work in Progress

Part shape-shifter, part time capsule, Hailey‘s Crust Bikes Bombora has taken many forms. It’s the bike that she got when she first started really getting into bikes, and bike touring, and since then it’s the one she’s altered the most, always finding a way to keep it relevant as her preferences and bike collection evolve. In this somewhat unconventional review, she veers into the sentimental as she highlights some of the setups her Bombora has seen over the past five years.

Bobby’s Wilde Bikes Ti Dorothy: A Match Made In Oklahoma

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Bobby’s Wilde Bikes Ti Dorothy: A Match Made In Oklahoma

We’re not in Kansas anymore. Certainly not. Unlike the hard bedrock of the flint hills and similar gravel roads that pattern the Midwest, The Mid South (or “Mud South”) hosted in Stillwater, Oklahoma is characterized by its rich red clay. Second only to race director Bobby Wintle‘s finish line hug for every rider, The Mid South has become infamous for its often wet weather that turns that beautiful red clay into drivetrain-eating mud. Re-routing the course is never even a topic of conversation.

Geographic locations and riding can add a lot to the picture when considering what your dream bike may be. Massive tire clearance? Tall or low bottom bracket? Slack or steep head tube angles. Well after riding in an area for so long you figure out what works, what doesn’t, and what you wish someone could just get right. With these thoughts in mind Bobby collaborated with Wilde Bikes to develop a bike that is Mid South approved. How so? Read on to find out a little bit more about this bike from Jarrod Bunk and check out some flicks on the red dirt.

The Radavist’s Top Ten Bike Reviews of 2022

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The Radavist’s Top Ten Bike Reviews of 2022

Every year, we get offers from companies, both large and small to review one of their upcoming bike models. We take on what we can and lean on our contributors for the ones we can’t fit into our own schedules. We’re still just three people running this site over here! At the end of the calender year, we dig through our analytics, social media channels, and comments to determine which bikes did the best and compile a list. This year’s ran the gamut from full suspension mountain bikes to, cargo, all-rounder and gravel racing machines. There’s something for everyone in this one, so read on for The Radavist’s Top Ten Bike Reviews of 2022!

The Radavist’s Top Ten Beautiful Bicycles of 2022

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The Radavist’s Top Ten Beautiful Bicycles of 2022

We’d like to think we’re pretty alright at photographing bikes over here at The Radavist. The steeds we choose to document reflect our audience’s preferences and capture distinct trends in bicycle design. Yet, each year as we reflect on all the builds that have rolled through this cyber showroom, we’re always surprised to see what the Top Ten list reveals. This year, we’ve got a good mix of bikes, outfitted with flat and droopy bars, running rubber across the size spectrum, and made of steel, aluminum and yes, even carbon. Let’s get to it!

Conversations About Gravel and Change, Part Three: Kristi Mohn

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Conversations About Gravel and Change, Part Three: Kristi Mohn

Kristi Mohn is something of a legend. A native of Emporia, KS, Kristi started cycling in 2004. In 2008 she became the co-director of the Unbound Gravel event, which was run for the first time in 2006. Since then she’s been the driving force behind gravel cycling’s drive for inclusion. She’s worked to secure equal purses for women, pushed for non-binary event classes, and driven efforts to engage communities who have otherwise been ignored by the cycling industry. Corey Godfrey and Jason Strohbehn, the co-organizers of Gravel Worlds, cite Kristi’s “200 Women Riding 200 Miles” program, as well as their conversations with her, as inspirations behind their own efforts. Kimo Seymour, President of Events & Media at Life Time Fitness, says that Kristi’s work is what attracted Lifetime to buy Unbound Gravel in 2018. I interviewed Kristi in Stillwater, OK at the 2022 edition of the Mid South, but have been fortunate enough to have known her for close to 10 years.

REEB Lickskillet: the Mad Max Gravel Racer

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REEB Lickskillet: the Mad Max Gravel Racer

For the astute bike nerd, with the unfettered access to the internet that many of the socially distant are currently experiencing, it is evident that hardly a day passes without some bike brand announcing their revolutionary new gravel bike into an increasingly crowded marketplace. Shorter chainstays! Bigger tire clearance! More braze-ons splooshed all over the frame! Into this current apocalyptic wasteland of the gravel racer without a race is born the Lickskillet. Springing from the loins of REEB (yes, that is BEER spelled backward) the venerable bike/brewing company in Longmont Colorado. As they say, each REEB is “Barn Built Because it Matters”.

Salsa’s New Gravel Singlespeed Bike: the Stormchaser

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Salsa’s New Gravel Singlespeed Bike: the Stormchaser

Available in April and launched today at the Mid South, the Stormchaser is Salsa’s new singlespeed gravel bike. This new bike is available at the moment only as an aluminum frame, with a carbon fork, and is inspired by the Warbird’s all-road, all-conditions, no-nonsense geometry.

Because gravel races often take place in inclement conditions, Salsa added abrasion plates on the fork, internal routing, and extra clearance for when the mud really gets caked on.

The all-new Alternator Flat Mount dropouts allow for single speed setups or 1x drivetrains with a geared dropout plate. This geometry is adapted so that wider bars can be run with it as well.

Complete builds are priced at $1,499 with the frameset coming in at $1,099. See more information at Salsa.