The Radavist

Yesterday, John walked us through the electronic shifting Pinion C1.12i Smart.Shift gearbox in an in-depth review, and today, we’ll be looking at the bike it was installed on, the Viral Bike Derive hardtail. You know we love hardtails at The Radavist, and this one did not disappoint…

No matter how innovative or controversial a given mountain bike technology may be, it’s usually just a means to an end. A way to add efficiency or capability. Sure, these technologies can often make for utterly spectacular rides. But bikes themselves—especially full-suspension bikes—rarely add any soul purely for soul’s sake.

That may be why we love to highlight bikes like the REEB SST, Chromag Darco, and, of course, the Starling Murmur. These bikes have esoteric quirks usually found only on hardtail, gravel, and town bikes. And they just happen to also offer utterly spectacular rides.

But when Travis Engel noticed function-first stalwarts, Pivot and Specialized suddenly teasing in-house experiments in lugged carbon fiber, he wondered if there might be a new search for soul afoot…

According to the internet, The Beatles’ song “Yesterday” has been covered between 1,200 and 3,000 times, which even on the low end of that range makes it the most covered song in history. The spare lyrics, describing the ever-relatable ache of lost love, and string arrangement make it a simple yet sophisticated work that has managed to transcend the six decades since Paul McCartney first dreamed (literally) up the melody. The uncluttered elegance has rendered “Yesterday” truly timeless.

While first unveiled in 1994—incidentally, the same year that both LeAnn Rimes and Boyz II Men covered the McCartney classic—Merlin’s cruiser-inspired mountain bike, the Newsboy, has also reappeared in various forms throughout the intervening years. Like McCartney’s paired down lines, the Newsboy shares an on-the-surface simplicity and a nostalgia-driven design that has contributed to its lasting appeal. Merlin has just launched its latest Newsboy redesign, let’s take a look below…

Every summer, ENVE Composites hosts a massive open house at their HQ in Ogden, Utah with an accompanying gravel ride. The 2023 ENVE Grodeo, which went down just one week ago,  featured an impressive list of 24 frame builders from around the world. Spencer Harding was on the ground documenting all of the beautiful bicycles and riding festivities and, below, he presents Part One of his event recap with a stacked gallery of bikes, some snapshots from the builder ride, and Trackline time trail at the Grodeo. Let’s get to it!

Our friends at Ornot are celebrating their ten-year anniversary as an independent cycling apparel and accessory brand. As part of this milestone, founder Matt Quann penned a retrospective about his experience starting an apparel brand in a San Francisco garage, tracing a path through custom frames, hurdles with domestic manufacturing, and a ride where waffles were promised but not delivered. Continue reading below for more from Matt and keep your eyes peeled for some special giveaways along with this exciting occasion!

In a video clip that went viral three years ago an unknown rider from Colombia is towed by motorcycle to jump a massive single dirt jump. Understandably, the feat sent the internet into a frenzy. More impressive the rider, Julian Molina had one leg, and the moto-tow was the only way he could get enough speed to clear the 25-foot-plus gap. It was a wildly uplifting moment that illustrated the human spirit at its best. The whole crowd erupted in cheers of support and disbelief and he cemented his name as an icon of all things rad! The venue? RADshare‘s Rumble in Richmond.

For those of you unfamiliar, the Rumble in Richmond is an event that benefits RADshare, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate and empower underrepresented and underserved youth by providing them with the resources needed to participate in outdoor activities, specifically BMX and action sports.