The Radavist

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…

After wandering the halls for over 12 hours, Adam Sklar from Sklar Bikes and Daniel Yang from Neuhaus Metalworks still have no idea what happened at the Taipei Cycle Show 2024. The show fills three floors with almost 1000 booths and a million products of the BigBike sausage. Here are the vibes and products that SmallBike found interesting.

Over the last couple of years, our European correspondent Petor Georgallou has gotten to know Sour Bicycles, a small East German bike company who are trailblazing in their mix of domestic framebuilding in Dresden and continued importation of Taiwan-made bikes. Read on to hear about the unique conditions that have made the former states of East Germany a hotbed of innovation and manufacturing in Europe, as well as how a mega fail by Petor leads to the second of many shop visits in Germany.

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…

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…

Announced today, the Revel Bikes Tirade is a 29er, 140-millimeter travel titanium hardtail, unlike anything the brand has offered in the past. With generous tire clearance, beautiful cable routing, and more, it’s clear Revel has used merged its own design prowess, learned through making phenomenal full-suspension bikes, and the re-labeling of its titanium brand, Why Cycles, to force an evolution of the almighty hardtail. Read on for John’s nerdy science talk intertwined with commentary on how hardtails are still having a moment in 2024 below!

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!

In a world where boundaries blur and possibilities collide, two extraordinary individuals emerge from different realms, united by a shared vision. Matthew Mata-Aguilar, a seasoned veteran with a decade of wisdom in the cycling industry, and Glen Repol, a maven of street fashion culture for over eleven years, embark on an epic journey that transcends the ordinary. Together, they shatter the confines of traditional cycling norms, pushing the limits of imagination and innovation. From bike builds to cycling fashion, their collaboration ignites a spark that sets the stage for a mesmerizing spectacle.

Brace yourself as they unveil a groundbreaking event, a helmet art show like no other, where creativity intertwines with functionality, and the cycling culture is forever transformed. Get ready to witness the collision of worlds, the convergence of ideas, and the birth of a new era in cycling. This is the story of SLOWRIDER and PAL, two trailblazers on a mission to redefine what it means to ride.

The Paramo Ultra from Colombian bicycle builders Scarab Cycles is arguably the brand’s most versatile offering. With clearance for thicc tires, sliding dropouts, and comfortable geometry, the Paramo Ultra is inspired by the unrelenting high-elevation Andean mountain terrain where Scarab is based to provide a capable ride experience in even the most demanding pursuits. And because every Scarab is built to order based on a rider’s size, discipline, and style, no two builds are ever the same.

Josh has ridden a Paramo Ultra for the past six months both in Colombia where it was made and on his local roads and trails around the Sonoran desert. Below, he shares his thoughts on the build as well on Scarab’s overall approach to fabricating custom bicycles in the mountains outside Medellín…