Search for “santa fe” on The Radavist

Reportage By: John Watson

Building Community at Sincere Cycles in Santa Fe

In the modern era, opening a new shop is risky business, especially if you’re trying to just make a quick buck. I’ve watched shops close all around me, yet sometimes the right combination of factors unite and a new shop is born. One of those factors includes a town with a growing cycling scene, access to wilderness, and a supporting cycling infrastructure. Santa Fe just so happens to be one of those rare places in the Four Corners of the Western United States.

Sincere Cycles is the newest venture by Bailey Newbrey. Bailey co-founded Comrade Cycles in Chicago. About two years ago, he left to work with Bobby and crew at District Bicycles. While there, he began to plan out his next move…

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See Ya Later, Santa Fe!

We’re continuing up through the Western United States with Bozeman being our final destination but man, our time in Santa Fe was magical. We’ve got much more content rolling through over the weekend and into next week, so stay tuned and have a great weekend!

Reportage By: John Watson

Try Before You Buy at Santa Fe’s Mellow Velo

“Try before you buy.” It’s not a saying you’d normally associate with a bike shop. Sure, most shops will let you take a bike on a test ride around the block or in their parking lot, but to pull a brand new bike off the shelf and “demo” it for a day, or two, or a whole month, if you so wanted to, is unique. That model was very foreign to me until I walked into Santa Fe’s Mellow Velo.

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We Had a Great Time in Santa Fe

This holiday season, we set our sights on the Land of Enchantment and the beautiful town of Santa Fe. Cari, my partner, and her family have roots in New Mexico, with a sort of tradition of spending time over the holidays in Santa Fe with family friends. This year, I really looked forward to the high desert, Christmas Chili, piñon wood, and luminarias. I’ve wanted to check out the riding in the area, since I’ve only driven through en route to other cycling destinations and although a few massive winter storms hit during our stay, I managed to get out on a pedal with my friend Bailey early one morning.

We mostly spent our time visiting museums, shops, eating at local digs, and I was able to swing through to say hey to the Mellow Velo team. All in all, it left me anxious to return once the snow melts at the higher elevations…

Check out a few more below!

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Chris King and Santa Cruz Commemorate Jonas Johnson’s Life with a Harrys Hoard Contest

Jonas Johnson passed away earlier this year. He was a smiling spirit at Chris King and was loved by many in the industry. For me, I always looked forward to hanging out at tradeshows with him and I was shaken by the news of his death. Chris King and Santa Cruz are looking to raise money to support HarrysHoard.com. Here are the details from Chris King and see more photos of the bike below:

“Win this bike and more prizes while supporting a great cause at harryshoard.com!

A 12-year employee of Chris King, Jonas Johnson passed away this year. He leaves behind his wife, two young children and a baby due in a few short weeks. We’ve gathered prizes Jonas would have loved and you can win them while supporting Jonas’ family.

Up for grabs is a custom Jonas inspired Santa Cruz 5010 (large), with Fox suspension, ENVE wheels, bar, and stem, Shimano XTR, SDG Shibuya saddle, Continental mountain king tires, and Chris King Matte Punch components! We also have a collection of Oakley glasses made for the Rio Olympic athletes, a Moots Ti stem and seatpost, a Fox Prorfame helmet and kit, and three Oakley backpacks! Enter now at HarrysHoard.com”

$10 gets you a ticket, $50 gets you ten. Don’t miss out on this opportunity! See more photos of this beautiful, unique bike below.

Reportage By: John Watson

Giro’s Santa Cruz Effect Two Day Ride

Santa Cruz is a city that never disappoints. No matter what the occasion, I have a blast riding my bike. So when Giro invited me along to their Santa Cruz Effect media event, I gladly accepted.

Even though we were on a pretty tight schedule, we had two days of riding bikes in the woods and coastal roads of NorCal to look forward to. That meant we were to expect a lot of temperature fluctuations throughout the day, the perfect climate for merino wool.

The group included men and women, from all over the world, all of which were related to the cycling industry in some way. We had some locals with us, including Todd from Black Cat, Jeff Traugott, Jake from Steel Wül, along with a few Giro employees. Those dudes put on one hell of a ride, taking us through some great roads and down some incredibly fun (i.e. sketchy) descents.

Here’s our Strava from Day 1 and Day 2 for those interested in a route. I highly suggest doing this as a one-day loop. We were taking it chill…

Check out some narrated photos in the Gallery!

Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4 / Porta 160

Reportage By: John Watson

2024 MADE Bike Show Pre-Feature: Paul’s Meriwether x Oddity Touring Fat Bike

John and Cari are en route to the 2024 MADE Bike Show and stopped along the way to see the Paul Component Engineering fam in Chico, California. While there, we checked out Paul’s Meriwether Cycles touring fat bike. This collaboration bike with Oddity Cycles is a three-year project, but if you’re like us, you’ll agree it was well worth the wait. Let’s check it out!

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Feature Film and Photobook Announcement Camera Corner: Wende Cragg Documents the Birth of Mountain Biking

Photographer Wende Cragg has been a pillar of the cycling community since she began documenting road, cyclocross, and the early days of mountain biking in Marin County, California, and throughout the United States over 50 years ago. We are delighted to launch the trailer for our first feature-length documentary film, Camera Corner: Wende Cragg Documents the Birth of Mountain Biking. It profiles Wende’s work and its lasting impact on the cycling industry.

We’re also unveiling a book and merch pre-order, as well as the beginning of a growing list of film screenings, which kicks off with the world premiere at the Marin Museum of Bicycling on August 16th & 17th and another at MADE’s movie night on August 23rd. There’s exclusive early viewing access, pre-orders for an epic photobook featuring Wende’s work, and an associated throwback merchandise run.

Continue reading below for all the details!

Radar By: Nicholas Haig-Arack

Existential Safety: Leatt at 20 – A Conversation with Dain Zaffke

We’re trying something new here at The Radavist. We have been exploring various ways to keep providing free, top-notch photography, reviews, news, and Reportage to our audience, and sponsored content is one way to keep the lights on and the bills paid. We’re unwilling to compromise your trust, so we pledge to always operate with the utmost integrity and be fully transparent about any spon-con on the site.

Full disclosure: this article was supported by Leatt. If you’d like to keep the Radavist independent, please consider joining the Group Ride today – a monthly or yearly subscription is the best way to support the longest-running alternative cycling website.

Whew! Now that that’s out of the way… Our newly-minted Copy Editor, regular Radavist contributor Nicholas Haig-Arack, recently caught up with Leatt’s Dain Zaffke to learn about the brand’s history and discuss matters of safety, both physical and existential. Let’s begin with an intro to Leatt…

Reportage By: Fernando Quintana & Norbert Toth

Sincio De Acero: A Shop Visit and Showcase at Santander, Spain’s La Pindia

When Tomi opened his shop, La Pindia, he decided to throw a one-day bike show with framebuilders from all over the Iberian Peninsula. Due to the shop’s focus on handcrafted bikes, over a dozen bikes from various makers were brought to show the state of the craft within the region. Learn about the framebuilding community of Northern Spain and what ties them all together, and don’t miss some amazing bespoke builds.

Radar By: John Watson

Pinion Smart.Shift Review: Imperfect Perfection

The Pinion Smart.Shift gearbox offers electronic shifting for instantaneous engagement, eliminating the soft or sluggish feeling found with the grip shift Pinion systems. Yet this system isn’t as perfect as it’s marketed, and John found one critical shortcoming during his review period…

Radar By: john watson

Tips for Bike Ride Safety in Rattlesnake Habitat: It’s Snakesgiving in the Desert

If you live in a rattlesnake habitat, you’ve probably noticed an uptick in the number of rattlesnakes present over the past few weeks. On a ride in Arizona yesterday, Josh and John had a close call with a Western rattlesnake, Crotalus oreganus. As a lifelong herp fanatic, John penned a few notes on how to stay snake-safe on bike rides in rattlesnake habitat…

Reportage By: Alex Steadman, Nikki Nepomuceno, & and Josh Weinberg

Double Feature Review: Alex and Nikki’s Starling Swoop Steel Full Suspensions

The Swoop is Starling Cycles‘ versatile single-pivot steel full-suspension bike designed for 27.5 wheels. With its adjustable shock mounts, the Swoop can be set in “Trail” mode with 130 mm of rear travel or “Enduro” with 160 mm. Partners Alex and Nikki each have Swoops in respective enduro and trail modes that they’ve been riding for some time now. Below, they share a review of both iterations of this adaptable built-in-UK platform from one of our favorite bike makers…

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Trail Eaffect Podcast: Rocket Ramps with Henry and Janker Ted

Trail Eaffect Podcast recently sat down with Santa Fe local trail builders Henry and Janker Ted from Rocket Ramps. If you’re interested in building ramps, what it takes to build trails, and working with land managers and community in New Mexico, then check it out at Trail Eaffect.

Radar By: Travis Engel

Messing With Perfection: OneUp V3 Dropper Post First-Ride Review

The new OneUp V3 dropper post is not wireless! But there’s lots to talk about. So, Travis took it apart, put it together, and even rode it.

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Radar Roundup: Ryan Wilson Prints, Signature and Pinion Cranks, Caletti Cycles New Website, Twisted Spoke CBD Hydromix, Silky Super Accel Curve 21, SAS Signature Jersey, John’s Yo Eddy is in the Rad Bazaar, Messin’ Around, and Festivus

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Reportage By: john watson & kyle klain

Stiggy Pop: A Review of the All-New 2023 Santa Cruz Stigmata

Some bikes just hit differently. They grow with an audience, transform the paradigm, and go against the grain. The Santa Cruz Stigmata is one of those bikes for me.

These days, mountain bike brands are all about gravel bikes, but one company started its foray into drop bars way back in 2007. Santa Cruz Bicycles first launched its quirky and fun ‘cross bike, dubbed the Stigmata, back before disc brakes proliferated the drop-bar bike phenotype. It was made from Easton EA6X aluminum in the USA and had cantilever brakes. It was weird. Funky. Cool.

Then, in 2015, the brand brought back the Stigmata but in carbon with disc brakes. I spent some time in New Zealand on the bike and logged many miles in Los Angeles. I loved it. So much so that I copied its geometry for my custom Firefly in 2016. Later, the Stiggy got another refresh and the 2019 iteration sported 27.5 x 2″ tires and was a carbon monster truck. I posted that review the day we refreshed our web design of The Radavist.

So when Santa Cruz announced its 2023 model, with the full SRAM AXS kit, including the RockShox Rudy suspension fork, I had to try it out, too. I’ve been ripping around on this lightweight and capable bike here in Santa Fe through the remnants of a dry and dusty El Niño year and have some thoughts on what makes the Stigmata so magical. Check it out below!

Radar By: John Watson

Protect Ya Feet: Fox Racing Union BOA Clipless Shoes Review

Over the past few years, Fox Racing has undergone a rebrand, and we’ve taken note of the new footwear in particular. Earlier this year, Fox unveiled the crème de la crème of MTB footwear with the Union BOA Clipless Shoes ($249.95). John’s been gettin’ these shoes dusty on the trails in Santa Fe and has some thoughts to share in a review below…