The Radavist

Photos by Jarrod Bunk

135mm, 142mm, boost and now “super” boost. What gives with all these rear hub standards? I just wanna shreddd! Well, Kris from 44 Bikes knows a thing or two about shredding and frame design, so he tackled explaining superboost in his latest blog post:

“Earlier in the year, I put together a post just after completing the next iteration of the Marauder in a titanium prototype. You can read that post here. What is special about this bike is I used the pre-existing 157mm TA standard paired with an 83mm shell width. This is technically an existing DH standard which Pivot tweaked by adjusting the flange spacing of the non-drive side to move it outboard a bit more to stiffen up the rear wheel build and subsequently re-marketing it as “Superboost”. Which I think took some by surprise as a “new” standard. It’s quite the contrary. And when paired with that 83mm shell width (another existing standard) you get perfect chain line and a critical area of the bicycle is literally opened up to so many opportunities as tires gain more volume and width. ”

Keep reading at 44 Bikes!

44 Bikes doesn’t have a traditional “road” frame in their catalog. Instead, the Huntsman is their drop bar offering. A disc bike, designed for your specific riding style, the Huntsman comes in various custom configurations, including a new material: titanium. 44 Bikes just built up this beautiful Ti Huntsman for the Philly Bike Expo. Check out more photos below and if you’re interested in one, holler at 44 Bikes.

If you want to know what makes a framebuilder, particuarly one of my personal favorites, tick, then listen to Diane Jenks of the Outspoken Cyclist’s latest interview with Kris from 44 Bikes. Check it out at Outspoken Cyclist!

This weekend!

“This is a 100k to benefit local conservation efforts in the Piscataquog Watershed and surrounding area. All proceeds benefit the Piscataguog Land Conservancy and this year, funds will be going directly to preserve additional land preservation in my home town of Lyndeborough along Cold Brook to add to an existing trail network. It’s a good ride along scenic dirt roads here in my neck of the woods.”

See more at Rose MTN Rumble. Thanks to Kris at 44 Bikes for sending this through.

Thanks for your patience. All orders have shipped as of today. You should have received a shipping confirmation email, keep in mind, the USPS tracking system kinda sucks, so by the time shipping information is on the site, you’ll probably already have your jersey.

Enjoy the weekend!

It’s spring and that means for builders like Kris at 44 Bikes, their clients are eagerly awaiting their new shred sleds to take on their newly-dried out trails. His latest build from the 44 queue is this 27.5+ Marauder hardtail, with a rather impressive powdercoat job and build kit. View more from this bike’s life thus far at the 44 Bikes Flickr.

… with a new rig from Kris at 44 Bikes for a few rides down in Tasmania. There’s more to come, so hang tight!

Having lived in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, two very active hunting states, Kris Henry of 44 Bikes just wrote a piece about staying safe while riding during hunting season. Prompted by yesterday’s post from Washington State, Kris brings up a lot of points that can help keep you and others safe while riding in the woods. Head to 44 Bikes to check it out!

Photo by Morgan Taylor

In between reviewing mountain bikes, I still get to ride some of my own from time to time. After reviewing the 44 Bikes Marauder, I decided to buy the frame from Kris and built it up with MTB parts I had laying around, which resulted in a really rad build. Every time I throw my leg over this bike, I’m always smiling ear to ear, even if I look serious in this shot. Thanks to Kris for making such shred-worthy bikes!

This spot is my favorite dive in LA!

Kris at 44 Bikes has written a great manifesto on why made in the USA matters. Here’s an excerpt:

“…Having a healthy, prospering U.S. manufacturing base that employs skilled workers and invests in that same workforce ensures we have a strong middle class with good pay. This strengthens the very foundation of our society which creates mobility and even more important: Stability in the market because workers who have money in their pocket spend that same money on goods and service. That’s why I take some time, care and pride in partnering with local manufacturers when and where I can. It’s a two way street. What goes around comes around.”

I’d say more, but I’d like you the read the whole article, so head to 44 Bikes to check it out. Also, I’d like to note that it’s not just that made in the USA matters, it’s that domestic production matters. I support products made in Japan, Germany, Italy, etc. It comes down to companies who manufacture products in their native land, where environmental regulation is upheld…

When Ryan Wilson @RMDub told me that he was quitting his job to go bikepacking around South America for the unforeseeable future, I was stoked. When he mentioned wanting to do Reportage for the Radavist while he was down there, I couldn’t resist but to get on board. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been helping him put together this 44 Bikes OD green 27.5+ bikepacking rig and Kris just posted completed photos of the frameset. There’s more to come but for now, head to the 44 Bikes Flickr to see more!