Yesterday we looked Inside and Out of Meriwether Cycles via an in-depth Shop Visit. In that post, we offered a sneak peek at Whit’s production adventure gravel bike, the Ponderosa. John has been riding a prototype all year, providing Whit feedback for the final production model, which we’ll look at it in detail today. Read on for a full review of this tall and sturdy dream bike platform…
#adventure-bike
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Reportage
Kona Ouroborus Supreme Review: Next-Gen Gravel
Since posting our first look back in April, John’s been putting in miles on the Kona Ouroborus Supreme and finally wrapped his head around not only how to classify this bike but also what its best use case is. Is this the next stage in the evolution of gravel bikes?
Radar
Esker Cycles Lorax Steel Drop Bar Mountain Bike
Announced back in May, the Esker Lorax is the ultimate, do-anything drop-bar mountain bike. Today the brand just announced a more affordable steel chassis material. Let’s check it out!
Radar
The Rondo Bogan is Designed for All Terrain Touring
The Rondo Bogan comes in two models, ST-1 (€2,999 2x drivetrain) and ST-2 (€2,459 1x drivetrain), fits a 2.1″ 29er tires, and is made from Tange Champion tubing. Like its sibling, the Rondo RUUT Gravel it features an adjustable fork offset to tune the off-road ride quality…
Radar
The Viral Bikes Wanderer Drop Bar Adventure Bike Features a Pinion Gearbox
The Wanderer is Viral’s drop-bar-specific titanium adventure bike, designed for rough roads and the longest of backcountry adventures, all with an electronic-shifting Pinion gearbox…
Radar
Kona Ouroboros Adventure Bike: First Look
There’s a lot to love about Kona’s latest drop-bar bike, the Ouroboros. From the name (duh) to the stance and details, it’s got a lot going on. John got his hands on the Supreme build spec ($6999) and shot some photos before today’s release, so let’s take a closer look at this adventure-ready platform.
Reportage
Variable Conditions: A Panorama Cycles Torngat Ti Fat Bike Review
This past winter, Hailey Moore got a primer in fat biking while test riding Panorama Cycles’s Torngat Ti. Her review assesses both the bike and the challenge of finding ideal fat biking conditions.
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Material and Metaphysical Viewpoints: A Longterm Review of the Curve Cycling GMX+ Adventure Bike
Hello dear readers. Are you ready?
Buckle your seatbelts, put on your out-of-office. Be sure to prepare a too-carefully-constructed pour-over coffee, or maybe a glass of tap water, and settle in. We are about to embark on a journey together, an unbiased, at times fanciful, long-term review of the GMX+ adventure bike from Curve Cycling.
Reportage
Inside the Adventure Dojo: A Visit to Curve Cycling in Melbourne Australia
In this shop visit, Sam swings by Curve Cycling’s Melbourne digs and chats with the team about the brand’s history, their team of riders, and, of course, their range of adventure-first titanium and steel freedom machines. Read on to get the full rundown.
Reportage
More Than Just a Touring Bike: A Dirty Review of the Bombtrack Beyond 2
A bike’s stance dictates how you’ll ride it. When you see bikes like this, you don’t think of speed and efficiency. Coming off of a lightweight carbon gravel bike review and jumping back onto this Bombtrack Beyond 2 made me think about my headspace while riding a bike. For me, bikes like the Beyond 2, AWOL, Sutra ULTD, and Otso Fenrir instill a feeling of unintentionality when riding. They’re machines for meandering. While they are all touring bikes, designed for front and rear racks, they are so much more. I’ve put in many meandering miles on this bike and am ready to break it down for you, so read on below.
Reportage
A Look at the Polish Framebuilders True Love Cycles and the Heart Breaker 29er Adventure Bike
Today we’re pleased to feature Warsaw, Poland-based framebuilders True Love Cycles and their Heart Breaker 29er drop-bar adventure bike. Read on below as Jan from True Love Cycles gives us all the details in both words and some lovely desert photos!
Reportage
Mid South 2022: Silver Delight – The Moots Routt ESC Neo Retro Build
We already looked at Moots’ new adventure platform, the Routt ESC a while back, in a photo review and as a Beautiful Builds video, but having never seen the Neo-Retro build spec in person, I had to take the build Moots brought to Mid South outside of District Bicycles for some photos. This build kit looks amazing, with mostly silver parts, a bead-blasted ti Moots stem/seatpost, and yeah, that’s a barcon shifter. Let’s check it out below.
Radar
Radar Roundup: Hayduke Lives, Work for Old Man Mountain, Chirp Chirp Cycles, Winter Bikepacking, and A Ride for Kids
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Radar
Beautiful Builds: Moots Routt ESC
The Routt ESC is the latest bike to roll out of Moots’ Steamboat Springs facility where they’ve been making titanium frames for over 40 years. Watch this edition of our Beautiful Builds series for the full rundown on what makes the Routt ESC so different from any other bike in the Routt lineup…
See our full review of the Routt ESC in today’s Reportage.
Reportage
Review: Moots Routt ESC
The Baxter was a blip in a long line of adventure bikes to grace Moots’ 40 years of building frames in the Rockies. Personally, I really liked the Baxter. It held its own in the Steamboat Ramble Ride and tackled our “Disconnected” project in the Inyo Mountains with SRAM but the Baxter had some quirks that needed to be addressed. With the Routt ESC, Moots did just that, abandoning the Baxter model altogether.
In an era where adventure, gravel, touring, and bikepacking bikes are seeing lots of permutation, there’s no time for nostalgia. Brands need to address their bike’s quirks and redesign as needed. That’s where the Routt ESC comes in. It’s like the Baxter and the Routt gravel line had a lovechild, which resulted in a completely new paradigm within the Moots catalog. Let’s check out this new Routt ESC bike in more detail below!
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Chris’ Rodeo Labs Traildonkey
It’s Friday and that means it’s another Readers’ Rides feature. This time, we look at Chris’ Rodeo Labs Traildonkey, with a pretty wild parts spec. Chris supplied all the build details so let’s check it out below!
Reportage
2021 Philly Bike Expo: Amigo Frameworks Bug Out Gravel Bike
Zach Small’s Amigo Frameworks in Nashville, TN recently announced a preorder for the new uber-adaptable Bug Out gravel bike. Featuring the ability to run one speed or twelve, flat bars or drops, adjustable headtube angle, modifiable wheelbase, and room for up to 700 x 50c tires, the Bug Out is designed to handle pretty much anything thrown at it. Zach had one built-up and on display at this year’s Philly Bike Expo where we were able to take an up-close and detailed look.
Radar
Bombtrack’s 2022 Catalog is Live
Bombtrack has an extensive catalog of dropbar and flat bar bikes ranging from classic touring bikes (pictured, the Arise Tour), gravel, road, hardtails, and rigid MTB tourers. As always, the brand is spot-on with its specs and colors, so if you’re wanting to check out some great bikes this morning, roll on over to Bombtrack to see the full 2022 catalog.