tag
Apologies for the delay in delivering this week’s Readers’ Rides, but as you can see, it’s a special one. Tandems are often called “relationship accelerators,” particularly when it comes to tandem mountain bikes! Laura and Tree had Curtis from Retrotec Cycles build them something special… so let’s get to it.
Calling in Sick Issue 11 is now available for pre-order with Underbiking as the theme. This issue is jam packed with reader submissions, photos, rider and bike features, product reviews, and an extended architecture section. Check it out at Calling in Sick Magazine.
On Wednesday, February 28 the gang from Rivendell went on a ride to catch the good trail conditions before the next rain and take some fresh photos. They rode 10 minutes to get on the trail then about 10 miles in 4 hours. Talk about a leisurely pace!
“Palo Verde Oasis” is the third layout of the Radavist 2024 Calendar. It was shot with a Canon R5 and a Canon f2.8 24-70, in the Mojave Desert of CA. Photographed by John Watson.
“While Palo verde trees (Parkinsonia aculeata) don’t thrive in the northern reaches of the Mojave Desert, there are stragglers present thanks to migratory birds passing the seeds. On a recent trip out to Los Angeles, Cari and John came across this beautiful scene…”
For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right-click and save link as – The Radavist 2024 – March. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)
The mobile background this month is a vertical crop from the same evening. Click here to download March’s Mobile Wallpaper.
Check out this recap video from the 11th edition of The Rock Cobbler gravel event. Despite looming mud threats, riders experienced near-perfect conditions for one of the toughest editions yet. Check out what it’s like, along the Pebbler route, spanning 60 miles with over 5,000 feet of climbs through Bakersfield’s rolling hills…
John sent his 1984 Mountain Goat Whiskeytown Racer over to the team at Paul Component Engineering to let it taste the dirt of its homeland. Travis, Patrick, and Paul took it on a history ride of Chico! Paul decided to take you to the place it was built, the bike shop that sold it, and the first place it was ridden, so come along for the ride!
You don’t have to race to enjoy the weekend at the Downieville Classic, but you will be missing out on one of the most stunning MTB races in the Lower 48. Registration is now open at Bike Reg, so get on it! Want to see what the Downieville Classic is all about? Check out our Reportage below!
Leave it All on the Trail and Go Baroque: the 2019 Downieville Classic
Gold Amidst the Dust: A Hardtail Gallery from the 2019 Downieville Classic
“I think if nobody cared about being a cool cat racer-type, or everybody rode five to 25 miles a day to town and around ponds on rolling roads while pedaling in fairly natural and upright positions, taking care of business, shopping, or getting out there for extremely tolerable and maybe even thrilling exercise; and if money were no object, and nobody was vegan, and if Brooks could make enough of them, then the Brooks B68 would be the most popular bicycle saddle on spaceship earth.”
– Grant Petersen, Rivendell Bicycle Works Founder
Take a look inside and out of the Rivendell shop in Walnut Creek.
Rapha Films is excited to announce the launch of a new film documenting the inaugural Rapha Yomp Rally, which took place in Santa Barbara, California in May 2023.
Assisting with habitat restoration in the Mojave Desert, learning about the history and ecology of the region, and three nights of camping…
Back in November, Dirty Sundays hosted the first Velo Cosmos event at the Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley, CA. We are honored to host an event recap, written by Whit at Meriwether Cycles and documented professionally by Reel 23 Films and Jean Paul Rose. Let’s check it out below!
On the cusp of this year’s MADE Bike show, we’re getting the hype train rolling early with a note from Aaron Stinner on the recent updates made to Stinner Frameworks’ mainstay hardtail, the Tunnel. Then we’ll take a look at three custom-finished Tunnels for three takes on this classic mid-travel 29er.
Wowzers… Okay! Sean Talkington of Team Dream coming in a bit late on this one but hopefully it is worth the wait?! It’s been two months since the second installment of the Los Angeles Invitational, a two-day event hosted at The Cub House that included a day of riding on Saturday, then a Bicycle/Car Show and parts swap turned block party extravaganza on Sunday. This started off eight years ago as a half-baked and half-assed excuse to BBQ with friends and sell some old bike stuff. It has somehow grown into a pretty sensational (though maybe still a bit half-assed), fully-loaded weekend for thousands of people to enjoy. I can’t believe we pulled it off again AND managed to do it even bigger this year. Read on for a recap of the festivities, check out the video, and be sure to peruse the stacked gallery of cars and bikes from Traece Craig and Thibault Linossier.
We’re lovers of Ripton over here. Their riding jorts, pants, and other creative creations caught our eye when the brand first burst onto the scene in all its denim majesty. Today we’re stoked to share with you a project from Ripton, shot on 35mm film and a short video from a recent California road trip in the Ripton Accord. Watch the video above and read a quick trip report below…
Meet Your Maker is an ongoing series of rides hosted by the Northern California bike-making community and finally returned to Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa, CA this past May after a nearly eight-year hiatus. Always excited to document cycling culture, Erik Mathy loaded up his touring bike and headed to the event from his home in the Bay Area with his usual eclectic mix of handmade cameras and lenses in tow. Below, Erik shares reflections on a few aspects of the memorable weekend that resonated with him, in addition to a series of interviews, a gallery of uber-creative analog portraits, and scenes from the event.
After an almost-decade long run, the Lost & Found Gravel Festival continues to provide adventurous-minded riders with dynamic and challenging terrain in northern California’s Lost Sierra Mountains. Registration for any of the event’s 100-mile, 60-mile and 35-mile courses goes directly to supporting the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship‘s Lost Sierra Route, a route that seeks to connect 15 mountain communities and foster economic prosperity through recreation. Billy Sinkford joined in for the mixed terrain fun this year and shares moments from the race along with photos of the Builders’ Bazaar.
The inaugural Rapha Yomp Rally took place in early May and saw nearly 100 riders embark on a 390-mile mixed-surface route, from Santa Barbara to Santa Monica, through the remote Los Padres region. Hailey Moore rode the route and provides a from-the-saddle recap alongside photos from Rugile Kaladyte, Sean Greene, Anton Krupicka, and a few of her own. Read on for reflections on the Yomp and non-competitive bikepacking rallies.
Rob Roberson is an enigma in the handmade bicycle world. Some would consider him “the greatest known unknown bike fabricator” of the American frame building movement. His career, which spans nearly 50 years, puts him among a very small pedigree of builders that have both mass-production experience and have also built custom bikes under their own name without giving up the ghost. Yet, with such a significant trajectory, Rob has remained largely unknown. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be featuring bikes made by Rob and the stories about them. Today, however, Zach Small and Josh Weinberg are honored to introduce you to Rob Roberson.
