The Radavist

I returned to Austin after a week-long trip in Los Angeles to find two back-to-back days of cross racing on the local schedule. Having just raced my first sanction cross event in LA, I was eager to give the local circuit a try, so Saturday I headed out for some fast, dusty and humid fun. Since I didn’t have any season points, I started in the back of the 4’s, in a field of about 40 racers. Over 3, ten minute laps, I held onto my position, coming in 4th, which was good enough for me. I learned a lot (watch out for sandbaggers on MTBs) and had a blast (most importantly). I even managed to get a bit of air on a nice bump on the course.

Sunday, I decided to rest up and take photos. It was Chris‘ birthday, so I wanted to get some good shots of him racing and of course, we had to douse him with beer… Thanks to Andrew Franciosa for shooting photos on Saturday. It’s not every day I have photos of myself up on the blog, so be kind!

Single speed cross in SoCal is big, with 30-40 racers in the A field each weekend. A lot of the elite-class racers have found a new love for the single speed A’s, which is where Gareth races his US-built Ritte Blue Ribbon Steel CX belt drive. Belt drive cross bikes are still in their infancy, but this one looked great getting in the SoCal mud (yes, mud exists in SoCal). Before the race, I gave this beauty some lens love…

Beginning any race with a LeMans start is sure to cause a ruckus, but add in a real life “cycling salmon” and things get interesting. This year’s SSCXWC began with a bang. Both the men’s and women’s field showed that you can truly have fun and still be somewhat competitive. From the snot rocket cannons, to the cesspool pit and even the crowd-induced bottle necked course, the racers had to endure a lot more than they bargained for. Oh and mud in SoCal? The cross gods smiled upon LA last Sunday. See for yourself in the gallery.

It’s hard to deny the impact that the original Ritchey Swiss Cross had on American cyclocross. Any cycling history buff will note Thomas Frischknecht’s many victories in the early 90’s while riding the original, so it had to be a perfect choice for Ritchey to re-introduce the mighty red machine for 2012. Having only seen the bike at Interbike, I was stoked to hear Chris’ choice in picking one up when he wrecked his previous cross bike. Built with mostly matching Ritchey components, this build turned out perfect. Last Sunday, after a Walnut Creek singletrack session, I got some photos of this race-ready machine.

Some of my favorite details are the integrated head tube and that wicked cable routing at the seat tube cluster. Check out more in the Gallery.

So now that we’ve seen what Ruckus’ shop looks like, how about a look at one of the frames that Shawn from Ruckus has built.  This is his own single speed cross bike, laced with a rather healthy component group, a sick paint job and some of those Ruckus vibes. I love the tag line on the downtube, the painted ENVE components and the cross bash guard. You don’t see a whole lotta flat bar monster cross bikes but when you do, they’re drool-worthy.

I can’t think of a better way to spend my last day in Portland than to watch and photograph Cross Crusade. There aren’t many times that I get to venture into a muddy cross course and everything I’ve heard of Portland cyclocross is indeed true. It was a muddy, fast time with a great turn out. See more in the gallery.

In the spirit of Veteran’s Day, I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite bikes from yesterday’s Cross Crusade here in Portland. Tom is a close friend of the Vanilla / Speedvagen family. He puts on the Kiddie Kross races at the ‘Crusade series and races in the singlespeed category on his lovely 2008 Speedvagen Cross Machine.

Opting for the more eccentric “Surprise Me” paint job, his metal steed is covered in a red, white and blue livery, all brought together by a line of stars. It’s really something else! See for yourself in the Gallery.

Seth Rosko is much more than a frame builder to me. He’s a good friend and someone that I just enjoy being around. Seeing him build bikes is just an added bonus. Everyone claims to be a New Yorker, but Seth is one of those guys who was around when it all began. A huge advocate in the local skate scene and ex-Brooklyn Machine Works builder, he’s seen the cycling scene in NYC change over the years.

For the past few months, he’s been pushing grassroots racing in NYC. Building road and cross racing frames for fledgling teams and local racers. Most notably, the King Kog cross bikes, a bike for Matthew of Cicli Devotion and a few other road bikes for some local female racers.

During my short stay in NYC, I swung by Rosko Cycles to see how Seth makes use of his small, cramped work space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Today, before the sun is up, a small group of friends and I are going to embark on a 600k brevet-style ride out of Pittsburgh, over the Appalachian mountains and into DC. Loosely termed a “brovet”, this ride is part of a project that’s come to be called Go Yonder. I can’t say anything more than that but we’ll be posting photos on Instagram ( @JohnProlly @moi_is_moi @tytanium @no_ralphy @quesofrito @coelmaness @yonderjournal ) of all the randomness we encounter for the next 36 hours.

The Mudville will be my work horse and since we have no idea what to expect on the road, it’s set up with a SON hub, an Edelux lamp (mounted to a Cronometro Nob, via a R&M mount) and a Viscacha saddle bag by Revelate Designs. We’re all hobo-camping, probably only clocking in 2 hours of sleep, so I’ve got a bag liner, a tarp and a merino hoodie. Fingers crossed, loose legs and Scrapple!

See you on the other side of the mountains and check out more photos below.

#GoYonder

Bryan from Bicycle Revolutions in Philly has some of the most unique builds I’ve ever seen. The man is not afraid of a little color, to say the least. This limited edition All City Nature Boy Zona prototype with custom paint just kills it, so I had to give it some lens love. Check out more colorific photos below.