The Radavist

Thesis’ OB1 build specs are great but what if you already have parts and just want to buy a frame? Well, this week they announced the new OB1 frameset modules. Whether you’re looking to run some vintage parts, a flat bar, Campy, or Microshift, Thesis’ frame module allows you to build their frame the way YOU want to.

The OB1 frameset modules cost $1499 and complete OB1s start at just $2999.

Frame module includes:
-Frame and fork (including bolts and spare frame hardware)
-Thesis Hollow-Light Thru-Axles
-Thesis Headset with Stainless Steel Bearings
-Thesis Thread-Together BB with Stainless Steel Bearings
-Thesis Hollow-Forged Alloy Cranks with Choice of Chainring
-Thesis Ultralight Stem
-Thesis Ultralight 3-D Forged Rigid Seatpost (dropper optional)
-Thesis Compact Ergo Flare Handlebar
-Spare derailleur hanger (we’d hate to leave you hanging)

See more at Thesis.

The Faran 2.0 is the latest from the UK builders Fairlight. It’s a multi-purpose tourer, built with custom-specified Reynolds tubing, like a Reynolds 631 DZB downtube, and 631 front triangle, with a 37mm 4130 head tube and stays, with 68mm of chainstay clearance which will fit either a 700 or 27.5 wheel. That’s big enough to fit a 27.5 x 2.4” Continental X-King Tyre on Hope XC rims. These bikes have all the fixins to make them an ally on randonneuring events, S24O, or even a full-on tour. Fairlight has pulled together an extensive product catalog on the features of the Faran MKII, which I highly suggest checking out. It’s not often a bicycle manufacturer goes to these lengths describing their new product.

A £500.00 lands you a deposit (£899 frameset retail) for a Faran MKII and the queue is open for business, with the first batch shipping in September/October, with the colors to be announced shortly so head to Fairlight if you like what you see!

Nordest does such a great job of instilling local lore in with their brand and for their newest release, they look to Nordeste (Portugal) and an ancient occupation, held by the almocreves; austere merchants who carried their saddlebags with goods to supply the Trasmontanos from village to village. One such product they carried on were sardinhas (sardines) on the backs of pack animals. This tale has inspired the name of their new Sardinha 2 rigid MTB, a bike ideal for bikepacking. This frame can clear a 27.5 x 3.0″ or a 29″ x 2.6″ and features a steel fork. With the pre-order pricing of 532,23 € for a frameset, it’s hard to overlook. Head to Nordest Cycles for more.

Ride Farr announced today two new framesets in their catalog. Known for their aero bars and other ultra-endurance accessories, these frames are a milestone for the brand. The Gravel Monster (GMX) aluminum frame ($695) and All Terrain Bicycle (ATB) steel ($495) frames were designed from the ground up, with bikepacking, and long rides in mind. The GMX features its own 483mm Axle-to-Crown steel rigid fork that is suspension corrected for 100mm 29er travel, while the ATB rolls on a steel chassis and 120/130mm travel. Head to Ride Farr to see all the details.

Over the years, Cinelli has addressed trends within the cycling industry and their latest is the King Zydeco frameset, an update to the original Zydeco which was launched a decade ago. A lot has changed in ten years. Back then ‘cross bikes were “gravel” bikes and disc brakes on drop bar bikes were still working out all the kinks.

The King Zydeco has tire clearance on-par with other offerings in the field. The frameset’s double dropped chainstays allow for a 700 x 40mm or 27.5 x 2.1″ tire.

There’s also a double rake feature, thanks to the Columbus Futura fork and with a claimed frame+fork weight coming in around 1550 grams, the Zydeco is designed to be a race-ready machine. With all these features, you can build this up to suit your specific needs. The above photo of the complete bike is only for reference. ;-) Check out more at Cinelli’s USA website.

Features:
-Headset: IS 42 / 28.6 | IS 52/40
-Seat Post: 27.2mm
-Seat Clamp: 31,8mm
-BB Shell: BB386EVO 86.5mm
-F/Derailleur: Clamp 31,8mm
-Cable Routing: Internal – Di2/EPS Compatible
-Tire Clearance: up to 700x42C / 27.5×2.1 Inches
-Fork: COLUMBUS Futura CROSS 1-1/8″ – 1-1/2″ Tapered Carbon Monocoque
-Weight: Frame 1000g (size M) – Fork 550g
-Brake: Flat mount disc brake, rotor size up to 160mm
-Dropouts St: Rear TA 12x142mm, Front TA 12x100mm
-Frame Kit: Extra Hanger / Di2/EPS cable inserts / Front & Rear skewer

Brother Cycles is giving away a Big Bro frameset (size Medium) custom painted by Cole Coatings Workshop – a London-based custom paint specialist. This ‘Big Bruv’ livery features orange and green paint with an elaborate leaf pattern marching across the front of the frame. All you’ve gotta do is sign up for Brother Cycles’ email list by 11:59PM on November 15th.

Our friends down in Fairfield, Australia at Bastion Cycles pulled together a real treat for us. This “Fall Forest” themed Crossroad frame has been hand-painted to resemble an autumn forest, filled with leaves, flashing colors across the carbon and titanium frame. Read on for all the details and photos below.

Photos by @saltlake_lian

At the UK handbuilt bicycle show in Bristol, this weekend Condor Cycles showed off their new, made in Italy Bivio Odyssey frameset. It is a collab with the Italian clothing brand, PEdALED.

Condor teamed up with PEdALED in 2017 and 2018 with their pro cycling team but at the 11th hour, just before the start of the 2018 Tour of Britain, their key sponsor JLT, gave Condor some bad news they wouldn’t be continuing as they had been taken over unexpectedly, leaving them with a bit of a void. Condor really enjoyed teaming up with PEdAL ED as they are a very relaxed and easy to work with brand, so they decided to make an aluminum frame inspired by the Silk Road Mountain Race they sponsor and newly-launched Odyssey clothing range.

As a throwback to the original Ultra 30 years ago, Ritchey has re-released this 120mm suspension hardtail, with a modern geometry, clearances for either a 27.5”x2.8” or 29”x2.4” tires, and a sleek Sierra grey color. Head to Ritchey for the full geometry specs and your local dealer to check one out.

Light. Stiff. Affordable. Pick all three with the Poggio PR1. See more information on these $2,000 frames at Poggio.

Photos and words by Tom Warmerdam

I saw a Rossin Olympic for the first time in 2016 and was instantly in love. This was a whole new bicycle shaped canvas to play with and I was eager to see what I could come up with. I’d already been exploring lines and slots on my other frames but this new canvas could take that to a whole new level.

I wanted my version to be visually brutal but elegant. So after designing many variations of the webbed plates I sat down and selected my favorite. Then it was time to start. I do all my own work, I don’t outsource anything. So I programmed my old CNC machine and made the plates first. Then the dropouts. I then made a frame to fit and put it all together. I didn’t like how the old Rossin was put together… lots of filler, that’s just not my style. So I brazed in the plates with silver to reduce the chance of heat distortion on the thin-walled tubes. This is a lot more work but also much more satisfying.

But then there was a long pause… partly because I had to focus on my customer’s frames but also because I wanted to use my own fork design based on Max ( I actually based it on Reynolds Speed Stream fork blades as they don’t change shape when you cut them to length) style aero blades. My friend Anna Schwinn had already helped me to translate my 2D drawings and sketches of a fork crown into a usable 3D model (I could not have done this part without her, she was awesome). Then it was a long wait for the molds and castings to be made. They arrived last month so it was time to finally finish it.

Check out more photos of this unique frame below and follow Demon Frameworks on Instagram!

Writing product description takes finesse, yet clearly, Matt from Crust Bikes really enjoyed writing about their newest frameset, the Lightning Bolt:

“The Lightning bolt is a dedicated low trail randonneur frame. Unlike the rest of our frames this one is designed with pavement in mind. Max tire clearance is 650b X 48c. Compatible with both 1X, 2X or even triple chainring set up. Main tubes are made from some pretty thin wall Renoylds 853, which I noticed a bunch of people wanted the Romanceur to be, so here it is. Will it plane I hear you ask? It flexes in such a harmonic resonance, you will think you are surfing Kelly slaters wave pool riding a Mick Mackie flex tail fish, doing the smoothest high lines this side of Derek Hynd at J.Bay, it just planes that good! What am I talking about I hear you ask? Contact Jan Heine to find out, be sure to mention Kelly Slaters wave pool, I mean come on people! How is no one else trying to make a bike ride like a surfboard on an artificial wave?”

See more at Crust Bikes!

These three frames were built by Dario Pegoretti and painted by the Stuttgart State Academy design students. If you see something you like, bid over at Mano Nella Mano. All proceeds will go to a children hospice in Germany.

If you’re looking for a new steel road frameset, check out the latest offering from Fat Chance. These True Temper Slim Chance frames come with a number of configuration options. You can choose a steel fork, or an ENVE, color-matched ENVE stem, and even a color-matched Silca frame pump. You can even select if you want a cabled road groupset or SRAM Red eTap. The pricing starts at $2395 for a frame, fork and King headset, allowing you to tack on options as needed. This pre-order is a limited edition offering, and will close out on November 15th with a end of January 2017 delivery.

Head to Fat Chance for the skinny on the new Slim Chance.

There are so many options on the market now for dedicated bikepacking rigs, so I’m glad to see some still being made by smaller companies! Check out more at Tumbleweed Bicycle Co. Nice yoke, Anna!

Photo by Kyle Kelley

Since reviewing the Speedvagen OG1, I really wanted to own one, but as a frame. As of now, if you recall, the OG1 only comes as a complete. Yet after a few emails, I was able to finagle one out of the Vanilla Workshop and two weeks later, it arrived. Not sure if this will be something Vanilla offers in the future, yet their comment on Instagram leads me to believe it might be an option in 2017. Or you could holler at them and beg like I did.

The guys at Golden Saddle will be building this up in the next week, with SRAM Rival and some Chris King special bits…

VYNL made a splash with its made in the USA aluminum road bikes last year and now, they’re ready for dirt. These new CX frames are made by Frank the Welder from 7005 butted aluminum, feature a threaded BB, 135mm rear spacing, thru axles, 44mm head tube, and fit 40mm tires. You also have an option to include a ENVE Disc CX Fork, and can chose from six colors. For more information and to put down a deposit, head to VYNL. If you’re a local dealer, leave your information in the comments.

With the world of ‘cross bikes taken almost completely over by 44mm head tubes, oversized tubing and thru-axles, it’s nice seeing a 1 1/8″ steel fork, 135mm option out there, made from Columbus Zona. Factory Five’s new ‘cross frames are looking good and they only cost $525 USD for a frameset. They’ve got a few sizes in stock now, so head over to check them out.