The Radavist

For part two in this Vintage MTB Restoration Beautiful Builds video, John shows how to remove seized parts from the frame as he tackles a stuck bullmoose quill insertion on this Ritchey Annapurna with one easy step!

For the latest Beautiful Builds video, John introduces his newest project: a 1984 Ritchey Annapurna he got from Bicycle Collective in St. George, Utah. Over a few episodes, he’ll explain what it takes to make these old “barn find” bikes road-worthy again.

From replacing split cable housing and cables to protecting the paint, repacking bearings, and rust-proofing, this episodic Beautiful Builds showcases the work that goes into vintage MTB restoration.

Music: Fellwinter – “The Dawn of Winter” LP

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3M’s VViViD tape can offer peace of mind if you’re worried about strapping bags to your new bike’s fresh paint. We review a lot of bikes over here at The Radavist, and with each frame sent to us comes a responsibility to treat the bike as if it were our own. Many of these bikes get bags or other gear strapped to them throughout the review period. Over the past few years, John’s been using this protective tape to protect his review bikes, and it’s cheaper than you’d think…

Germany-based Magura and SQ Lab are hoping to get you fit better on your braking system thanks to a new ergonomics checklist the two brands announced last week. Based on a variety of metrics, you can fine-tune your brake lever setup, grip spec, and more. The metrics are very easy, such as the graph illustrated above, stating that size small hands need 2 cm of brake lever extension, medium hands need 3 cm, and large hands 4 cm. There are even metrics for handlebar height and brake lever angles.

If you’re interested in pain-free riding, this one is an interesting read. Do so at Magura.

Travis‘s Otso Fenrir shows up a lot in his reviews. So does the 85mm-travel Fox Step-Cast 34 he customized for it. We’ve gotten some questions about how he finagled this hack. He’s here to give answers, but not to recommend you try it.

If you’re a rule breaker who values individualism over warranties, snubs the naysayers, and likes to customize everything they own, read on for how you can strip your entire dropper post, making the whole thing silver, not just the stanchion!

Our friends at Silca address the Top 5 Biggest Tire and Wheel Mistakes that you absolutely shouldn’t make. Watch for an informative series of tips to keep your tires and wheels happy!

Really, how often are you pressing in a headset cup? Or cutting a steerer tube? The answer is probably just a little more than “never.” But Travis Engel would say that’s still enough to merit having the right tool when the time comes. This list contains some cheap (and some not-so-cheap) additions to your garage that could come in clutch when you’re preparing for a ride or a road trip and suddenly find yourself in greater need than a simple set of open-ended wrenches can satisfy.

Before you even hit the parking lot to test ride a suspension bike, most shops will walk you through a careful sag and damping adjustment. But few of them will tell you that there is a whole other dimension of control inside your fork or shock’s air spring. By inserting or removing volume spacers, you can make your suspension more or less resistant to bottom-out. In turn, that may allow you to run more or less preload. This deceptively simple adjustment has gotten a reputation for being only for racers, or nerds, or nerdy racers. But Travis Engel believes everyone can benefit from volume tuning. So, he has this quick explainer on what it can do for you, and how you can try it for yourself.

The remote arid lands of the United States’ West have always called strongly to me – the sandstone canyon country of the Colorado Plateau, the broad detritus-filled valleys and formidable ranges of the Great Basin, and the cactus forests of the Sonoran Desert to name a few. These characteristically dry landscapes all exude a unique, powerful beauty and a particularly intimidating shared aura arising from the scarcity of water. Beyond that, broad swaths of these regions are sparsely inhabited, and that remoteness combined with the aridity can be especially challenging for anyone looking to adventure in the backcountry, whether it’s for single- or multiple-day outings. But in many areas, the water is out there if you know where to find it and plan your route with that in mind, and in this article, I am going to walk through my process for planning out trips in the desert.

Do you struggle to keep your feet warm on cold rides? Years ago, I thought that was the norm for winter riding, but it turned out I just didn’t know the best way to deal with the cold. Back in those years, I was a roadie who took pride and legitimately enjoyed training through the snowy winter months chasing that oft-elusive early-season form. In the hills of southern Wisconsin and then the Front Range foothills of Colorado, I hammered around on a ‘cross bike outfitted with studded Nokians and fenders, with my torso and legs layered up for whatever the temperature. But for years on end, my feet absolutely froze, even with oversized shoes, extra socks, and a double layer of neoprene booties on the coldest days. Every long ride would end with my socks soaked in sweat and my toes painfully cold bricks. More often than not, I’d get home with an ironic combination of huge hunger, because I never ate nearly enough on rides, and screaming barfies as my toes started to painfully warm up.

Are you missing cyclocross? Maybe it’s February and you haven’t reached your quota of mud in your eye, or maybe it’s June and doing a gravel race is just 7 hours too long – do they even know what a cowbell is in Kansas? Why rely on your local promoter to line the local park with caution tape when you can easily do the same yourself? Organizing your own race is not only more simple than you think, but a great way to get people together and build community!

A while back, I saw Ira Ryan from Breadwinner Cycles at a Cross Crusades race in Portland prepping his bike for his race. He had ridden to the event from his home so he had two cages and two bottles and with less than a quarter rotation of an allen key had removed his bottle cages and was ready for his race.

I review a lot of bikes and tend to put frame bags and bottle cages on and off my bikes that I’ll use for touring, so I adopted his trick. Check out the details below.

Thanks to our friends at Rivendell, this how-to video on how to make your own grips exists.

Over the past few years – since moving to Austin in 2010 – I’ve been struggling with weight loss. Look, we’re all cyclists. We probably all ride with skinny, fit dudes and as a bigger guy, it’s frustrating. Even now, at the peak of my fitness, I still get dropped by “climbers”. What I found was to take these experiences and use them as part of my motivation. There was one defining moment however. A majority of it came from a ride I did in Australia a few years back…