The Radavist

Perhaps you remember when my Geekhouse touring bike was stolen from my house in Silver Lake? Well, that happened, for those of you who missed that note. It sucked. I wept and I was very, very pissed off. Especially since we had video of the dude and the cops weren’t being any help. Granted, this is Los Angeles and real crimes happen every day. Then, a few people sent me a link to the app Offer Up where a seller had my bike. I went to the police station, showed them the app – which they had never seen before – and told them I wanted to go down there with a few people and get it back. They laughed. Rightfully so, but they were also assuming I had no “street sense” or something, I forget what they said exactly.

The thing that sucked though was when this popped up, I was getting ready for a flight to London, so I had little to no time to do this. I just wrote it off, not wanting to endanger myself or my friends over a bike. Then a miracle of stupidity happened. Kyle met Geoff McFetridge and Nicholas Haig-Arack for a ride on a Saturday, when the thief rode passed on my bike, prompting Kyle to chase him down, knock him off the bike and steal it back. All while the thief was yelling “I just bought this bike for $500.” A lie. The video footage we had as an identical, 100%, match to the dude riding my stolen bicycle.

A victory! But with a lot of luck. Unfortunately, the bike had a few dents in the TT, parts were missing and other things were wrong with it, so I called up Marty at Geekhouse, who said he’d be stoked to repair the frame and make a few key changes to it, which I believe he’s in the process of doing right now. Stories like this are so few and far between when it comes to bike theft and with the latest surge happening across the US, I thought I’d share some positivity to the mix… Thank you, Kyle, Geoff and Nick for being such rad dudes!

Slip / Scale

Having visited Los Angeles – quite frequently, I might add – for a decade before moving here in 2015, I’ve heard how awesome of a hike Mt. Baldy is. A few years back, we rode to the Ski Lifts at Baldy Village and it was one of the hardest things I had done at the time. Maybe it was the painful memory, or perhaps it was the distance the mountain is from my home but for whatever reason, I hadn’t really desired to hike the 10,000′ beast. Well, on Saturday morning, I woke up just before 4am with Cari and met a few of her friends at the trailhead to take on the hike.

We – along with an insane amount of people for that early on a Saturday – climbed 4,000′ vertical in 5 miles and as we began to descend to Baldy Notch, all my preconceptions of the mountain’s difficulty subsided. Perhaps it’s because as cyclists, we seek out elevation frequently, both on and off-road, often pushing or pulling a good amount of gear with us, so the notion of strapping on a hydration pack with some food and camera equipment seemed like an easier feat when compared to riding.

Whatever the reason, I had a great afternoon, soaking in an area of Los Angeles I’ve never experienced. Check out a few more photos below.

I’m not exactly sure why, but these days, I tend to shoot a lot of vertical photos while on rides, all the while, in the background of my mind, trying to pair up images as I shoot them. Today was no exception. Even with a relatively early start on our ride, the temperatures got up there, like dust leaving the trail behind one of our plus-sized tire hardtails. It was hot, loose, dusty, rocky and yet the colors were beautifully saturated with spring blooms and blue skies. Mountain biking in LA is my favorite way to start the day. Here’s our route.

… so if you’re in Los Angeles and want to try on a pair of some of the nicest sandals I’ve owned, make sure you roll through. Or, if you want to see your closest stop on the tour, head to Bedrock Sandals.

This time of year, we get the most beautiful ombré sunsets, which when combined with the classic Los Angeles silhouettes, make for a great photo opportunity.

It’ always fun riding with the young bucks, high above Los Angeles.

This is the fifth layout of the Radavist 2017 Calendar, entitled “Sunrise in the San Gabriels” Shot with a Canon 1DX and a 24-70mm in Los Angeles, CA

Waking up extra early to catch the sun rising over the San Gabriel mountains is one of the best Los Angeles experiences you can have.

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right click and save link as – The Radavist 2017 Calendar – May. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)

The mobile background this month is from the burn zone from the 2004 Station Fire in the San Gabriel Mountains. Click here to download May’s Mobile Wallpaper.

Tuesdays are almost as bad as Mondays, so anytime I get the chance to ride, I take it, as long as I’ve done my work for the day. Last week a few of us decided to ride the trails in Laguna, about an hour’s drive south of Los Angeles. Our plan was to leave mid-day, ride until sundown, eat dinner and head back once traffic had subsided. Yesterday, we met up at Golden Saddle, packed the cars with gear, our stomachs with food and drove to what has to be one of the best places for mountain biking in Southern California.

Thanks to everyone who came out to ride with Brooks, GSC, David Millar and Dave Zabriskie last night in Los Angeles. It’s always a pleasure spinning on our familiar roads with out of towners, especially ex-pro cyclists who just want to hang out, chat and soak in the scenery. Check out a few more below!

This weekend, there’s a lot going down for men and women at Golden Saddle Cyclery. Find out all the details below!

From spring cleaning to random guests stopping through town, this weekend ended, leaving me ready for the forthcoming week. Stay sunny, Los Angeles! Ok, not too sunny… Check out a few more photos below.

Here’s a few photos from this morning’s TGIFGSC Free Coffee Friday ride. Remember, if you’re in Los Angeles, these rides leave every Friday morning from Intelligentsia coffee on Sunset avenue at 7:30am sharp. Follow Golden Saddle on Instagram for which bike to bring, as they announce each Thursday.

I recently got Cari an All-City Mr. Pink. She really loves her Elephant Bikes NFE but wanted something zippier to ride around town and go on longer rides with not only me but her girlfriends who often organize ladies-only road rides. I knew if I left it to her to buy a new bike, she’d never do it, as someone who prefers to be frugal and spend her money on experiences, rather than possessions. Even though I see bicycles as vessels for said experiences.

Anyway, her Mr. Pink showed up to Golden Saddle, it got built up, I swapped out her saddle and gave her some special edition Yanco bags I had made from the California Sage pattern. We spun around town a few times before ramping up to a big, tough ride.

Yesterday we rode through the Hollywood Hills, up to Mulholland Drive and across the Santa Monica Mountains to Topanga, before dropping down to the coast for some food. After meeting a friend for lunch, we pedaled down to Santa Monica and took the Expo subway line back to Silver Lake. Our ride came in at 40 miles and 4,000′. It was the longest ride Cari’s ever been on, and surely offered some challenges for someone who’s used to riding a 27.5″ x 2.0″ tire on rocky dirt roads.

Now her biggest challenge is finding clothing that isn’t “overtly bike geeky.” One step at a time…

This is the third layout of the Radavist 2017 Calendar, entitled “Babylon Rider” Shot with a Leica M240 and a 35mm f2 Summicron lens in the Hollywood Hills, California

Some say the climb to the top in Hollywood is almost impossible. Cyclists beg to differ…

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right click and save link as – The Radavist 2017 Calendar – March. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)

The mobile background this month features Zion National Park. Click here to download March’s Mobile Wallpaper.

Way, way up Highway 2 in some of the best road riding this area has to offer. Follow Sammi and Tristan on Instagram.

Every Friday, Golden Saddle Cyclery leads a group ride leaving from Intelligentsia Coffee in Silver Lake that heads into the surrounding hills. Sometimes it’s dirty, sometimes it’s road but it always ends at Mission Workshop LA for Bicycle Coffee LA‘s Free Coffee Friday. If by the end of this jaunt, you’re not fully caffeinated, then you’d better check your pulse. For this most recent TGIF GSC ride, our group rolled into a hillside park called Cherry Canyon and rode a mix of fire road climbs and singletrack descents before heading back. If you’d like to join in on the fun. Meet up at Intelli for a 7am ride each Friday. The shop will announce the route and terrain Thursday on their Instagram.

Check out a few more sunny, blue-skied photos below!