Tracklocross. Yeah, you heard it, Tracklocross. It’s exactly what it sounds like and it’s spreading faster than you could ever imagine. With contingencies popping up all over the globe, things are really beginning to culminate this year as we lead up to Nationals in June (Bay Area) and the World Championships in August (Japan). With Los Angeles’ second race of the season in the bag, the vibes are only growing stronger out here as things continue to build momentum. Safa Brian came out and completely crushed the course. He took a commanding lead out the gate and put a significant gap between him and the rest of the pack. The spectator crowd camped out in the middle of the grass and more or less turned their heads as everyone ran laps around them.
#Los-Angeles
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Enjoy Your Weekend!
Shred like Poppi and if you’re in Los Angeles, make sure you head to the California Golde Premiere! Free tickets are available at EventBrite.
Also, we have a new website dropping on Monday, so we’ll be laying low this weekend preparing for the big reveal! Ride ya bike!
Reportage
Jarrod’s Northern Frameworks Copper Hardtail in the Mountains of LA
We took a quick look at this bike once before – during our 2018 NAHBS coverage – but it’s back, with a vengeance! This Northern Frameworks hardtail belongs to Jarrod Bunk, one of the authors here at the Radavist. Who knows Jarrod? Show of hands. Ok yeah, he’s a popular fellow and he finally made it across the United States from Western Pennsylvania to as far west as you can go to California. He has been in town for the week to see Kyle and Liz get married and to get a taste of what it’s like to ride mountains here in SoCal.
Problem is, to enjoy it a little more, he had to switch the bike from singlespeed to geared.
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Spring Has Sprung in LA
Yesterday a longtime friend, Kevin Sparrow, was in town from Milwaukee so we took him on the classic Strawberry loop but added in the Gabrielino trail for good measure. It totaled 25 miles and 4,000′ and was 99% singletrack. This route is amazing and I highly recommend it.
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Riding Fixed Up Mountains With Pros on Mount Baldy!
Mount Baldy, or Mount San Antonio, reaches 10,069′ and is the highest point in Los Angeles County. That’s almost twice as high as the highest point in the City of Los Angeles. You can ride up to the ski lifts at Baldy via Mount Baldy Road or via Glendora Ridge Road – which is usually closed to cars. In the latest Riding Fixed Up Mountains With Pros we get to ride with Justin Williams.
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California Golde Los Angeles Premiere
This Friday, march 29th, at 7pm, California Golde will premiere in Los Angeles at Golden Saddle Cyclery. This is a free event, so no need to RSVP.
Reportage
Imperfect Asphalt: Riding the New Salsa Warroad in Los Angeles
Salsa hasn’t had a true road bike in their lineup for some time now. Sure, they have the Warbird, which is a gravel racing road bike, but with that, comes a more stable geometry with a longer wheelbase. The Warroad is a straight up endurance road bike, with two wheel sizes and multiple build kit options. Warroad is a new platform for Salsa, designed to take on chunky, imperfect asphalt, with what Salsa is calling their “Endurance Road Geometry.”
Reportage
Greg’s Dark Moon SSCX: A Veritable Do It All Bike
Like a Phoenix, rising from the ashes of his old Niner ‘cross bike, Greg‘s new Dark Moon is a veritable do it all and do it all damn good bike. While he loved his RLT 9, there were a few things he didn’t like about it. Enough to have Greg ping Carlos at Dark Moon here in Los Angeles to make something extra special. He loves SSCX, both at the races and around town. He had his Niner set up as a SSCX and races it all season. He wanted the bike to have tight clearances, with tighter angles to offer a responsive and snappy feel.
Even though he wanted a new SSCX race bike, he made sure there were provisions and guides for a rear derailleur and 27.5 “road plus” wheels in case he ever wanted to take the bike on an ultralight tour or bikepacking trip.
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Nova Eroica Group Ride from The Cub House in Los Angeles This Saturday!
To celebrate the coming Eroica April 5-7 to Cambria, California, shops around the state are hosting group rides in the spirit of the event and to promote the Nova Eroica ride. Cyclists can now bring any modern bike on the coastal countryside gravel-fondo and experience the beauty of fatigue and the thrill of conquest with any bike of their choice.
Next up: Los Angeles at The Cub House – Saturday, March 2 – Follow @itsnotabikeshop for details. All who join the ride can register for the Eroica at a discounted price for coming out and supporting their local shop.
Other rides: To be announced at @novaeroica – Jump to EroicaCalifornia.com for more about the event.
Reportage
LA Tourist Race 1: Hope Y’all Come Back Now?
LA Tourist Race 1: Hope Y’all Come Back Now?
Photos and words by Kyle Kelley
The LA Tourist Race Series is a triptych of grassroots, self-supported mixed terrain rides/races in Los Angels using some of LA’s most iconic bike routes. Each race is pieced together using multiple rides throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding mountains that many Angelenos would never imagine doing on the same day. While there is a route provided for participants, in these races someone replicates the world’s wackiest ultramarathon, the Barkley Marathon! In the Barkley Marathon, if you complete 60 miles of the entire 100-mile course it’s called the “Fun Run”, this is what most people are able to do before the full retreat. There are checkpoints where books have been left, as racers arrive they rip their race number out of the book and are on their way to the next checkpoint. And if you were wondering, only even or odd numbers are given out for each particular race. The books are just random ones found at thrift stores, so it would be very difficult to cheat. There is no right or wrong way to complete this race, if you know of a six-mile hike-a-bike that cuts off 15 miles, take it! The Barkley Marathons are extremely challenging, they usually require bushwacking and many other obstacles not usually associated with a running race. So the LA Tourist Race series has translated many of these ideas to modern day gravel or adventure racing.
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Would the Cub House Survive the Apocalypse?
Our friends at the Global Cycling Network sure think so!
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Rollout: Perspective – Ginger Boyd
This project from Easton features our local riding here in LA with one of our local personalities, Ginger from Machines for Freedom:
“Perspective. Easton joined Ginger Boyd, Brand Manager for Machines for Freedom, in LA to talk perspectives within the cycling industry, opportunities for growth and inclusivity in the sport, and the new MFF podcast – conversations with community builders to learn more about how to improve the diversity of our favorite pastime.”
This one is not to be missed!
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Filmed by Bike is In Los Angeles this Weekend!
Filmed By Bike: LA is this Sunday, January 27, 2019 at Boomtown Brewery.
Tickets are $12 in advance and at the door. All ages event must be 21+ to drink. Advance tickets get 1 FREE raffle ticket. Check out the Facebook event page for more details on raffle, speakers, exhibitors …and the movies!
Head to Filmed by Bike for more!
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Come Together For a Swap Meet Tomorrow Morning at GSC
Golden Saddle is having a swap meet tomorrow morning. 3′ x 6′ areas will be available on a first come, first served priority, so bring your absolute best items to sell! We’ll be there with a few killer deals as well! 100 Tacos will be catering the event too!
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Deux North: Hunt 7
Duex North took on a 300 mile ride from Los Angeles to the US-Mexico border and back in a sub24 hour ride.
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The LA Tourist Race Was a Blast!
A large group of cyclists partook in the first race of the LA Tourist Race series. This 70 mile self-guided race took participants up Mount Lowe into the snow, down the Gabrielino Trail in the rain, across to the Verdugo Mountains before ending in Griffith Park. Totaling over 9,000′ in elevation, it was a long day for many. You can follow along at @LA_Tourist_Race, and follow the #TouristRace for rider’s perspectives. Stay tuned, as two more races follow!
Radar
The LA Tourist Race Begins This Saturday!
The first race is this Saturday! Don’t miss out, it’ll be a good one!
Los Angeles has some iconic dirt climbs and this January, Golden Saddle Cyclery is hosting a race series dubbed the LA Tourist Race. There will be three events, with the first beginning January 12th. Bring your all-road, chubby road, ‘cross, gravel, hybrid, or XC race bike out and have fun. This is a self-supported and self-guided event from the city to the mountains and back. So come prepared!
Follow LA Tourist Race on Instagram for updates. Thanks for the flier, Barry MCW!
Reportage
Small Package but Big Fun with the Santa Cruz 5010
In a world dominated by big hitters and in a lineup celebrated by names like the Bronson and Nomad, the 5010 is often overlooked as being a capable all-mountain trail bike. When it was first released, five years ago, the SOLO, as it was called, was marketed as the little-wheeled brother of the Tallboy, which many people regarded as an XC bike. There’s no denying the allure of the almighty enduro bike, which has largely dominated the mountain bike industry over the past many years.
There was always something about the 5010 that has been attractive to me but for whatever reason, I never got to throw my leg around one until we rode them here in the mountains of Los Angeles with a few of Santa Cruz’s employees. People have said the current 5010 is the best yet and since I have no benchmark for comparison, I’m going to have to agree.
So what changed? Other than the standard approach of lengthening, lowering, and slackening? Seriously, how many years can the “industry” state those three geometry adjustments as a reason for the upgrade and most importantly, your money?