The Radavist

Coinciding with today’s Chris King Open House, Moots just announced another custom anodizing package for its entire catalog. Trans Am is inspired by 1980s car graphics and this theme is carried across the frame, onto the stem, and seatpost. With a retro-themed, vibrant color palette anodized onto a matte surface to give it pop and vibrancy, the Trans Am is by far the flashiest anodizing finish Moots has offered to date… See more photos of the Trans Am finish at Moots and be sure to check out our Related Archives below for a deeper dive into the Steamboat Springs brand!

You’ve seen the bikes from the 2021 Chris King Open House in today’s Reportage and now, here’s the video!

Mr. Meerkat is pleased to announce the new Dynaplug colorway, anodized, and wizardized with lasers by the magicians at Dynaplug in Chico, California. These tubeless tools enable you to plug holes in your tubeless tires to keep you rolling.

This limited edition colorway includes a turquoise body with black caps and the Chris King Buzz logo laser engraved in the center. Retail is set at $52. In stock now at Chris King.

Abbey Bike Tools manufactures its entire tool catalog in Bend, Oregon and today, we’ve got three new tools to announce on its behalf. The Saw Guide ($100) assists in cutting exact lines on your steerer. The guide is two-sided and is compatible with 1″ and 1.125″ steer tubes. Next up is the DUB Crank Dust Cap Tool ($30) which loosens and tightens those pesky DUB bottom bracket dust caps. Perhaps the cleverest design is the Lever Setter ($35) which when used in conjunction with the Abbey Bike Tools HAG to help align your brake levers and shifters.

Abbey Makes great tools with a favorite being the 4-Way Multi-Tool ($40). See the entire catalog at Abbey.

The White Rim Trail outside of Moab UT. is one of the most beautiful trails in the USA, unless you’re at White Rim trying to set a FKT (Fastest Known Time) on a mountain bike. That is when it becomes a torturous desert filled with endless miles of bone-jarring rock, sandpits, and a seemingly endless climb out of the canyon floor at mile 87 that simply takes your breath away.

Southern California’s Jared Lozonne ( @slothracing ) shares his vision quest after accepting a challenge from us to do the legendary White Rim Trail outside of Moab Utah…on flat pedals! You heard that correctly. Many have tried to earn a FKT on this trail, but none to our knowledge have attempted the grueling 100-mile ride on flat pedals. Jared, armed with almost a gallon of hydration, a pair of high-top Vans shoes, and a set of Yoshimura Chilao pedals sets out to establish a time for all others to come and take on the Flat Pedal Challenge.

Yoshimura has hand-crafted a one-of-a-kind Flat Pedal Challenge trophy that is to be passed to those that can break Jared’s time (kind of like the Stanly Cup). Join Jared on his quest to set the bar for all those who accept the challenge.

Next week, we’ll be opening the virtual doors at Chris King and showcasing the bikes from its Open House, so be ready for lots of drool-worthy custom builds!

After almost a full year of redevelopment, the PTAP Designs Chonker is back! These bags are made in Maryland and can be used as either a handlebar bag or a saddlebag, Chonker is the perfect accessory for both your daily commute and your next bikepacking adventure. Influenced by classic English saddlebag design, the Chonker has added some new modern flourishes to work well for rack-less bikepacking.

Features include: 
-Tapered side pockets that fold down flat when not in use
-Internal fiberglass batten for rigid mounting
-Semi-rigid HDPE liner to help keep shape whether empty or full
-2 Voile Nano straps for handlebar/saddle mounting
-Interior Dimensions 12”x8”x7”
-12L capacity

Additional Information: 
When using rack-less as a front bag, please allow for a minimum of 9” clearance from the bottom of your handlebars to the tire. Note that using foam spacers will lower the bag and therefore require slightly more clearance. The bag can sit comfortably between 44cm drop bars however we recommend flared drops at this width for optimal use and comfort.

You can pre-order a Chonker at PTAP Designs.

Last week, Dillen from Baphomet Bicycles compiled a list of everyone that bought a Ride Group bracelet and used a randomizer application to select one lucky person to be the new owner of that snazzy SSMTB. Well, Matt bought a single ticket and ended up winning the bike! Dillen was already coming to Matt’s house to stay for the NM Bikepacking Summit, so he hand-delivered the bike. After a quick ride, Matt decided he’d take the bike on the Dangerbird. That’s serendipity at its finest.

Thanks to Baphomet Bicycles and Ride Group for pulling this together. They raised over $9,000 for Ride Group! I’d like to thank everyone from The Radavist’s community who donated, including the makers who donated products for this bike: Paul Component, White Industries, Teravail, Revel, Buckhorn Bags, Farewell, and Doom Bars.

Expect some photos of this bike loaded down and dusty in our Dangerbird coverage tomorrow.

My old S1-J (from 2015!) was a staple for road and dirt road riding back in the day. I used that jacket on just about every ride, tossing it in a handlebar or hip bag, any time I pedaled into the unknown microclimates of the coastal California mountain ranges and beyond. Then, one day at a bike event, it went missing. It’s been a while since Search and State have made the S1-J but it’s back this year after a two-year hiatus. Take it from someone who let one get away, don’t miss this opportunity if you’re shopping for a new jacket…

Specs:
Durability: Ultra High
Fabric: Synthetic Blend with an Active Climate Membrane for all-season performance.
Care: Easy
Fit: True to Size – refined, slimming, and plenty aero.
Best For: All riding in all seasons.
Temperature Range: 32’F-65’F
Retail: $275.00

See more at Search and State.

As a cargo connoisseur, I often get swept up in the details, the minutiae, and some might argue, the icing on the cake of bicycle travel. These little details can become centerpieces of a final touring package. While I’ll always carry a few extra Voile straps on a tour, there’s something nice about having cam buckles and nylon webbing for the bigger jobs. One of the things I love about touring is the constant need to strap more crap to your bike. Sometimes, it’s a frozen pizza at a gas station that catches your eye or your wet clothes from that swimming hole. Regardless, having these items securely fastened to your bike is important because no one likes a broken pizza box.

Having a few extra straps can go a long way and while there are dozens of options made in China out there, it’s nice when a small company takes it upon itself to make something as simple as a cam buckle in the USA. Austere Manufacturing first popped up in my Instagram feed earlier this summer. I’m not sure why these tan cam buckles caught my eye ;-) but I immediately bought two pairs; a 3/4″ cam and a 1″ cam with webbing. Since then, I’ve used them to carry everything from a fly rod to camp chairs around on my bike and can honestly say, these buckles are some of my favorite things to come from a small, cottage industry maker.

Let’s check them out in detail below.

Sometimes videos speak louder than words and Wolf Tooth’s new video showcasing the functionality of the 8-Bit Tool Kit is one of those times. There are three tools in the new 8-Bit System: 8-Bit Chainbreaker + Utility Knife Multi-Tool, 8-Bit Tire Lever + Rim Dent Remover Multi-Tool, and 8-Bit Pack Pliers. A total of 22 functions between the three tools will keep you rolling to the next town or trailhead.

See the full collection at Wolf Tooth.

As MTB geometry changes over the years, so do forks, and eventually, this progress trickles down to stems. That’s the motivation for component brand Tenet who just updated its Nora stem. The Nora V2.5 stem is designed with modern bike geometry and short offset forks in mind. These are designed for a  ø35mm clamp bar, thus the shortest length you could go is 32mm. From there, Tenet increased the stem length by 5mm increments, matching the fork offsets of 37mm and 42mm nicely. Most brands that offer bikes with modern geometry recommend running a stem as close to your fork offset as possible. These stems are machined in Bellingham, Washington, from North American sourced 6061-T6 aluminum and carry a retail price of $134. In stock and shipping today from Tenet.

If you’re on the hunt for a 144 or 110 BCD chainring, look no further. Our buddy Aaron from AARN just released his stock for the year at the AARN webshop, including some very limited pieces like we’re showcasing here. These special edition rings are commemorating over a decade of making unique chainrings in the USA. Hop on over to his shop to check out the stock!

There’s no shortage of bag makers out there but it’s rare to find a company bringing some new ideas to the table when it comes to bicycle portage accessories. San Util is doing some fun stuff with an interesting spin. They have a Kickstarter campaign, along with some stock on their website, so head on over and check it out. Our favorites include the Salmon Big Stache Daddy, MTB Hip Pack, and the Mini Beer Tote.

I’m a collector of goods by nature. When I find a pair of pants, backpack, shorts, or even shoes I love and cannot live without, I tend to buy a “backup” or secondary set to hold onto. Sometimes, this can get expensive, especially when it comes to bike parts but with the uncertainty of the current supply chain shortage brought on by the pandemic, my hoarding has been elevated. Take for instance these Yoshimura Chilao Pedals. When we first posted about them back in 2020, I bought a set for a few reasons…