tag
Johnstown, PA’s Hope Cyclery teamed up with Ron’s Bikes/Nutmeg Needleworks in Connecticut to develop a collaboration Fab’s Chest pack featuring the Connecticut and Pennsylvania state flower, the Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia). Let’s check out the details and how you can score one below…
Last week, John Caletti of Caletti Cycles hosted five up-and-coming bicycle framebuilders at his shop in Santa Cruz, California. An event that had been on John’s to-do list for the past few years, his first Framebuilding Summit was intended to be an educational meeting of the minds–a time dedicated to sharing knowledge with a group of young bike builders.
Join our Group Ride subscription plan by TODAY and be entered for a chance to win a complete PAUL Component Engineering Klamper disc brake set! This is open to Group Ride members, worldwide!
We’re stoked to offer up some of the best disc brakes in the world for our Group Ride subscribers. Our good friends at PAUL have offered up any set of Klampers, in any available finish, plus a set of brake levers. Add some bling to your current flat bar (or drop bar) bike or build a new bike around these lovely brakes.
October’s Group Ride Giveaway–from ORNOT–was Owen from Duluth! Congrats, Owen!
Announced last week but teased for the past month, Austere Manufacturing‘s latest product isn’t a cargo strap or a bag upgrade; it’s a Belt! When Austere sent out a newsletter announcement, John bought one of these neato belts featuring an all-new CNC machined buckle, and he’s been quite pleased with the product. Let’s check out this precision piece of milled beauty below!
Some say small wheels equal more fun. Dave’s Bike Friday All Packa is a testament to that and to up the ante, his is set up fixed gear. Let’s check out this wild bike and Dave’s review below!
Everyone’s favorite water bottles are back in stock. Our Shred Lightly Golden Sunrise bottles feature the Greater Road Runner (Geococcyx californianus) and the Spanish Bayonet Yucca bloom (Hesperoyucca whipplei) . Many thanks to Steve Bretson and Cari Carmean for their typography work on these products. These 26oz bottles are a golden yellow, with two-color text.
• Purist 26oz bottle with MoFlo cap
• 100% BPA free
• Printed with non toxic ink
Sold as a pair: 1 order = 2 bottles. Pick up a set at The Radavist Webshop.
Please note we are unable to accept returns for water bottles, so please choose your quantity carefully, thanks!
Jay Ritchey of Bags By Bird (BXB) recently started offering custom bags not only for fabric choice and all the usual options but also specifically tailored to the height of your bars and your desired width. For riders with a lot of front-end real estate or those with a minimal amount, this can be an amazing way to maximize your gear space. In true BXB fashion, the bag looks incredible and functions equally beautifully.
When Josh posted up his Alumalith, with a custom Portage bag he collaborated on with Cedaero, it caused a rukkus! Karl from Cedaero got flooded with requests for these throwback MTB bags from the 1980s and 90s, so we decided to make a run for our readership!
We made two colors; waxed canvas burgundy ($134.95) like Josh specced and all-black cordura ($124.95). These bags are bike geometry/size specific and Karl made them to fit the Alumalith but they will fit any bike but you’ve gotta be mindful with the sizing! Read on below for more information on how to size this for your bike…
⌀22.2mm or 7/8″ bars were all they had back during the genesis of the almighty MOUNTAINBIKE. Riders would take the entire cockpit off their dirtbikes and flat track racers: Magura L363.20 bars, Magura brake/clutch levers, and even Magura grips, mounting them to SR or Cinelli quill stems. A lot has changed since the late 1970s but one thing remains: people love these small-diameter clamp bars for their mountain cruisers, klunkers, hardtails, and rigid MTBs. You know, the bikes that get ridden super hard!
Paul Component Engineering offers their normal Boxcar stem in a ⌀22.2mm clamp, but today they announced a 6-bolt faceplate Boxcar Limited stem ($147.50 – $166.50).
John got his hands on one before the drop and has some photos and thoughts below…
Reviewing a group of high-end, North-American-made pedals is, perhaps, best compared to reviewing a group of gourmet cheeseburgers: They are all going to be delicious, and you’ll need a pretty distinguished pallet to pull a lot of the finer details out—is that a Wisconsin smoked cheddar or Vermont? Ok, maybe I’m getting a bit off the rails here with the comparison, but the reality is: Just like two people may have differing opinions on what makes the best burger, each pair of these pedals has its own slightly distinctive flavor that may satisfy one rider more than another, or, even the same rider on different trails, bikes, or conditions.
Continue reading for Ryan LaBar’s roundup of six North American-made flat pedals including Blackspire, North Shore Billet, Tectonic, Tenet, Wolf Tooth, and Yoshimura…
We love the products Austere Manufacturing is producing in Northwest Washington state. Uriel Eisen’s clever designs have taken a critical look at items you can buy from hardware stores and injected real engineering into the design process, resulting in more robust, longer-lasting products that operate as well as they look.
We’ve been using the Cam straps for a while now on our bike tours and even in our 4×4 buildouts, but today, we’re checking out Uriel’s latest creation: a 1″ Pin Ladder Lock buckle (stainless pins $16.95 / ti pins $19.85). These are meant to replace the plastic ladder buckles found on your bags and packs that can break out in the backcountry.
John took delivery of some early production 1″ Pin Ladder Lock buckles and put them to work on his trusty Realm Crossbody Pack. Let’s check out the process below!
Keeping your bikes organized in your home, apartment, office, or while on the road usually requires many different solutions. Wall hooks, ceiling-suspended racks, and cheap stands from eBay or Amazon certainly do the trick, but I’ve never seen something as well designed as the AhHa Toaster for all the above bike storage solutions.
This unique bike rack folds from flat into a sturdy, secure 5-bike rack, designed to fit up to 2.6″ tires, and still fold down to be tucked away under a bed, behind a desk, or even in the trunk of your car, your van, or road-trip mobile.
Last week I took delivery of the AhHa Toaster and immediately put it to use in my home office where I stash my vintage bikes, so let’s check it out in detail below.
Motivated by the renewed interest in American manufacturing following the COVID pandemic, Erik Mathy shares part one in a new series where he will document how American makers of fine bicycle parts make a single part from the very start to the finish. At each stage he will ask the person doing the work two questions and take two portraits: One of the part and one of the worker. In his own words, this is a project to “explore both the processes and the people who make some of the most interesting, purpose-driven and—in their own way beautiful—bicycle parts in the world.” Read on for his first installment with a visit to Paragon Machine Works and an in-depth look at how they are making their new SRAM Universal Derailleur Hangar dropout.
Does it get much better than small makers addressing niche demands within a niche sector of the bike industry? I don’t think so. One of my favorite parts about running this website is showcasing and highlighting cottage industry bike businesses. Shovel Research is a small machine and fabrication shop that makes well-designed products that address a niche demand. One of which is its Rod Steward, a bag support designed for the Fab’s Chest by Ron’s Bikes, but as I found out on my Rivendell Bombadil, it works well with a Rivendell Sackville BagBoy bag.
Let’s check out a quick review below…
According to the internet, The Beatles’ song “Yesterday” has been covered between 1,200 and 3,000 times, which even on the low end of that range makes it the most covered song in history. The spare lyrics, describing the ever-relatable ache of lost love, and string arrangement make it a simple yet sophisticated work that has managed to transcend the six decades since Paul McCartney first dreamed (literally) up the melody. The uncluttered elegance has rendered “Yesterday” truly timeless.
While first unveiled in 1994—incidentally, the same year that both LeAnn Rimes and Boyz II Men covered the McCartney classic—Merlin’s cruiser-inspired mountain bike, the Newsboy, has also reappeared in various forms throughout the intervening years. Like McCartney’s paired down lines, the Newsboy shares an on-the-surface simplicity and a nostalgia-driven design that has contributed to its lasting appeal. Merlin has just launched its latest Newsboy redesign, let’s take a look below…
In a world where traditional bicycle touring setups are seemingly overtaking strap-on bikepacking bags, micro or mini panniers make a lot of sense. If you have a rear or front rack, why not run a pannier over a lashed, structureless bag? Panniers are great for many reasons, mainly their ease of loading and stability. They don’t flop all over or rub your tires on smaller frames like bikepacking bags tend to, and if they’re packed and mounted right, they stay out of your way during the inevitable hike-a-bike. Plus, depending on how you load your rear rack, you can still use a dropper post.
John recently took the new Revelate Nano Panniers ($250/pair) out on the Northern New Mexico CDT for four days of navigating deadfall, battling cow shit, and being trounced by Southwestern Monsoons, i.e., the true test of a pannier’s reliability!
Read on for his well-used review!
We just stocked our full Summer 2023 drop over at The Radavist Webshop, featuring new sock designs, including our Rangefinder in obsidian or cobalt, Mycelium in obsidian and natural, and Tecopa in tufa designs, a 32oz Radavist Expedition Bottle, and a new Caninae Jersey in both short and long sleeves in olive or lavender, perfect for year-round riding.
The full drop is in stock and shipping today from The Radavist Webshop.
We want to take this moment to thank you for your support. Your merchandise purchases go directly to this website’s annual budget. The profits pay our contributors a premium rate for their hard work, large-format media projects, and salaries. This website only generates money from our display ads and merch sales. Your support keeps the stoke high over here; we’re forever grateful!
While the 2023 Enve Grodeo was chock-full of some of the snazziest bespoke all-road bikes from around the world, Spencer Harding’s eye was caught by an eccentric build noticeably absent from the show floor. Fortunately, he was able to get the bike’s owner, Clint, to stop throwing skids long enough to snag a closeup. Pulling influence from some strange corners of the bike world and outfitting the frame with some amazing and unique parts, Clint’s SaltAir stood out for more reasons than its single rear cog. Clint rode this pink dream on all 92 miles of the Enve Grodeo, a feat in itself regardless of it being a fixed gear 26-er. Let’s have a closer look!
