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Meet Your Maker Event Returns to Skyline XC in Napa, CA

Radar

Meet Your Maker Event Returns to Skyline XC in Napa, CA

Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa has a rich history of mountain bike racing, from the Grundig World Cup races of the 1990s to the Single Speed World Championship in 2008. These are classic chunky old-school XC trails that are a perfect match for your favorite hardtail. Come test your abilities in a fun and supportive community!

Meet Your Maker is an ongoing series of rides hosted by the Northern California bike-making community. It all started in 2011 and kinda faded out in 2016, but now it’s back! No stuffy convention halls, no dim fluorescent lighting, just a good time hanging out and talking shop while we partake in the activity that puts a big smile on all of our faces.

Cute, Durable, and Ethical Cycling Bags: A Workshop Visit with Wizard Works

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Cute, Durable, and Ethical Cycling Bags: A Workshop Visit with Wizard Works

London-based Wizard Works makes decidedly cute, sturdy, and durable bags for cyclo-touring and bikepacking. Founders and owners, Harry and Veronica, are committed to producing everything in-house, sourcing materials from within the UK and Europe, and supporting their small staff with livable wages and a positive work environment. They’ve turned what was once a hobby into a robust brand, now with stockists around the globe. Following this year’s Bespoked, Josh got to play tourist and eat biscuits while getting treated to some behind-the-scenes time at Wizard Works’ new workshop in Greenwich. With their cheerful space, happy colors, and employee-first practices, this is some wizardry where you very much want to look behind the curtain. Read on for more from Josh’s shop visit!

Wack Packs and 4.5 Star Bathroom Experiences: A Shop Visit to Oveja Negra

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Wack Packs and 4.5 Star Bathroom Experiences: A Shop Visit to Oveja Negra

Many moons ago I was looking for a place to park my car as a shuttle vehicle in Salida before the beginning of  the second DFL the Divide trip  when a friend suggested, “See if you can park at Oveja Negra.”  A few Instagram messages later and I had secured a parking spot behind their shop in downtown Salida, CO. When we returned at the end of the trip – unkempt and raucous – we were nonetheless treated to showers and a tour by the incomparable Lane. Her tour was full of ghost stories and other fun histories of their historic building. Coming back so many years later to similar open arms is truly a lovely thing.

Russ Pope Studio Visit: On Skateboarding, Arting, and Bikes

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Russ Pope Studio Visit: On Skateboarding, Arting, and Bikes

The artist Russ Pope is a west coaster-turned-New England émigré. Growing up as a skateboarder and an artist, he brought his two passions together at a young age. Creativity has been intertwined with all his outdoor pursuits since, with a portfolio that boasts many skating and cycling collaborations. Hailey Moore recently had the opportunity to sit down with Russ to talk about it all—Read on for a rundown about his life of skating, arting and bikes and to learn more about a Russ Pope drawing giveaway! Thanks Russ!

Analog Artisanship in the East Bay: A Shop Visit with Vernacular Sewn Storage

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Analog Artisanship in the East Bay: A Shop Visit with Vernacular Sewn Storage

You might recall seeing the half-frame bag from Vernacular Sewn Storage (VRNCLR) on the prototype Super Something gravel bike Adam Sklar had at Ruta del Jefe. VRNCLR is the Oakland, CA – based bag company of maker Tom Gilpatrick. Tom has been working in sew business for some time now, currently focusing on bags for bikes and also Go Fast Campers (GFC). Earlier this summer I was in the Bay Area with filmmaker Justin Balog and we had a slice of time before heading to the airport to catch flights home, so stopped in to visit with Tom and check out his space in the eclectic O2 Artisans Aggregate.

Radar Roundup

Radar

Radar Roundup

Our Radar Roundup is where we take some of the news items to come across our inboxes into an easy-to-digest dump of sorts, culling down the clutter from our homepage and making it easier to stay on top of what’s going on in our little corner of the cycling industry. This will come particularly in handy when it comes to spring/summer product drops from our favorite brands.

Check out our Radar Roundup below with products, videos, and a Radavision entry…

Chater-Lea Road Clearer Bicycle Whistle

Radar

Chater-Lea Road Clearer Bicycle Whistle

We all love our Spurcycle bells but wayyyy back when, cyclists used to ride with whistles to clear the road. J Hudson & Co. have been making specialist whistles in England for over 150 years. The ACME siren began life as the ‘Cyclists Road Clearer’ in the 1880s.

Chater-Lea is delighted to have joined forces with J Hudson & Co. to create the ‘Chater-Lea Road Clearer’ for £39.00.

This unique whistle combines the peerless ACME siren with a beautifully machined solid brass case designed and manufactured by Chater-Lea here in the UK. The brass case directs the sound and adds character as a unique patina develops over the years!

If you love throwbacks and are looking for an interesting holiday gift for a loved one, then be sure to consider this! See more (including an audio file) at Chater-Lea.

Peregrinus Equipment, Light Handmade Bikepacking Bags From the State of México

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Peregrinus Equipment, Light Handmade Bikepacking Bags From the State of México

In the mountains of the State of México, about two hours by car to the west of México City, there’s a little town named San Simón el Alto; in this town, there’s a house which would pass as any other house save for the sign that reads “Bebidas exóticas”, exotic drinks, and an outdoor bar, a Biergarten if you will, with chairs in an inviting position. Wandering in the garden, a big turkey makes sure everything is in order and slowly approaches whoever stays idle for too long, be it dog, cat, or person. To the right there’s the house and one of the doors opens up to reveal two sewing machines, rolls of Xpac and Liteskin, and a few half-made bicycle bags. This is Peregrinus Equipment, the bike bag enterprise run by physicist, cyclist, and nature enthusiast Nicolás Legorreta.

The Albuquerque Journal Interviews Baphomet Bicycles, Doom Bars, Farewell Bags, Buckhorn Bags, the Radavist and More

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The Albuquerque Journal Interviews Baphomet Bicycles, Doom Bars, Farewell Bags, Buckhorn Bags, the Radavist and More

New Mexico has been a hot spot for cycling for a while now, with Outside Magazine Magazine ranking some of our local trails in its Best Bike Rides in the World article, and various companies, including BTI calling it home. But what about smaller companies? What is driving them to move to the chile state? Head on over to the Alburquerque Journal to read all about the reasons for this migration of makers. Check out our coverage for these makers in the Related footer…

Made in Santa Fe: A Pair of Custom O’Leary Built Mountain Bikes with Evergreen Stitchworks Bags

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Made in Santa Fe: A Pair of Custom O’Leary Built Mountain Bikes with Evergreen Stitchworks Bags

I must say that I’m damn proud to live in New Mexico and I had no idea that such an awesome network of makers are blossoming here. We’ve looked at Moné’s operations down in Silver City, Baphomet Bicycles, checked in with Farewell Bags, looked at the framebag offerings from Buckhorn Bags, and today we’re featuring two local companies, starting with Evergreen Stitchworks and O’Leary Built Bikes, so let’s get to it.

Buckhorn Bags Website and Webshop is Live!

Radar

Buckhorn Bags Website and Webshop is Live!

Since first announcing the brand last year here at the Radavist, Buckhorn Bags has been cranking away at custom and production orders and just yesterday Sam launched their new website with slots for custom bags and other production gear loaded up. The Conejo Hip Pack will be stocked May 14th, yet is open for pre-order, but the Rattler Stem Bag is in stock and shipping now. Custom full and half frame bags have a 6-8 week lead time and we’ll be reviewing this ordering process next week.

There is no shortage of custom bag makers but if you’re a local, check out your newest New Mexico bag maker at Buckhorn Bags.

Made in Santa Fe: Farewell Bags for Cycling and More – Eric’s Salsa Timberjack

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Made in Santa Fe: Farewell Bags for Cycling and More – Eric’s Salsa Timberjack

The Pandemic has left people with a lot of free time to pursue new hobbies. How many of your friends became sourdough bakers, xeriscapers, or home improvement gurus with all their newfound time at home? Eric Puckett is a long-time friend who always had sewing skills but once he was forced to work at home and couldn’t spend as much of his time outdoors, he began making bags for cycling, rock climbing, and more. Recently, he made this hobby into a side hustle called Farewell Bags. I caught up with Eric last week to shoot his new bags on his own Salsa Timberjack, so check out more below…

A Different Kind of Maker: Jacob from Bread Shop Santa Fe and his Surly Cross Check

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A Different Kind of Maker: Jacob from Bread Shop Santa Fe and his Surly Cross Check

We visit a lot of makers here at the Radavist. From frames to components to bags. 2020 has put a lot of that on momentary pause, yet I’ve enjoyed meeting cyclists serendipitously since moving to Santa Fe, many of which are small business owners. One of those is Jacob from Bread Shop. He and his wife Mayme, along with his brother Zac run a small bakery that’s big on taste. We’ve been buying loaves once a week from Bread Shop and this week I met up with Jacob to shoot his Surly Cross-Check.