The Radavist

Mission Workshop has just posted up a pre-order for the Orion jacket, which in my experience is the best jacket I’ve owned.

“The Orion is a fully-taped waterproof, breathable jacket cut for life on the bike. Made with 4-way stretch Schoeller c_change. This waterproof–breathable fabric is designed, developed, and manufactured in the Swiss Alps; the ultimate testing grounds for all conditions from sub-zero to sub-tropical. This Swiss made fabric is designed to react to changes in temperature and activity levels. As a result, the Orion jacket is the perfect waterproof jacket for an exceptionally wide range of environments.

The Orion is equipped with internal ported media pocket, external chest pocket, front-zipped hand pockets, touring style zippered rear pocket, removable snap-off hood. Tailored for riding with articulated sleeves. Cut slightly longer in the back. Well placed pit-zip ventilation. Made in Canada.”

Pre-order one here!

Photos by Sean Murphy

As one of the first people to test out the new cycling gear from Mission Workshop, I greeted it with as much apprehension as enthusiasm. Surely, there were already a lot of options for urban cycling gear out there but were these new pieces strictly for cycling?

Not at all. In fact, while I enjoyed riding in the clothes, I didn’t feel like there was anything in particular that made it cycling-specific and that’s a good thing. The side utility pocket has everyday applications and the cut certainly fits on the bike. In the end, this is made in the USA, high-tech, high-quality clothing from a company that is no stranger to those traits.

I’m so bummed I missed this!

“On Friday July 19th, Ben Farver spoke about his process at Argonaut Cycles at Mission Workshop. Farver started with a short overview of his history and the company’s, then went into answering questions from those present.”

Go go go Argonaut!

Tonight, Ben Farver of Argonaut Cycles will be leading a discussion at Mission Workshop on his domestically-produced, carbon fiber #spacebikes. A Q&A will follow, along with free booze. Yes, free beer. Make it out this evening after work and give Ben a high-five for me!

I love my Sanction and Fitzroy rucksacks from Mission Workshop. The construction is top-notch and the sizing is perfect for their intended use. Now the Sanction comes in a AP Series, VX-lined (much lighter than the standard) edition:

“Limited edition AP Series Sanction rucksack built with a waxed cotton twill canvas and a lightweight VX ripstop liner. This edition features both standard and red Arkiv closure buckles with liners to match.

The AP Sanction also features YKK urethane coated zippers, waterproof materials, an internal frame sheet and an optional waist belt. A large interior zippered pocket fits up to 15in laptops. Five other pockets of varying size round out this versatile backpack.

Made in the USA with a lifetime warranty.”

Pick one up at Mission Workshop and check out more detail shots below!

Exactly one week ago, I was in Santa Cruz shooting photos of Keith Bontrager. While I was documenting his daily life, James from Adventure Refugee was shooting video. What he captured that day, along with the live feed from the Ask a Founder event at Mission Workshop will lead up to a full-length showcasing the living legacy that is Keith Bontrager.

This is only part of the project, to see a selection of my photos from the Ask a Founder event, head over to Bike Mag.

Here’s a video trailer promoting a series of webisodes that Mission Workshop is working on with the Werehaus, showcasing our bike tour in China:

“Setting out from Shanghai, John Watson and Mission Workshop began their cycling tour of China’s Yangtze River Delta. Using both film and digital formats, Watson photographed the surroundings and encounters with the local community. Led by their friends from Factory Five, they headed into a frenetic network of massive residential complexes, large industrial parks, and super highways. At first glance, the route seemed straightforward, however, the reality of the 1,000km trip was far more intense than anyone expected.”

Keep on top of The Ends at Mission Workshop and please come to the opening party, let’s hang out!

I jokingly said the other day to a friend that the hardest thing about my trip to China with Mission Workshop wasn’t actually being in China, it was sorting through all my photos. Over 20 rolls of 220 film, 10 rolls of 35mm were accumulated in the three weeks I found myself in Asia. Imagine having to sort through all that and pull together a concept.

a short preview of the book

This is “The Ends”, a book of photographs that is being released at my photography show at Mission Workshop this Saturday, June 15th. You can Pre-Order the book now and it’ll ship Monday, June 17th. We’ve already got the copies and they look amazing. Each copy was printed in Oakland.

“75 page soft-cover book showcasing John’s photographs from the 1,000km bike tour.

Setting out from Shanghai, John Watson and Mission Workshop began their cycling tour of China’s Yangtze River Delta. Using both film and digital formats, Watson photographed the surroundings and encounters with the local community. Led by their friends from Factory Five, they headed into a frenetic network of massive residential complexes, large industrial parks, and super highways. At first glance, the route seemed straightforward, however, the reality of the 1,000km trip was far more intense than anyone expected.

The following photographs from their trip were taken by John Watson, depicting his impression of what is meant by “the ends justify the means.”

This is The Ends.

Available for sale online and at Mission Workshop San Francisco. Ships Monday 6/17.”

Please spread the word, buy a copy of the book for $35 and roll through the show this Saturday!

My trip to China with Mission Workshop and Factory 5 was amazing on so many levels. With so much stimuli, it’s still difficult for me to convey what it was like to ride a bike there but that’s where this photo show steps in. “The Ends” is more than a photo show, it’s a collection of moments captured while pedaling through some of the most unique landscapes I’ve ever been to.

On Saturday, June 15th, I’m displaying a selection of my film photos from my two weeks in China. There will be a run of softcover books, as well as a few prints of the above photo for sale. Come early, stay late. More details to follow…

June 15th 6-10pm
Mission Workshop
40 Rondel Place
San Francisco, CA

See ya there!

Since receiving low res scans of my 220 and 35mm film from the Mission Workshop China tour, I’ve been slowly editing down the photos for a show and a limited edition book. Lyndi from Mission Workshop has been a huge help in editing down all the photos and in this selection process, we’ve found a surprising number of pairings. It’s nice to finally nail down a concept.

My photo show and book launch, entitled the Ends will be taking place on Saturday, June 15th in San Francisco at Mission Workshop. More details to come on the event but mark that date down.

I hope you can make it out!

Mission Workshop‘s highly modular R2 Arkiv Field Pack can fit just about anything you’d need to carry. The MOLLE-inspired rails accept pouches, sleeves and with more attachments in development, you can have a number of bags in one.

How’d I miss this? Mission Workshop, Bike Magazine and Ibis Cycles recently got together for a little Q&A on the history of Ibis and why bikes are so fucking rad. Speaking of rad, that first jersey is pretty incredible. This one’s a little long, so let it play in the background while you “work” on a Friday morning.

Thanks for the heads up Tracko!

Photo by Hou Jue

Photos by Jeff Liu

In recent months, I’ve started to find myself in front of a lens almost as much as behind it, especially on this recent tour. Riding through China was overwhelming  from a photography standpoint. Everything was rich in texture and as a foreigner, the everyday was visually engaging. When I could, I’d stop and shoot, or ask one of the riders to pause for a portrait.

Just about everything was natural and that’s something James from Adventure Refugee tried to capture in his video pieces for Mission Workshop. We’d leave with no plans, or script and would point out shots, or spaces when we came across them. In a land like China, nothing is predictable, you’ve just got to go with your instincts.  That applies to the subject and the subjected.