The Radavist

“Monsoon” is the sixth layout of the Radavist 2023 Calendar. It was shot with a Sony A9ii and a Sony 24-70 lens in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photographed by John Watson.

“Monsoons came early this year, covering the skies with dramatic clouds…”

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right-click and save link as – The Radavist 2023 – June. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)

The mobile background this month is a vertical crop of the above photo. Click here to download April’s Mobile Wallpaper.

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

It’s no secret that Instagram is a wonderful place to find artists. We’ve collaborated with many over the years on various designs we’ve put on t-shirts, bottles, and more. Recently John connected with cycling illustrator Høj Art, who requested drawing his Steve Potts Signature, using his photos as a reference. Daniel Rebour’s work heavily inspires their style.

Last night Høj Art sent over the final illustrations and we’re elated to share these beautiful drawings with you, so let’s check out the full spread below!

When Michael saw Lucas’ submission a few weeks back, he decided it was time to send us his recently-completed project: a 1990 Kuwahara Tiger restomod. This project was very involved, so let’s check out the bike in detail below!

When a new standard arrives, there’s usually a backlash lasting months or even years. But the 55mm chainline got in under the radar. Though not a “standard” in the traditional sense, 55 does impact cranks, chainrings, cassettes, and frames. So, it counts. The goal is to offer more room for wider tires, sturdier frames, and bigger chainrings by bumping that (single) chainring outboard to sit 55mm from the bike’s center line. That’s 3mm further than the 52mm chainline most brands have been using since Boost 148 dropout spacing took hold. This issue may seem pretty inside-baseball, but when we learned SRAM Transmission was designed specifically around a 55mm chainline, Travis Engel figured it was a good time to take a closer look.

Thanks to Crust Bikes’ Clydesdale fork, you don’t need to buy a new cargo bike to haul goods around town. A case in point is Kenny’s Cinelli Sentiero he built with one. Let’s check it out below!

“Front Range” is the fifth layout of the Radavist 2023 Calendar. It was shot with a Sony A9ii and a Sony 70-200 lens in Boulder, Colorado. Photographed by John Watson.

“The Rockies have seen their fair share of rain this winter and everything is lush and green. John and Hailey got out for an afternoon ride to soak it all in.”

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right-click and save link as – The Radavist 2023 – May. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)

The mobile background this month is a vertical crop of the above photo. Click here to download April’s Mobile Wallpaper.

While I’m a big fan of converting older 26″ MTB wheels to tubeless, I have found that if you let the bikes sit for a month or two without riding, the bead will unseat and the tires will go flat. Here in the Southwest, that means that the sealant usually dries up by the time you’ve noticed. I still believe that a tubeless setup is crucial if you have a bike you ride a lot, but when you have a few vintage bikes in your fleet that don’t see as much regular rotation, that can become a lot to manage. Once the bead breaks and the sealant dries up, you must completely clean the rim and tire out to re-seat it. Not ideal! 

A few weeks ago, while inserting Tannus Armour Tubeless rim protectors into my 29er, I noticed the brand also makes Tannus Armour Inserts, designed to be run with inner tubes. These inserts are very similar to the tubeless inserts but don’t require the upkeep or regular mileage that tubeless systems demand, particularly with vintage rims.

Last week I posted my Yo Eddy! restoration and, after I shot those photos, I got a few flats from thorns. So, instead of resorting to my normal tubeless conversion, I decided to give these Armour Inserts a try.

Let’s check out what that entails below!

The enigmatic folks behind Moné Bikes invested “new Honda Civic” money into the fabrication of their carbon riser bar. It was a gamble, but the results are impressive. Spencer Harding has become addicted to upsweep angles and while steel risers may work in many cases, sometimes you need to shave some grams. Read on for some silly memes, useless light bar mods, and a hot take on the handlebar bend you didn’t know you needed.

Last week, we looked at my tutorial on polishing vintage bicycle components. But how do I find my components in the first place? Over the years, I’ve developed a bit of a knack for finding period-correct pieces for my builds, using various sources. Today, I’ll be using my 1991 Yo Eddy as an example to walk y’all through my process for finding the appropriate parts. Let’s check it out below…

This morning’s Readers’ Rides was sent in by Filippo from Italy and features his beloved all-rounder; a 1992 Marin Team Issue. Let’s check it out in detail below!

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be working on my Yo Eddy! restoration project I began last year. If you recall, I bought an early Yo Eddy! frame from my friend Martin at Second Spin Cycles and sent it off to Rick at D&D Cycles for a new paint job and a few minor repairs. Well, the frame is back in my hands, so it’s time to get crackin’ on this restoration project.

My vision for the build includes polishing a Syncros 29.4⌀ seatpost, as this build kit will have a mix of black and silver components. Most of these seat posts are pretty faded and scratched, so I thought polishing one up would be nice.

Back in 2009, I made a post on this website about polishing vintage seat posts. At the time, I was restoring various Merckx frames and had scored a few unique seat posts. But what if your seatpost, or other bike components, has a colored anodizing finish you’re just not into? Well, read on below for the full tutorial.