The Radavist

The 2012 Rapha NE Gentlemen’s Race was no joke. Over 120 miles and racking in over 13,000′ of elevation through the countryside of New Hampshire and Vermont. I don’t care, that shit looked fun.

Now that the Tour is over, let’s reflect a bit, vis a via the newest video from the Rapha Continental series. Although it’s a bit long, what else do you have to do on this hot and humid Sunday?

“The latest film from the Rapha Continental North America documents a ride led by Alex Stieda, the first man from North America to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France. A tour of a different kind, the Continental riders rode with Stieda over three days amongst the dramatic mountains of Alberta, Canada.”

Rapha

I really love the vibe that the Rapha Cycle Club in SF emits. Everyone from couriers, to club riders and even the PROs hang out, drink coffee and discuss the thing we all love: cycling. Check out this video City Grounds made on a recent outing to SF.

See more photos and a write-up at City Grounds.

Photo by George Marshall

I’ll always say I don’t like posting photos of myself, but I can’t pass up this one. A few weeks back, I met up with George Marshall from the Albion to get my portrait taken for the Rapha Survey. But what bike? My Icarus of course…

See more of George’s work in Issue #8 of the Albion, in shops now, for FREE!

This looks killer.

“DUE IN STOCK MID JUNE. A tribute to the combative Colombian riders of the 1980s, this high-performance cycling jersey has been developed for the hottest, most humid conditions. It is made from three proprietary technical fabrics developed exclusively for Rapha.

Please note: $5 from each jersey will go to the Rigoberto Urán Cycling Club in Urrao, which gives disadvantaged children in Colombia the opportunity to ride and race bikes.”

$150 from Rapha. Sign up for their email notifications to be alerted when it’s in stock.

I love videos from Rapha and I love Australia. What else could you ask for? Ah, yes, Magpies. Got that too. Here’s the Strava for the ones who wanna see the route and elevation.

To celebrate the bird of prey, the bearded vulture, or Lammergeier, that inhabit one of the most dangerous loops in the Pyrenees mountains, Rapha designed the Circle of Death Jersey. Here’s a little background:

“Circle of Death is the infamous loop of Pyrenean mountains that contains the Col d’Aubisque, Col d’Aspin, Col de Peyresourde and the mighty Col du Tourmalet – all of which feature on the route of this year’s Etape Acte II, Pau-Luchon. The first riders to challenge these punishing ascents were understandably apprehensive about what awaited them; not simply the altitude but the creatures that resided there, such as bears and vultures.

While bears are now rarely seen in these parts, birds of prey still patrol the valleys and peaks. And none are more mercurial than the Lammergeier, or bearded vulture. Feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals, the Lammergeier can swallow whole bones up to the size of a lamb’s femur and its powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces. The Lammergeier has learned to crack bones too large to be swallowed by carrying them up to a height and then dropping them onto rocks below, smashing them into smaller pieces and exposing the nutritious marrow. Its old name of Ossifrage meaning bone breaker relates to this habit. For intrepid Etape riders labouring up these monstrous climbs, the sight of the birds circling overhead is likely to be an ominous one.”

Check out more details at Rapha. I love the eye-colored buttons!

Rapha has a few wallpapers on their site for free. Simply log in to your account and go to the downloads page.

At this point, it’s a known fact that the Rapha Continental videos are unmatched. The Continental series has produced some great videos over the years and now with the following video, Assynt we get a look into some of the oldest coastlines in the world. I gotta admit, the Elder Futhark is a nice addition here.

The main reason I went on the 2012 ATOC was to shoot photos for Rapha. Jeremy wanted to piece together some stories, in conjunction with my blog coverage. These posts break down the larger significance of the tour, with relation to the brand and even how other companies’ support over the years have aided in America’s greatest stage race.

SRAM is a huge supporter of the ATOC and Jeremy wrote a great pice on the Rapha Blog explaining why. Head over and check it out.

I wasn’t blogging Kyle, I was looking at porn…

“Stage 8 of The Amgen Tour of California a rolled right past Golden Saddle Cyclery, so Rapha & Tracko decided to throw a champagne brunch for its customers and visitors from out of town. This video showcases the good times and camaraderie of GSC’s cycling community. Enjoy

Shot & Edited by Ace Carretero
Music by The Triumphs – Lovin’ Cup
Concept by Kyle B. Kelley”

It was a good day indeed!

Come hang out with the Golden Saddle Cyclery crew, the Rapha Mobile Cycle Club and the anyone who can crawl out of bed at 8am!

No, really. I’m back in SF yet again. This time I’ll be covering the Amgen Tour of California. I couldn’t make it to the start today, but coverage will begin tomorrow. My week will end in Los Angeles, so maybe I’ll see you there? More to come…

Without my Rapha Lightweight Jersey, last summer in Austin would have been hellish for me. When it’s over 100 degrees for over three months with 0 rain, you do all you can to stay cool. Last year, the Lightweight jersey was my best friend and this summer, the Super-Lightweight Jersey looks to be a worthy advisary.

This event was a huge success. The 2012 Rapha Women’s Prestige was the first race of its kind and I can’t wait to see where they take it next.