The Radavist

Winter weather got you pining for long rides and cycle touring? Swift Industries is here to help with their Stoked Spoke series:

“Each evening highlights four to six self-supported bike camping routes complete with maps, slideshow and planning tips. This year the trip reports will be 5-10 minutes long. Once all of the presentations are finished, each presenter will host an information table where they will answer individual questions and have maps of the region they explored.

This is a three-part series that highlights the best bike camping destinations in Cascadia and beyond. Stoked Spoke is being graciously hosted by the Rhino Room once again (click for map), a full bar equipped with a rad set-up for screening Stoked Spoke and booths that are perfectly laid out for you to check out maps and learn more. Rhino Room is opening its doors just for us! (21+ only). We’ll be publishing a summary of each Stoked Spoke event on our blog, including route summaries and digital maps.”

Check out more information at Swift’s Blog!

Path Less Pedaled takes a look at the shops and people of Seattle in their latest video.

Photos by Andy Bokanev

I can’t begin to fathom weather like this, as it’s still 90 degrees here in Austin, but then again, we don’t have giants like Mt. Baker in our backyard and we’re pretty damn far south. Photos like these, taken just this weekend, serve as reminders of how truly powerful mother nature is.

Andy and Kelly decided to try to make it as far up Highway 542 as they could, not realizing it’d be literally under feet of snow. Even that couldn’t keep them from the Mountains of Madness…

See more at Bokanev.

Hey, every single vote counts. It appears that Teague x Sizemore won the 2014 Oregon Manifest Bike Design Project!

“Voters have spoken and declared Seattle’s Denny the winner of the Bike Design Project’s design/build competition!  The Denny wowed voters with its ingenious handlebar lock design, unique fender system, automatic shifting and modern styling.

What an amazing week!  We received over 136,000 visitors during our seven day voting period;  viewers from all over the world have seen our five entry bikes. (Hello Denmark!)

Thanks to everyone who voted and sent us enthusiastic comments – all five of the Bike Design Project bikes have received an avalanche of praise and admiration.  Watch their videos here to revisit their many features.

Our manufacturing partner Fuji Bikes will be taking the Denny into production – in the future, you can own a Denny!”

Congrats to Teague and Sizemore! I can’t wait to see these bikes rolling into production.

Admittingly, I was first drawn to the Teague x Sizemore because of the overall frame design, but after really looking at all the details, I’m sold. While the handlebars might not be the most comfortable (looking), the lockbar combination is brilliant, as are the fenders. Those two details alone sold me on the design, because that’s what the Oregon Manifest has always been about: innovation.

The rest of the bikes have some clever details, like the Pensa + Horse Cycles expanding rack, but the Sizemore developed a few details that I could see catching on in the industry.

Seriously Taylor, you should send a set of those fenders to Bicycle Quarterly… Cast YOUR vote at the Bike Design Contest site and see some more details of the Teague x Sizemore design below.

This year, the Oregon Manifest changed gears into the Bike Design Project. The idea was simple: five cities, five builders and five design offices would propose, construct and test a bicycle that was born from the DNA of their city’s unique demands.

Chicago’s MNML x Method Bicycle is pictured above, see the rest below and head over to the Bike Design Project to cast your vote. Which one do you think is my favorite?

It’s pretty easy to see that riding a fixed gear freestyle bike here would be difficult but Tyler pulls some nice lines in Seattle’s I-5 Colonnade MTB park for CSK.

If you’re in or around Seattle this weekend, try to make it to the NACCCs! Even if you don’t race, the organizers could use your help as a volunteer. See more at the NACCC website.

It’d been a while since we’ve seen anything from the Collard Shirt Krew… Here’s the latest from the Seattle homies! The last two clips are nutty!

The Needle Gate Project just exudes good vibes. A group of riders are pedaling from Seattle to SF (the Needle to the Golden Gate) for She Dances, an organization that provides holistic restoration for young girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited…

Check out their video above and click-through for more info.

Deciding on a custom frame for your significant other can be a bit of an ordeal. Lauren and I talked about her bike for what seemed like an eternity, so I can’t imagine what it’s like to physically build a bike for your spouse. Taylor Sizemore did just that. His wife Kelsey is a purist when it comes to road bikes. She likes traditional geometries, clearances and lugged aesthetics, so convincing her that a tig welded frame that would clear 28c tires was the way to go on this ride took some time. The bike looks great and Taylor did a stellar job documenting it. See for yourself below!

The Collard Shirt Krew always brings the creative street riding to the forefront of FGFS and their newest video is no different. Some of the lines Tyler pulls here are absolutely insane. That footplant 270 is gnarly as is that last clip.

Kyler Martz drew up this sick flier for the Ups & Downs benefit alleycat race in Seattle. All proceeds will go towards Jake Ricker’s medical bills after his wife was attacked by dogs last year.

The Collard Shirt Krew has been escaping the Seattle rain by riding the local parking garage. Check it out as the guys shred it and Tyler Johnson gets rad on his BMX.

Photo by Jake Ricker

I really admire Jake’s black and white photography. This photo of CSK member Chris Clappe turned out fantastic. Follow Jake’s work on Flickr and his Instagram (@jesusaintsavingshit).