The Radavist

Some of my favorite riding photos came out of my stay in Australia last winter. While I doubt any ride I go on in the near future will compare to the two days into hell that Fyxo and Shifter Dan took me on, I had a blast riding from Sydney to Wollongong with Adam of CycleEXIF. What I thought would be an hour long ride, ended up being a 60 mile ride through rainforests and coastal roads, leading us to the workshop of Primate Frames.

I was on my MKE Orange One, in city clothes, toting a camera bag and Adam was on his singlespeed. Neither were ideal vehicles for this hot, Australian summer sun-filled afternoon but we managed to have a blast. For more dialog, see my old A Day in 10 Photos entry and for more photos, check out the slideshow…

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Sydney, Australia has always had a burgeoning BMX scene and it’s still thriving due to rad shops like Hell On Wheels. Tom’s space is part museum and part storefront, where he caters to the local park rats and street thrashers alike, all while keeping his eyes and ears to the American brands.

When one of his customers, Benny wanted a custom BMX racing bike, they hit up S&M. A few months later and viola, Benny’s custom S&M bicycle moto-cross machine was done. Happy Friday morning Sydney, here’s a Beautiful Bicycle for ya.

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I met Khalil while I was in Sydney a few months ago but I met this bike at the 2011 Philly Bike Expo. When he found out I was in Australia, he wanted to meet up and I offered to shoot some more photos of his Bishop flatbar fixed gear. It’s still in immaculate condition. Khalil takes it out when he can and rides the coastal roads with. You already know how partial I am to Chris Bishop’s work and this bike shows a different side to his work.

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Finding good coffee and food while traveling is a higher priority of mine than finding a good bike shop. When I flew into Sydney last month, our good friend / tour guide Yogi took us to Robo Cog in Surry Hills. A cafe owned by cyclists? Sure! Count me in. 20 minutes later and we were hooked. The interiors, food and coffee were all top notch.

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Australia’s a wonderful place, filled with amazing people. This Recent Roll is compiled from various left-overs accumulated while I was Down Under. It’s mostly city shots and photos of vintage cars. Click the photo above to launch the Gallery, or click here to open in a new tab.

I was in Sydney for a few weeks before I finally made it down to Sable & Argent on Bourke street. I thought for sure they’d just be another fixed gear boutique. Let’s just say, I wasn’t expecting to find a facade that caters to various forms of urban cycling. As I walked through their front gate, I couldn’t help but notice how carefully curated the interiors were. Each section of the shop was merchandized wonderfully. Rapha, Campagnolo, Catlike, Mission Workshop, DZR and other brands all had shelf space, shared alongside road, cross, track and commuter bikes. You could walk in here and buy a full “kit” for whatever kind of bike you ride. The interiors were well-lit and the overall vibe just exuded cool. See for yourself by clicking the image above.

As you can tell, I’ve been holding off on posting a lot of my Australia content for the recent torrent of NAHBS coverage. We’ve seen this bike already, a few times on the blog but Eirlie’s Clamont pista definitely deserves its own post. On a rainy morning in Sydney last month, I caught up with her and shot some photos of it while she ate her breakfast. This bike is the love of her life and while it’s got some chrome plating chips on the crown and various other little imperfections, its webbed bottom bracket, cleaved seat tube and history make it one unique ride. Check out more below.

Gallery