The Radavist

Last year, Ryan Wilson met up with fellow bike traveler Joe Sasada to tackle the dirt road version of the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route.  In Part one, they got their feet wet on this classic route, but in this chapter, Ryan and Joe visit the heart of Ecuador’s iconic volcano corridor and run into the trials and tribulations that come with any good bike tour.  Read on for a slice of the highlights and lowlights of their ride across the Andes.

With Shimano releasing CUES to replace Alivio, Acera, and Altus groupsets, is it possible we are getting something better? CUES unites all the parts under its umbrella with the same flat cable pull ratio and chain pitch across 9, 10, and 11-speed drivetrains. Spencer Harding devised his own mix of CUES parts to fit his touring demands at a low price point. Check out what he found and his thoughts on this new parts offering from Shimano below…

UK-based Brother Cycles, profiled by Petor last year, just rolled out their new 2024 Kepler touring bike frameset pre-order (£799). Read on for a closer look at these all-steel, versatile frames below!

When the Surly Cross-Check got discontinued last year, fans of the rim brake do-it-all bike were rightfully upset, yet over at Black Mountain Cycles, the Monstercross frameset picks up where the Cross-Check left off, with an arguably better geometry (with proper stack numbers!), 50mm tire clearance, and a stunning Pacenti PBP fork crown. What more do you need? These framesets are now available at Black Mountain Cycles ($875), so let’s check out more below.

Just announced today, the newest bike from the East Coast of Canada-based Panorama Cycles is a pinion gearbox touring bike dubbed the Boreal Pinion (4,399$ – 5,999$ CAD). Find out more below…

We recently highlighted the return of the Marin Four Corners 1 model, and today the brand released the more premium version, the Four Corners 2. This version features the same updated geo but with a few more modern amenities including: upgraded thru-axles, hydraulic brakes, and a 1x drivetrain while only clocking in at $1999 for a complete bike. Below, Spencer Harding offers a first look at Marin Four Corners 2…

All of us here at the Radavist have been on a bike tour at some point. With the proliferation of bicycle touring and bikepacking in the modern bike zeitgeist, many options exist for a “touring bike.” This also means it can be hard to sift through all those options. With bikes that span from the “skinny tire” gravel bikes to the monster truck fat bikes, touring bikes can be whatever you need of them.

We compiled a list of touring bikes and rigid MTBs under or around $2000 to help you find your first or next tourin’ rig… 

Let us wipe the drool off our keyboards on this early Monday afternoon and give y’all a heads up that Rivendell is having a pre-order (12 PM on February 8th) for the fully lugged Longbolts and Slugstone ($2,000) models this week…

Brother Cycles’ Mr Wooden received a new color, Lilac Metallic, for 2024. The Mr Wooden is an all-rounder, rim brake bike. Gravel, touring, adventure, commuting, the Mr Wooden does it all. This new color is available for ordering today from Brother Cycles…

Enigma is a UK framebuilder, founded in 2006, that has won various accolades over the years, including NAHBS awards. We’ve featured the brand before, albeit briefly, in our Limited Edition Shimano Silver GRX build showcase. Enigma’s EXPLOR platform features a geometry adapted specifically for flat bars, with lots of touring accouterments like plentiful rack, fender, and cargo mounts…

The Bike Friday All-Packa is a versatile mini-velo, designed for off-road riding and touring. Julien shared with us his beautiful photos of his All-Packa for this week’s Readers’ Rides…

The almighty Salsa Fargo stayed steadfast in its part spec and price for 2024 but received a new color. This golden yellow is sure to pop with some bags and racks strapped to it. The Fargo is Salsa’s tried and true touring bike with a supple steel frame, a cargo fork (with all sorts of mounts), an upright riding position, lots of standover, 29+ tire clearance (on size small-xlarge), belt drive compatibility, and a 1x drivetrain. All in a new golden color for $2,599. See more at Salsa.

Back for 2024 with a fresh redesign focused on increased security and simplified installation, Surly’s popular 8 and 24-Pack Racks provide two size options depending on your cargo capacity needs. The 8-Pack Rack ($130) has a smaller deck platform (160 mm x 270 mm) and the 24 Pack Rack ($155) is a modern porteur rack, with a larger platform (400 mm x 270 mm).

In the style of the Kona Sutra ULTD, AWOL, Bombtrack Beyond 2, Stargazer, and others, the 2024 Marin Four Corners 1 ($999) is a touring bike in its DNA but can be used for a number of different activities from gravel riding to commuting.

What is The Lost Highway bicycle? It’s a limited edition inspired union of Urban Wits and multi-terrain, backcountry RatKing Wanderlust frames. Read on to find out more…