The Radavist

One of the things that caught my eye at this weekend’s NM Bikepacking Summit was Mike, the owner of Broken Spoke in Santa Fe’s custom-built O’Leary rack for his Karate Monkey. Mike really wanted a better way of carrying his essentials, rather than a bikepacking saddle pack. His goal for the rack was to have it be multi-purpose, both designed to carry traditional panniers or as a framework to strap Nalgene bottles to, while allowing for a bedroll or tent to be strapped to the rack’s platform. Depending on how you’re traveling, this opens up the use of a dropper post as well.

Mike went to O’Leary, a custom builder here in Santa Fe, to hash out the design and he whipped it up in a matter of hours. Minimal racks like this offer a simple solution to a very common problem and I thought the readership would be intrigued by this. Check out a few more photos below!

This week’s Readers’ Rides comes all the way from Singapore. Acit’s Stooge Scrambler is super dreamy and he’s done a great job documenting it, so let’s just right in!

Velo Orange’s Crazy Bars have a cult following ranging from commuters to tourers and everything in between. These bars give you the benefit of a riser bar’s riding position with the option for a more aero hand placement. Sure, they look… uhh… crazy but that’s their name, right? For this round, VO widened the bar to 780mm and the sweep has been reduced to a more comfortable 35º. The horns also got massaged by shortening them to 110mm for an overall better riding experience. See more details and on-the-bike photos at Velo Orange.

If you’re looking for a dynamo light-powered commuter or light tourer, then check out the new Standert Bürgermeister*In. Standert really did everything they could to make this bike as versatile as possible. The frame can be built up as 1x, 2x, hub geared, singlespeed, or a Gates Belt Drive. It’ll clear 700x45c and 650x47c tires. The limited-edition (pictured here) features a painted to match one-piece bar/stem. If you’re not feeling this aqua color, there’s also a white and eggplant livery available. Check out all the details at Standert.

If you’re looking for a non-custom and more affordable version of John’s Sklar that we posted today, then check out the newly-released Kona Unit and Unit X. For 2022, these popular models return with the Unit ($1,399) offered as a singlespeed and the Unit X ($1,599) comes with Deore 12-speed. You can even buy a frameset for $699. See all the details at Kona and throw your leg over one at your local dealer.

Otso’s latest bike model is named after a monstrous wolf in Norse Mythology (or perhaps you saw him in Thor Ragnorak?) and begs the question: drops or flat bars? When run with flat bars, an 80-90mm stem is recommended for ideal reach but with drops, you can run a shorter stem and wider bars. This new touring bike has mounts a go-go, a geometry tuned for touring, and is made from stainless steel. The tire clearance is plentiful, offering 29×2.6″ or 27.5×2.8″ tires, and thanks to the unique, proprietary sliding dropout design, Fenrir can be converted to singlespeed with ease. Check out the whole 411 on this beautiful stainless chassis or build up your next complete at Otso Cycles.

Look for our in-depth review shortly!

If you’re a long-legged lad or lady, and can throw them over a 59cm steel chassis, then check out the newest from our compadres at Crust Bikes. The Malocchio is the latest 1″ threaded all-road from the brand, built from Columbus Spirit tubing, with PAUL Racer center pull brakes and 42.666mm Ultradynamico tires.

Specs:
-59cm Crust Malocchio (a good fit for about 5′ 11″ and up)
-700c Pacenti Brevet Wheelset
-42.?? Ultradynamico Cava Race Tires
-Nitto Noodle HT Bar
-Nitto NP-80 Stem
-Paul Racer Brakes Front and Rear
-Berthoud Aspin Saddle
-Sun XCD Exceed 167.5 Crankset (44/28t)
-MKS x Crust Gordito Pedals
-Rivendell Silver Bar End Shifters
-8 Speed Sram Cassette 11-32t

Can we all just have a moment of silence for this beauty?

This build is for sale today. See more at Crust Bikes.

Mosaic has added two new frameset models to their G-Series lineup of gravel and adventure bikes. The GT-1X and GT-2X are two new Mosaic framesets for riders seeking a big tire, off-road capable titanium adventure bike. Both GT-X frames are designed around a 29×2.25 tire, a gravel-specific or MTB drivetrain, and a geometry that incorporates a longer top tube and shorter stem, allowing the rider to set up their GT-X in a drop bar or flat bar configuration. The addition of optional frame bag and accessory mounts, as well as rack and fender mounts, make the GT-X capable of all-season, all-terrain exploration.

The GT-1X utilizes Mosaic’s top-of-the-line, double-butted titanium tubeset. Custom geometry and a rider-specific tubeset are included as “standard” options on GT-1X, making it a truly custom build. The GT-1X is offered in the rider’s choice of Mosaic Paint Layout or the Mosaic Factory Finish.

The GT-2X utilizes Mosaic’s simpler straight gauge titanium tubeset. The GT-2X is offered in 7 stock sizes from S-XXL, with custom geometry available as an upgrade. The GT-2X is finished in Mosaic’s standard raw finish, with available upgrade options to a Mosaic Paint Layout or the Mosaic Factory Finish.

Every GT-X adventure bike is built to order and finished in Mosaic’s Boulder, Colorado facility. Orders can be placed through a Mosaic dealer, and frames carry a 12 week lead time from the date that the details are confirmed, the order is signed off and put into the build queue.

See more at Mosaic.

Wren Sports just announced the pre-order for their new Beefcake carbon adventure fork, designed for gravel bikes. The Beefcake has a 425mm axle to crown, with ample clearance for either a 27.5 x 3″ or 29 x 2.6″ tire. Its retail is $499.99 for the base fork or $549.98 for a 12mm thru-axle conversion kit. The pre-order is open now with an end of October delivery date.

Specs:
Material: Fully hand laid, aircraft grade carbon monocoque
Fits Wheels: 27.5 x 3.0, 29 x 2.6
Axle: 15 mm thru-axle standard. Optional 12 mm thru-axle kit available
Axle Material: 7075-T6 premium alloy
Hub: 100 mm
AC: 425 mm, plenty of room to clear mud and snow
Offset: 42 mm
Steer Tube: Tapered, 266 mm long
Post Mount: 160 mm standard, can run up to 203 mm rotor with adapter
Finish: Matte black with full color Beefcake logo on crown and gloss black Wren logos on each leg.
Weight: 770 grams

See more at Wren!

I’m always amazed at the frequency and abundance of absolutely stunning bikes that come across our Readers’ Rides inbox. Case in point is Shaun‘s self-built tourer, which he’s documented wonderfully below, so let’s get to it!

Earlier this week, we showcased Cheech from Crust Bikes’ personal 24″ Romanceur build (plus more!) and just now, Crust announced their shipment of 24″ wheeled Romanceurs have hit their webshop. There’s no telling if they’ll do another run of these frames, so cruise on over to their webshop to procure one… Available in turquoise (pictured) or raw clear for $1,275.

Pelago Bicycles the makers of the popular rack and basket all in one, the Rasket, has just announced a new all-road bike dubbed the Stavanger. It’s designed for gravel riding and bike touring, with lots of cargo bosses, a large front triangle for a framebag, and yes, fenders. These bikes are designed for 650b or 700c riding and come in a legit size run (42cm up to 63cm). Check out all the details at Pelago Bicycles.

Adventure Cycling Association has a new membership campaign launching this month. Join the ACA during the month of September and we’ll enter you to win a Co-Motion Bike Americano Touring Bike with an integrated Pinion Drivetrain. A year-year individual membership runs $85 and as a member, you’re entitled to:

-Nine issues of Adventure Cyclist magazine
-Discounts on cycling products and services through our corporate supporters
-Up to 30% off Adventure Cycling bike maps, and Free Shipping on all Cyclosource orders

See more information at Adventure Cycling Association!

We love the Tumbleweed Prospector. It’s a burly, do-it-all, expedition-minded tourer. Ryan Wilson put his through the wringer in Asia for 8 months and we’ve shared a number of build galleries over the years. Right now, Tumbleweed has opened up a presale for their Prospector in either a frameset, frameset with a Rohloff, or built completes. Head to Tumbleweed Bikes to see all the details.