The Radavist

When you become a parent you start to ask the really hard questions, like what kind of amazing bike am I going to build to haul my little kiddo around?  Ben was lucky enough to snag this Rivendell Rosco Bubbe from Alex at Yellow Haus Bicycles when he was clearing out some inventory.  This may look like your average Clem Smith, but nay, this is a Rosco Bubbe experiment. This frame was designed to have a longer top tube to accommodate kid carrier as we see here.  The longer space makes room for the carrier and the rider to fit in the space between the saddle and bars.  This bike is technically Chelsea, Ben’s wife’s rig but it luckily fits them both so they can both take Marcel out for a spin.

Gateway bikes. We’ve all had one. You know, that first bike that got you hooked on riding bikes and expanded your horizon into the world of cycling. When the fixed gear craze was sweeping cities all over the world, Rawson bought this Schwinn Le Tour while he was living in Ohio. He immediately converted it to a fixed gear, stripping the bike of all the necessary components, as per the norm at the time and rode it like that for a few years before eventually buying a road bike, then a gravel bike, and a mountain bike.

Malachi’s Northside Wheelers porteur is one of the best examples of how you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a classy ride, just a little creativity and insight. It doesn’t hurt to have Danny Hale of Shifter Bikes on your side though…

This bike is very similar to Dan’s own singlespeed porteur (which was stolen last year). It’s a Taiwanese frame, painted matte black but has some sneaky detailing. A coaster brake keeps the bike’s silhouette clean, while a Shimano Nexus 3-speed hub aids in scaling Melbourne’s hills.

How the bike shifts is one of the most clever details: a Campagnolo downtube shifter is mounted to the seat stay, allowing Mal to “suicide shift” this sleek beauty. Other details include a Northside Wheelers saddle, crafted by Mick Peel of Busyman, pinstriping on the hub / rims, pink nipples, Campagnolo Strada cranks and custom painted fenders. It’s a sleeper! See for yourself in the Gallery.

Two names you can’t go wrong with in the style category of cycling is Beloved and Rapha. You’ve most likely heard of the latter but Beloved was a new name to me up until last summer, when I toured the Chris King facilities prior to my tour. Their niche is deeply tied to their slogan “Let Us Chase the Sun” and it’s only fitting that these bikes are born in the Pacific Northwest where chasing the sun is a literal activity. Marketing aside, Beloved makes timeless bicycles with details to match. Most of this bike was made in the USA and that’s a huge plus in my book.

This Rapha Every Day townie bike sits pretty in the Cycle Club SF window, so I took it outside for some lens love and SF sun (i.e. overcast)…

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