Read on for The Radavist’s Top Ten Articles of 2024, ranked in ascending order and based on views. We’re more than just Beautiful Bicycles over here; year after year, the articles that our authors publish draw the biggest crowds. From our Dust-Up op-eds to the first look at brands’ future showcases, clever hacks, and new this year, our Radavist Documentary brought in the page views. As we look back across twelve months of content, ten articles in particular stand out.
10: Gas Station Fueling Tips: When Cycling Nutrition Goes Rogue
Even if you’ve never given the phrase “carbs per hour” a second thought (or a first), Hailey Moore would bet that all cyclists have a shared performance goal: we want to feel good while riding. And while performance-focused sports nutrition brands like Skratch Labs have largely catered to the carb-counting crowds, the science of nutrition underpinning their products can still be applied outside of the controlled confines of racing—to bikepacking, randonneuring and other unsupported adventure riding—when nutrition goes rogue. Hailey sat down with Skratch Labs dietitian, Colette Vartanian, to talk about gas-station fueling strategies, the magic of chocolate milk and if drinking ‘Trash Juice’ is actually ok. Read on for an unconventional conversation about cycling nutrition.
09: LeBron James and Canyon Are Making More Than Just a Bike Commercial
Travis Engel looked at how LeBron James being featured in a Canyon Bicycles commercial has larger cultural implications: For lifers like us, it’s always kind of exciting when a celebrity is spotted riding a bike. And it’s an even more exciting when it’s a nice bike. Whose heart didn’t swell when they saw that photo of Conan O’Brien on his Serotta? Unfortunately, for every Conan O’Brien podcast with a Dutch frame builder, or David Byrne book about urban cycle touring, there are a dozen Simon Cowell injuries on overpowered e-bikes. Especially in the U.S., we all too rarely see the people who drive mainstream culture putting bikes in a positive light. That’s why Canyon’s partnership with LeBron James is such a big deal.
08: Old Man Yells at 27.2 Seatposts
As mountain bikes cross breed with gravel bikes, it’s odd to see what traits remain. Non-boost spacing gets a pass but 27.2 seat posts? Why? In this Dust-Up, Travis claims 27.2 mm seatposts are symptoms of the gravel industry’s refusal to evolve. Turns out there’s more to it, but he’s still upset.
07: A Look at the Crust Bikes Australia Wheelhouse
John and Cari were in Australia in July, and since they were on the same continent as Matt and Cheech from Crust Bikes, they had to visit them at their home in New South Wales. While there, John documented a selection of bikes from their shed, including some prototypes and soon-to-be-released future cult classics.
06: (Most) All Bicycles Are Handmade
This post resulted in a number of phone calls for John. And that’s always a good thing. It was this Dust-Up opinion column where John brought up a controversial point about the disconnect between the “handmade” language surrounding bicycle framebuilder showcases and Asian-produced bicycle frames. Hold onto your butts for this one!
05: I Will Never* Buy Another Bike That Isn’t SRAM Transmission Compatible
After spending a year going back and forth between bikes with and without SRAM Transmission, Travis came to a realization. In today’s Dust-Up, he writes about why Transmission compatibility will be mandatory on his next bike purchase, why that worries him, and why he needed that asterisk.
04: Camera Corner: Wende Cragg Documents the Birth of Mountain Biking
Photographer Wende Cragg has been a pillar of the cycling community since she began documenting road, cyclocross, and the early days of mountain biking in Marin County, California, and throughout the United States over 50 years ago. We are delighted to launch the trailer for our first feature-length documentary film, Camera Corner: Wende Cragg Documents the Birth of Mountain Biking. It profiles Wende’s work and its lasting impact on the cycling industry.
03: If There Is a Gravel Heaven, All-City Cycles Is There
We lost a good brand last year. All-City Cycles’ parent company, Quality Bicycle Products, announced they’d be closing down the brand in 2024. After a heartfelt outpouring here on The Radavist, John penned an homage to the brand vis-à-vis some abstract photos of the All-City Cycles Cosmic Stallion Titanium and includes a note from Saisha Harris, All-City’s creative director, and final closing thoughts by Jeff Frane, the brand’s founder.
02: 2024 Ritchey Catalog Preview
While on the road to Sea Otter, John swung through the Ritchey HQ in the South Bay and got to check out some new models that are coming out a bit early. Check out a sneak peek of the all-new Montebello randonneuring bike, the redesigned Outback, and P29er, along with the Superlogic Butano Ridge integrated handlebars within this sneak peek!
01: Tips for Cyclists With Small Homes and No Garage
When you have too many bikes and too little space, simply living your life feels like one big bike hack. It’s something Travis knows all too well, juggling multiple cycling disciplines, piles of gear, and a smattering of trail-work tools. With the help of a very forgiving spouse, he fits it all in (and around) a rental unit that’s about the size of a two-car garage. Oh, and he doesn’t have a garage.
Let us know what articles stood out to you the most in the comments, or perhaps what you’d like to see more of in 2025.
