It’s the last Friday of the year, and that means it’s time for our annual Top Ten Readers’ Rides list! Started in 2011, Readers’ Rides showcases the unique bikes owned by the readership of The Radavist. Like our Top Ten Bike Reviews list we posted yesterday, we compiled data from views and comments to distill down ten prime examples. This year’s list has some wild ones, so let’s get to it!
10: Alexander’s 1987 Schwinn Cimarron Drop Bar MTB
The 1980s brought about many classic models, and the Schwinn Cimarron is one of them. Kicking it off at number ten is Alexander’s 1987 Cimarron, which he converted into a drop bar MTB, inspired by early mountain bike pioneers like Potts, Cunningham, Ibis, and later, the Bridgestone MB-1. Like many mountain bikes of the era, the Cimarron came with front and rear rack mounts for bike camping and touring. Alexander made great use of those mounts, turning this bike into a timeless commuter.
09: Reese’s Repaired Omnium Mini-Max Rides On
Steel is real. It can be welded and brazed back into existence after damage. Nothing is more wholesome than seeing someone use a bicycle for every daily task and errand life throws at them. From grocery shopping and daily commutes to camping weekenders, pup hauler, and acting as a rolling supply truck, Reese Butler uses his beloved Omnium Mini-Max to its fullest potential around the streets of Paris. And it keeps rolling with an integral repair after getting hit by a car while parked…
08: Harrison’s 90s Diamondback Racing Drop Bar Conversion Bike with Y-Bike Guitars
Harrison was working as a mechanic at a local Trek dealer, Outspokin’ Bicycles, and it was one of those slow, rainy Saturdays. A coworker and he had been tasked with cleaning out the back room of the shop. As a Trek dealer, the shop had seen a Y-bike warranty claim or two, and one of those frames was in the storeroom awaiting whatever creative destruction we could derive: it deserved better than the dumpster. Harrison had just the solution: turn it into a guitar!
07: Luke’s Soma Wolverine
The SOMA Wolverine is an affordable all-rounder that can be built in a number of different ways. We’ve documented dozens of these builds over the years and they always pull at our heartstrings, as well as the readerships’. It’s not a Top Ten Readers’ Rides without a SOMA Wolverine build and this year, Luke, a longtime follower and commenter of The Radavist, shared with us his stunning build.
06: Julien’s Bike Friday All-Packa
Mini Velos have made a big splash this year and they’re not going away anytime soon. With the Brompton G Line landing at the top of of our Review Bikes list, we knew we’d see Julien‘s Bike Friday All-Packa somewhere in this list. These bikes are folding works of art and many owners love to take them on overnighters and bike tours. Julien’s superb documentation left a lasting impact within our Readers’ Rides category.
05: Chris’ RockHopper aka the CrockChopper
It wouldn’t be a Top Ten Readers’ Rides list without a Specialized RockHopper. Arguably one of the most readily-available vintage mountain bikes on the market, people have been tricking out these 26″ wheeled steel chassis machines for decades. Chris took it up a notch, finding an aftermarket disc fork that had the same geometry as the original and then coating both the frame and fork in Prismatic Illusion Dorado powdercoat.
04: Zeke’s Gemini World Randonneur
As a part of our Off-Course MADE Bike Show Australia showcase and later submitted as a Readers’ Rides, Zeke’s Gemini World Randonneur is a beautiful restomod, using heaps of Velo Orange components. Zeke went on to modify the frame into a perfect example of a randonneuring bike, dialing in details often overlooked even at the world’s top bicycle showcases. The rammed earth wall made for a perfect backdrop to this frame’s stunning finishwork.
03: Fergus’ Bishop Randonneuring Bike
Ex-bike messenger turned Ritchey USA marketing manager Fergus Tanaka first met Chris Bishop in San Francisco in 2005 when they were both working messengers. Over the years, Chris and Fergus maintained contact, and then in 2019, he ordered this bike, a modern randonneuring frame designed to take on brevets. This bike would later inform the Ritchey Montebello, another favorite among our readership.
02: Chris King’s Own Cinelli Supercorsa
It’s not every day that the most famous name in headsets submits their personal bike. Much less a period correct Cinelli Supercorsa. Chris King has owned this since the mid-’70s and rode it for 20 years straight, including a bike tour from Seattle to Santa Barbara. It features an early Chris King headset using salvaged grade 9 modified bearings and yeah, it’s got some beausage!
01: Andy’s Drop Bar Karate Monkey
Surly makes killer steel platforms upon which memories are forged. The Karate Monkey is one such chassis. These rough-and-tumble steel tourers are ready to go straight out of the box. Sometimes, it takes really pushing a bike to unlock its potential. This was the case for Andy White of FYXO on a recent bush bash down in Australia aboard his trusty Karate Monkey. Andy converted it to a drop bar bike and shared some thoughts on both the bike and this conversion in a Readers’ Rides that really resonated!
Well, let us know if your favorite Readers’ Rides submission didn’t make the list! Thanks to everyone who submitted a bike for Readers’ Rides this year!
