The Radavist

Speedvagen is super excited to travel south for another round of their official Speedvagen California Fitting Tour. While on the road, they will be sharing stories of steel bikes, stopping to surf along the way, and enjoying the California sunshine on some rides. First up is a stop in San Francisco at Taylor Stitch, June 22nd-25th.

‘Vagen will then head south and set up at Golden Saddle Cyclery in Los Angeles, from June 28th-30th. There will be events, bikes on display, as well as doing fittings for new Speedvagen customers at both locations. If you are in the area, stop into either location to learn everything you’d like to know about the brand, the bikes, and the people who make the wheels spin at their Portland-based shop.

Spaces are filling up fast so reach out to Info@speedvagen.com to book your fitting spot.

The poster for the tour, designed by @horizonlines is available at the screenings

Tonight’s premiere of El Silencio: Cycling the Peruvian Andes at Golden Saddle was excellent. The visuals, story, and cast of characters are as memorable as the scenery. Seeing these vignettes in video is an exceptional experience, especially after seeing so much of Ryan Wilson’s photography work from the area over the years.

Do not miss this film as it tours the West Coast of the US. Future screenings are on the way, along with an eventual web-release.

Here’s the press-release from Tumbleweed Bikes:

“Cycling the Peruvian Andes, a Jay Ritchey Film. El Silencio brings the viewer along through the highs and lows of four cyclists as they traverse the mountainous Peru Divide bikepacking route, and was filmed entirely by bike. Joining the tour are: Jay Ritchey, filmmaker; Daniel Molloy, owner of Tumbleweed Bicycle Company, and Pepper Cook, adventure cyclist. A Q&A session will be held following the film for those interested in learning more about bicycle travel, bicycle design, and more. We hope you will join us!”

Tour dates and tickets listed below:
● May 5, Ventura, CA: Ventura Bike Hub
● May 8, Oakland, CA: Luckyduck Bicycle Cafe
● May 9, Fairfax, CA: Marin Museum of Bicycling
● May 11, Portland, OR: Velo Cult
● May 15, Seattle, WA: Swift Industries @ The Rhino Room

For three years now Firefly Bicycles has worked with the Boston-area’s D2R2 ride and this year, they’re putting up a frame plus an ENVE fork to raffle…

“Firefly Bicycles is thrilled to donate a custom Titanium All-Road frameset to the D2R2 raffle. D2R2 is an unmatched ride that combines some of the best riding in the country with great organization, delicious food, drink, and a reunion of friends from all over coming together for the love of bikes and to help preserve the land on which we are so lucky have the pleasure to ride. It is our honor to partner with this extraordinary event for the third year in a row.”

See more at D2R2.

The yearly part party, part race, and all good times return this year to Quincy, California. Grinduro‘s registration opens April, 22nd, so expect to jump on quick because like last year, it’ll book up fast. Mark your calendars, save some of that paycheck and remember, all proceeds from Grinduro go to support the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship.

This video by Jay Bird Films and Tumbleweed Bikes is coming soon. If you’re in Los Angeles, you can see the feature-length at GSC. Check out the flyer below and read more about this video at Tumbleweed.

Ladies and gents, boys and girls, all are welcome to the Swift Campout and guess what? It’s never too early to plan or sign up for this increasingly popular event. Simply go to the Swift Campout site to learn more! Remember, this is open to all and takes place Saturday, June 23rd. Check out our coverage of this great event on the Related sidebar.

For those seeking a truly unique experience, half a world away, the Karoobaix is for you. Based in South Africa, this dirt road race requires a grueling effort, yet is rewarded with a beautiful environment and welcoming community. You can check out my coverage from last year’s event in the Related sidebar to the left, register for the event at Karoobaix.com and find out more details below…

There’s nothing better than an injection of humor into a very hard ride. That’s what Salsa aims to do with their Chase The Chaise campaign. Head on over to read all about it!

This Sunday, wake up early and come spin with Argonaut Cycles and Golden Saddle Cyclery. The ride is leaving from Intelligentsia on Sunset Ave and be prepared for a 50-ish mile jaunt.

Eroica California‘s course is one of the most beautiful I’ve ridden and now you can experience the winding dirt roads on a modern bike, in a competitive yet fun event dubbed Eroica Nova. This race begins separately from the Eroica ride and is limited to 200 starting places. Head to Eroica Nova to register now.

Don’t miss this exclusive chance: NOVA Eroica is limited to 200 start place. Register now

Los Angeles has some epic trails due to the epic MTB history. This Saturday, Mount Wilson Bicycling Association looks at the history of LA mountain biking at Mission Workshop’s DTLA store. Roll through for photos, libations and good times.

Photos by Jarrod Bunk

Yep. We’re going to Land Run 100 this year to hang with the team at District Bicycles, document the ride, the bikes and the people of the event and of course, to just hang out. We’d like to encourage anyone who’s on the fence about coming out to do so. As for my personal bike, I’ll be posting about my setup in the next week or so, with thoughts about how to deal with mud, the weather and camera gear. Expect more shortly and if you haven’t ever heard of Land Run, check out Jarrod’s documentation on the related sidebar to the left.

Velo Cult is hosting Velo Cirque today at their shop in Portland. The fun begins at 3pm and goes until 8pm, today! Head to Velo Cult to be a part of the fun. This is a free event.

After the last trail work day on the Gabrielino Trail, I received texts, emails, messages and carrier pigeon notes asking when and how various people can learn about these work days. Well, here ya go. This Sunday, in Los Angeles, Mission Workshop and MWBA are kickin’ more ass on the Gabrielino Trail. Check out details at MWBA’s FB. We’ll see you there!

On March 10th and the 11th, Argonaut Cycles will be holding their test launch event in Los Angeles. The exact location of the event will be announced via email to those who register.

So what is a Test Flight?

“A Test Flight is where you can test out an Argonaut and find out first hand what ride quality really means. Each bike is equipped with Dura-Ace Di2 Hydro components and ENVE 3.4 / Chris King disc wheels. Take a spin, then schedule a fitting and get your bike in our build queue. When you register for a test flight we’ll have a bike waiting for you with the fit adjusted to your measurements. Take a 45 – 60 minute ride around a predetermined route, then take some time to talk one on one about the ride, and how we can make one tailored for you.

Registration will close at 12pm on February 26th. To ensure everyone is able to ride the size and configuration they need, fill out the form online and we’ll email you with the time of your test ride. Test Flights will be on Saturday March 10th, with a group ride and fittings on Sunday March 11th.”

Best of all, this is FREE! Register at Argonaut Cycles.