The Radavist

Five years ago, I penned a post about abstaining from alcohol for six months. Then, eighteen months later, I followed up with a two-year anniversary piece that outlined my perspective on putting down the bottle… for good.

It’s now been six years since I had any alcohol. In that time, I’ve witnessed more discussions about cycling’s alcohol problem, so I wanted to write again about this subject where I’ll offer guidance on transitioning out of alcohol dependency, non-alcoholic drinks I’ve found to be helpful, and resources you can use to help on this journey…

Curious Creatures is a mountain bike apparel brand born out of Bozeman, Montana, and is founded on the principles of empowerment, exploration, and self-expression. Firmly committed to elevating industry benchmarks, the brand resonates through its emphasis on quality, sustainability, and unadulterated individual expression. And, they have just launched their first product line—take a closer look below and read on to learn more about the brand’s commitment to inclusion in cycling.

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

In the dark hours of Sunday September 10, 2023 Lachlan Morton reached the US/Mexico border in Antelope Wells, NM at 9:24pm. According to his sponsor E.F. Education-EasyPost’s recap on Instagram, his individual time trial (ITT) on the Tour Divide Route was about pushing himself in a sustainable way and during his 12day 12hr and 21min run down the divide, he stopped to rest for 12 hours out of every 48. While it is unlikely that his ride will be counted as the official record given the presence of a media crew, it should be noted that he went nearly a day-and-a-half faster than the late-great Mike Hall (13:22:51), with neither rider going over the now-notorious Koko Claims hike-a-bike section (Lachlan being forced to reroute due to wildfires in Canada).

We like to look at the origins of cycling nomenclature occasionally, dissecting the etymology of certain nuanced terms and explaining their origins. Today, we’re looking at the term “clipless pedals.” Read on for a short but sweet rundown by John…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Underbiking World Championships is precisely what it sounds like: a mixed-terrain race on classic road bikes. Think Rough Stuff Collective meets Single Speed Worlds. Today’s Readers’ Rides comes from Barry Wicks, a legendary multi-surface master, who shares his Underbiking Worlds Raleigh Super Course…

In our current climate of cycling innovation, where maximizing gear range and number of cogs is top priority for many, singlespeeders are often left out. Teased earlier this year at Sea Otter Classic and available for sale today, Wheels Manufacturing flips the script with the SOLO-XD Single Speed Conversion Kit, which offers a reliable solution for converting both XD and XDR driver-equipped hubs to carrying a single gear. Josh recently received a SOLO-XD kit and, below, outlines the installation process and a review after riding with a “dinglespeed” setup for a couple of weeks.

We love the products Austere Manufacturing is producing in Northwest Washington state. Uriel Eisen’s clever designs have taken a critical look at items you can buy from hardware stores and injected real engineering into the design process, resulting in more robust, longer-lasting products that operate as well as they look.

We’ve been using the Cam straps for a while now on our bike tours and even in our 4×4 buildouts, but today, we’re checking out Uriel’s latest creation: a 1″ Pin Ladder Lock buckle (stainless pins $16.95 / ti pins $19.85). These are meant to replace the plastic ladder buckles found on your bags and packs that can break out in the backcountry.

John took delivery of some early production 1″ Pin Ladder Lock buckles and put them to work on his trusty Realm Crossbody Pack. Let’s check out the process below!

Best. Best. Best. All the subjectivity, all the time. The era of the NAHBS awards is long gone. No more medals given out to the same four people, year after year. Instead, we’re looking at the most subjective, most obscure, and most ridiculous to dish out a playful, in jest best list from our 2023 MADE Bike Show coverage. Read on below for the best road, best gravel, best mountain, and more…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

There’s a classic, time-honored technique to help you evenly position your drop-bar brake levers by using a ruler or straightedge. If you know, you know. But handlebars have changed, and the ruler method sometimes won’t apply. So, Travis Engel is here to share a bike hack to help keep the brake lever positions symmetrical on today’s shallow or oddly shaped gravel bars. There’s no ruler involved, but you will make use of some items you may already have in your home office.

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

While our documentation of bikes, products, and people of MADE has wrapped for this year, we have special video recap from our friends at Mythical State Of. We set Daniel and Kyle loose in the show halls in a continuation of the perpetual Search for ATB… Check it out below!

A faint kiss of cool air blows across the Southern Rockies here in Santa Fe. That means summer is almost over. This season shift has led me to reflect upon my ERC, or Every Ride Carry, that I’ve been using all summer here on MTB and gravel rides in the foothills and deep into our Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Let’s check it out below…

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

“S24O” is the ninth layout of the Radavist 2023 Calendar. It was shot with a Canon 5DMIII and a Canon 24-70 f2.8 lens in 2014 just outside of Walnut Creek, CA. Photographed by John Watson.

“We are always cranking out content over here at The Radavist but sometimes it’s nice to reflect back on our past Reportage. This photo came from a photoset from a S24O outside of Walnut Creek, CA…”

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right-click and save link as – The Radavist 2023 – September. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)

The mobile background this month is a vertical crop from the same early morning. Click here to download Augusts’s Mobile Wallpaper.

Today’s Readers’ Rides is spurred by a request John made in our Super Something Ti seatpost and stem post earlier this week. Remi built up a Sklar Super Something as a commuter and it came out… well, you’re going to have to look for yourself!