The Radavist

This weekend’s events mark a change. A shift in the political environment and one we cannot ignore, or stand by, complicit. I know this is a cycling website but it is important to take a stand here because the world can’t always be a beautifully winding road. The trees can’t always be green and healthy. The path can’t always be clear. One thing that is for certain is we need to listen to the people of this planet with compassion. Listening through the chaos, through the fires, through the destruction is the only way we will heal as a society. That’s what this is, a society, and all people deserve equal rights.

Sometimes the trees have to burn to save the forest.

Always listen to the oppressed.

We’re standing with each and every one of you.

#blacklivesmatter

Photo by Bob Croslin

Anyone that has met Leo Rodgers knows his gravity. The guy is a beacon of fun energy! Bicycling recently gave Leo some love and it’s an amazing article everyone should check out!

“It feels at this point both necessary and a bit superfluous to mention that Leo Rodgers is a tall black man with long hair and one leg. There is no pedal or crank-arm on the left side of his All-City bike; his left pant leg is neatly knotted a few inches below the hip. Rodgers, 35, lost his leg 13 years ago, the result of the sort of motorcycle crash in which you are lucky if it merely changes your life.”

Don’t miss this article by Peter Flax over at Bicycling!

One of our favorite personalities in the cycling industry has a space on one of our favorite brand’s blogs! Sarah Sturm has a great little read up about the pandemic and what riding means to her. Be sure to check this one out and if you missed it, our Highway 50 Nevada MTB trip features some excellent shots of Sarah ripping that Nevada dust as well!

“We have in front of us a chunk of time. We have a global pause. There are no races, there are no events, there are no parties or gatherings or high fives. We have busy minds and bored bodies and there isn’t an exact day that we can mark on our planners when “this will all be over”. Nope. The only thing that is certain is uncertainty. And we’re getting sick of seeing that phrase plastered all over the media. Yes, we know, things are uncertain right now and saying it over and over doesn’t seem to help.”

Continue reading this piece at Tenspeed Hero!

It’s been a crazy year and while staying home has led to some very productive days, we’ve been pretty burnt out so this weekend we’re taking off time from the computer. We’d not only like to acknowledge people in the military who have lost their lives but also to thank the first responders during this pandemic, many of who have also lost their lives. Be safe out there, everyone! We’ll see ya back tomorrow with some great content!

I hope making this post alleviates some of our online sales emails but we’ve been receiving a lot from customers of our webshop, complaining that shipping is taking too long. We’re currently dealing with a pandemic, unlike anything our modern world has coped with before. Currently, the USPS is experiencing extensive delays in international orders. Why? Because there are very few passenger flights leaving the USA these days. Unfortunately, this is beyond our control, so I hope everyone can be patient. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Domestic shipping is also delayed. It can take up to two weeks to travel across the US.

For what it’s worth, I have ordered items from Canada and Australia using their postal systems that are over two months late in delivery. We’re all in the same boat.

Thanks for your patience.

Thereabouts – Gus and Lachlan Morton – recently interviewed Sarah Swallow, one of the founding members of the WTF Bikexplorers and organizer of the Ruta del Jefe in Arizona, about life and the pursuit of all things rad. Check it out here and head to Thereabouts for their excellent write up about Sarah!

We’ve been working on some site improvements during the pandemic and have rolled out the first major update to the UX of the Radavist. While Disqus has a “related content” feature built-in, Grant worked on a more intelligent version, giving you six related articles. Now when we post about Black Cat’s new gravel bike, you can find our Shop Visit to their workshop below in the Related Articles. Same with our Grinduro post today. Wanna see some coverage from past events? Check out the Related Articles.

We’re still ticking off items on our list and when we implement design improvements, we’ll make an announcement here. Thank you for your patience! :-)

All photos by Josh Weinberg

Our friends at Four Corners Guides and our buddy Chris Reichel gave us a heads up on this one.

The Navajo people are suffering terribly from the coronavirus and Four Corners is looking to raise $2,500 to send funding specifically to our pal Jon Yazzie – our host in our this trip – and his chapter in Kayenta, so that food and water can be purchased and delivered to Navajo elders and others in need.

You can donate directly to the Kayenta chapter if you like visiting the Kayenta Township OR, please consider donating $5, $10 or $20 on this GoFundMe page.

On the fence about this fundraiser, well, consider these data points:
-62% of Navajos live in poverty
-40% don’t have running water, with many of those unable to even afford containers to hold water. Think about that? How would you feel if you couldn’t wash your hands 10 times per day, as many of us are used to?
-Around 30% live without basic sanitation
-According to the LA Times, there are about 175K residents and only four inpatient hospitals.
-Furthermore, there’s a lack of grocery stores. Where once Navajo elders would drive to bigger cities for shopping, they are now stuck at home.

Thanks for joining me in supporting our friends!

This is the fifth layout of the Radavist 2020 Calendar, entitled “Castilleja” shot with a Sony A7ii and a 24-70 lens in Downieville, California.

“For May this year, we dove into Jason Fitzgibbon’s Downieville bikepacking story and picked two favorites from his recent gallery here on the Radavist. See Jason and Colton’s full gallery here.”

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right-click and save link as – The Radavist 2020 – May. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)

The mobile background this month is also one of Jason’s, featuring the Sierra Buttes. Click here to download May’s Mobile Wallpaper.

This news comes as a huge bummer but I guess it’s expected at this point. Read the Sierra Buttes‘ press release below…

These are the four deadliest states for cyclists in the US. But what is causing this increase in bicycle-on-auto deaths? Outside Magazine takes a deep dive into figuring out why. It’s a great, albeit depressing read, but knowledge is power.

Read the comments here enough and any time we post a new bike from a brand, someone will complain that the largest size won’t fit them. It sucks. Being really tall, and being really short for that matter means it’s hard to find a bike that will fit you. As such, those two polarizing ends of the spectrum are a real challenge for framebuilders. Lyle Wiens is a relatively new builder. He calls himself a “hobby builder”, who is based in Manitoba, Canada. He’s built about 30 frames and he got into it because he couldn’t find a bike that fit him properly at 6’8″ and 235 lbs… Sound familiar? Check out this super rad Readers’ Rides below!

It’s not just cycling but all industries have canceled or postponed their trade shows this year. REVEAL is a solution during a time of need, and you can join in! ECHOS is hosting two-panel discussions, one for the Outdoor industry as a whole happening today from 12-1 PST. You can watch that directly on the Sierra Nevada You Tube Channel

Tomorrow the Cycling panel takes place and will be live-streamed right here on The Radavist from 12-1, so stay tuned!

To learn more, head over the REVEAL site and be sure to tune in here tomorrow at noon for the cycling industry panel! All are welcome to join us for these conversations around how the collective industries and communities who thrive on the outdoors are being impacted by the coronavirus, the surge in outdoor activities, and perspectives on what may be ahead for us all beyond our front door in the days and months to come.

Links for the discussions! Don’t miss tomorrow’s Cycling featurette!
OUTDOOR – https://youtu.be/9vJISidiVRQ
CYCLING – https://youtu.be/Br8s-d4KuuA

One thing the pandemic has brought about is creativity! People are using their technology to work through the shelter in place rules and one project we’re stoked to share is the W Talks, a project by Sami Sauri and Sarah Sturmy. Join both of these ladies on Instagram Live today at 1pm MDT / 9pm CEST for fun talks about within and for the community of women cyclists. Tune in at their IG accounts!