The Radavist

As cyclists, do we impact the environment? Should this cause pause while we’re riding damp or blown out trails?

“Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC) is proud to introduce the Mountain Biking Impact Review, which is the product of a year of comprehensive research by MBOSC’s Science Committee.

This Mountain Biking Impact Review poses questions that we believe are the most frequently asked concerning the social and environmental impacts of mountain biking and trail construction. The answers to these questions were created based on a comprehensive literature search on the relationships of trails and recreational trail users (specifically mountain bikes, but also other user groups) and natural resources within the following topics: Hydrology & Geology, Plants & Wildlife, and Social Issues. The questions provide constructive discussion topics as we work together to advocate for improved trail access.”

Head to MBOSC for the full report.

Steve Fassbinder and Rebecca Rusch are stewards of the outdoors and last year, they worked on a project for Outside Magazine to document the threat for our public lands. Watch part one at Outside.

We wrapped up our four-day ride with Machines for Freedom and it has been an incredible journey. We’re traveling back to Los Angeles today from Green River and over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing this story. Right now, I wanted to thank Machines for Freedom and the riders for this opportunity. Head over to our Instagram for more teasers…

Have you ever found yourself cruising Instagram late at night wondering, lusting after someone’s bike build, and wondering… “what tires?” Well, you’re not alone. We all do it.

And lucky for us, the folks behind WhatBars.com have now put together What Tires? The Bicycle Tire Database. Since launching WhatBars.com, they’ve had a lot of requests for a similar resource for tires, and couldn’t help but give the people what they wanted.

Sim Works and Crust Bikes jumped on board to help support the project, and here we are. The database is still being built out, but you’ll find tires from Sim Works, Rene Herse, and WTB up on the site. Head over to What Tires to compare and keep the rubber side up!

This weekend, we’re going to be taking on a ride I’ve wanted to document for some time with a badass group of ladies for Machines for Freedom. We’ll be updating our Instagram accounts along the way and as always, a big gallery will follow shortly. In the interim, give Machines for Freedom a follow on Instagram and if you don’t follow the Radavist on Instagram.

NAHBS is coming this weekend and with it quickly approaching, I cannot deny the anxiety that comes with it. For me, it’s an insane amount of work and stress. In recent years, I leave the tradeshow feeling underwhelmed in terms of the benefits for hosting such an in-depth look at the framebuilder showcase. I truly believe we provide the best NAHBS coverage. Period. If we do one thing right on the site, it’s covering NAHBS. That said, with so many media venues covering the show now, with Instagram, and our good friend Brad shooting studio photos of the bikes, free to other outlets to use (many of which aren’t even in attendance), we have lost a huge chunk of the “market share” in terms of traffic from the showcase. Previously, it was worth it, but after last year’s effect on my body, I can’t help but question if it’s worth it. Plus, I’m never free to enjoy the company of friends and to meet new people…

Not wanting to disappoint the readers, or the builders for that matter, I wanted to ping the audience and see how you felt about NAHBS coverage. I’m proposing something a bit different. A bit less overwhelming in terms of the content produced and the physical exertion required. A lot of what goes into the selection of bikes comes from my own personal taste, or what I would think the readers would respond to. NAHBS is a showcase of very expensive bikes and that in its own can be very alienating, so while I do focus on some of the more balleur endeavors, I always have my eyes peeled for more practical, less financially polarizing builds. Still, at the end of the coverage, the website is overrun with high-end bikes. With the infinite scroll format, it’s very inundating and personally, depicts cycling as a rich man’s sport.

What I’m wondering is would one massive gallery featuring a drive side shot and a few details do the trick? Or a series of small gallery groupings – i.e. best mountain bikes, favorite drop bar builds, kookiest creations, etc – satisfy the coverage for this readership? Or should I just bite the bullet and keep doing it the same way? Please either comment below or vote using a simple HTML embed below. Thank you!

In huge news, two Portland powerhouses have joined forces under one roof. Sugar Wheel Works and Breadwinner Cycles will now occupy the Breadwinner Cycles space. Check out the whole press-release below and if you haven’t seen our Shop Visit to both shops, check them out in the Related Sidebar column.

Dropping In: Medicare for All, Adventuring, and You
Words by Kyle von Hoetzendorff

If you’re alive then at some point you’ve had a health issue; hangnails to broken bones, common colds to genetic disorders. Being alive means being at the mercy of injury and sickness, precarity is part of the human experience. The degree to which each one of us has to address health in a very large part comes down to luck; genetic, location, etc. It would be one thing we choose to live in a padded room with platinum-level HEPA filters and a well-curated mix of cultural sensory input to prevent the self-inflicted harm that would surely stalk anyone forced to live in a padded cell their entire life. But then that’s the point, most of us don’t want to live in hypo-precarity.

Never one to deny myself a good chuckle on Instagram, I’ve recently found the account of @Gravel_Tryhard where the self-proclaimed “Lady Bicycle Prankster” mocks classic examples of women, mostly models, used to market bicycles. As you can imagine, her material is endless and so far, it’s ceased to amaze me at how far she’ll go to get a good laugh. See for yourself on Instagram.

The WTF Bikexplorers have pulled together SJ Brooks Bikexplorers Scholarships for this year’s Summit. Here are the details:

We would like to recognize the WTF community & our allies who donated to the SJ Brooks Bikexplorers Scholarship last year. Thanks to these generous donations we are able to fund five individual scholarships to attend the 2019 WTF Bikexplorers Summit.

We recognize that living the bike life isn’t as free and easy as the internet makes it seem. In an effort to make the Summit as diverse as the world we live we’re offering scholarships for FIVE folks who identify as women, trans, femme, and/or non-binary to attend this year’s summit.

Apply at WTF Bikexplorers!

This is the third layout of the Radavist 2019 Calendar, entitled “Mt Holmes” shot with a Canon 5D and a 24-70mm lens in Ticaboo, Utah.

“Scouting missions are usually long days, filled with overwhelming landscapes, and breathtaking views, but on our latest field outing, we didn’t expect this…”

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right click and save link as – The Radavist 2019 Calendar – March. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)

The mobile background this month is the same shot, but in portrait. Click here to download March’s Mobile Wallpaper.

Grinduro is a real treat. It’s one of my favorite events of the year. With its unique party to race format, it quickly caught the attention of cyclists worldwide, resulting in demand for more. This prompted the organizers to reach out to like-minded individuals to expand the franchise to not only Scotland, but now Canada and Japan!

Read the full press release below!

Our friends at the WTF Bikexplorers are holding a fundraiser to help kick off their 2019:

“WTF Bikexplorers is building a movement for more gender inclusivity within bicycle adventure travel by facilitating spaces to connect and grow our community. We are 100% Women, Transgender, Femme, Non-Binary and Genderqueer gravel grinders, mountain bikers, bikepackers, day-ride explorers, long-distance road riders, bicycle tourers, backpackers converting to bikepacking, and individuals looking to incorporate camping with biking.

If our mission is the future you also want to see it realized, we invite you to please consider making a donation. The WTF Bikexplorers are grateful for whatever level of support you can offer  – no donation is too small to make a difference! For donations of $500 or greater, we will include your business name, link on our website, and a shout out on social media (Instagram and Facebook). You will also receive a “We Support WTF Bikexplorers” decal for your business.”

Donations are kindly requested by April 1st.

Here is a link to their donation page

e-Bike hate is all the rage these days, yet pry open the myopic, short-sightedness of those scoffing at e-anything and look at Surly’s new Big Easy as a literal definition of what it is. In short, cargo made as easy as possible. Somewhere us Americans got it wrong, the bicycle that is. We look at them as instruments of pain, of punishment, of fitness, of sport. Oftentimes, the clamoring horde fails to look to the rest of the world’s reliance on two-wheel transport, over our enamorment with four-wheel. Our cars are easy. Bikes are meant to be painful and e-assist is cheating. You have to work for whatever it is you’re pedaling for. This is why I believe people hate e-bikes on their city streets.

After spending New Years in Tucson, I had to come back for more before the season kicks up and I find myself on the road throughout the spring and summer months. It did not disappoint. From the Super Stoke Weekend, to the Ruta Del Jefe, and much, much, more. I got my fill of the Sonoran desert, those mighty Saguaros, and all the delicious food. Expect more coverage to come in the next few weeks!