The Radavist

While I don’t plan to be “twistin my body from side 2 side” anytime soon on my road bike, it’s comforting to know that like technology, cycling safety design is progressing at a – pardon the analogy here – breakneck speed. I’ll be honest, I don’t often do helmet reviews but I’ll admit I was really upset when Giro canceled the Atmos helmet. As a guy with a large dome, the Atmos fit me quite well, didn’t look obtuse, and felt great, even after long, hot days in the mountains. Later, Giro launched the Synthe, which I liked enough to make a Radavist edition, which I still stand firmly behind. So I’ll be honest with 100% transparency here. I really didn’t feel the need to talk about Giro’s new Aether MIPS when it launched today but upon my second ride in the helmet this morning, I was sold on both the comfort and the safety features of this revolutionary design…

It’s happened more often than not; finding a bar that I really love but perhaps it comes in just shy of my preferred overall width. On a MTB bar that margin is in actuality quite small. Earlier this year, I came across the Control Tech Terminator bar extender plugs. They’re a simple design, with an expanding clamp that inserts into your favorite MTB bar and tightens down, adding 2cm to either end of the bar, and 40mm in overall width. Using simple math, that takes a bar that is 760mm to 800mm. Or in the case of my Hunter rigid 29’r with 710mm wide Nitto Bullmoose bars – which always felt a little narrow for my broad shoulders – into more comfortable 750mm overall. They come in two clamp sizes; 22.2mm and 23.8mm. They’re a little product with a big impact and at around $20 for a set, won’t dent your wallet. The only bad news is it appears they’ve been discontinued, so your shop will have a hard time tracking them down, but luckily, they can still be found online and on eBay…

Civic’s merino boxers piqued my interest when they first launched.

Over the past few years, I’ve been on a quest for the perfect merino boxer short and before you cite that as ridiculous, hear me out. Back in 2014, during our Oregon Outback tour, I developed severe chaffing from my bib shorts during the first 20 miles of the event and was worried. I had over 350 miles to go on this challenging course and could barely walk. The worst of it was I only packed one pair of merino boxers to wear at camp. Having no other option, I ditched the bibs and put on the boxers under my shorts, along with some Neosporin and that became my kit for the day. Again, apologies for the details here. The next morning I felt great and continued to wear boxers, in lieu of bibs up until this day. Unless I’m on a road ride, on a road bike, I haven’t worn bibs since.

When you need all the water you can haul, products like the Widefoot LiterCage really come in handy. These steel bottle cages utilize the same mounting hole pattern as an “Anything” mount or traditional bottle cage boss spacing and are designed to carry larger bottles like Nalgene’s products in a unique 5-hole bolt pattern. Their sturdy construction (each cage weighs 168g) will hold a bottle in place inside the front triangle of your bike, while fork-mounted, or a third location like under your downtube greatly benefits from the use of a Voile ski strap, especially when using the 1.5 liter Nalgene bottles, especially when the going gets rough.

I’ve been using Nalgene bottles of various sizes with the LiterCage, mostly in the desert over the past few months, but have migrated this platform onto my bikes when bigger day rides require maximum water carrying capacity. For me, it’s nice having the bulk of the water weight as low as possible on the bike and off my back, where I usually carry my camera. Transferring the weight to under the downtube, or on the fork blades makes for a more stable riding experience.

The LiterCage is made in Nebraska, comes in two finishes; silver and black, and are in stock now at Widefoot Design, as well as select retailers. If you want your shop to carry Widefoot, ask them politely!

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

Photos and words by Morgan Taylor

Double drivetrains may currently be out of vogue for off-pavement riding, but I think they really do have a place on today’s gravel and adventure bikes. While the chainring combinations in Easton’s Gravel Shifting Rings introduced today aren’t a new idea by any means, they make a lot of sense with the way people are using their bikes these days.

Bicycles. They’re a work in progress, especially ones that are derivative of a particular activity which in itself is evolving. Take bikepacking and touring for example. It seems just about every month, a company makes a new product which therein makes the act of touring eaiser or at least more enjoyable. When I first began talks with Kris Henry of 44 Bikes for this rigid mountain tourer, which I’ve come to call my “Ute” – an Aussie term, short for a utility vehicle – I had a vision for what touring meant and means to me. Leaving pavement and accessing trail, both in double and single track variety, means a fully loaded bike needs to be stable, comfortable and still maneuverable. Since this bikes inception, I’ve been sold on the Jones Bar, mostly due to the amazing leverage, riding position and varying riding positions. The thing, however, that didn’t work so well for me was the very thing that makes the Jones so unique: the hoop design and lack of rise. Also, the Jones bar has proven to be problematic with bikepacking and touring bags, which was slightly evident on my Death Valley tour. That Fabio’s Chest wanted to sag a bit too much with that setup.

Check out more below.

This summer, and fall and even a few weeks of winter, all I wore were my Bedrock Sandals. On and off-the-bike, even. They are the lightest, most comfortable and most MUSA sandals I’ve ever owned, so when I heard they got even better, I wanted to share the news.

The new Cairns feature a new footbed, new hardware, and refined fit. For cycle touring, or everyday use, I recommend the Cairn 3D. For wet and wild conditions, check out the Cairn Pro and for ultralight the Classics are for you.

Bedrock makes these in California and I just love everything they do. You can read all about the updates at the Bedrock Blog.

With NAHBS approaching – this weekend! – one of my favorite features to photograph are the unique touches that make the bikes of the show, show bikes. While not everyone can afford a crazy titanium fatbike with bends for days, or a carbon road bike that weighs only 12 lbs, that doesn’t mean we can’t accessorize our bikes to look like a balleur show bike.

Leh Cycling Goods is a leathersmith, based in Texas, that makes custom saddles, bar tape, and other cycling accessories, but what makes Leh different from the others is his ready-made stock, including leather-clad saddles! I’ve been using two of Leh’s products on my Speedvagen OD OG-1 and they really bring this bike’s whole package up a few notches… Check out more below.

Photos and words by Morgan Taylor

OneUp Components‘ EDC Tool System made waves when it launched due to its sleek installation inside mountain bike steerer tubes. Pull your star nut out, tap your fork steerer, install OneUp’s hollow top cap, and the tool system slides in from the top: always there, always ready. If you only ride one bike.

It’s a cool idea, but I switch between a number of bikes, most of which have steel forks, and the EDC system wasn’t going to work with any of those. And I always need a pump anyway. Well, it just so happens OneUp also makes a pump that the tool fits into. So we’re looking at both of those here. 

When it comes to photographing bikes, I’ll always opt for dirty over clean, but some things are just too damn good to wait for that all-so-familiar Southern California gold dirt to cake itself inside every crevice. Case in point: Industry Nine’s new i9.35 Disc road wheels. Previously, we’ve looked at their AR25 disc road wheels, which are still some of the best disc wheels I’ve ridden*. However, if you’re looking to shave a little bit of weight, add the durability of carbon rims, and better aerodynamics, then the i9.35 wheels are another great option in the marketplace. Let’s take a look at them in detail below.

Be it for randonneuring, bikepacking, touring, commuting or cyclophotography, the handlebar bag can be either a nuisance or a godsend, depending on your equipment. While rack-less bag designs are convenient, they can often times flop and jostle all over, really ruining your otherwise pleasant and quiet ride. I’ve found when you put a heavy camera in one of these bags, getting it to stay put is quite the hassle. While a full-on touring, porteur or randonneuring rack can assist in this issue, sometimes they’re overkill and heavy. In my experience, all it takes is a simple bracket to hold the bag in place to really enhance your ride. The problem is, who makes such a product?

We’ve seen quite a few bracket designs for saddle packs, but what about handlebar packs? I’ve yet to find a good, reliable design. That is until I found the Tim Ras + Rek Ahead Steerer Rack.