The Radavist

Today I swung through to see Ian at Icarus about a few things. One of which was to photograph a new frame that just returned from Fresh Frame, his painter. This frame in particular is headed over to Germany tomorrow and it’s stunning. The client wanted a blue and white track frame, inspired by Jeremy’s Classic Track. The subtle pearl coat’s blue reflection really pops in the sunlight and I can’t wait to see how this beauty builds up. Until Ian and I can figure out a way to display these frames, I just asked to hold it in front of his new shop. It’s gonna be a busy winter for Icarus.

This afternoon, Rapha is throwing a happy hour to celebrate their new display at Mellow Johnny’s here in Austin. Come see their product line up, from City Riding to Pro bibs and jerseys.

Time: 6-7pm
Location: Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop
Address: 400 Nueces St. Austin, TX 78701

If you can’t make it out, I shot some photos of the display today. Click on the above photo to launch the gallery, or here to open in a new tab.

Nate Meschke and Matt Cardinal began Signal Cycles in 2007 and in that time, they’ve produced some absolutely beautiful bicycles. Not just commuters either. Recently, Matt’s Cross Bike made an appearance here and their Saltzman Road frames are lovely. Bottom line, if you’ve spent any time looking at Pacific Northwest builders, Signal has crossed your radar a few times. Matt was kind enough to meet with me on his day off, and let me shoot some photos in their space. Check out more below!

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Earlier this year, I posted about Tanner Goods in my NAHBS coverage. They introduced their bicycle portage line in the Ira Ryan booth and it took me a few minutes to realize it was the same Tanner that made my belt and wallet I have been wearing for about a year now. Tanner’s leather products are hand made in Portland, in a small studio off Broadway.

Much like Danner Boots, Tanner assembles each of their products from treated hides in house. After a quick shop tour, I documented one of their sunglasses cases being made. Before I left, I picked up a camera strap for my 5D and if it’s anything like their belts and wallets, it’ll be a worthy investment.

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Velo Cult is easily one of my favorite shops in the States and their recent move to Portland from San Diego was far from easy on the guys but it’s been worth it. Their massive, sprawling storefront has a bar, a huge basement with a movie theater and one of the classiest mechanics area I’ve ever seen.

When they made the move, Sky and Anthony were literally selling bikes to build millwork. It’s been a slow process but the community is embracing these SoCal natives. If you’re in the Portland area, swing through, grab a beer, chat about touring, gravel and the next rando and if you can’t make it to Portland, check out my Shop Visit photos. And if you missed the Recent Roll, check it out here.

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If there’s one thing shooting with the Hasselblad has taught me it’s selection. Velo Cult‘s new location in Portland is far too massive to capture in a roll (or in this case, less than a half of a roll) but I feel like these photos pick up on some of the highlights. For those who want a more comprehensive Photoset, don’t fret, digital is on the way. It just so happened that the analog photos were done before the digital.

This shop needs no introduction but for those looking for a background, I do believe Velo Cult’s San Diego space was one of my first Shop Visits. Check the original photos out here.

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Jordan Hufnagel is one of the most “fly under the radar” builders out there. His web presence is almost non-existent and that’s because when he’s not building his Porteur project bikes, rad cross bikes, or working on West America projects, he’s out camping on his motorcycle. With rumors of him going to Mexico soon for some dude-time with West America co-founder James Crowe, I had to get into his shop and check out his work place. Like most builders in Portland, his space is tucked away in a space on a quiet street. After catching up, I let him work as I poked around…

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Much of the content on this blog concentrates on craftsmen, or companies who strive for excellence through local fabrication and material sourcing. It’s not an easy feat, especially with the economic fluctuations but a few brands have maintained a strong Domestic presence. Danner is one of those companies. While a few models are made overseas, Danner’s maintained construction in the USA on many of their models, including military-issued boots, their new Stumptown line and various other hiking boots.

When I made plans to visit Portland, there were a few non-cycling brands I wanted to visit. Mostly to see how a product that we all use is made. Touring the Danner facilities really breaks that process down, from hide to hiking boot. See so for yourself below!

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Columbus’ Seagull Bags have grown to be one of the most popular bag makers over the years and while I was in Columbus a few weeks back, I randomly hopped in to check out their facilities. Unfortunately, all I had was my Hasselblad with 6 exposures left on the roll so it’s not what I would consider a full Shop Visit gallery, but it does capture some of the space and faces of Seagull Bags.

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Over the past year or so, I’ve become pretty good friends with Adam Eldridge of Stanridge Speed, so it was nice to stop in and see his shop while I was in Columbus visiting Lauren’s family. To call his facilities small and intimate is an understatement. His shop is tucked away inside a community work space. A giant, 8,000sqft warehouse nestled inside a recently renovated park. He has no heat and his walls are made from corrugated metal.

Through the flickering florescent lighting, he mitres, brazes, finishes and paints his bicycle frames before sending them out all over the world. While his Highstreet may be the most popular frame, his passion is falling into cross bikes and road bikes. He likes frames that require problem solving… I documented his facilities the best I could with my 5D and my Hasselblad, which proved to be no easy task. But I feel it really captures the spirit of Stanridge Speed.

Click on the above photo to launch the gallery, or here to open in a new tab.

Rocket Company is a rather unique shop. It’s not exactly a bike shop and it’s far from a motorcycle garage, but it’s a healthy mix of the two. Oh and add in some insane autos on the side. That pretty much sums up how this hub in Jakarta appears on the surface. Even when you walk in the doors, it’s hard to tell what’s for sale and what’s for display. The MG is certainly not for sale, but the Stanridge and the LOW are.

Rocket’s clientele seeks high-end and unique track frames and builds. As all my coverage from Fixed Fest shows, the people in Jakarta love their balleur track bikes. But they’re also a fully-functioning motorcycle shop. It’s safe to say if it has two wheels, Rocket’s there to keep it moving. These guys were fantastic hosts and I highly recommend you swing through their doors if you find yourself in Indonesia.

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Over the past year, the LA-based cycling apparel designers and manufacturers, Endo Customs have gotten a lot of recognition. Personally, I first heard of them via the Golden Saddle Cyclery team. Kyle was adamant about using a local manufacturer to make their kits and they were a perfect match.

While I was in LA, I swung through their shop to check it out with Kelli, who is working on a women’s bib short. Being able to design and manufacture in house by-passes the annoying lead-times you get with overseas manufacturing. Their fabric is sourced from Italy and assembled in house, after graphics are heat-transfered on.

Endo has continued to reach out to the community, sponsoring races, teams and shops. With each new client, they gain more knowledge and through the process, they have established great PR&D relationships, which will lead to new products down the road. I was amazed at how much they packed into their 1,500′ square foot facilities… and yes, I have a kit coming down the pipeline, just in time for cross season.

Also, check out TRACKO’s photos here!

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The last time I visited the Los Angeles-based cycling apparel brand SWRVE‘s shop, they had just relocated and had big plans to expand their floorplan to include a storefront. Last week, before skipping town, I headed over to check out their newly-opened retail space. For a brand like SWRVE, most of their sales are online, so a retail space wasn’t of the highest priority. But they wanted the city of Los Angeles to have a place where customers could come try on the clothing and actually touch the product before committing to buy.

I don’t need to explain any further the merits of buying from a store, versus buying online, so I’ll let the photos do the talking…

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Moth Attack is one of the most unique builders I’ve ever met and not just because it’s owned and operated by a woman. I spent a few hours visiting Megan in her commercial live work space in Los Angeles, touring her facilities that are literally feet above where she sleeps at night. This is the ultimate bike apartment, where everything from racing bikes to commuters and mountain bikes hang from the walls but to add to the mix, Megan designs and fabricates custom bicycles inside the space.

Sharing the loft is Jack, a track cyclist and mechanic. Both Megan and Jack have seperate, lofted studio spaces where they work. See for yourself below…

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It’s hard to introduce this shop without talking about how they were one of the first track bike-specific shops in the US. At the time, you could count them on one hand and King Kog‘s been on people’s radar for almost 10 years. In recent years, King Kog went from a tiny space on an industrial block to a large, full-service bike shop, right off Graham avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. While they still cater to track bikes, King Kog also stocks vintage road bikes and cycling apparel. Chances are, if you’ve got a classic build to finish off, King Kog has that stem you’re looking for and maybe the matching jersey.

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It’s crazy to think that it’s been a year since Chas emailed me, asking me to post about Andrew Low‘s work, leading to a full queue for the SF-based frame builder. He’s been steady cranking away this year at frames, sending them worldwide.

In that time, he’s refined his shop, and over the past few weeks, he’s working on some frame refinements. Faced track ends and finished welds are just a few of the things Andrew’s been working on. I tell ya, if I raced at the track, I’d ride one of these bikes.

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The legacy of the Messenger Mansion goes back over a decade. It used to be filled with SF graffiti heads and then over time, local couriers moved in. Now it’s more or less the TCB Courier HQ and I’m crashing here while I’m in town. Bike houses always make great subjects for photography and these photos were taken yesterday afternoon in the waining San Francisco sunlight.

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