The Radavist

This week’s Reader’s Rides entry showcases what I refer to as “classic steel” and “new school whips”. Anthony’s Raleigh track versus Stefano’s Faggin. Which one do you like better? Well, I’ve got more photos of Anthony’s Raleigh below. This thing’s a real looker!

Check out more photos below!

Photo by Eric Baumann

This week’s Reader’s Rides entry is one beautiful road bike! Michael Sadler is Josh from Arc En Ciel‘s roommate up in Union Square, Massachusetts. He’s a musician and has a love for classic steel bikes, finding stability in their ride. Like most of the northeast right now, his town is covered in snow, making for a lot of “indoor time”. At the beginning of the season, he and Josh conspired on how to build the ideal bike for around-the-town schenanigans and long road rides.

Here’s the final product. It’s lovely! See more details below, including a full build list.

This week’s Reader’s Rides submissions were spot on. I introduced you to Thomas earlier this week when he sent me in his logo submission (which is about to become some t-shirts). Along with that email came photos of his drop-dead gorgeous GTB track bike, complete with detail photos! This is the ideal Reader’s Rides submission. Crisp lines, great photos and a beautiful bike.

Check out the details below!

Joe’s Nagasawa

You just can’t beat a pristine Nagasawa can you? That’s what I learned when a reader from Down Under forwarded me his friend’s bike. Yow! There have been some beauties coming through my email and it’s hard to figure out which bikes to post with such stellar bicycles photographed so beautifully.

Check out some more Reader’s Rides below!

Wow! In less than a week, I got over 50 bikes submitted. While this torrent of track and road bikes keeps trickling in, I’m going to post up my 10 favorites each week. Once it slows down a bit, I’ll go back and sift through the ones I haven’t posted yet, adding them to new Reader’s Rides entries. To start off, let’s all drool over Sven Cyclenerd’s Somec. That’s what I’m talking about! Sven added this via the PiNP Facebook.

Check out nine more Reader’s Rides below!

I’d love to shoot all your bikes if I could. But the reality is, I can’t. Which is why, after a lot of thought, I’ve decided to open up Prolly is not Probably to more reader-submitted content. So, if you’ve got a noble steed worthy of some web-exposure, a camera (or a friend with a camera) and some time, you can submit your bicycle to me and I’ll post it up once a week with others. Need an example of a nice photo? Check out my post on Maurice’s Marinoni or my recent profile on Jim’s McLean.

Now, you know me well enough to know that I have my particularities when it comes to bike portraits. And all I’ll ask is that you:

–Include one drive-side shot: Get down level with your bike and try to capture it all in photograph from the drive-side.

–Include one detail shot: I want to see what makes this bike stand out from the rest! A nice lug shot or maybe a detail component shot would be ideal.

–Resolution: Please! Send me photos at least 800px wide!

–No Crap: Readers want to see beautiful bicycles, not clunkers. No offense to the beautiful beaters of the world!

You can submit the photos via email or post them on the Prolly is not Probably Facebook! As soon as I get submissions, I’ll set up a Category page.

Thanks!

Photo by Billy Brandwein

Photo by Billy Brandwein

We took a look at Billy’s Raleigh track bike in last week’s Readers Rides post and now we get to check out his girlfriend Sarah’s 1986 Bianchi Pista. I’ve always loved the classic Pistas and this one is in mint, well celeste condition. Gorgeous bike!

Earlier this year, UK-based Hope Technology released an updated version of their popular four-piston hydraulic brakes, the Tech 4 V4. The 2023 version is equipped with the same robust CNC-machined aluminum, easy adjustability, and stopping precision that contributed to the success of previous models. But where the Tech 4 V4 seeks to improve on the Tech 3 V4 generation is in its all-new lever design and revised caliper that promises increased power and improved ergonomics.

While it’s no secret we’re big fans of mechanical brakes here at The Radavist, we can also appreciate the confidence-inspiring feel of a solid four-piston hydraulic brake, particularly on full-suspension bikes. Josh Weinberg had years of experience using the preceding Tech 3 V4 on his 150 mm travel Oddity hardtail so, naturally, he wanted to see how the updated version performed over a long-term testing period aboard his Starling Murmur.

Continue reading for his breakdown of Hope’s latest flagship brakes…

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

Wide bars are becoming more and more prolific in the drop-bar MTB, touring bike, and even gravel bike subgenres. A craze that began with the Crust and Ron’s Bikes Towel Rack bars has now become widespread in the industry, with multiple brands putting their spin on an ultra-wide offering. Among these is Tumbleweed, who have worked to design a model suited for the Stargazer touring bike (one of my favorites in that subcategory of drop-bar bikes). Fittingly dubbed the Big Dipper Bars ($115), I’ve been stealthily test-riding them on two recent review bikes. I have some thoughts on the Big Dippers and the appropriate application for wide drop handlebars in general. 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…