For the upcoming “Small Business Saturday,” John takes us inside one of his favorite shops in Santa Fe, Tourist, the city’s independent outdoor store, for a look inside this wonderfully-merchandized space.
#bicycle-camping
tag
Radar
Esker Bitesized Bikepacking with Sincere Cycles on the Hayduke LVS
Esker Cycles, Sincere Cycles, and The Radavist took off early one afternoon and headed into the Santa Fe National Forest for an overnighter on the new Esker Cycles Hayduke LVS…
Check out our review: A Titanium Chariot: Esker Cycles Hayduke LVS Longtail Review
Reportage
A Santa Fe S24O: The Aspen Ranch Overnighter
Last weekend, John hopped on board for an overnighter in the Santa Fe National Forest with Adventure Bikepacking and the Santa Fe Fat Tire Society…
Reportage
The Altai Traverse Part 2: Two Towns with the Same Name and a Mongolian Paradise in Between
This is a continuation of Ryan Wilson’s Altai Traverse Reportage. Read part one here: The Altai Traverse: Finding Tracks in the Mongolian Countryside
In a remote corner of the Mongolian Altai, about 40 kilometers from the border with China, I set off toward a desolate valley from the small, windswept, and dusty village of Bulgan. My next resupply point, about 125km down the road, was, confusingly, another town named Bulgan. I never quite got the hang of the Mongolian naming schemes in my time there, as it was quite common to find a handful of towns and villages across the country with identical names on any given map, and sometimes each town had two or three names they might be referred to by depending on which map you’re looking it, which sometimes makes it tricky getting reliable information.
Radar
The Radavist 2023 Calendar: September
“S24O” is the ninth layout of the Radavist 2023 Calendar. It was shot with a Canon 5DMIII and a Canon 24-70 f2.8 lens in 2014 just outside of Walnut Creek, CA. Photographed by John Watson.
“We are always cranking out content over here at The Radavist but sometimes it’s nice to reflect back on our past Reportage. This photo came from a photoset from a S24O outside of Walnut Creek, CA…”
For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right-click and save link as – The Radavist 2023 – September. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)
The mobile background this month is a vertical crop from the same early morning. Click here to download Augusts’s Mobile Wallpaper.
Radar
A Simple Solution for a Simple Problem: A Shovel Research Rod Steward Review
Does it get much better than small makers addressing niche demands within a niche sector of the bike industry? I don’t think so. One of my favorite parts about running this website is showcasing and highlighting cottage industry bike businesses. Shovel Research is a small machine and fabrication shop that makes well-designed products that address a niche demand. One of which is its Rod Steward, a bag support designed for the Fab’s Chest by Ron’s Bikes, but as I found out on my Rivendell Bombadil, it works well with a Rivendell Sackville BagBoy bag.
Let’s check out a quick review below…
Reportage
DziłTa’ah Adventures is Open for Business and Advocating for Guided Bike Tours in Navajoland
Founded in 2016 by Jon Yazzie and Nadine Johnson, DziłTa’ah Adventures runs bike and packraft tours from their home base in the town of Kayenta inside the Navajo Nation. While we’ve documented multiple experiences with the nascent outfitter – including Hunt’s Mesa, John’s Canyon, Yellow Dirt routes, and others – getting the business off the ground hasn’t been easy for John and Nadine. Last winter, Josh Weinberg reconnected with Jon, along with a group of photographers including Chris Burkard, Jeremy Bishop, and Murray Smith for an unforgettable tour along one of DziłTa’ah Adventures’ most popular routes to learn about what’s next for their guiding operation…
Radar
#swiftcampoutphotoshootout is Rolling! Have You Submitted?
Here’s a reminder to submit your Swift Campout Photo Shootout photos to Instagram this week!
- Let us know you’re entering the contest by beginning your caption copy with: “here’s my entry into the 2022 #swiftcampoutphotoshootout !”
- Tag @theradavist and @swiftindustries in the photo and in the caption.
- Must enter by 11:59 PM Friday, July 1st deadline!
Let’s see what you got this past weekend, folks! The winner will receive a full limited-edition 2022 Swift Campout kit! A 27.5 Adventure Carbon Wheelset from Hunt Wheels! Tires from SimWorks! Coffee from Black Coffee Roasters of Missoula; Sandals from Bedrock Sandals; titanium puffin’ accessories from Dangle Supply; rad wearables from The Radavist!
Reportage
Riding in Remembrance: New Zealand’s Paparoa and Pike29 Memorial Track
With ancient podocarp forest blanketing the trail beneath me, I stand, perched on the escarpment about halfway through the Paparoa Trail. The mountain wind forces tears from my eyes and between the momentary breaks in the cloud, I catch a glimpse into the deep channels of Pike River valley, which once held the Pike River Mine.
Radar
Archive Re-Up: Escaping Black Friday with Bicycle Camping, Bourbon, and Black Coffee
When we lost our image bucket from 2014-2015 a few years back, a bunch of really great content went blank. Over the years, I’ve been slowly re-upping our archives when I want to add a back-link to a current post or story. That happened last week when writing about the Buckhorn Bags Panniers. I remembered our “Escaping Black Friday” Reportage and tracked down the film scans, allowing me to re-up the fun. I also added the RideWithGPS route to the archive as well. If you’re in the Austin, Texas area and are looking for a good (and difficult) road tour, don’t miss this one!
Archive Re-Up: Escaping Black Friday with Bicycle Camping, Bourbon, and Black Coffee
If there’s a story you remember and really would like to see re-posted, drop it in the comments!
Reportage
When I Say Hike, You Say Bike: A Swift Campout Double Feature
It’s pretty clear that I really like bikes, and I really like camping. A lot of us are here because we like combining the two. I’m also very lucky that my partner also likes bikes and camping, and we live in a place where it’s fairly easily accessible to do both. However, For whatever reason, I’ve never managed to actually do a trip over the Swift Campout weekend, and, it looked like the same thing might happen this year! So, we decided that we might cheat a little, and do a close-to-home, Thursday night camp and take advantage of some beautiful weather. All the while still getting our respective work, and school days in. Ideally leaving the rest of the weekend open to *maybe* sneak another ride and camp night in, you never know.
Reportage
Seeking Adventure In My Own Backyard: Tour Costa de Hermosillo
La Costa de Hermosillo is the name for a vast expanse of land that covers from the west of the city of Hermosillo all the way to the coast of the Gulf of California, 100 km (60 miles) away. Once part of the territory where the Comca’ac Natives thrived, nowadays it’s mainly used for agriculture; during the 19th century, the Comca’ac, most frequently called “Seri” which means “people of the sand” in Yaqui language, were persecuted and almost wiped out completely by the Mexican army and ranchers who had interest in this territory, and the few survivors of the already dispersed Comca’ac Nation were progressively displaced further and further towards the coast till they reached the land they occupy today, where water is scarce and life conditions are harsh. Rain is not often seen around here, and agriculture is only possible via drilling wells and bringing water from other parts. La Costa de Hermosillo is flat as it is possible for land to be, so making long distances by bike in this region is a matter of keeping your bars straight and moving early, because it’s usually around noon that the wind picks up.
Radar
2021 Swift Campout Video Challenge Finalist – Wira Samudra
This year, the Swift Campout Video Challenge brought in dozens of submissions from all over the world but one stood out above the rest: Wira Samudra’s submission from Jakarta, Indonesia’s Psychloop. Give it a watch here!
Radar
Swift Campout Video Challenge 2021
Our friends the SKID LIZARDS take sharing the gospel of bike-camping every bit as seriously as they take spreading the stoke of the skid! Once again, we’re collaborating with them to launch the SWIFT CAMPOUT VIDEO CHALLENGE! That’s right, Campers, it’s your time to shine! Consider this our challenge to you — we want to see your 2021 Campout experience: the good, the bad, the ugly, the hilarious.
Capture your Campout on vid — iPhone is cool, pro gear is cool too, it really doesn’t matter. We’re looking for creativity, entertainment, hilarity, and meditative scenic inspiration here. Surprise us! One talented winner will have their project shared on the Swift IG and YouTube channels, and will receive A GIANT PRIZE PACKAGE stacked with gear ‘n goodies from Snow Peak, Reyr Gear, Nocs Provisions, Kitsbow, Bedrock Sandals, Rapha, Ombraz, Six Moon Designs, Swift Adventure Co, Black Coffee Roasting, and The Radavist!
*** Edit and share footy to IGTV the week of June 21. Deadline Midnight June 27!
*** TO BE ENTERED INTO CONTEST:
Must tag @swiftindustries @skidlizards #swiftcampout #swiftcampoutvidchallenge in post!
Must be no longer than 5-mins in length!
Must meet June 27 deadline!
Bonus points for sharing to Stories, Reels, and main feed ;)
Reportage
Stoke the Flames for the 2021 Swift Campout: An Interview with Martina From Swift Industries
I feel like I’ve known Martina and Jason from Swift Industries since the brand’s inception. It must have been the 2010 Philly Bike Expo where we first met. Later, I bought an Ozette bag for my Geekhouse touring bike in 2011, and for a number of years, we’ve stayed in close contact. Both the Radavist and Swift Industries grew at parallel trajectories. It’s now 2021 and I realized I’ve never interviewed Martina about the Swift Campout, so today we’re pleased to host a quick interview to stoke the flames for the 2021 Swift Campout, which is coming up fast, on June 19th-20th! So read on below for some insight into this wonderful event!
Reportage
Education Through Experiences: Bikepacking the Yellow Dirt Route onto Comb Ridge with Dzil Ta’ah Adventures
In the Navajo Nation town of Kayenta, Arizona, Jon Yazzie runs a guide company called Dzil Ta’ah Adventures. Its intent is to educate visitors on the history of the areas surrounding Kayenta through guided bike trips. This particular route is one he’s been working on for a while which parallels the mighty Comb Ridge before climbing the Sandstone Backbone via an old Mormon dugway, overlooking Kane Valley where the US government drilled into the Earth, uncovering uranium for the Manhattan Project. The result would send waves of radiation through the community for decades to come…
Reportage
Winter Bikepacking to a Local Mountain in Norway
Do you remember that feeling way back when you learned to ride a bike? I had just begun school when I got my first bike. Day in and day out I would sit on the seat and push myself along the roadside curb with my right foot. My strides became longer and longer until one day I put caution to the wind and took my first pedal strokes. That day, the bike became my freedom machine. The world suddenly grew bigger, right in front of my tiny handlebars. I never looked back.
Radar
It’s Swift Campout season! Swift Industries partners with Snow Peak, and The Radavist to Present the 7th Annual Swift Campout Solstice Bike Overnight
The Swift Campout is a global call to go bike-camping on June 19th and 20th, 2021. For the seventh year in a row thousands of adventurous spirits will load camping gear on their bikes for a weekend adventure. In the words of Martina Brimmer, Swift Industries head honcho and the visionary behind Swift Campout, “Here at Swift, we believe that there’s little better than spending the longest day of the year on a bicycle and the shortest night of the year sleeping under the stars. The entire Swift crew, from our stitchers to our coin-counters, is driven to delight our communities toward bicycle adventure.
This year’s featured artist is none other than bike industry mainstay Chris McNally, whose signature watercolor style conjures a dreamscape of fantasy environments with cuddly critters to explore on two wheels. The scavenger hunt theme of the new Campout microsite invites digital exploration, too! Campers are encouraged to lose themselves in Chris’s wonderland, discovering fun and informative hidden gems as they “pedal” through. In its 7th year, the Campout recipe of partnering with like-minded outdoor brands to amplify the encouragement for cyclists of all experience levels and abilities to take to the trails for a weekend of bike-camping is a timely and relevant invitation to re-engage with the community in cherished outdoor spaces. Swift continues to push the envelope as a gear brand that has put roots in a unique space between the cycling and outdoor industries–two marketplaces whose cultures did not overlap when Swift Industries entered the arena in 2008.
Swift keeps nurturing their culture by gathering a unique blend of cycling and outdoor brands such as Bedrock Sandals, Black Coffee Roasters, Kitsbow, Nocs Provisions, Ombraz, The Radavist, Rapha, Reyr Gear, Six Moon Designs, Snow Peak, and Swift Adventure Co.
Head to Swift Campout to read all the details!
