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The Radavist 2023 Calendar: October

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The Radavist 2023 Calendar: October

“Antioquia” is the tenth layout of the Radavist 2023 Calendar. It was shot with a Sony RX100 point and shoot camera in Antioquia, Colombia. Photographed by Josh Weinberg.

“Colombia might be renown for its intense road climbing and high-altitude terrain but there is plenty of dirt to be had as well…”

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right-click and save link as – The Radavist 2023 – October. 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 evening. Click here to download October’s Mobile Wallpaper.

Joe’s Mason Cycles RAW Andean Touring Rig and a Colombian Overnighter in El Cocuy

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Joe’s Mason Cycles RAW Andean Touring Rig and a Colombian Overnighter in El Cocuy

It’s always great to get a chance to cross paths with internet acquaintances on the road and there are very few places like the Boyacá region of Colombia that enable that, thanks to Dean and Dang’s classic “Oh Boyacá!” route. I was heading north along the track while most are aimed southbound, which found me crossing with long and short-distance tourers on a daily basis while grinding up these infamous Colombian mountain passes. I spent some miles with two UK riders and, of course, we talked gear. Read on for a recap of our overnighter around the El Cocuy National Park and a closer look at Joe’s Mason Cycles RAW Andean Tourer.

Hecho en Colombia: A Visit to Scarab Cycles in the Heart of the Andes

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Hecho en Colombia: A Visit to Scarab Cycles in the Heart of the Andes

It isn’t often that I have a chance to stop by a custom frame-building shop in places where I typically like to tour, but upon arriving in Colombia, it was clear that cycling culture in this country is on another level. During weekends in Bogotá, it was not uncommon to see large herds of spandex-clad riders hanging out at coffee shops with fancy gravel bikes or amongst a sea of other riders, dancing on the pedals up to “Patios”, the local roadie hotspot.

Walk into a random bakery in any town throughout the country and it would be no shock to see some obscure (to me) bike race on TV, with a group of abuelas keenly following the action as they enjoy an almojabana and hot chocolate. Catch yourself cruising down one of the many cycle paths in Bogotá and you might just get dropped by a dude in jeans with a backpack heading to work. When it comes to cycling, Colombians are built differently. Read on for a behind the scenes look at my visit to the Colombian builder Scarab Cycles.

The Adventures of Paisa the Colombian Mountain Pup

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The Adventures of Paisa the Colombian Mountain Pup

I was just starting to get into the flow of life in Colombia. Waking up in the morning in a small village to seek out whichever local bakery had the most people flowing in and out to grab breakfast. Hitting the road while the air was still cool.

The evening before, I had rolled into the tiny old town of Toche to a chorus of agitated dogs looking to announce my arrival. Back 10+ years ago this town used to be a particularly dangerous place due to its remote location making it attractive to folks trying to avoid the law, but these days it’s mostly just home to a small number of Llaneros (cowboys) and their animals.

Early the next morning, I rode through the town’s totally empty streets. I stopped to take a photo as a friendly pup that I’d seen the evening before came running up toward me with a lot of excitement in its step, though she never came too close. Just watching what I was doing from a safe distance.

After a stop in the shop, I pedaled my way up the start of the day’s long and steep climb to “Alto de La Línea”. This was a stretch of road I’d been looking forward to for a very long time.

Giving Papaya in the Colombian Andes

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Giving Papaya in the Colombian Andes

After almost 6 years on the road, maybe I let my guard down just a little bit too much. Maybe I’d grown too comfortable mapping out routes in any direction my heart desired and hitting the road without much concern for my safety beyond steering clear of roads with lots of traffic. I’d take notes from locals on places to avoid, wouldn’t ride at night, and I always considered myself careful, but 6 years is a long time, so there’s no doubt that I slipped just a little.

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Ruta Chingaza: Bikepacking for Conservation

In February, legendary ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox, Joe Cruz, and the filmmaker Rugile Kaladyte traveled to the Colombian capital of Bogota, in partnership with Conservation International, Wahoo, and Bikepacking.com, to launch the Bikepacking for Conservation Program. The project was designed to explore and scout a bikepacking route that would connect the bustling metropolis of Bogota with rural communities and the Chingaza National Park. The resulting route — Ruta Chingaza — will help cyclists connect to nature and better understand the ecosystems upon which life and livelihoods in this area depend.

Chingaza National Natural Park is currently closed to cyclists, but Conservation International is collaborating with park authorities to make cycling a part of the park’s tourism strategy, and anticipate that cycling experiences (including bikepacking) will be permitted by sometime in 2021, though it is hard to anticipate when exactly due to COVID-19. Please do not travel to the park at this time

Film shot and edited by Rugile Kaladyte

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Pasion De Grava: Colombia Film

Today is full of inspirational gravel videos! The latest from Shimano sheds light on Colombia, a country known for its coffee and amazing road riding but as this video showcases, the dirt ain’t bad either! Check out the video above and read the full feature at Shimano.

Scarab Cycles’ RAUCH Santa Rosa Road Bike Is Based on the Work of Richard Diebenkorn

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Scarab Cycles’ RAUCH Santa Rosa Road Bike Is Based on the Work of Richard Diebenkorn

Custom bikes with custom paint are one thing but the work of Richard Diebenkorn is on another level. Scarab Cycles is based in the Andes Mountains of Colombia, where cycling is taken very seriously! I found this story behind their RAUCH paint job on the Santa Rosa road model very interesting.

SC: What did you want the paint scheme to be based on? Why?

JR: …I had been kicking around the idea of a bike interpretation of “Ocean Park #79” by Richard Diebenkorn, and once I floated the idea by the team some additional inspiration started to bubble up, namely Omar Rayo’s geometric work. For a Colombian-made frame that was going to live in the California hills, the conversation around incorporating elements around these two artists seemed a natural fit.

Check out the full bike and interview at Scarab Cycles.