The idea of “free” these days usually comes with a catch, yet when the Levi’s Commuter Workshops popped up in Brooklyn, LA and London, free really does mean free. A free desk to work at, free bike repair / wash areas, free coffee, free wifi and yes, free tailoring. So what’s the catch? No, really, there isn’t one.
#commuter-bike
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Radar
Teague x Sizemore Wins the 2014 Oregon Manifest Bike Design Project
Hey, every single vote counts. It appears that Teague x Sizemore won the 2014 Oregon Manifest Bike Design Project!
“Voters have spoken and declared Seattle’s Denny the winner of the Bike Design Project’s design/build competition! The Denny wowed voters with its ingenious handlebar lock design, unique fender system, automatic shifting and modern styling.
What an amazing week! We received over 136,000 visitors during our seven day voting period; viewers from all over the world have seen our five entry bikes. (Hello Denmark!)
Thanks to everyone who voted and sent us enthusiastic comments – all five of the Bike Design Project bikes have received an avalanche of praise and admiration. Watch their videos here to revisit their many features.
Our manufacturing partner Fuji Bikes will be taking the Denny into production – in the future, you can own a Denny!”
Congrats to Teague and Sizemore! I can’t wait to see these bikes rolling into production.
Radar
Teague x Sizemore Gets my Vote in the Bike Design Contest
Admittingly, I was first drawn to the Teague x Sizemore because of the overall frame design, but after really looking at all the details, I’m sold. While the handlebars might not be the most comfortable (looking), the lockbar combination is brilliant, as are the fenders. Those two details alone sold me on the design, because that’s what the Oregon Manifest has always been about: innovation.
The rest of the bikes have some clever details, like the Pensa + Horse Cycles expanding rack, but the Sizemore developed a few details that I could see catching on in the industry.
Seriously Taylor, you should send a set of those fenders to Bicycle Quarterly… Cast YOUR vote at the Bike Design Contest site and see some more details of the Teague x Sizemore design below.
Radar
Cast Your Vote for The Oregon Manifest’s New Bike Design Project
This year, the Oregon Manifest changed gears into the Bike Design Project. The idea was simple: five cities, five builders and five design offices would propose, construct and test a bicycle that was born from the DNA of their city’s unique demands.
Chicago’s MNML x Method Bicycle is pictured above, see the rest below and head over to the Bike Design Project to cast your vote. Which one do you think is my favorite?
Radar
44 Bikes: A Hunstman to Commute or Shred
While N+1 may be the theme around here these days (so many bikes!), I love seeing projects like this coming from the 44 Bikes workshop. Murdered-out cross bikes with disc brakes and SRAM Force 11-speed look great, especially with big tires for shredding, but let’s be honest, there’s no sense in forgetting that these bikes make great commuters as well.
See more photos below and thanks to Kris from 44 Bikes for sending this project over!
Radar
Levi’s® Commuter: The Ride – Kyle Garner
Levis is continuing their Commuter campaign by profiling people who commute by and use the bike in the city.
Reportage
The Road to the Schwarzwald Giro: Amsterdam – Kevin Sparrow
The Road to the Schwarzwald Giro: Amsterdam
Photos and Words by Kevin Sparrow
The Schwarzwald Giro is a yearly ride in the Black forest of Germany. Phillipp of Europeantouches.cc invited me last year while I was living in Paris. It was such a great time I couldn’t miss the 2014 edition. I hopped on a flight to Amsterdam with the plan to drive to Frieburg with Sammy and Frank of Pristine Bike Shop.
Amsterdam is the bicycle mecca of the world. With 300 bike shops and 1.5 million inhabitants its no wonder why it’s the city of bikes. There is this beautiful buzz of freewheels in the air and the people are some of the friendliest I have ever encountered. They say the average resident of Amsterdam has 3 three bikes. One that kind of works, one locked up somewhere they forgot, and one in the bottom of the canal. I only had one day to explore this time and with my wife and daughter in tow we made the most of it.
My buddy Jon (@twotoneams) generously set us up with a bed and a bakfiets to explore the city for the day. So I loaded up my girls and headed out to get a taste of what this great city has to offer…
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Follow Kevin on Instagram and check out photos via #schwarzwaldgiro
Reportage
Golden Saddle Rides: Sean’s Fast Boy 650b Singlespeed
Photos by Kyle Kelley
After passing away a few weeks back, Ezra Caldwell‘s work keeps popping up all over, miles away from his home studio in New York City. In fact, this bike was first built up by Golden Saddle Cyclery years back for Sean, a loyal customer living in Santa Barbara.
A singlespeed commuter is really all most people need. 650b tires provide a smooth ride and for medium sized frames, they look well-balanced proportionately. Exra had a way of proclaiming his approach with frame design by not really saying anything. While this bike may seem very straight-forward, the details in the metalwork are what first caught my eye.
The chainguard is attached by two 5mm bolts that actually pass through the down and seat tubes. Then the guard itself is incredibly elegant, especially when matched with the White Industries ENO cranks.
Stainless lugs and raw steel tubes make up the frame’s materials, with a good amount of patina forming on the steel. It must be the salt in the air. Santa Barbara is coastal, you know. The rear rack is custom, with wooden planks, which even out the overall build, especially when compared to Ezra’s signature wooden handlebars.
In a lot of ways, this bike is void of ostentation, yet meticulously detailed. Something that seemed to spill over from Ezra’s personality onto everything he touched.
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Follow Kyle on Instagram and visit Golden Saddle Cyclery in Silverlake, Los Angeles.
Reportage
Gideon’s S&S Coupler Rivendell Rambouillet Road
The Rivendell Ramboullet, a multi-purpose road bike with long reach calipers and clearance for up to a 38c tire. It’s a super practical light tourer and everyday ride, made even more practical with S&S couplers.
Reportage
Chris’ Yamaguchi School Light Tourer
Yamaguchi’s framebuilding school has turned out some incredible talent over the years. While many enroll with hopes of becoming the next hot thing, some go to just learn the art. Chris Chou, a guy who probably has the most bikes featured on the Radavist, ever, went to Yamaguchi a few years ago to build a light tourer.
Like all Yamaguchi school frames, this bike was made from True Temper tubing and brazed by Chris over the course of a few weeks. When he was finished, he sent it off to Fresh Frame for paint.
Because Chris had never built a bicycle before, the original stem developed a stress riser, so Chris had his then housemate Ian at Icarus make him a stem. From there, the Nitto bars and Campagnolo 10 speed group add a considerable amount of class to what many would consider a utilitarian bicycle. PAUL e’rything, a Crane Bell, Mellow Johnny’s stem cap, my old Pentabike bar end and there’s a lil #JahBlessed going on with the Salsa Rasta Skewers and Ride Jah Bike button.
SON’s Edelux system and a Supernova E3 rear, lights the way and an Ostrich saddle bag holds the daily commuting needs. Cole rode this bike during the Yonder Journal (dis)Enchanted Rock Brovet and slashed a tire pretty badly on a river crossing, so Chris threw a Conti on, leaving the tires mis-matched, which I would add to the character of this bike.
I really love photographing bicycles like this.
Radar
Icarus Frames: Canti Gravel Machine for Sale
Ian from Icarus is selling a size 51cm ST by 52cm TT commuter / gravel rider cantilever frameset for $1900 including a paint job by Circle A. Head over to Icarus for the details.
Reportage
Nahanni and Sparrow’s Signal Cycles and TykeToter Seat
The city of Portland and its bike-friendly streets need no introduction. People there have adapted their blocks to child-friendly play zones, their streets are lined with green bike lanes and there are even designated bicycle avenues.
Spending the day with your family, on bikes is a fairly common weekend activity. Especially for Benji from Poler and his wife Nahanni, who take their two daughters, Olive and Sparrow out for rides frequently.
While Olive is old enough for her own bike, Sparrow catches a ride with Nahanni on her Signal Cycles step through commuter via a contraption called the TykeToter.
I’ve never seen this product before, but it’s genius. The TykeToter goes on in seconds, can be used on any bike and gives the child an early introduction into balancing a bicycle.
These two women looked so happy scooting around the neighborhood that I had to shoot some photos!
Radar
Rivendell Bicycle Works’ 20th Catalog
Since 1994, Rivendell Bicycle Works have been supplying the Unracers of the world with practical, classy and comfortable options for riding. Now in their 20th year of business, the brand has pulled together a freaking incredible catalog, reminiscent of Grant’s days at Bridgestone…
Don’t miss the 20th edition of the Rivendell Bicycle Works catalog!
Radar
Run What You Brung
Photo by Walton Brush
I’ve done this before. Your front tire gets shredded and all you have laying around is a red-backed Vittoria Randonneur. The difference is, I never took a second to document it. Nice one Walton! See more of the Walt’s world at his Tumblr.
Radar
Cycling in the US from a Dutch Prospective
This is kind of depressing and uncomfortable to watch – like a bad Ben Stiller movie. You just know things are going to go wrong.
Having ridden all over the world, it’s interesting for me to hear this Dutch reporter discuss the lack of “infra” in US cities. When these clips are presented in a matter-of-fact way, it’s easy to see why we’re so far behind in the US…
Nice find Jeff!
Radar
Rapha Spring Summer City 2014 Lookbook
Rapha’s line of City clothing expands each year, and this season’s offering includes some very sharp pieces, including a wide selection of women’s apparel. Head over to the Rapha Spring Summer City 2014 Lookbook to see more and head to Rapha for availability.
Radar
Firefly: Ti Mixte
This is actually kind of amazing. Not that Firefly was capable of making a good-looking mixte, but that someone actually paid them to do so. Check out more at the Firefly Flickr.
Radar
Winter Bicycles: Allaban Light Tourer
Photo by Anthony Bareno
I love the idea of light tourers, or randonee bikes. To me, they’re one of the best all-around machines. Part commuter, part weekender, part audax, loaded or unloaded, they’re fun to ride. Allaban is Gaelic for “wandering” and that’s exactly the intent of this machine. See more at Winter Bicycles. By the way, those are the best cranks for a touring bike!