#gravel-bike

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Hybrid Moments: A Hudski Doggler Review

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Hybrid Moments: A Hudski Doggler Review

As cyclists, we love bikes that can do more than one thing. A Swiss Army knife rather than a scalpel, if you will. So when a bike like the Hudski Doggler passes through my possession, I want to find its limits and then push through them. I’ve spent a few months riding the Doggler around Santa Fe, in and around our beloved Santa Fe National Forest, and I’m ready to spill the beans on what makes this bike so appropriate for gravel and mountain riding…

Returning to Cuenca Los Ojos: Sarah Swallow’s Otso Voytek and Ruta del Jefe Updates

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Returning to Cuenca Los Ojos: Sarah Swallow’s Otso Voytek and Ruta del Jefe Updates

Ruta del Jefe has officially announced the dates and the new venue – March 21-24, 2024 in Cuenca Los Ojos, Mexico –  for the next edition of this adventure, education, community, and advocacy event. Cuenca Los Ojos is a protected natural area in the Sky Islands of the Mexican state of Sonora, southeast of Agua Prieta/Douglas, Arizona. Daniel Zaid and Karla Robles recently linked up with, organizer Sarah Swallow and, below, document her new new Otso Voytek, which she has been using for scouting the 2024 Ruta Del Jefe route. Additionally, Daniel and Karla share an update on the work Cuenca Los Ojos has been doing to provide the best platform for Ruta del Jefe in advance of the event’s first season south of the border…

2023 MADE Bike Showdown: ALUMIWARS – Beach Club Al Dente Gravel Bike Vs. Ron’s Bikes AluMAX Grav Grav Bike

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2023 MADE Bike Showdown: ALUMIWARS – Beach Club Al Dente Gravel Bike Vs. Ron’s Bikes AluMAX Grav Grav Bike

We interrupt our ongoing MADE coverage with an important announcement!

When carbon bicycle frames were first introduced, the evil carbon fiber bike industry did all it could to bad-mouth aluminum bikes. It took decades, but we’re seeing an abrupt re-emergence of aluminum frames, particularly from smaller cottage industry brands like Beach Club and Ron’s Bikes.

Growing up in the 1990s, it was common for publications like Mountain Bike Action to do “shootouts” between two aluminum bikes. So, we at The Radavist thought it’d be fun to pit two of our favorite companies against each other in a democratic voting process. Check out our ALUMIWARS Shootout Special featuring sneak peeks at the forthcoming Beach Club Al Dente aluminum gravel bike and the Ron’s Bikes AluMAX grav grav daddy bike…

Handmade in Istanbul: A Visit to Soulrider Frameworks in Türkiye

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Handmade in Istanbul: A Visit to Soulrider Frameworks in Türkiye

It was back in 2020, during my first bike tour through southern Turkey, that I first became aware of Soulrider Frameworks via Instagram. Based in the heart of Istanbul, just a stone’s throw from the Bosphorus Strait that separates Europe and Asia, Yasin Bingöl runs a one-man show, building custom bikes from the first design ideas to the final build and everything in between.

Lightfooted and Fancy: A Review and Debut of the New No. 22 Bicycle Company Drifter Adventure Gravel Road Bike

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Lightfooted and Fancy: A Review and Debut of the New No. 22 Bicycle Company Drifter Adventure Gravel Road Bike

There’s no shortage of drop-bar, dirt-oriented, MUSA titanium frames to choose from these days. Yet, one company’s consistently impressive designs continue to stand out in this somewhat crowded market: No. 22. John got his hands on the latest member of No. 22’s Drifter family, the Drifter Adventure, which became his “get into shape” bike this spring and summer. After logging miles on his favorite loop in Santa Fe, he’s ready to discuss what makes No. 22 and this new Drifter Adventure so special.

Read on for a fat gallery full of details and scenery, and his review…

Clint’s SaltAir Cycles Twentysixie Fixed Gear

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Clint’s SaltAir Cycles Twentysixie Fixed Gear

While the 2023 Enve Grodeo was chock-full of some of the snazziest bespoke all-road bikes from around the world, Spencer Harding’s eye was caught by an eccentric build noticeably absent from the show floor. Fortunately, he was able to get the bike’s owner, Clint, to stop throwing skids long enough to snag a closeup. Pulling influence from some strange corners of the bike world and outfitting the frame with some amazing and unique parts, Clint’s SaltAir stood out for more reasons than its single rear cog. Clint rode this pink dream on all 92 miles of the Enve Grodeo, a feat in itself regardless of it being a fixed gear 26-er. Let’s have a closer look!  

Scouting Gravel Cycling Routes Around Hagerman Pass, in Heart of Colorado Rockies

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Scouting Gravel Cycling Routes Around Hagerman Pass, in Heart of Colorado Rockies

Last August, four friends set out to explore the high mountain gravel roads around Hagerman Pass, Colorado, staging each day out of the newly renovated retreat center called “Beyul.”  The Hagerman Pass area is an under-appreciated gravel-riding gem in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. The pass connects Basalt- a small town just outside Aspen – to Leadville, which needs no introduction to the cycling world. Continue reading below for a sampling of the primo Hagerman gravel riding the friends found during their stay and for info about the Beyul gravel camp kicking off later this summer with Aspen Expedition Gravel Bike Guides.

2023 Enve Grodeo and Builder Round-Up Part 2: Sycip, Rock Lobster, Wish One, Moots, Scarab, Quirk, Boredure, Breadwinner, ENVE

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2023 Enve Grodeo and Builder Round-Up Part 2: Sycip, Rock Lobster, Wish One, Moots, Scarab, Quirk, Boredure, Breadwinner, ENVE

Today we are back with part two of Spencer Harding‘s ENVE Grodeo and Builder Round-up coverage. If you missed the builds featured in yesterday’s post, we’d recommend going back and giving them a gander—3D-printed parts (most ti but some steel, too!) seems to be the unofficial theme for the year but there’s plenty to see across the creative spectrum! Today, we finish up with the remaining frame builders in the showcase—with a few more overseas features—then we head out on the weekend’s main event, a 92-mile gravel ride on some of the best dirt in the northern Wasatch Mountains. Let’s dive in!  

2023 ENVE GRODEO and Builder Round-Up Part One: Sanitas, English, Viral, Mosaic, Chumba, Holland, Rizzo, Horse, Sage, Bridge, Salt Air, Pursuit, Ritte, Fifty One

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2023 ENVE GRODEO and Builder Round-Up Part One: Sanitas, English, Viral, Mosaic, Chumba, Holland, Rizzo, Horse, Sage, Bridge, Salt Air, Pursuit, Ritte, Fifty One

Every summer, ENVE Composites hosts a massive open house at their HQ in Ogden, Utah with an accompanying gravel ride. The 2023 ENVE Grodeo, which went down just one week ago,  featured an impressive list of 24 frame builders from around the world. Spencer Harding was on the ground documenting all of the beautiful bicycles and riding festivities and, below, he presents Part One of his event recap with a stacked gallery of bikes, some snapshots from the builder ride, and Trackline time trail at the Grodeo. Let’s get to it!

What’s Joy Got to Do With It? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the New Film “The Right to Joy”

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What’s Joy Got to Do With It? A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the New Film “The Right to Joy”

Coinciding with the release of REI’s documentary film “The Right To Joy,” Co-Director Jay Melena describes why representation of marginalized groups is important not just in front of, but behind the lens, in cycling and outdoor media. Continue reading below for Jay’s behind-the-scenes look at the new film and its contextualization within the current media landscape…

Dope Tubes: Jonny Pucci’s Custom Roberson 650b Gravel Bike

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Dope Tubes: Jonny Pucci’s Custom Roberson 650b Gravel Bike

Wrapping up our coverage (for now) that showcases the celebrated work and career of San Diego-based framebuilder Rob Roberson, today we take a look at one of Rob’s most recent builds – a custom gravel bike for his friend and co-worker Jon Pucci. Rob and Jon worked together for years in Joe Bell‘s storied paint shop and conspired together for a chunk of that time planning what would become Jon’s dream bike and one he could adorn with an equally fitting paint job. As with all of Rob’s builds (and Jon’s paint, too), there’s a lot to take in so let’s get to it!

Can a Sub-$2k Wireless Shifting Bike be Any Good? State Bicycle Co. 4130 All-Road Rival XPLR eTap AXS Review

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Can a Sub-$2k Wireless Shifting Bike be Any Good? State Bicycle Co. 4130 All-Road Rival XPLR eTap AXS Review

Founded in the college town of Tempe, AZ, State Bicycle Company started out selling affordable fixed-gear bikes and geared townies for college students and commuters. In their ten years of mostly direct-to-consumer bike business since, State has grown exponentially and now occupies a large warehouse/office in downtown Phoenix where they store and ship hundreds of bikes each month. While the brand still focuses on affordability and accessibility, its product offerings have expanded to include: lightweight road bikes, steel gravel bikes, coaster brake cruisers, electric bikes, apparel, and accessories. One bike in their lineup caught my attention a while back, the 4130 All-Road. Positioned as a versatile and well-equipped steel adventure bike, the 4130 fits 700c or 650b wheels with ample tire clearance, accepts drop or flat bars, boasts plenty of accessory mounts, and is designed around a comfortable geometry—for only $899!

In early 2022, State launched the 4130 All-Road with a SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS build kit for $1,999 and, if you were a prospective customer watching State’s website, you’d have noticed they sold out fast and have seen limited restocks. During that fleeting window of availability, I got my hands on one for this review and, over the past six months, have been logging long gravel rides, some singletrack shreds, and daily commutes. Continue reading for my thoughts on this capable machine…