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Following a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, Rapha Prestige returned last year with twelve event locations around the world. Dillon Osleger designed and hosted one of the events in the Los Padres National Forest outside of Santa Barbara, CA. Accompanied by imagery from Jordan Clark Haggard, Dillon describes the Prestige ride along his untraditional route that became an expression of a special place, of its varying ecosystems, unique culture, and epic vistas.
Our Radar Roundup is where we take some of the news items to come across our inboxes into an easy-to-digest dump of sorts, culling down the clutter from our homepage and making it easier to stay on top of what’s going on in our little corner of the cycling industry. This will come particularly in handy when it comes to spring/summer product drops from our favorite brands.
Check out our Radar Roundup below with products, videos, and a Radavision entry…
Photos by @snowymountainphotography
Grounded Nebraska, a gravel race set in the backdrop of a day-long festival, is coming next year on Saturday, June 25, 2022, in Roca, Nebraska. Presented as a gravel festival, it embraces the community culture of gravel racing. But, the event is made to be enjoyable for non-riders and riders alike with amusement park-like attractions, live music, clinics, local food, and on-site camping.
Arya and Ronnie, the two cuties that are at the front of our bike bag sponsor Ron’s Bikes, invited my partner Karla and me to come over to their event, the Nutmeg Nor’Easter. Described as “the non-competitive alt cycling world championship” and running its fifth edition, this would be the first Nor’Easter after a time where reunions were discouraged, but the organizers still took care of delivering an event 100% outdoors and only for vaccinated people, although no vaccination cards were verified. Because you see, this is the type of gathering where you are trusted to care for yourself and those around you, but in a non-coercive way. For Karla and me this would be our first time not only in Connecticut, but also east of the Rocky Mountains; the first impressions, provided by our Uber trip from the airport at 1 am, made us think we were in a good scenario for which stories, and local tales revealed we weren’t wrong.
American Classic recently relaunched as a tire company, offering a variety of sizes for road, gravel, and e-bikes at an approachable price point. Coinciding with the relaunch, American Classic has established an ambassador program and is currently seeking applicants.
All types of riders and racers are encouraged to complete the application form to be considered. American Classic will then follow up and provide tires to those selected in exchange for feedback, fun content, and the charge of spreading the joy of cycling.
If you’re not from Pennsylvania there’s a good chance you have at least heard of Johnstown. Maybe it was from the lyrics of a Bruce Springsteen song, or the pages of your history books. Sitting in the Conemaugh River Valley, Johnstown was the site of a devastating flood in 1889, and then again in 1936 and 1977. Given the city’s notoriety for flooding, the staging of this year’s Higher Ground Hundo event put on by the fine people of Hope Cyclery was mildly concerning.
Our favorite gravel event, the Ruta Del Jefe, is returning in 2022 with registration opening up November 21-24th. This event takes place in Southern Arizona, in and out of Patagonia’s surrounding mountains and dirt roads. It’s an amazing weekend and hopefully you can make it to the 2022 event! That said, there’s a lot to digest about how you can enter, where the RDJ is being held, who is a part of the event, and what the event’s intent is, so for those unfamiliar with the Ruta del Jefe, read the full press-release from Sarah Swallow below and check out our event Reportage in the Related Archives. Holler in the comments with any questions and we hope to see you there!
Marley Blonsky is using her platform, All Bodies On Bikes, to bring awareness and accessibility to one of America’s most famous gravel events, SBT GRVL. Read on below for a full press release about how you can enter for a chance to win one of fifteen spots for non-traditional athletes…
Forgotten Roads is a video series by Safa Brian that features some of California’s lesser-known roads and routes. In this episode, Safa and his friend Alex head up to Idyllwild to take on some high elevation dirt…
This series is a look at the women pushing gravel cycling to be better than it already is. I photograph them to share their stories, their outlooks, their experiences.
With my hatchback stuffed with cameras and stands, camping gear, more cycling kit than I could wear, and my bike on the back I created this project. I put 3000 miles on my car over a month traveling around the country, connecting with these women in parking lots and trailheads, trekking through woods and up mountains. When I pulled up at the start line of SBT GRVL for my first bike race it was with many of them toeing the line as well.
Through every conversation, I learned more about them and the world of gravel that I’m falling so deeply into. I shot against a backdrop to single out, raise up, and celebrate these icons of the sport. Our time shared in this space I created sacred because of its intention.
What is more special than to create a moment, and then capture it?
The Good Line is a short film about the intersection of gravel cycling and mental health, particularly as it relates to men.
Since acquiring Five Ten a few years ago, Adidas has been ramping up its cycling catalog. We saw the brands first big move with the Velosamba shoes and now with their new, high-cuff gravel shoes. These SPD shoes contain recycled material (50% of upper is recycled content), offer a sock-like snug fit, are lightweight and stiff, and because we always end up on a hike a bike, the sole is made from a durable and grippy material. See more at Adidas.
American Classic, known for wheels in the past, have relaunched as a tire company, making e-bike, road, and gravel tires, selling direct to consumer. Each tire design comes in either a 40mm, 50mm in 700c widths or 47mm in 650b in gumwall or black and the retail is a whopping $35… See more at American Classic.
100 Percent has been increasing its cycling apparel and accessories catalog over the years and this week the brand announced its newest product: the Altis Gravel Helmet. This helmet was designed to be slim fitting for gravel riding but built to endure the demands of modern mountain biking. While this helmet is packed with details, the most impressive is its pricepoint of $100.
Specs:
-Smartshock® Rotational Protective System (11 point)
-High-Density EPS foam injection and molded with polycarbonate. All sized in specific molds (XS/S, S/M, and L/XL)
-Massive airflow with an impressive 14 ventilation ports
-Expanded coverage while staying lightweight
-Washable, moisture-wicking anti-microbial liner
-Adjustable ratcheting fitment system
-Nexus push release snap-buckle
See more at 100 Percent.
The GravelRide des 13 Terrils took place in Liège Belgium. Its idea is to connect 13 Terrils around the city, bringing the riders through a dichotomic, post-industrial landscape mixed with countryside views in close proximity. This route came out to be 117km.
If you’re looking for the complete Nutmeg Country experience, then may we suggest the fifth annual Nutmeg Nor’Easter, hosted by RonsBikes.com. This year the event lands on October 22nd – 24th and includes a weekend of riding bikes, sampling the picturesque vernacular, camping, and more! Head on over to RonsBikes.com to see all the details and check out our previous Reportage from this event in the Related articles below.
Babad Do’ag, roughly translates to “Frog Mountain” in the O’odham language. This mountain is now commonly referred to as Mt. Lemmon, named after botanist Sara Plummer Lemmon who studied the botany of the mountain in the late 1800s. The imposing profile of the sprawling mountain range that lines the north and east sides of Tucson is impossible to ignore. While the paved road up into the range is the stuff of road biking legend there is a huge spectrum of unpaved roads that circle the mountain as well. While Patagonia, AZ has been an epicenter of gravel cycling in Southern Arizona, I wanted to bring some attention to a route that was more Tucson-focused.
Ride with GPS‘ new “Ride Buddies” video series pairs cyclists together for a video podcast. This episode features Sarah Sturm and Sarah Swallow.
