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Keepers of the Flame: Shop Visit and Interview With Smith Levi of RatKing Frames

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Keepers of the Flame: Shop Visit and Interview With Smith Levi of RatKing Frames

Smith Levi, of RatKing Frames, has been dedicated to making frames and bicycle cargo accessories that merge fun and function for a decade. After getting started in Oakland, California in 2013, RatKing has since migrated north to Seattle, Washington and is a founding member of the creative collective Stunt Doubles. Andrew Johns recently had a chance to stop in the space for a chat with Smith and, below, shares a conversation that spans from the idea behind Stunt Doubles, to RatKing’s design inspiration and obsession with process, and Smith’s current offerings.

The 2023 Nutmeg Nor’Easter: A Fine Time in the Forest for Friends and Family From all Over

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The 2023 Nutmeg Nor’Easter: A Fine Time in the Forest for Friends and Family From all Over

Greetings and good tidings from Nutmeg Country, or welcome to the world of love, kindness, friendship, and joy. Maybe you’ve felt it all year long, or maybe you’ve been yearning to finally make the pilgrimage to the largest gathering of wool and steel on the East Coast. Either way, Jarrod Bunk has no doubt that stories of the soft times had in Nutmeg Country have reached your ears. The allure has been written about many times in this corner of the internet. The annual Nutmeg Nor’easter masquerades as the best alt-cycling weekend but Jarrod’s here to tell you that what you’ll find when you arrive is the biggest group hug you could ever hope for. This is a cycling festival that’s more about the people and the riding is just the reason to gather. Read on for Jarrod’s recap of the 2023 edition of the Nutmeg Nor’Easter.

Bikepacking The Lesser Known Corners of Northern Spain

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Bikepacking The Lesser Known Corners of Northern Spain

Armed with bike, camera, and plenty of curiosity Werka Szalas set out for a month on the road in Northern Spain. The main focus of her trip was to visit the Picos de Europa National Park in the province of Asturias but she couldn’t help spending time detouring through Leon and Cantabria, too. Read on and check out her gallery for a closer look at a few of the lesser-known corners of Spain. 

A Fine Time in Raleigh, North Carolina With Fine Bikes and Oak City Cycling

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A Fine Time in Raleigh, North Carolina With Fine Bikes and Oak City Cycling

Last year Mitchell Connell fell in love with a custom road bike he saw at a bike show. After missing an opportunity to test ride the bike, he took a road trip to Raleigh, North Carolina to find it and its creator, Charles Thompson of Fine Bikes. Along the way, Mitchell got to pay a visit to the iconic local shop, Oak City Cycling, and get the tour of Raleigh’s mixed-surface riding.  

San Juan Splendor: Circumnavigation of Mt Wilson

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San Juan Splendor: Circumnavigation of Mt Wilson

While winter has already set in over in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, Todd Gillman and a troop of friends snuck in one last hurrah of the year, a two-day leaf peep bike tour to circumnavigate Mt. Wilson while the leaves were still poppin’. Read on for Todd’s lively route description and file this instant backcountry classic away for next year—you won’t soon forget Aaron LaVanchy‘s stunning photo set…

Damn Well Good Enough: A Review of the Shimano Deore XT LINKGLIDE

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Damn Well Good Enough: A Review of the Shimano Deore XT LINKGLIDE

Prioritizing longevity and smooth shifting, Shimano’s LINKGLIDE technology offers an alternative to the weight and speed focus of most 12-speed drivetrains, with a new cassette designed to last 3x longer than their HYPERGLIDE+ technology. It uses an 11-speed chain, a new tooth design, and Shimano’s legacy HG freehub to achieve these feats. Whether it’s going on a new bike or bringing an old rig into the 1x world Shimano’s new LINKGLIDE technology might just be the right fit for you.

Updates From the CDT Part 4: Resistance and Enchantment Through the Final Miles

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Updates From the CDT Part 4: Resistance and Enchantment Through the Final Miles

What does it mean to ride the 3,300-mile spine of the Continental Divide, from the Canadian to Mexican border across the United States? Very few people can say, but Kurt Refsnider can now count himself among them. In his fourth installment from the Continental Divide Trail, Kurt writes about the final miles through a geologist’s lens and how New Mexico held just as much resistance as it did enchantment.

Losing Our Heads at the Onguza Loskop Local Cycling Festival in Namibia

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Losing Our Heads at the Onguza Loskop Local Cycling Festival in Namibia

Held in Omaruru, Namibia this past July, the Onguza Loskop Local is a weekend festival with “great food, drinks & friends, with a wee bit of cycling thrown in for good measure.” After deciding the event looked really lekker Cape Town locals Stan Engelbrecht and Donnet Dumas made the trip out and each rode the event in divergent fashions—Donnet on a borrowed too-small Giant, and Stan on his ill-advised fixed-gear with skinny tires—and share a joint account of their adventure…

Properly Tall: Bags By Bird Right Height Bag Review

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Properly Tall: Bags By Bird Right Height Bag Review

Jay Ritchey of Bags By Bird (BXB) recently started offering custom bags not only for fabric choice and all the usual options but also specifically tailored to the height of your bars and your desired width. For riders with a lot of front-end real estate or those with a minimal amount, this can be an amazing way to maximize your gear space. In true BXB fashion, the bag looks incredible and functions equally beautifully.

Creative Exposure Pt 3: A WTF-NB Database of Photographers and Videographers

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Creative Exposure Pt 3: A WTF-NB Database of Photographers and Videographers

After often being the only female-identifying photographer/videographer in the proverbial room at cycling events, Natalie Starr began compiling a list of diverse professionals back in 2019. After sharing a follow-up to her initial post, Natalie is back with a third installment of folks to book for your next industry gig (looking at you marketers!). Let’s check it out below!

Where Bintage Hides In The Spectrum Of Fantasy And Reality: A Tael Of Two Brother Cycles Mr Wooden Builds

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Where Bintage Hides In The Spectrum Of Fantasy And Reality: A Tael Of Two Brother Cycles Mr Wooden Builds

Petor Georgallou recently built up a Brother Cycles Mr. Wooden alongside his buddy Neil. Below, Petor delves into piles of parts and decides on some unusual choices as the cornerstone of his build. Follow along for his musings on old bike parts, laughing with friends, and maybe even getting two whole bikes running for the price of one. 

Secrets of the City: A Cycling Tour of Seattle’s Hidden Swim Beaches

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Secrets of the City: A Cycling Tour of Seattle’s Hidden Swim Beaches

It is hard to avoid the bodies of water that surround Seattle. I have always loved the water, from childhood summers spent swimming in Greenlake, to building illicit rope swings in high school, to having a first date on a small strip of sand my family long ago dubbed “Secret Beach.” As I grew up, I learned my friends had their own secret beaches, small access points bordered by tall trees and houses, strips of pebbles off Lake Washington Boulevard with a view of Mount Rainier, and rare sandy beaches touching the icy waters of Puget Sound.

Continue reading below for Conor Courtney‘s two-wheeled explorations of Seattle’s secret beaches…

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…