The Radavist

“John, let’s just ride bikes, don’t bring your camera.”

I’ve heard it countless times and history has proven that no matter what, if I don’t bring my camera, I end up wishing I had. Especially when it comes to new trails. Extra especially when it comes to new trails in the Pacific Northwest.

On my last day in Portland, Ira and Tony from Breadwinner Cycles invited me on a Sunday afternoon trail ride, about an hour outside of Portland in the Brown’s Camp trail network. Up until that point, all I had ridden in the PDX area was Sandy Ridge and a few trails in Forest Park. Not exactly a sampling of the land.

Sacha White and the Vanilla Workshop has been around for over a decade and in that time, they’ve shaped what it means to be not only a frame builder in the US, but what it takes to be a successful brand. Whether it’s a custom, hand-built by Sacha, Vanilla frame or an in-house production Speedvagen, you’re going to get the best frame possible.

Joseph Ahearne‘s bikes, like Curtis Inglis’ bikes, have always piqued my interest. There’s something honest, yet artistic about his designs. He’s not afraid to use a 1″ threaded steerer, curvalicious racks, or yes, a kickstand (Hey, made my job easier!)

This Ahearne Cycles 27.5 dirt tourer is currently parked in Velo Cult and it’s a glimpse into the future for what’s to come from the two brands. Velo Cult loves this bike so much, that they’re going to work with Joseph to develop a 26+ and a 27.5 dirt tourer production version. It’ll have many of the same features, but be a bit simplified to bring the pricepoint down.

When a bike like this happens to be your size, you take it for a long ride around the block to photograph it… As stated, this particular model (which fits like a 58cm) is for sale at Velo Cult and a new production version is on the way. Holler at the guys if you’re interested in purchasing either.

The growth of a brand from an idea on social media to a brick and mortar store is always inspirational. For Portland, Oregon’s the Athletic, their brand began with a simple idea; designing socks, and has transformed into an entire retail space nestled in NorthWest Portland. In the few years the brand has existed, they’ve released dozens of designs online. Their most notable being a pair of turquoise 6″ tall socks embroidered with the PDX airport’s carpet pattern.

While their PDX Airport Socks might be their most famous work, the Athletic has worked with a number of small companies, as well as cycling teams to create that last essential piece of their cycling wardrobe. While most of their stock just so happens to be, you guessed it; socks, a lot of what the Athletic is doing reaches beyond that.

As the name implies, they are showcasing a particular façade of sports. Not necessarily the most current team’s rankings or franchise gear, but the art and culture that is inspired by athleticism. With zines, posters, bags, jump ropes and even a few pairs of Nike shoes on display, the Athletic’s storefront is more of a gift shop for the sporting enthusiast than it is a standard-issue sock store.

See some photos of their space in the Gallery and swing through their shop if you find yourself in Portland, or browse their stock online.

The Athletic
925 NW 19th Ave
Portland, OR
M-Fri 12pm – 6pm
Sa-Sun 12pm – 5pm

Last night’s party at Velo Cult was a blast. With events like the Gorge Roubaix in town, people came from all over the Pacific northwest to hang out, see the Santa Cruz Stigmata, chat photos, drink beer, eat delicious food, ogle vintage bikes and to see the new Domestic Display Tables.

Chris Diminno from the Chris King Gourmet Century was there, preparing a delicious spread of cured meats, cheeses and other nibble bits from Olympic Provisions. We packed the house out until late and before it got too out of hand, I slipped out to get a good night’s rest…

Check out some photos from the event in the Gallery and thanks to everyone that came out!

John Slawta is as much an artist as he is a frame builder. It’s rare to see any one of his custom bikes from the late 80’s or early 90’s with the same paint job. Sure, he went on stints where he developed paint themes, but each Land Shark frame was truly unique. It’s for this reason that I’ve often found myself on a Land Shark kick, where I’ll scour ebay or Craigslist, hopeful of finding a bike that would fit me.

That’s how David, a Stumptown employee, found this bike in particular. Truthfully, he actually scored two bikes when he replied to a Craigslist ad in Los Angeles. This one in particular just happened to fit him a bit better. Turns out, this was Harrison Ford’s son’s bike. Oh SoCal…

Not needing an actual cyclocross racing bike, David converted it to more of a commuter. Since it lacks fender mounts, he has clip-on fenders that he’ll swap on and off depending on the unpredictable Portland weather. Wide, uncut riser bars and a 1x drivetrain, thanks to a Wolf Tooth, give this bike a rally-like feel as he zips around town going to and from various Stumptown locations.

Dedacciai Zero tubes offer a unique silhouette, especially for a cyclocross bike. Check out the bi-oval, shaped, top tube’s flat profile for shouldering and the downtube’s diameter as it butts into the bottom bracket shell. A true custom selection for a bike that, at the time, was a ripping race machine. Hell, it would still roast a cyclocross course. For now, it’s pretty content as a commuter and David is stoked. Win/win if you ask me.

No Thanks, but Thanks
Photos and words by Kyle Von Hoetzendorff

I have made the decision to believe that that yes, global warming is happening. There is a ton of heavy shit that goes along with that, I know, I get it; superstorms, biblical droughts, floods, famine, plague, strife, real estate devaluations, shorter ski seasons, etc. A truckload, boatload, superfund, Yucca Mountain amount of issues right? Mega fusion/fission, black hole singularities, end-of-days issues.

But that’s all in the future right? I mean we’re good for a little while anyway. Us humans, as a social species, as a global community, we have never really been good at preventative care, especially if that means making things harder on ourselves. You could say that human evolution has really just been one long march towards the Lazy Boyz, on-demand, and a multi-stage high and low compression and rebound damping. By and large, we are a “wait and see” bunch…