The Radavist

For 25 years straight, these were some of the noises coming from the shop at Ti Cycles.

Now in stock, in limited numbers at Low Bicycles, the Mk1 Road Cadence Collection. As seen in our 2015 NAHBS coverage.

The Low Bicycles collaboration with Cadence Collection was inevitable. Both brands have supported grassroots racing in the Bay Area consistently over the years. This project was born out of an ongoing kinship between Dustin Klein and Andrew Low, as they both developed a following in the tight-knit messenger and alley-cat racing community. Both brands share an individualistic and creative mindset with an attitude and design philosophy that is informed by their mutual background.

Eric from Imshi Cycles continues to hone his skills as a framebuilder with this hot pink and white ‘cross bike. See more details at the Imshi Cycles Flickr!

Prior to paint, even the finest custom bicycle frames can be riddled with pinholes or inconsistencies hence the saying “every good builder needs a great painter.” Every now and again, I come across a photo that is so exceptional, both in the subject matter and the photo itself that I have to share it. More often than not, it’s from Map Bicycles. Mitch’s latest piece from his Randonneur Project build queue is stunning! Follow along at the Map Flickr.

Love the Ritchey Annapurna-inspired binder detail!

Chris Bishop is the master at the classic road, always delivering jaw-dropping beauty with details galore. Randy’s is no exception to this rule. Fitted with Campagnolo’s classiest group, Athena 11 and coated in a deep blue paint, this one will roll the streets of time with style… See more at the Bishop Flickr.

The Geekhouse Woodville is the Boston-based framebuilding outfit’s touring model. Designed for long-hauls on the road or even around-town commuting, these frames are guaranteed to see their share of miles. This pair in particular was built for Bryn and Katie in Colorado, who have been more than psyched on their new bikes.

I’ve had some of my favorite moments on a bicycle on mine and still to this day find myself tweaking little details. More on that to come next week. For now, here are a few unique specimens, documented by Heather McGrath. Check out more photos below and read up at the Geekhouse website!

Steel is real and ti is uh, fly? You bet it is, especially when its wielded by Santa Barbara’s Stinner Frameworks. What is considered a lifeline companion tubing material, titanium offers a lively feel unmatched by other choices and is perfect for an “all-road” or cyclocross bike.

To commemorate this new tubing option, Aaron is offering a Ti stinner frame for $3,100 (frame and matched Enve fork) to 15 spots. There are only 5 spots left as I’m typing this, so make think about it, but do so with haste. After that, the frameset price will be $3,495 for the frame, painted or raw, with a painted to match Enve fork. Holler at Stinner for more information.

Check out some more photos below, by our dude Hazardous Taste.

Like something out of a Mobius comic, this new Firefly uses eye-catching red and yellow chevrons while leaving most of the frame raw. All that comes to mind when I see it is one word: fire.

See more of this made in Boston beauty at the Firefly Flickr!

I don’t know what’s more impressive, Winter Bicycles‘ work or the fact that builder Eric Estlund always comes up with unique names for each build. In this case, a modern road model called Certeza, which is Portuguese for certainty, sureness and confidence.

The Winter Certeza is made from a selection of True Temper and Dedacciai tubes, with a confident Columbus MAX fork. The shaped tubes are joined with an elegance found only in smooth fillet-brazing.

For the kit, Eric built the Certeza with Dura Ace 9000, C24 wheels and a PRO kit. The Cane Creek headset is done in matching black and silver. To complete the build, a stem with a “French Point” treatment. The frame and fork are designed to accommodate a range of tire widths for different surfaces and are shown with 25mm Veloflex tires. Keith Anderson provided the Certeza with it’s deep pearl white paint and gold drop shadowed logos.

Check out more detailed photos below and as always, stay on top of Winter via their Instagram.

Chris Igleheart makes a touring bike best acclimated for riding around Oregon’s Painted Hills for the 7 Bikes for 7 Wonders project.

These are so good! I love the concept behind this bike that Vulture Cycles built for the 7 Bike for 7 Wonders project. The climbing rope streamers are a great touch!

As part of the 7 Bikes for 7 Wonders project, Wolfhound Cycles created a backcountry MTB for exploring Mt Hood’s glorious service roads. Fog. Trees. Epicness.

If there was ever to be a gilded knight in the Speedvagen guard, it would have to be the Urban Racer. This bike was the most polarizing figure in the small framebuilding community that I can remember. I will say however, over the past few weeks, I’ve seen a number of people take the Urban Racer platform as inspiration to build their own budget versions. When’s the last time you can recall a small side project like the UR have an effect like that?

After the initial release, Sacha and the folks at Speedvagen made this insane gilded Urban Racer for a client and the photos pop like the Vegas skyline.

Sure, this bike isn’t for everyone, but can all appreciate something as insane as this, right? And it’s made by hand in Portland, Oregon. Check out more photos at the Speedvagen Flickr.

Want to save on a titanium, made in the USA hardtail XC racing 29’r? Chumba’s new Ti Stella might be what you’re looking for. As an introductory pre-order Chumba is pricing their new XC machine at $1,799, which is a steal for a made in the USA titanium hardtail.

Check out more information below or just head to Chumba for the details…

If you can’t tell, the “sickness” has spilled over into the weekend. I hope you’re all out riding and soaking in the summer sunshine. More on this bike next week!

Last week, Mellow Johnny’s had the great pleasure of hosting a frame builder’s happy hour that showcased the work of five local bicycle artisans. With so many talented frame builders in the immediate Austin area, it only makes sense to get them out of their work sheds and together for a party. Icarus, Chumba, Kirklee, Paramour, and Saila all descended upon the shop for a night where they could showcase their work and talk to established fans as well as potential clients.

The energy was rambunctious. Halfway through the night, I found myself surrounded by over 100 people who were enjoying beer, friends, and the company of some beautiful bicycles. The amount of “oh’s” and “ah’s” were uncountable. From someone marveling over the beautiful weld work of Lauren from Saila to an in-depth conversation about carbon frame repair with KirkLee, there was something for all tastes. The amount of support and admiration that was had for these humble local builders was a testament to the tight-knit and passionate community that is evident in Austin’s cycling community.

For myself, the highlight of the night was hanging out with the fellas of Chumba Cycles. After talking with them about their home base right down the road from Pace Bend State Park and witnessing their love of beer, it was clear these guys loved to shred and loved to have a good time. The coolest bike they brought was a fully loaded 29+ rig called the Ursa 29+. Able to fit a 3.0 inch tire, the Ursa is clearly a bike that has the potential to handle just about any terrain you could throw at it. Three bottle cages and the ability to run a Singlespeed, 1x, or 2x set up leads to extreme versatility and the option for fully loaded camping or an afternoon shred session at your favorite local trails. The Ursa they brought was outfitted with their Zulu series bags for handlebar, stem, seat, and frame. Vince from Chumba shared with me his story about taking the bike to Ecuador for a 7-day bikepacking trip from Cotapaxi to Chimborazo and all I could think about for the rest of the night was the plan for my next bikepacking trip!

All in all, the event was a huge success. Good times were had, there was much “nerding out” on bikes, and many Topo Chicos and beers were consumed. If you have a local frame builder in your town and you’re looking for your next bike, it’s so important to see what they have to offer. Check out a few more photos below and see the full gallery at Mellow Johnny’s.