The Radavist

MinneCycle 2017 : Vincent Dominguez Cycles Not So Mellow, Yellow Disc Road
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk

After I hopped off the plane and a short ride to MinneCycle 5, Minnesota’s handmade bicycle show, I waited out the harsh light and 90 degree temps outside by checking out the show inside.  One of the first bikes was this Dominguez. I wasn’t super familiar with Dominguez, but soon after observing this bike I wanted to be.

There is nothing mellow about this yellow bike, especially when you look closely, which I did!  The fully lined, internal cable routing, with some beautiful entry points into the frame, is what drew me in closer. Once I was there, I noticed things like the logo-less DT Swiss hubs, Campagnolo Chorus build – but most of all the frame details.

The mixture of fillet brazing and lugs to me was just the right amount of both. The way they integrate into the frame elegantly so as to not take away from each other really caught my eye. Scalloped seatstays and the slightly offset front brake housing – so as to not rub the headtube – were the final nails in this killer build. Check out Dominguez Cycles for more.

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram.

Knowledge is best passed, like a torch, through experience. There are many institutions which educate hopeful framebuilders in the art of design, construction, and finishing of a bicycle frame. They each take their own approach to this process and many of our favorite builders have learned in this hands-on, classroom environment.

Nestled in an industrial building, within the town of Frome in Somerset, the Bicycle Academy threw their towel into the framebuilding education ring a few years back and in that time, have grown their curriculum into an impressive institution. All this could not have been possible if it were not for the successful crowdfunding operation and the 183 people who donated money and 23 individuals who donated their skills to jumpstart the Bicycle Academy.

Say what you will about hardtail mountain bikes. Die hard park rats think they’re antiquated, beginners often times think they’re hard to ride and the most common complaint I hear is that it’s hard getting bucked all over the place without rear suspension. Granted a lot of those common conceptions can have some truth to them, yet with the advent and availability of new rear spacing, dropper posts that work really well and bigger tire sizes, a hardtail can be pretty damn capable and even a lot of fun. For the past six months, I’ve been riding what I consider a new benchmark in hardtail mountain bike design: a 140mm travel, slack and low, 27.5+ hardtail, complete with a dropper post and a 1x drivetrain. This one in particular was built by hand in Napa by Curtis Inglis of Retrotec. So what does the creator of this beast call it? Well, what else? It’s a Funduro.

Massan’s Low – a San Francisco Giant!
Photos and words by Kyle Kelley

Massan has been around since the beginning of all this track bike shit. His fluid riding, effortlessly controlled hill bombs and huge Sugino Zen chainrings made his name a staple on bike forums and in bike shops long ago and his timeless style have earned him a lasting place in the bike industry as a whole. Unlike many of the early track bike videos, which are easily dated by old fixie tricks or bunny hops, Massan’s videos are only dated by the bike he is on. From the era of his blacked out Bianchi Pista Concept (remember the HUF bike?) to his time with Leader, his videos have always highlighted his effortless style and amazing bike control.

To say that Massan just rides is an understatement though. He never looks like he’s smashing, but he is. He never looks like he’s flying, but trust me, he is. Like many of the skateboarding greats, people have said Massan is boring to watch because he makes this shit look too damn easy. There’s never been a hill he wouldn’t drop or a gap he wouldn’t shoot. Massan’s calm/cool demeanor translates well to the bike, making him one of the most graceful cyclists on a track bike.

Years ago I was visiting San Francisco and made plans to hangout with Massan. Usually we spend our time talking about cassette tapes, hip-hop and b&w photography, but on that day I needed to swing by Andrew Low’s place to say hi and asked Massan if he wanted to come along. Andrew makes exactly the kind of bicycles that Massan likes to ride – oversized aluminum tubes, aggressive geometry and fast as hell! And it doesn’t hurt that they’re made in the city that he came from. The rest, as they say, is history. Andrew and Massan have been working together since that day and this bike is their latest collaboration.

Massan’s new Low is the SS Crit, the first production track bike designed specifically for the track bike criteriums happening these days. The first thing that comes to mind when I see this bike is the San Francisco Giants! I’m not sure if that was Massan’s intention, but what better way to show San Francisco pride than to paint your bike Giant’s orange. This build has Massan written all over it with the massive Sugino Zen chainring, Thomson post and stem, Vittoria rubber, Phil Woods and of course some HED Belgium Blacks!

Massan..I salute you!

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Follow Kyle on Instagram and Massan on Instagram.

The number of people that roll through Golden Saddle Cyclery with nice bikes on any given day is impressive. So impressive that often times, I shoot their bikes, dump the memory cards and literally forget about them until one day I stumble across the photos. Ian was visiting LA back in February from NYC, where he works in film. Knowing that LA has dirt roads for miles, he brought along his 650b Seven Cycles Evergreen S, a titanium “all-road” bike built for long days on dirt. His bike has a few trick details, including the sub fork race-Edelux light mount and those juicy Compass Babyshoe Pass tires. With the reliability of Shimano Ultegra hydro, solid Ritchey components, a titanium post and a vintage Flite, this bike is just begging for trouble in the mountains! If you see Ian, tell him LA says hi and to holler next time he’s in town!

Back when a lot of bmx companies were in the throes of making fixed gears and track bikes, Standard decided to just jump right into making cyclocross bikes. They’re made-to-order, super clean with internal routing and a powder coat color of your choice. Huy has a BMX background and when he found out about the SBC ‘cross bikes, he had to have one. A few months later and this beaut showed up, with a candy blue powder coat, awaiting parts. At the MWBA Pancake Breakfast I took some time documenting this no-nonsense race or fire road-ready frame.