The PBJ, or Performance Basket Jammer, has been a model in the Sklar Bikes lineup for some time now. But today, the San Francisco-based framebuilder and bike company announced a production run of these veritable “do it all” framesets ($1,399), so let’s take a more in-depth look…
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Radar
Stridsland Teases the Barge Steep and Slack Rigid 27.5+ MTB
Stridsland, known for its Beachcomber rigid 26″ MTB, teased a potential next 27.5+ model in its catalog on its Instagram this week, dubbed the Barge. The Stridsland Barge features a 65º head angle, a 75º seat angle, 420 mm chainstays, boost spacing, 1 1/8″ head tube, and a 430 mm axle to crown Barnacle fork. The size XL Barge has a 520 mm reach.
To get on the list for the Barge and see more of Stridsland‘s thoughts on the bike, roll on over to its Instagram! If you’re wondering who or what is Stridsland, check out our profile in the Related Archives below!
Radar
The Sour Bicycles Bad Granny Pre-Order
As covered in our 2023 MADE Reportage, the Sour Bicycles Bad Granny rigid MTB frameset (1,099 € ) is up for grabs in a pre-order. Read on for all the details as the order window closure is approaching…
Reportage
Casey’s Manzanita Cycles Rigid 29er Klunker MTB, aka the Klunquazita
Teased in the Campandgoslow Shop Visit and Trout Tape post, John got to shoot Casey’s delicious rigid 29er klunker Manzanita Cycles mountain bike while visiting Great Basin Pottery in the foothills of the Easter Sierra. This bike is a perfect mix of vintage throwback and modern mixed-terrain sensibilities. Check out a detailed photo gallery below with words from the bar tape/potter Hemmingway, Casey himself, along with a Q&A with Nick from Manzanita…
Reportage
Tumbleweed Sunliner Review: A Timeless Mountain Touring Bike
The Tumbleweed Sunliner ($3775 complete) continues a long-held tradition of equipping a mountain bike with touring accoutrements. Since the mountain bike’s inception, people have been bolting racks and strapping bags to them, taking advantage of its beefy chassis and wide gearing to pedal deeper into rugged terrain than ever before. John has been riding the Sunliner all year in the Southern Rockies, both unloaded as a trail bike and loaded on camping trips. Read on for his thorough assessment of this timeless touring bike…
Radar
The Stayer Cycles stAyTB is a Vintage MTB Homage
Inspired by the work of Tom Ritchey and the very first production mountain bikes in California, the Stayer Cycles stAyTB project is a collaborative effort with 2nd Life Bikes. The stAyTB project consists of a frame, fork, bullmoose bars, day rack, wheels, headbadge and other bits and bobs all beautifully and somewhat singularly fillet brazed and fashioned in Leytonstone, East London. Let’s check it out.
Radar
Ronnie’s Alumalith Refresh
Ronnie’s Alumalith debuted here in our 2022 Philly Bike Expo coverage and since that virgin voyage, he’s put countless miles on it from the Northeast to the Southwest. Long overdue for an overhaul, his refresh looks very similar to Josh’s build with a Sklar-built Bullmoose. Check it out for some ASMR vibes this afternoon and be sure to visit Ronsbikes.com.
Radar
Readers’ Rides: François’ Panorama Torngat Ti Fat Bike in Summer Mode
Inspired by Hailey’s review of the Panorama Cycles Torngat Ti in full-fat winter mode, François submitted a full-length Readers’ Rides review of his Torngat Ti in summer mode. Let’s check it out!
Radar
Spencer’s Crust Bikes Scapebot Wheel Swap Chainline Hack Video
With Crust Bikes’ Scapebot frame, you can swap from 29 x 2.4″ tires and wheels to a massive 26″ x 3.8″ setup… but it takes some tinkering and a clever hack. Shed tinker lord Spencer shows us how in this supplementary video to his Scapebot review.
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Yann from Cycles Khelonys Folding 27.5+ Touring Bike
Yann from Cycles Khelonys sent in the folding 27.5+ touring bike the team displayed at this year’s Concours de Machines, winning them third place. Let’s check out the process and final build below…
Radar
The Firefly ATB is a Drop or Flat Bar Tourer
Our buddies over at Firefly Bicycles just dropped a beauty of a bike model dubbed the ATB ($5,500 frameset). This new platform is designed for flat or drop bars, dirt roads to single track, unloaded and loaded touring. Let’s check it out below…
Reportage
Singular Cycles Swift MK5 Review: 29+ Ain’t Dead
Initially released in the mid-aughts, the Singular Cycles Swift was one of the first bikes to embrace 29-inch wheels, which, as we now know, became a highly popular size during the proceeding decades. Still, nearly twenty years later, the Swift endures. The frameset has undergone multiple updates over the years, with the most recent incarnation featuring elements true to its roots, like thin steel frame tubing, eccentric bottom bracket, thicc tire clearance, and reasonable pricing. Yet the MK5 version, launched in late 2023, finally gets internal dropper routing, tapered headtube, boost spacing, and thru axles.
When Josh swung through Portland, Oregon, earlier this year, he picked up a Swift test frameset from US distributor Biciclista and outfitted it with choice parts from generous partners like Ingrid, Chris King, and Paul. A longtime fan of plus tire bikes, Josh reviews the Swift after a few months of riding on his home trails in southern Arizona. Is this 29+ suspension-corrected rigid bike still relevant in 2024? Read on to find out…
Reportage
Viral Derive Review: Titanium Pinion Smart.Shift Hardtail 29er
Yesterday, John walked us through the electronic shifting Pinion C1.12i Smart.Shift gearbox in an in-depth review, and today, we’ll be looking at the bike it was installed on, the Viral Bike Derive hardtail. You know we love hardtails at The Radavist, and this one did not disappoint…
Reportage
Monē Bikes SB2 Review: Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’
We talk a lot about the early klunkers, from Breezers to Cunninghams and Ritcheys, but what about the very first MTBs in the US, the coaster cruisers, aka mountain cruisers? These esoteric singlespeeds rely on a coaster brake hub to control their speed and were adapted from old Schwinn newspaper bikes.
Read on as John reviews his coaster cruiser, a Monē Bikes Small Batch Straight Bar, aka the SB2. These bikes are the simplest mountain bike you can ride: No hand brakes. No gears. Big bars. Balloon tires. This is peak coaster cruiser!
Reportage
The Stooge Speedbomb Review: Maybe It’s Not a Compromise After All
In this Stooge Speedbomb review, Jason Fuller reflects on our collective obsession with ever-more-complicated bicycle technologies, and what led him to give up suspension for the simplicity of a rigid mountain bike. Beyond the retro-grouches and technophobes, can a rigid mountain bike be more fulfilling than one with suspension?
Radar
Brother Cycles 2024 New Colors for Mr. Wooden and Big Bro Available Today
Brother Cycles’ Mr Wooden received a new color, Lilac Metallic, for 2024. The Mr Wooden is an all-rounder, rim brake bike. Gravel, touring, adventure, commuting, the Mr Wooden does it all. This new color is available for ordering today from Brother Cycles…
Radar
The Stooge Cycles Dirt Tracker is a Modern Tracker Bike
Remember a few weeks ago when we linked to the Tracker story on the Stooge Cycles website? Well, that should have been a hint or at least a wink wink, nod that Andy from Stooge was working on a Tracker-inspired bike! Yesterday he announced just that, the Dirt Tracker, so let’s check it out…
Radar
Readers’ Rides: Thomas’ Trek Sawyer Drop-Bar MTB
There are some bikes that are forever bikes. For Thomas from The Bike Hub, that bike is his trusty Trek Sawyer that he converted to a Drop-Bar MTB. Let’s check it out below!