The Radavist

During his sojourn to Northern California in April, John Watson wanted to document one framebuilder in particular whose work had caught his eye. John Fitzgerald has been building elegant custom steel bicycles under the name Fitz Cyclez for just under two decades, yet he tends to fly under the radar. He doesn’t attend the big bike shows, and he’s not really interested in marketing his brand. But as anyone who’s seen a Fitz in the wild can attest, his work speaks for itself – and his work is seen often throughout Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area, thanks to Fitz’s popularity within the randonneuring community.

To tell the tale of Fitz Cyclez from the eyes of a local, John Watson tapped Santa Rosa’s own Nicholas Haig-Arack to interview John Fitzgerald. Take a peek into the world of Fitz Cyclez.

Continuing our 2024 Philly Bike Expo coverage with more Reportage with words and photos by Brad Quartuccio, featuring Chapman Cycles, Chumba Cycles, and Doom Bars. Let’s get to it!

Wrapping up our coverage (for now) that showcases the celebrated work and career of San Diego-based framebuilder Rob Roberson, today we take a look at one of Rob’s most recent builds – a custom gravel bike for his friend and co-worker Jon Pucci. Rob and Jon worked together for years in Joe Bell‘s storied paint shop and conspired together for a chunk of that time planning what would become Jon’s dream bike and one he could adorn with an equally fitting paint job. As with all of Rob’s builds (and Jon’s paint, too), there’s a lot to take in so let’s get to it!

Founded in the college town of Tempe, AZ, State Bicycle Company started out selling affordable fixed-gear bikes and geared townies for college students and commuters. In their ten years of mostly direct-to-consumer bike business since, State has grown exponentially and now occupies a large warehouse/office in downtown Phoenix where they store and ship hundreds of bikes each month. While the brand still focuses on affordability and accessibility, its product offerings have expanded to include: lightweight road bikes, steel gravel bikes, coaster brake cruisers, electric bikes, apparel, and accessories. One bike in their lineup caught my attention a while back, the 4130 All-Road. Positioned as a versatile and well-equipped steel adventure bike, the 4130 fits 700c or 650b wheels with ample tire clearance, accepts drop or flat bars, boasts plenty of accessory mounts, and is designed around a comfortable geometry—for only $899!

In early 2022, State launched the 4130 All-Road with a SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS build kit for $1,999 and, if you were a prospective customer watching State’s website, you’d have noticed they sold out fast and have seen limited restocks. During that fleeting window of availability, I got my hands on one for this review and, over the past six months, have been logging long gravel rides, some singletrack shreds, and daily commutes. Continue reading for my thoughts on this capable machine…

These past few months have been particularly harsh here in the Southern Rockies. Santa Fe has been hammered with winter weather, leaving even the in-town XC trails in a constant freeze/thaw cycle, rendering them unrideable. We’re lucky to have a network of gravel bike trails and acequia paths that remain open throughout winter, making it a perfect time for mixed-terrain riding.

To get me through this particularly brütal winter, I’ve had a lovely companion from our friends across the pond at Cotic. They sent me their Escapade gravel bike to review and it couldn’t have arrived at a better time. While my mountain bikes remain hung up on the wall, I’ve been putting in slow miles on the Cotic Escapade, pushing this bike to become my ideal all-terrain road bike for the frigid months at 7,000′. How did it stack up? Read on for more…

I’ve heard that whatever you think is cool when you’re 18 will be cool to you forever. When it comes to steel bikes that is 100% true for me. There’s something so classic and so sexy about a well-built steel bike. Clean lines, shiny parts, and smooth curves, I’d take an old Cinelli over a new Trek 10 times out of 10. That said, in these modern days, with fat tires taking over and gravel riding in abundance, what is an Italian-steel-loving aficionado to do in order to stay relevant and enjoy all the group rides and off-road adventures with friends? Fear not fellow connoisseur, for the Crust Bikes Malocchio exists.

Classic road geometry has always had a nice visual appeal to me. The straight lines and minimalistic look are sleek and pure. When MASH launched their steel All Road frameset, I just had to try one.