Even throughout the hustle and bustle, John documented a few choice Beautiful Bicycles at last weekend’s 2025 LA Invitational. Read on for a broad range of some of the event’s most unique builds…
1978 Colner Restoration by The Bicycle Stand
Evan from The Bicycle Stand in Long Beach does one-by-one restorations of classic bikes for clients. Colner was Ernesto Colnago’s secondary brand. The name was said to be derived from the legendary builder’s name: COLNago, ERnesto .
He created the brand to get around the UCI rules that only allowed a sponsor to have one cycling team. Additionally, Colner could be sold to dealers in a region where there was already a Colnago dealer, as the brand had strict protection to avoid dealer location overlap.
Even though Ernesto called Colner a “down-market” brand, special attention was given to thinning the investment cast lugs and using an Ace of Spades for its logo, as opposed to the Colnago “Club” trademark. Evan’s restoration included stripping anodizing from the original pantographed components, polishing, infilling the milling with paint, and a complete respray of the frame. The build was completed using a mix of restored and new-old-stock (NOS) components.
This bike won best in show at the 2025 LA Invitational.
@TheBicycleStand
Nate‘s Anaxyrus Crust Wombat Ritchey Homage
Inspired by John’s Ritchey Restorations, Nate spent a few months looking for a Ritchey Commando in his size. Not finding anything, he decided to make his own. Starting with a Crust Wombat, he bought a set of Stridsland Bullship Bars and got to work. The job included pinging Paul from Atomic Cycles to add a derailleur hanger, Nate painted the frame, made homage decals, and had Hern from MMFG apply a clear coat.
Anaxyrus boreas is the binomial nomenclature for the genus and species of the Western toad. Nate and his partner are hobby naturalists, and he finds inspiration in the San Gabriel Mountains for everything he does. The rim brake 27.5″ wheel chassis, SON dynamo-equipped, dropper post, and modern components uphold the spirit of the original Ritchey frames, while updating the tech for the rigors of contemporary mountain biking.
@NateGrossman
Gio from We Major‘s Surly Disc Trucker Basket Bike
We Major is a Black-owned apparel and accessory brand based in Los Angeles. Gio Stewart is an active member of the Los Angeles cycling scene, hosting weekly group rides and other community-driven outreach initiatives.
The We Major logo carries meaning for Gio. The circle represents the “We” for the people, and “Major” meaning that not only are “we” enough as human beings coming from various cultures and backgrounds, but that we are more than enough. We Major! This message is specifically intentional for BIPOC representation to exist within the realm of cycling and outdoor adventure.
This Surly Disc Trucker features We Major water bottles and a Front Rack Basket Bag.
@WeMajorLA
Leo‘s It Takes a Village Evasion Lite
It took a village to get Leo’s Crust Bikes Evasion Lite rolling. The frame was purchased from Fabrica de Rosas when Jimmy first opened his bicycle studio, The Cub House helped with the build, including sourcing some of the Chris King Violet bits, and Leo bought the Chris King Violet from the Rad Bazaar from John.
The Evasion Lite is a perfect platform for taking on the long gravel road climbs in Los Angeles, but more importantly, the bike stoked the flame of riding for Leo, getting him back on the bike after being hit by a car a number of years ago.
@LeoEguiarte
Errin‘s Ocean Air Cycles Rambler Dirty Randonneur built by Bantam
Errin Vasquez is an OG of Los Angeles adventure riding, being one of the few people to complete Yonder Journal’s Old Ridge Road route back when dirty randonneuring was the most popular form of ultra-endurance cycling. His Ocean Air Cycles – a shop that was early adopter of alt-cycling bikes and accessories – Rambler is a 650b rim brake, “dirty rando” bike.
The Ocean Air Rambler frames were built by Bantam Bicycle Works in Portland, Oregon, and Errin’s bike is a veritable time capsule for how many cyclists built their adventure platforms back in the early aughts in Los Angeles.