I want to start by saying that I am very excited to join the Escape Collective team. Over the years, I’ve followed the careers of many EC staffers, admiring them as some of the best journalists and commentators in cycling. It will be an honor to work alongside them. Additionally, I am inspired by the continued success of the site’s member-supported model and the hopeful light it shines on independent reporting.
For the better part of a decade, my editorial focus has been varied, and I intend to bring a lot of that to Escape‘s pages and airwaves. From in-depth tech analysis, event recaps, and interesting bike builds, I enjoy a wide breadth of written projects, which are buttressed by my penchant for good photography and occasional video creation. I primarily write about XC/trail MTB, gravel, and chubby-tire road cycling and I look forward to being one of EC’s US-based editors working on tech pieces and cultural stories about those disciplines.
My most recent role as Managing Editor at The Radavist included tech and culture reporting, coordinating the work of freelance contributors, helping to guide the site’s overall editorial style, and even spending three years directing a feature-length documentary about the origins of mountain biking. While there are too many projects to list everything here, some of my favorites include documenting the Westfjords Way Challenge week-long stage race in Iceland, the experiential review of a Scarab Cycles Paramo Ultra that I rode on its home turf in Colombia, photographing Lael Wilcox’s record-setting AZT attempt, profiling the work of prolific frame builder Rob Roberson, who has remained relatively unknown throughout most of his lengthy career, riding and reviewing the new SRAM RED XPLR AXS group when it launched, and detailing the remarkable neo-retro gravel bike I collaborated on with Fern Bicycles in Berlin, Germany, built for the 2024 Bespoked show.
In addition to reporting on new bikes, components, apparel, and other mainstream news, I have honed in on the independent makers, cottage industry, and craftspeople working hard to fill voids, bring style, set trends, and push boundaries. While the products from this sometimes niche and often unique sector tend to be on the flashier end of the aesthetic continuum, my interest extends beyond vanity. I find that there is a synergy between big brands and small manufacturers, yielding important contextual insights about the overall state of the cycling and outdoor industries. Some of my favorite assignments are workshop visits, bespoke bike showcases, and innovator interviews, so expect to see me hit the ground running with a full queue of on-location reports in 2025 and beyond.
I live in southern Arizona, where we are fortunate to have year-round riding and incredible terrain for all kinds of cycling pursuits. My two kids have reached adolescence, and they also enjoy cycling, among other hobbies. My daughter will be entering 6th grade this fall, so she’ll join my 8th-grade son racing in Arizona Cycling Association’s XC league. We’ve dabbled in reviewing youth bikes and components in the past, and before they get much older/bigger, I’d like to continue exploring performance-oriented products designed for smaller riders.
I’ll wrap this up by indicating that I am a lifelong bicycle commuter, and I think it’s important to discuss bicycling as an essential mode of transportation in addition to fun, fitness, and competition. Time permitting and, of course, member/reader interest, I might also delve into some of the interesting trends emerging in this space, particularly in the US.
With all that said, hello, I’m Josh Weinberg, the newest recruit to the Escape Collective. What projects would you like to see me take on?
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