ROCKGEIST x CYCLICOSMS COLLAB
2025
CONCEPT
CONTENT
COPYWRITING
PRODUCTION
STRATEGY
BRAND COLLAB
A RUGGED NARRATIVE RIDE THROUGH CALIFORNIA’S BACKCOUNTRY
This collaboration with Rockgeist began with a simple challenge: how far could we push in a single day using LA’s forgotten arteries and overlooked transit infrastructure? I teamed up with @tacodelbicicleta for a one-day, high-mileage gravel ride that started on an early-morning Amtrak to Palmdale, snaked through the desolate western Mojave, and dropped us into the cracked spine of the Old Ridge Route before metro’ing home by nightfall. A full century, done and dusted, without wasting time manually transiting in and out of Los Angeles.
My full Rockgeist framebag setup wasn’t just along for the ride - it made the entire cyclicosms creative approach possible. With space to haul a hybrid camera kit - four rigs, batteries, mounts, and everything needed to capture cinematic immersion at speed - these bags turned my bike into a roving production platform. Every frame in the final piece was earned: up dusty climbs, through blistered pavement, and across history-scarred ridgelines.
I pitched this collab to Rockgeist to prove something: that bike content doesn’t have to be sterile, gear-obsessed, or emotionally vacant. It can be atmospheric. Character-driven. Lore-rich. It can feel like stepping into a half-forgotten dream - and the gear that enables that kind of storytelling deserves to be highlighted as more than just utility.
the desert looms
I served as the concept lead, route planner, cinematographer, editor, voice-over, copywriter, and on-camera talent for this piece - built around a core hypothesis:
That storytelling grounded in the experiential act of moving through lesser-known landscapes isn’t just a more compelling way to convey the realities of long-distance cycling - it’s also a key to unlocking the forgotten lore embedded in those spaces. And in doing so, it creates fertile ground for collaborations with brands that value character, curiosity, and creative autonomy.
Shot in early Spring 2025 with a mix of Pixel 7 Pro, Insta 360 X4, Hover X1, and GoPro 11 footage.
punching upwards:
early success in brand collabs as a fresh account
The Old Ridge Route piece was a resounding proof-of-concept success.
Not only was the piece well received by the collaborating brand and local cyclists, it gave me definitive evidence that my overall approach to narrative-based adventure content was working - and this approach is fundamentally what sets cyclicosms apart from other content creators in the space.
Plenty of cyclists have ridden ORR, and plenty more have created media about the experience, but very few have been able to weave the experiential component of what it feels like to immerse yourself in the Mojave’s solitude, explore the local cryptofauna lore embedded within, capture engaging shots of the ride and still come out of the other end with a brand collaboration that held viewer attention for well above the norm (especially for a 2+ minute short-form video!)
This is what I, and cyclicosms, do best.
