Pedaling Nowhere

In the second edition of Grinds and Gravel—a series focusing on coffee, bikes, and how the two connect—Nic takes a look at a familiar, local shop. Based in the heart of West Asheville, Cooperative Coffee plays an outsized role in both coffee production and providing a space for community. Explore this in-depth look at coffee, community, and bikes below…

Meaghan Hackinen just won the 2026 Tour Divide—and set a new women’s record—after delivering one of the most disciplined and tactically impressive rides in the event’s history. Combining meticulous preparation, efficient stops, and unwavering consistency from Banff to Antelope Wells, the Canadian ultracyclist dominated the women’s field for 14 solid days. Find the details about her win and more about the record here…

Felix Laberge has claimed the singlespeed title—and new overall record—at the 2026 Tour Divide after an astonishing ride from Banff to Antelope Wells. Battling New Mexico’s blistering heat, relentless headwinds, thunderstorms, and even a dog attack, the Montreal rider never wavered, crossing the finish line seventh overall after one of the most consistent and impressive rides of this year’s race. Find all the details about his race and the Tour Divide singlespeed record here…

If you’ve been waiting for a bolt-on seatpost collar from PAUL Components, the wait is over! The new PAUL NOQR collar is machined from aluminum in Chico, California, and offers an interesting deep collar design that promises uniform clamping forces. Check it out here…

Angus Young has claimed an impressive third-place finish at the 2026 Tour Divide, completing the 2,700-mile route in just 13 days, 18 hours, and 3 minutes. While the spotlight has understandably been on race leaders, Young’s ride stands among the fastest ever recorded on the route, capping off a remarkable performance. Meanwhile, photographer Eddie Clark catches up with riders still battling their way through New Mexico and the first monsoonal storms of the season…

This week’s Debrief features new Surly Steamroller, PNW high-rise bars, Flamingo eeWings, Canyon concept bike, Trek 32er leak, multiple events to follow live, and more. Find it all here…

Neil’s latest review takes an incisive look at the new Sklar Bikes Lightweight Rear Rack. With built in bottle-carrying provisions, a sturdy upper platform, and a lightweight construction, this rack is a solid first effort from the small, Bay Area builder. Find the full Sklar Bikes Lightweight Rear Rack review here…

This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from builder Yann Babelian of Cycles Khelonys in France, who shares the one-of-a-kind 27.5-inch klunker he made for a longtime client and friend, Joseph, complete with a truss fork and an upcycled main triangle. See it here…

“Portal” is an extraordinary 30-minute film that follows artist Samuel Organ on a 10-day bikepacking journey through the Scottish Highlands in search of remote locations to record music. Pedaling up mountains, into caves, and past peaceful lochs, he transforms field recordings and original compositions into a beautiful album. Watch the premiere and find an introduction from Samuel here…

Laurens ten Dam returned to the Tour Divide looking for redemption, and the former WorldTour pro found it with a commanding second-place finish after 13 days and 7 hours on the route. Riding a minimalist, sleep-anywhere strategy aboard a full-suspension mountain bike, the Dutchman proved there are still many ways to race fast along the Great Divide, even in the shadow of Victor Bosoni’s record ride…

Wolf Tooth Components’ new Performance Series pedals share a similar design with the standard models but have a lower price tag. Learn more about the Performance CTRL clipless and Waveform flat pedals here…

Velo Orange launched new colors in four of their current models: the Chessie, Rando, Polyvalent, and Lowkicker. Though the changes are primarily aesthetic, a few of their bikes have been tweaked for greater cargo carrying capacity and ease of use. Explore all the details here…