Friday Debrief: Longerthing Cage, 2024 Salsa Fargo, No Frills GBDURO, and More

The weekly Debrief highlights small but important bits of news, products, and things that caught our attention on the website, in the conversation, and elsewhere around the community. These include upcoming events and interesting items our readers shared in the comments. Check out this week’s findings below.

Bits & Bobs

New products that are worth highlighting but didn’t make the Dispatch…

2024 Salsa Fargo in New Color

Made in Taiwan / $2,599 at Salsa Dealers

Salsa just launched a new Fargo color for their 2024 Apex model. What do you think? The Apex 1 build is specced around a triple-butted steel frame, a carbon fork, and Alternator 1.5 dropouts. It features SRAM’s Apex 1 x 11 drivetrain, Cowchipper bars, and WTB i25 rim-equipped wheels.

Tunitas Creative Basket Bag 137 V2

Made in USA / $170 at Tunitas Creative

Our friend Jessia at Tunitas Creative in California just launched an updated second version of her original Basket Bag 137, which is one of Lucas’ favorite bags for the Wald 137 (don’t miss our full Gear Index on the subject). The new version features an interior organizer pocket and carrying handles, and it’s available now in five colors.

King Cage Longerthing Cage

Made in USA / $TBD at King Cage

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A post shared by Ron Andrews (@ron_kingcage)

King Cage teased the Longerthing cage, an extended version that can hold longer things that might normally be reserved for a handlebar bag. The blue tent sack is 20” long, for example. The mounting plates have slots to run a narrow hose clamp through so you can mount to a fork without bosses. We’re not sure whether the Longerthing Cage will go to production, but thought we’d share it here. One person reported that he got some by calling.

Zpacks Kula Cloth

Made in USA / $22.95 at Zpacks

“If you squat to pee, then the antimicrobial Zpacks Kula Cloth was designed for you.” Zpacks’ new “Appalachian Sunrise” themed Kula Cloth is a hyper-absorbent (absorbs 10x its weight in water) pee cloth made from advanced silver-infused, antimicrobial fabric that they say is soft, easy to clean, and eco-friendly. It also has retro-reflective thread details for locating it at night, so seems like it could make a good hi-viz dangle for your saddlebag. Also check out their Instagram post about it.

More Paul Boxcar Stem Sizes

Made in USA / $147+ at Paul

Last year, Paul Components did a poll asking what stem sizes they should offer, and the top two answers were 100mm/12° and 80mm/7°. Paul listened, and they’ve been added to their Boxcar stem product page, bringing the total to 13 different sizes in 5 colors.

Ornot Micro Musette

Made in USA / $38 at Ornot

Cut and sewn in California, the new Ornot Micro Musette is a nifty packable musette made from recycled ripstop nylon that packs down to the size of a wireless earbud case. It’s big enough to fit six water bottles, closes with double snaps, and weighs just 35 grams.

In Conversation

Exchanges and ideas that caught our attention in the site’s conversation section…

The 100th Debrief

We just realized this is our 100th weekly debrief! We started this series a couple of years ago on YouTube, then migrated it over to this format as part tidbit roundup and part weekly wrap-up. So, what do you think? Is there anything you’d like to see more or less of each Friday? Thanks for all the comments and questions so far!

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Brooks B68 feat. Rivendell Bicycle Works

Brooks England’s new video promoting their B68 saddle features scenes from a dreamy day out on two wheels with the crew from Rivendell Bicycle Works in California. See it above.

GBDURO “No Frills” Edition

The Racing Collective, the organizers of the GBDURO in the United Kingdom, just announced a new approach for the 2024 event. This year, they’re stripping things back by eliminating checkpoints along the 2,000-kilometer route. The finish will be in Cape Wrath, and it will now start from Land’s End on Saturday, August 17th. Entries open Wednesday, February 14th!

Toasty Rides Fleet Update

Toasty Rides in New Zealand recently published a video that goes through the current state of his bike fleet, which is packed full of unique and interesting gems. It features everything from classic mountain bikes to funky mini velos and a hodgepodge of everything in between. Watch it above.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

The Mule Trail

The Mule Trail is approximately 630 kilometers long across the length of Costa Rica, from its southern border in Panama to the northern one with Nicaragua. There is a grand depart scheduled for this Monday at 7 a.m. local time, and participants will have 4.5 days to complete the entire route. There are just over 20 riders signed up for live tracking and you can follow their progress live here.

Wish We Were Here

Shedding a little light on a route one of us is dreaming about riding at the moment…

Ty Domin: Cuba

Sitting here in the Great White North (Canada), one can only reminisce about warmer climes. A 40°C difference in outside temperatures could have us in Cuba, tackling the Trans Cuba route or La Ruta Mala. Cuba has always intrigued me, and seeing it from a bike, off the tourist trail, seems like the only way to truly experience the unique culture (and get a swim or two in in January). Daily rides here at -20°C are short and involve almost no chance to stop and take it all in for long. I can only dream of a full day on the bike with lots of rest stops, perhaps in the shade of a tree, watching the world pass us by.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a handful of posts from the Genosack crew in Minneapolis. You can learn more about them in today’s feature post.

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