Friday Debrief: Revamped Ortlieb Panniers, New Gravel+ Fork, Ti Low-Riser Bar, 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…

Ibis Ripley AF in New Colors and UDH

Made in Taiwan / $2,999+ at Ibis

The Ibis Ripley AF is one of our all-time favorite full-suspension bikes, and it just got a few tweaks that might interest some folks. New for this year, both the Ripmo AF and Ripley AF models now feature SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) for drivetrain compatibility. They also got new colors, including this Plum Smash. Complete builds start at $2,999.

New ORTLIEB Back Roller Plus

Made in Germany / 910 grams / $140 at Ortlieb

Beyond the Dark Sand bags we shared earlier this week, another fresh update from Ortlieb is a redesign to their classic rear pannier. The new Ortlieb Back-Roller Plus is an improvement on the world’s first RF-welded pannier that sports a 20-liter main compartment, Quick-Lock2.1 attachment, an external accessory pocket, and a shoulder strap, making it an appealing choice for commuters and tourers alike.

Omnium Super Light (SL) Mesh Cover

Made in Taiwan / 300 grams / €79 at Omnium

Made of a lightweight mesh and thoroughly tested by our friend Allan Shaw at the Silk Road Mountain Race, the new Omnium Super Light (SL) Mesh Cover is a fresh alternative to the Danish cargo brand’s longstanding standard rack webbing. Made from high-strength nylon mesh, it weighs just 300 grams, won’t absorb water, and has a max weight capacity of 40 kilograms. The new SL Mesh Cover will fit all Cargo and Mini-Max racks from Classic to V3.

Inside Line Equipment UX10 Collection

Made in California / $45+ at Inside Line

Inside Line Equipment (ILE) in California just announced a limited edition collection of bags made from UX10 X-Pac, a super light and exceptionally strong fabric with a three-layer construction and a distinctive look. They’re offering just 10 pieces in each style for their Default 25L, Transit 25L, Apex 11L, Utility Organizer, and Zippered Cycling Wallet.

Cane Creek Limited Edition Aurora Finish

$1,100-1,200 at PLACE

Cane Creek announced that their eeWings cranks and Helm fork are available in a new Aurora finish for a limited time. The gold-green-bronze finish on is hand-painted using the Saran Texture Method to give each crank and fork its own unique pattern. Available now in extremely limited quantities, according to Cane Creek.

Whisky NO.9 MCX+ FORK

Made in China / 590 grams / $550 at Whisky Parts

The Whisky No.9 MCX+ serves a niche within a niche by offering a rigid carbon gravel fork catering to bikes designed around a gravel suspension fork with 40–50mm travel. However, with a 430mm axle-to-crown, it’s hits a sweet spot for quite a few bikes with a similar length. Better yet, the MCX+ accommodates extra-wide tires up to 29 x 2.3” or 27.5 x 2.4”. Other specs include a 350mm steerer tube, a 12 x 100mm thru-axle, flat-mount brake mounts, and a 47.5mm offset to ensure ample toe clearance for larger tires or fenders. As for bikepacking features, it also has three-pack mounts on both legs, low-rider rack mounts, internal dynamo wire routing, and fender mounts.

BTCHN’ Bikes Ti Low Riser Pre-Order

Made in USA / $290 at BTCHN’ Bikes

BTCHN’ Bikes’ Ti Low Riser Bar is a low rise mountain bike bar designed to replace your carbon or aluminum bar while maintaining a modern MTB feel. It has 45mm of rise, 13° or 16° of backsweep, and comes in four widths from 760mm to 820mm. It uses a 22.2mm stem clamp and comes plain or with their Omakase ano finish. The pre-order window is open until January 28th.

Restrap Fast Strap Friday

Made in UK / $100 at Restrap

Today only, Restrap is offering a free set of small Fast Straps with all orders over $100. All you need to do is add your preference of color into the cart and the offer will be applied at checkout.

New ORTLIEB Duffle RC

Made in Germany / 1,000 grams / $130 at Ortlieb

Ortlieb also introduced the all-new Duffle RC this week, a large duffle bag with a roll-closure and IP64 waterproof protection that’s sustainably produced in Germany and features optional cargo straps and removable shoulder straps that transform it into a backpack. It’d also work great as a racktop bag on a cargo bike!

Zpacks RovyVon A5 Hat Clip Flashlight (USB-C)

18 grams / $37 at Zpacks

The RovyVon Aurora A5 is a minimalist headlamp that can be clipped to a hat brim for hands-free night hiking or reading. It can toggle to lantern mode to light up your whole tent with red or white light. The clip is also magnetic and can be stuck to metal surfaces. The RovyVon A5 features a 330mAh battery with USB-C charging.

Merman Bicycles Made-in-USA Unholy Diver Frames

Made in USA / $2299 at Merman Bicycles

Arkansas-based Merman Bicycles launched last spring with a mission to design the perfect shreddy hardtail mountain bike. They’ve been busy releasing small batches of US- and Taiwan-made frames since then, and they just announced that a batch of US-made Unholy Diver frames has landed and is available to purchase. They are designed to run a 120-150mm travel fork, 29 x 2.6″ tires, and feature sliding dropouts, a 73mm threaded BB, and boost hub spacing.

In Conversation

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

What’s the weirdest food you’ve carried?

Alongside Neil’s latest video featuring several of his bikepacking food tips, we asked readers to chime in with their own tips. Many interesting pointers have come up in the conversation. One reader reported completing the Northville-Placid Backpacking Trail with nothing but 16 tortillas and two pounds of cheddar cheese and salami. Another reader mentioned their technique of putting cracked eggs and oil in a Nalgene container to have scrambled eggs at camp. This made us curious; what’s the strangest food you’ve ever carried on a bikepacking trip? Leave us a note in the conversation below.

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Dirt Relations: The story of the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program (Trailer)

Dirt Relations tells the story of three men: Patrick Lucas, an eighth-generation Canadian from Vancouver Island; Thomas Schoen, a first-generation immigrant from Germany; and Tom Eustache, a Secwepemc man and member of the Simpcw First Nation and how they formed an unlikely friendship to create the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program. Watch the trailer above and then see the world premiere at opening night for the 2025 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival on Friday, February 23, at the Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver. The film will also be available through VIMFF online from February 23 to March 10. Get your tickets here.

Cycling Across Spain

Last month, Ian J. Whitmore spent eight days pedaling around 350 miles between Granada and Valencia, Spain, traversing some of the country’s most stunning landscapes. He created a jam-packed 20-minute video that captures many of the natural and cultural highlights he experienced along the way. Watch it above.

2024 Salsa Supported Riders Announced

Earlier this week, Salsa Cycles announced their supported rider lineup, which includes a mix of new and familiar faces that Salsa will be supporting throughout 2024. The lineup includes Matt Acker, Lee Roy Brown, Ana Jager, Jill Martindale, Britt Mason, Ellen Noble, and Mirna Valerio. Keep an eye on Salsa’s social media channels and website for stories from the riders.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Tour Te Waipounamu

The Tour Te Waipounamu is a bikepacking race following the length of New Zealand’s South Island, Te Waipounamu o Aotearoa “that land between the mountains and plains.” The 1,330-kilometer race starts Saturday with nearly 60 riders participating. Follow along live here.

Arrowhead 135

The Arrowhead 135 is a winter ultra for hikers, skiers, and bikers in Northern Minnesota with an average finish rate under 50%. There are nearly 150 participants this year following the 135-mile course. Follow along live here.

Wish We Were Here

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

Miles Arbour: Highland Trail 550 (Scotland)

Maybe it’s because I just wrapped up a week-long bikepacking trip that included several days on the Arizona Trail or because Joe Cruz was recently sharing how stunningly beautiful the riding is in Scotland, but I can’t shake a new desire to go check out the infamous Highland Trail 550 for myself. I’ll be digging into Huw and Annie’s Complete Guide to Bikepacking Scotland soon!

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.