Friday Debrief: Modular Cockpits, New Ogre, Cargo Dogs, 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…

Surly Ogre in Fermented Plum

Made in Taiwan / $1,699 at Surly Bikes

The Surly Ogre is a versatile all-season commuter bike, perfect for daily errands, getting to work, the occasional singletrack shortcut, and light-duty touring. It has clearance for 29 x 2.5″ or 27.5 x 2.8″ tires with fenders, lots of mounting points for racks and cages, and Rohloff-compatible sliding rear dropouts. The newest color option is called Fermented Plum, and it’s available in both a complete build and as a frameset.

Fara Modular Cockpit

Made in Taiwan / $749 at Fara Cycling

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The new Fara Modular Cockpit is a two-piece bar and stem combination designed to improve ergonomics and adjustability. The stem length can be adjusted by up to 10mm, it has fully internal cable routing and a universal mounting point for lights and GPS devices. The cockpit is available in four handlebar widths: 37cm (Narrow), 40cm (Race), 42cm (Regular), and 44cm (Wide) center to center from the hoods. Three stem lengths are available: 80-90mm (Short), 100-110mm (Regular), or 120-130mm (Long).

Rene Herse 34-tooth Chainrings

Made in Taiwan / $98 at Rene Herse

In case you’re interested in the Rene Herse one-by crankset but don’t want to destroy your legs with a 40T chainring, they just announced a new 34-tooth one-by chainring. Note that they still also offer a 40-tooth for super-strong riders and/or moderate terrain and a 36-tooth if you’re in between or more of a masher than a spinner. The new 34-tooth one-by chainrings are now in stock, offered with Rene Herse one-by cranks or as retrofits. They can be fitted to all modern Rene Herse cranks, and you can convert a double or triple crank to a one-by with their smart chainring spacers that take the place of the inner chainring.

Take a Trip My Little Bungee Update

Made in USA / $9-$24 at Take a Trip Bags

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Take a Trip’s new My Little Bungee builds on the design of their larger My Little Basket Bungee but is meant to offer a multipurpose solution for strapping gear together, keeping your pants away from your drivetrain, and more. It comes in four sizes: 5”, 10”, 15”, and 20”, has a single hook on one end, and is made in the USA.

Scarab Cycles Paramo Integrated

Made in Colombia / $3,600+ (framsest) at Scarab Cycles

Scarab Cycles just announced the launch of their Paramo Integrated, the latest addition to the Colombian brand’s lineup of gravel bikes. The Paramo Integrated features the innovative ENVE IN-Route system and an all-new Wolf Tooth integrated headset that was just unveiled this morning. The Paramo Integrated features 700 x 48mm tire clearance, cargo mounts on the fork, UDH rear dropouts, and a T47 bottom bracket.

Dyed in the Wool Cargo Dog Bag

Made in Poland / €373+ at Dyed in the Wool

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Poland-based bag maker Dyed in the Wool (DITW) just released its first dedicated dog bag for the Larry vs. Harry Bullitt Cargo Bike after experimenting with riding with their dog on the cargo deck. The bag is designed to fit the Bullitt Bike or Omnium Mini Max, has ventilation mesh, includes a soft cushion, and is reinforced with HDPE for structure.

Fizik Vento Proxy Shoes

Made in Taiwan / $250 at Fizik

The new Fizik Vento Proxy shoes are designed to be fast, breathable, and durable. They’re an “off-road racing shoe” with a BOA closure, PU Laminated mesh upper, composite outsole, and a stiffness rating of 8/10. They weigh 326 grams, come in sizes 36-48 (37 to 47 also in half sizes), and have three color options: black, coral/purple, and sky blue reflective.

Framework Designs Local Tote

Made in Australia / $219 AUD at Framework Designs

Tia at Framework Designs in Melbourne, Australia, showed us a pre-production version of her new Local Tote during our shop visit last spring, which matched up perfectly with the entire aesthetic of her Velo Orange Polyvalent. Designed for the Wald 137 basket, the Local Tote has a convenient press-stud closure, a padded base, an internal laptop pocket and other sleeves, and three external pockets. There are tote handles and the option for a shoulder strap for off-the-bike use, and it’s handmade in Melbourne using Australian waterproof canvas.

Smith Payroll Helmet

$200+ at Smith

The new Smith Payroll helmet is a lightweight option for MTB use including enduro and trail riding. It’s also e-bike certified, which apparently means it’s tested at higher speeds than traditional bike helmet certifications. It features Smith’s Zonal KOROYD energy-absorbing layer, MIPS, 19 fixed vents, and a three-position adjustable visor.

Oveja Negra Small Fry Fanny Pack

Made in USA / $65 at Oveja Negra

The new Oveja Negra Small Fry is the little sister to their larger Royale fanny pack. It features a fleece-lined exterior zippered pocket, a 1L main compartment, a reflective logo, and a padded/breathable mesh back panel. It comes in five standard color options and as a Wack Pack made from random-colored fabric, webbing, and hook-and-loop.

WZRD Bikes Spring-Stakes

Made in Canada / $20 at WZRD Bikes

British Columbia’s WZRD Bikes, owned by Emma May, is celebrating the arrival of spring with an awesome raffle. For just $20, you have the chance to win a custom WZRD frame, a custom WZRD fork, or a WZRD slingshot for you and your best friend. Winners will be chosen at random on April 20th. Learn more about how to enter here.

New Sea to Summit Frontier Lineup and Spark Sleeping Bags

$100+ at Sea to Summit

Sea to Summit just released a bunch of new gear for 2024, including several items that look promising for bikepacking. The new Frontier camp kitchen range includes a number of ultralight, packable bowls, pots, and other accessories. The new Spark PRO sleeping bag uses a higher-end 950 fill-power down insulation than the standard Spark model and has extra 1/4 length zippers at the top and foot box for added versatility and comfort. The original Spark series has also been updated with new temperature ratings, Bluesign-approved fabrics, RDS-Certified Down, and more.

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Alaska to Patagonia: Episode 1

Clotaire of Le Pedalistan is kicking off a multi-part video series chronicling his ride from Alaska to Patagonia, and the first episode is now live. The 15-minute video documents two months of bikepacking around Alaska. See it above.

Commuter Cycles’ Dr. Dew-Anything

Commuter Cycles in Melbourne, Australia, recently shared an interesting Kona build. Their goal was to take a bike initially specified for commuting and see how it could be reimagined for adventure use without breaking the bank. Affectionately dubbed the “Dr. Dew-Anything,” it features 27.5 x 2.1″ Vittoria Mezcals, Soma Dream Riser Bars, Blackburn Outpost V2 cargo cages, and a complete set of Apidura bags. If you’re in Melbourne and looking for a new dream bike, hit up Commuter Cycles!

ONGUZA Made Out Here

What does it mean for bikes to be made out in one of the toughest places on earth? Onguza Bicycles from Namibia answers that question in their new video introducing their refined lineup with two updated models, a new MTB, and a refreshed website. See the teaser above, and find more over at Onguza.com.

Bikepacking Alone in Lanzarote

Tom Wall of the Cycling366 YouTube channel recently shared a video from his trip around beautiful Lanzarote, the first Canary Island on the Gran Guanche bikepacking race route. Watch the 11-minute recap above.

Cranefist: Fist and Furious

Jack Supply Co. in Oregon shared a new release from a friend’s band on Instagram yesterday, which you can hear above. Cranefist just launched their brand new EP, which features three bike-themed songs “to power you up and over the hills in your town and in your head.” Listen to a preview above, and if you’re into it and live in Oregon, they’ve got a show on April 7th at the Lollipop Shoppe in Portland.

VELO IBERIA: Attempting to cycle 2700km across a continent in 3 weeks

The Friction Collective’s latest film just dropped ,and it’s available to watch online for free. Velo Iberia is the fourth film in Friction’s “Velo” bikepacking series, documenting three friends as they attempt to fly to Porto, Portugal, and cycle the entire 2,700 kilometers back home to Bristol, UK. Watch the hourlong film above.

Bike Lane Sweepers on the Sunshine Coast: Go Fund Me

Cedric Eveleigh, the owner of Lal Bikes in British Columbia, recently designed and built a bike lane sweeper for BC’s lower Sunshine Coast. He’s currently running one but is raising funds to build another to ensure more bike lanes are free of glass, nails, and other tube-popping debris. Check out the GoFundMe page here and learn about the sweeper’s design here.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Maricopa Trail Race

Originally dreamed up in 1997 by the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department, the Maricopa Trail encircles the Phoenix metro area and connects nine of the ten regional parks. Each year, there is a grand depart on the 240-mile loop with no extra fees or prizes—just bragging rights. There are six brave riders out on course as of this morning, and you can follow their progress here.

Indian Pacific Wheel Ride

The Indian Pacific Wheel Ride is an unofficial, solo, single-stage, unsupported, 5,500-kilometer road cycling event ocean-to-ocean across Australia. This year’s grand depart takes off on March 16th at 6:30 a.m. local time, and there are over 30 riders registered for live tracking. Follow them live here.

Wish We Were Here

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

Tom Powell: New Zealand

After soaking up seven years under the Southern Hemisphere’s radiance, where December to March meant guaranteed sunshine and embarking on balmy adventures, I find myself on a rainy day here in Vancouver Island. As the raindrops hinder my plans for a dry ride, I can’t stop thinking back to those long days when I pedaled through the stunning landscapes of New Zealand. The stoke of living on my bicycle seems like a distant dream in this damp reality. Waiting for a gap in the rain, my mind wanders to the other side of the globe, where friends have adventures under clear skies, with no predators and hot pies and good coffee at every gas station. Life is simpler. The longing for those golden days intensifies with every droplet hitting the windowpane.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a handful of photos from the Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska…

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...

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