Friday Debrief: Oveja Party Animal, Pattiegonia, Hellbender, 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…

Oveja Negra Party Animal Print

Made in USA / $83 at Oveja Negra

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Oveja Negra’s latest print option is called “Party Animal.” It will be replacing Multicam Black as a classic colorway, soon to be available in all their products. “It was collectively designed amongst our team in house, printed and made in the USA. It’s a reminder to keep having fun, keep bikes weird and never forget—life’s a party!” The Party Animal print is debuting on Oveja’s Chuckbucket stem bag and is available to order now.

Zpacks Potty Pack

Made in USA / $29.95 at Zpacks

The Zpacks Potty Pack is a compact way to store your toilet paper, wipes, and trowel when traveling outdoors. Featuring a dedicated sleeve for the included ultralight titanium trowel, the Potty Pack helps keep the contents of the kit clean and organized. This ultralight zip pouch features water-resistant material and a rugged design for the on-the-go rider or hiker, ensuring your essentials stay dry and ready.

Rockgeist Custom Full Length Top-Tube Bag

Made in USA / $180+ at Rockgeist

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After making a dozen on request over the years, Rockgeist in North Carolina just added a Full Length Top Tube option to their website. Like Rockgeist’s custom framebags, the Full Length Top Tube Bag is custom made and requires you to take a photo with a measuring tape or ruler so they can create the perfect fit. After ordering, they’ll send you the shape of the bag mocked up on your photofit image, at which point you’ll be able to add features such as internal divider, spine thickness, and zipper access to make sure it’s built how you want. They are offering 20% off the first 10 orders. Use the code FULLTT20 at checkout for the discount.

Ornus Gravel Wood Bike

€6,990+ at Ornus Bike

Wooden bikes don’t often catch our eye, but the new Ornus Gravel Wood Bike is one of the most visually appealing examples we’ve seen. The Italian company is pursuing the ambitious goal of setting “a new benchmark in the world of high-end sports bikes,” though with prices starting at €6,990 ($7,790) for a Shimano GRX 820 build, it might take some convincing to sway riders away from metal and carbon bikes.

More Forager Cycles Adam’s H.A.T. Thread Pitches

Made in USA / $36 at Forager Cycles

The Forager Cycles Adam’s H.A.T. is an emergency derailleur hanger alignment tool designed to re-align a bent hanger well enough to get back on the trail. Its patent-pending design allows you to attach your front thru-axle to the bent derailleur hanger and use your axle and front wheel together to maximize leverage and control while straightening the hanger. Forager just added two new thread pitch options, 12 x 1.0mm and 12 x 1.75mm, compatible with most Specialized and Trek gravel bikes.

Dispersed Bikepacking Artist Series Top Tube Bag

Made in USA / $80 at Dispersed Bikepacking

Dispersed Bikepacking collaborated with fellow bikepacker and artist Isabelle Fisk on a limited edition version of their 10.5″ Top Tube Bag. It features a printed exterior with Isabelle’s artwork, interior pockets, adjustable strap positions, an interior baffle, and stabilizing foam panels.

Wolf Tooth 28T Chainrings

Made in Minnesota / Prices vary at Wolf Tooth Components

Earlier this week, Wolf Tooth Components in Minnesota announced that they’re now offering 28T Drop-Stop chainrings for SRAM and Shimano Direct Mount cranks, filling a void in their range for riders whose local terrain demands lower climbing gears. Wolf Tooth’s 7075-T6 aluminum Drop-Stop rings feature tooth profiles they say are optimized for maximum efficiency, chain retention, and durability. They’re a favorite among the team.

20% Off Dyed in the Wool Core Collection

Made in Poland / €37+ at DITW

Dyed in the Wool in Poland is currently offering 20% off their entire Core Collection using the code CORE at checkout. The Dyed in the Wool Core Collection consists of a Wedge Frame Bag, Bar Bag, Top Tube Bag, and Weekend Bag (large handlebar bag). They are all more affordable versions of existing bags in their lineup, replacing costlier materials and features with more affordable substitutions or subbing them out completely. You can learn more about the lineup here.

In Conversation

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

What’s an ATB?

Conciding with the launch of the stAyTB, a collaboration with Stayer Cycles we posted about earlier this week, 2nd Life Bikes released a video on their YouTube channel all about ATBs. One interesting point in the video is where they read out answers from the audience on how they define ATB. Even more interesting were a few of the images of reader-submitted images of their bikes. We want to see more! Post a photo of your ATB in the conversation below.

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

A Simple Tool

In Rune Bicycles’ latest video, Nick Manser meets up with the Rune team with a plan to document riding in a free and inspiring way. Apparently, this aligned with Rune’s vision for their brand, and Nick shot this short video in a single day. Learn more about Rune Bicycles here.

Food I Think About When I Think About Cycling

This recent video from Shimano profiles Chef Chris Cosentino and how he uses cycling to inspire his creative process and how his love for bikes is intertwined with his approach to cooking. Get to know Chris, join him for some local loops, and see some of his delicious-looking culinary creations in the short video above.

Chip & Dale

Offering a little change of pace, Commencal’s new video features truly spectacular choreography and cinematography as it follows French riders Tomas Lemoine & Edgar Briole on some bike park runs in the Alps. Watch the four-minute video above.

Donkeys on the Divide: The Rodeo Labs Podcast

On the latest episode of The Rodeo Labs Podcast, hosts Stephen and Logan sit down with two Rodeo Labs athletes, Edyn Teitge and Cade Reichenberger, who both completed the 2,700-mile 2024 Tour Divide. Both riders tackled the Tour Divide on Rodeo Labs Traildonkeys, and Edyn, at 15 years of age, became the youngest solo rider to complete the event. Listen to the episode and then head over to Rodeo-Labs.com for a closer look at their rigs.

Hodag Country Ramble: A Wilde Bike Adventure

The third annual Hodag Country Ramble, put on by Wilde Bikes, took place earlier this month, offering two nights of swimming, camping, community, riding, and revelry on their family’s property outside of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, in the heart of the beautiful Northwoods. Eria, aka Iowa Gravel Gang, just published a detailed video recap of the weekend. Watch it above.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Caldera 500

The Caldera is offered in three lengths, ranging from 150 to 500 miles, following the beauty and geological rarities that the Eastern Sierra has to offer. There are just six riders registered for live tracking at this year’s grand depart, which took off from Mammoth Lakes, California this morning. Follow them live here.

Le Chablais 300

Le Chablais 300 is a 300-kilometre off-road bikepacking challenge around the Chablais region of France and Switzerland. The grand depart started at 8 a.m. local time, and there are 31 riders signed up for live tracking. Follow their progress here.

Endless Mountains 430 & 250 Challenge

The Endless Mountains 430 & 250 Challenge follows the 430-mile or 250-mile Endless Mountains Gravel Bikepacking Loop, beginning and ending in Towanda, Pennsylvania. There are over 30 riders registered for the grand depart, which starts tomorrow at 9 a.m. local time. 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…

Logan Watts: Hellbender

I met up with Logan Kasper last week as he was passing through Pisgah Forest. He’s riding the Eastern Divide Trail at a blazing-fast speed, and he had nothing but good things to say about his experience on the route so far. He had just finished up Segment 5 (Hellbender), and talking to him jogged some memories of my multiple scouting trips over the years on different parts (and options) of this section. Now’s the perfect time of year to be in that zone, too!

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, Salsa Cycles partnered with @Pattiegonia for this super fun video reel…

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