Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
This week’s Debrief features an update on the Sunliner Dream Bike we gave away, Pivot Solo Tent, fresh bags from Rogue Panda and Oveja Negra, two events to follow live, and more. Find it all here…
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…
The Sunliner Dream Bike is Complete!
$0 at Tumbleweed
As announced last week, we randomly drew a list the Bikepacking Collective members for our fall round of the Collective Reward giveaways, and we’re currently getting them all packed and shipped. As of this morning, we finished and photographed the beautiful Tumbleweed Sunliner Dream Bike for a lucky member in Northampton, Massachusetts. Justin G. is set to receive this lovely British Racing Green frame outfitted with all the parts we listed in the Dream Bike announcement. A big thanks to PAUL Components, WTB, Shimano, Wolf Tooth, Rockgeist, and of course, Tumbleweed for helping make this happen. Congrats, Justin, and many thanks to all of our members who help keep the lights on and support bikepacking and independent journalism. Stay tuned for many more opportunities to win!
Spurcycle Black Denim Bells
Made in USA / $69 at Spurcycle
Spurcycle expanded its flashy “denim” bells with a black hammer option. To achieve the distressed denim look, they apply a Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating to the dome, brush it down to a partial coating, then Cerakote each one with a clear, glossy protection layer. Every bell is unique, and if you’ve ever used a Spurcycle bell, you’ll know it is also a joy to use.
Zpacks Pivot Solo Tent
Made in USA / $649 at Zpacks
Released this week, the new Zpacks Pivot Solo Tent is a one-person trekking-pole-style shelter that weighs a mere 13.5 ounces (383 grams). It’s made from ultralight Dyneema Composite Fabrics, has a mesh liner and solid bathtub floor, and has a secondary trekking pole pivoted to the rear corner to maximize head and foot room in a small footprint. For those traveling without trekking poles, Zpacks has carbon tent poles available that pack down to just 11.25″ (28.5cm) long.
Rogue Panda Blue Ridge Drop Bar Cable Shims and Gila Dry Bag
Made in USA / $15+ at Rogue Panda Designs
Rogue Panda’s Blue Ridge Harness is impressively lightweight, adjustable, and is the most stable harness system Neil has ever used. This week, Rogue Panda added optional drop-bar cable shims that provide space for cable/hoses, and a drop-bar version of their Gila Dry Bag that is a bit shorter, has a single roll-top closure, and has compression-style buckles that clip across the bag so the ends are flat and leave maximum space for your hands to ride on the hoods or in the drops.
Back Issues of The Bikepacking Journal
Made in Germany / $24+ at Bikepacking Web Shop
Looking for a special gift for a riding buddy or loved one? In case you missed the memo, we have a limited number of back issues of The Bikepacking Journal stocked in our webshop—including the special edition issue 10—and we ship worldwide. They’re going fast, and once they’re gone, they’re gone! Members, find the discount code on the Member Benefits page of your account to get 30% off the listed price.
Oveja Negra Sackette Cross-body Bag
Made in USA / $98 at Oveja Negra
Named after Salida’s iconic downtown avenue, the Oveja Negra Sackette is the brand’s take on a versatile cross-body bag. The Sackette has a front zipper compartment, a full-size interior zipper pocket with a slip pocket, a pen pocket, and a D-ring holder for keys or sunglasses, all made to keep things organized and round out the perfect go-anywhere bag. Like Oveja’s other bags, the Sackette is expertly handcrafted in Salida, Colorado, from durable, weather/abrasion-resistant, USA-made fabrics.
Snik GPS Bike Tracker
$150 at Snik
The Snik GPS Tracker is an integrated GPS tracking device that pairs with their mobile app to ensure riders know exactly where their bike is located at all times. The device lives inside your bike’s steerer tube, automatically pairs (and locks) via Bluetooth, and should fit nearly any type of bike as long as it has a steerer tube and stem cap. The Snik GPS Tracker is available for pre-order now and includes a one-year subscription. After that, it costs $7.50/month.
Big Fish-Ski Drop
Made in USA / $25+ at Fish-Ski
Today at 3 p.m. Mountain Time, Fish-Ski Designs in Salt Lake City, Utah, is launching a big website drop. There will be frame bags, Jones Bar and Surly Moloko bar bags, fork bags, feed bags, bevvy carriers, their “Rack” pack handlebar bag/fanny pack, and a nifty backpack that converts into two panniers and a hip/bar bag. They’re also launching their new Trail Flute, which is handmade in Southern Utah and includes a custom carrying bag.
In Conversation
Exchanges and ideas that caught our attention in the site’s conversation section…
Tents Across the Globe
Earlier this week, Miles’ MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack review brought up an interesting conversation about tent setups when commenter Karsten spoke to their bikepacking experience in rainy climates, writing, “It seems to be a bit of American vs. European tradition, inner tent first or outer tent first… In nothern and central (western) Europe, every day—even in the midst of an otherwise perfect summer—can bring you some heavy rainfall. And that’s where I need my tent to be a refuge. After riding through rain for hours I erect my outer tent first, throw in the groundsheet, and then I can sort out things under a roof.”
This makes us wonder, how and in what order do you set up your tent? Is it weather dependent? Or does location matter? Let us know in the conversation below!
Around the Community
News from around the bikepacking world…
Bikepacking The Cambrian Mountains
Allen Boardman’s latest YouTube video documents a bikepacking trip in the Cambrian Mountains in Wales. “I had a plan to camp by a reservoir and chill out for the night, there was a shortcut to camp, but luckily I made an effort to do the slightly longer route arriving in the dark.”
Sklar is Hiring
This week, Adam Sklar announced that Sklar Bikes is looking to hire a Sales & Customer Service Manager. The position is in-person at Sklar headquarters in Oakland, California (San Francisco starting in February), starts at 20 hours a week, and pays hourly. For more details on the role and opportunity, head over to SklarBikes.com.
Panorama Cycles has a New Look
Quebec, Canada’s Panorama Cycles just announced a rebrand, better symbolizing the brand’s personality and values. Up until now, the company name was placed in small lettering on the top tube, but this often made the brand name invisible as soon as a frame bag was installed on the bike. For better visibility, the logo has been enlarged and moved to the downtube.
“This new brand image is an important milestone for our independent company, which will soon celebrate its ten years. It has been an opportunity to take a step back and reflect on the evolution of Panorama, and I am proud of what we have built over the years thanks to our clientele who believed in us. The bicycle industry has faced more challenging times in recent years, but we are happy to continue growing and offering sustainable bikes,” said owner Simon Bergeron.
“Cap214 Team Norway” at the 2024 SRMR
Lars Tefre Baade and Jan Erik Svendsen rode together as a pair during the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race, a 2,000 kilometer unsupported bikepacking race in Kyrgyzstan. They put together a fantastic video documenting the experience, and you can watch the 27-minute release above.
Garmin Edge Setup Guide for Bikepacking
Andrew Strempke, co-owner of Dispersed Bikepacking, has spent a lot of time using and customizing Garmin bike computers. In an effort to simplify the setup process, he’s put together a detailed guide to for bikepackers looking to stay on course and increase battery life. Head over to the Dispersed Bikepacking blog to check it out.
Viral Bikes: Only One Place
Viral Bikes’ latest video is a post-election reminder that bikes are the perfect tool to escape reality and get far away from the chaos of everyday life. Watch it in full above.
Wolf Tooth Rewards
Wolf Tooth Components just launched a rewards program that provides discounts, early access to limited edition product announcements, and more. All you need to do is sign up for an account, earn points by making a purchase, referring a friend, or following them on Instagram, and you’re ready to start redeeming your points. You earn 1 point for every $1 spent, and 100 points gets you $10 off. Learn more at WolfToothComponents.com.
Bikepacking the Pyrenees Pt. 1
Contributor Antoine Willemart is back with a fresh YouTube video documenting a summer bikepacking journey from Perpignan to Biarritz with friends. Their group pedaled from the sea to the ocean, crossing over the spectacular Pyrenees en route. Watch the five-minute video above.
Events Starting Soon
What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…
Hunt 1000
Developed in 2016 by Dan Hunt, the Hunt 1000 is a bikepacking route that links Melbourne to Canberra and traverses some of Australia’s most beautiful high country. Each year, Dan hosts a grand finish, rather than a grand depart, and the route changes slightly from year to year. For 2024, riders will be pedaling from Canberra to Melbourne, aiming to finish on November 30th. Some riders are out on route, and you can follow their progress live here.
Renegades Muster
The Renegades Muster is a self-supported bikepacking race following a 843-kilometer loop in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. There is no cut-off time, no prizes, and there are nearly 100 riders registered for this year’s grand depart, which started yesterday afternoon. 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: Big Bend, Texas
Almost exactly five years ago, I attended the Bikepacking Summit in Georgia, scouted the No Place Like Oz route in Arkansas, and then Emily and I beelined it south to Big Bend, Texas. The Big Bend region is truly spectacular and I’ve been itching to get back with a bike, camping gear, and way too much water. I rode a small section of the River Road Ramble route in Big Bend National Park, and despite the current political climate in the US right now, I’d still love to get back down to ride the full route sometime.
Weekly Social
Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, Dominique Powers and Lisa Congdon published a body of work called “Momentum.” Over the course of 18 months, Dominique photographed 15 subjects, and Lisa illustrated each photograph, interviewed each subject, and hand-lettered words from each interview. See the second half of the Momentum crew below, and see the first half that was shared in October here.
Further Reading
Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...
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