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This week’s Debrief features a fresh Silca x Chris McNally collaboration, the new Crust Bombora, PAUL’s 2025 Ride to Work Challenge, 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…
Silca x Chris McNally HX-One Tool Kits
Made in USA / $125 at Silca
For their latest artist collection, Silca collaborated with illustrator and painter Chris McNally on a limited run of hand painted HX-Ones tool kits. The kits are a multi-step process, all starting with an original McNally drawing that’s laser engraved into the beechwood boxes in-house. Chris then painted 10 total boxes in a few different variations. These super limited Artist Edition HX-Ones will be blind boxed, meaning that the 10 will get mixed into a batch of 50 HX-One boxes with just the McNally art laser engraved design. In total, 60 McNally boxes will be made.
Soma Rufus in Matte Black
Made in China / $629 at Merry Sales
Originally released this summer, the Soma Rufus is a collaboration between Soma and Blacksnow in China. It’s the first time Soma has ventured outside of Taiwan to produce a bike. It’s a 4130 Chromoly steel mini-velo with rear rack and fender bosses, clearance for 20 x 2.3″ tires, and it uses standard quick-release hub spacing and a 68mm threaded bottom bracket. According to Soma, the boss wanted a matte black Rufus, so that’s the latest color option.
Feedback Sports Reflex Fixed Torque Bit Driver
$35 at Feedback Sports
Feedback Sports in Colorado released a couple of tools for the new year, including the Reflex Fixed Torque Bit Driver. With a preset torque of 5Nm and four S2 steel driver bits, it features the essentials for safe mid-ride repairs. At $35, it looks like a handy and packable addition to any trailside repair kit.
Monolith Dolmen Riser
£225 (shipped in the UK) at Monolith Components
Monolith Components was born because good friends Dan and Taz wanted to design cool parts for their bikes. The new Dolmen Riser bar is the second design to make it from paper to reality, complete with a 820mm width, 85mm rise, and 17° backsweep. They weigh just 396 grams (less than 14 ounces) and cost £225 (shipped in the UK). The first batch is nearly sold out, but they are already working on a second. Folks can order by DMing them on Instagram or emailing monolithcomponents (at) gmail.com.
Crust Bombora Revamp
Made in Taiwan / $1,125 at Crust Bikes
The Crust Bombora was just restocked and updated with fresh brass cable guides, a slight adjustment to the chainstay plate, and is available in a Pastel Violet colorway or Matte Clear finish. The Bombora is a TIG-welded steel gravel bike designed around 650B/27.5″ wheels with a max tire width of 2.3″. It has loads of mounting points, front and rear thru-axles, and a lovely matching fork.
PAUL Ride to Work Challenge Sheet 2025
Made in USA / $0 at PAUL
PAUL Components has just released the new Ride to Work Challenge sheets, offering a fun way to motivate coworkers and earn bragging rights by riding to work when others opt out because “it’s too cooold.” Of course, it’s easy for them to say that from sunny California! Find the 2025 download sheet in the link above and start checking off those days to kick off 2025 the right way.
Silca x McNally Shirt
$30 at Silca
Part of their Chris McNally Artist Collection, Silca also released a new T-shirt showcasing Chris’s artwork on a black, ultra-soft American Apparel tee that’s made in the USA from 100% fine jersey cotton. It features a bold three-color fade design on the back and Chris’s unique rendition of the Silca Shield on the front.
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In Conversation
Exchanges and ideas that caught our attention in the site’s conversation section…
New Year’s Resolutions
As Lucas eloquently summed up in his Editor’s Dozen today, we retooled the seven-year-old series in 2024 to hinge on personal reflection and make it less about gear and more about connecting with our audience and sharing our passions. For 2025, we have some exciting things in the works that will continue to further that mission. In one sense, that’s our 2025 resolution. Did you make one for the new year? Let us know in the conversation below!
Around the Community
News from around the bikepacking world…
End of Season Bike Camping Overnighter
In October, the crew from Platte Gang in the Netherlands pedaled out for a final overnighter of the season, and the video above documents what looks to be an amazing couple of days of riding and relaxing with friends.
Serenity of Silence
Dean Anderson snuck out on a bikepacking overnighter during the Christmas break to get away from it all. He put together a video documenting his experience in which he embraces the silence of winter: no music, no distractions, just the peace of riding and camping.
Ocean Air Cycles Rambler Walkaround
Our buddy Errin Vasquez is back with a fresh YouTube video this week. His latest release offers a detailed look at his stunning Ocean Air Cycles Rambler from around 2016, which he uses to take on a little of everything.
Sky Islands Adventure Ride Series
Sarah Swallow’s Sky Islands Adventure Ride Series is back for 2025, offering a great way to experience Arizona’s Sky Islands and Sonoran Desert. The rides are backcountry mountain or rugged gravel rides that are self-supported and community-focused. See Sarah’s Instagram post for more details.
Polar Bottles Joins HydraPak
Polar Bottle was responsible for the world’s first insulated, BPA-free sports bottle, and now that legacy continues under the HydraPak brand. HydraPak’s new lineup of cycling bottles includes the insulated Polar Surge (20/24oz), the classic Breakaway (20/24/30oz), Polar Sport (20/24oz), Breakaway Muk for full-suspension bikes, and the water filter-equipped Breakaway+ we reviewed here. Find the full range of new HydraPak bottles at HydraPak.com.
Events Starting Soon
What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…
Cross Florida: The Spanish
Cross Florida: The Spanish is an annual bikepacking event following the coast-to-coast Spanish Indian Trail. This year, riders will travel from the west coast in Fort Desoto and ride to the east coast to finish Castillo De San Marco in Saint Augustine. The grand depart starts tomorrow morning, and live tracking is available here.
Fat Pursuit Camp
While not technically a ride or race, Jay Petervary’s Fat Pursuit Camp marks the beginning of the winter ultra-endurance season. It’s a three-day supported, winter camp in Yellowstone Country with a focus on skill development and practice, and it’s a perfect way for riders to boost their confidence before the Fat Pursuit race on January 10th. Learn more here.
Weekly Social
Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, Stooge just teased three fresh Speedbomb colors that should be available in April. What do you think?
Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.
