Friday Debrief: Ratchet Hubs from Garbaruk, Deep Winter Gloves, a New Trail Bell, 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…

Austere 1” Pin Ladder Lock with Clear Ano Finish

Made in USA / $19.85 at Austere Manufacturing

Dropped this week, Austere Manufacturing added a clear ano finish option for their 1″ Pin Ladder Lock. This US-made, CNC-machined buckle can replace the adjusters on an existing pack in under five mins with no sewing thanks to two nifty press-and-forget pins. You have your choice of titanium or steel pins and whether the pins come pre-installed or not. Check out our first look to get an idea on how they work.

Dyed in the Wool Deep Winter Gloves

Made in Poland / €36 at Dyed in the Wool

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After testing them for the last few years, Poland’s Dyed in the Wool landed on some new locally sourced winter gloves that they like so much they’ve started selling. They’re made from soft brown leather, insulated with fleece, and have proven to be super durable and weather-resistant. They’re available in three sizes and have a wrist strap to keep them in place.

New Garbaruk Wheels and Hubs

Made in Poland / $205 to 1,800 at Garbaruk

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Looking eerily similar to Industry Nine’s products—including the overall wheel design, spoke color options, wheel builder, and threaded connector spoke/hub interface—Garbaruk just released a new lineup of wheels, hubs, and spokes. Their new RS hubs are built for durability and ease of maintenance, featuring a large-diameter ratchet ring with 60 points of engagement and a high-torque e-bike rating. They have a reinforced axle, wide bearing spacing, and oversized 6903 bearings, which Garbaruk claims help distribute loads more effectively, reducing stress on the hub. The RS Hub is available with XD, MicroSpline, or HG freehub bodies in 142mm, 148mm (BOOST), and 157mm (SUPERBOOST) widths with 24, 28, or 32 spoke holes, and cater to a range of wheel builds, including their three wheelsets: Carbon AM/Trail, Enduro, XC/Downcountry, and Gravel, each with carbon rims and Garbaruk’s new threaded aluminum spokes with color options including Black, Blue, Gold, Green, Orange, Red, Silver, and Violet, in whatever configuration you’d like. Wheelsets are priced from $1,659, and you can also get the RS hubs for $205/484 (F/R).

Portland Design Works Heads Up! Trail Bell

$28 at Ride PDW

Released last week, the new Portland Design Works Heads Up! Trail Bell uses a simple magnetic design lets you easily toggle between active ringing and silent modes and it easily attaches to the 22mm diameter section of most flat bars. It weighs 46 grams (1.6 ounces) and costs $28.

Hudski Longhorn Bars Restocked

Made in Taiwan / $79 at Hudski Bikes

Originally specced on the Hudski Doggler we tested, the Longhorn bar is an all-terrain riser handlebar with an spacious clamping area that leaves plenty of room for bag straps and other accessories. There are three versions, and the only difference between them is the amount of backsweep: 10° for less cruisey, 16° for a happy medium, or 27° for an upright and casual riding position.

Fresh Pace Cycles RC429 Colors

Made in Czechia / £989 (frameset) at Pace Cycles

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The Pace RC429 is the sibling to their rowdier and longer-travel RC529. According to Pace, the RC429 aims to “redefine what’s possible within this segment [with] a range of applications and builds from trail to bikepacking, flat bar to drops.” Pace just restocked the RC429 in two new colorways: Iron Ore Orange and Buck Tail White, and it’s also still available in the original Moss Grey paint job.

Bar End Shifter Prototype

Made in London / $TBD at The Bike Felix

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3D printing specialist The Bike Felix has filled a niche we didn’t know needed it! By making a 3D-printed model of a bar-end shift pod that fits 22.2mm bars, they’re creating an option for a standard that’s likely more than receptive to the idea of bar-end shifting. Because all bar-end shift pods are made for the road-oriented 23.8mm diameter, they figured there’s a small but existent need for a durable shifter pod. While it’s not yet in production, it’s clear developments are being made by this DIY maker.

Qualms about home 3D printing aside, this is a great use of the tech and something that shows its positive use case. No need to beg companies to bring back a standard or part they insist is impractical or impossible: you can simply find it on the homebrew 3D printing market. It’s a unique and endearing way to serve smaller communities.

In Conversation

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

Reader-Submitted DIY Projects

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It’s always fun to see folks posting photos of their own variations of our MYOBG tutorials. This week, Jeremy Nolan commented with a couple photos of his wooden DIY racks: “This was such a fun project! My dad and I each made rear racks from some spare mahogany and 1/2″ steel we had laying around. We routed the sides and drilled holes 1″ apart on either side of the rack which can be used to lace paracord through to hold down items. Afterward, we stained it with a penetrating oil for protection and a beautiful finish. We cut, twisted, and drilled the steel for the front mounts and used the Sunlite strut kit for the rear mounts. It’s heavy but extremely stout.”

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

ICELAND ON A MISSION

In July 2024, Steve Ferris set off into the wilds of Iceland’s Fjallabak National Park, solo and unsupported, attempting to ride his gravel bike 300 kilometers around some of the most formidable terrain in Europe in support of ‪GOSH Charity, a children’s hospital. So far, Steve has raised almost $5,000.

Wanted vs. Needed: Lessons From My Hayduke by Alexandera Houchin

In Esker’s latest journal post, Esker team rider and professional ultra endurance racer Alexandera Houchin shares her thoughts on choosing between titanium and steel bikes and the process of why she chose the frame she did for the 2024 ultra-racing season. Read it here.

Outback Oregon Bikepacking Goodness

Genosack’s latest video shares sights and scenes from a 87-mile bikepacking trip east of Portland into the Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area along the Deschutes River. Watch the video and check out the route they followed here.

LAW STUDENT LOSES MIND in DESERT

After graduating from law school, Houston Wilson set out on a four-day solo vision quest along the Stagecoach 400 route and the Anza-Borrego Desert. Watch his unconventional video documentation above.

White Mountain, California Overnighter

In September, the folks from Rodeo Labs undertook an overnight expedition starting in Bishop, California. The challenge of White Mountain is primarily water, which is nearly unavailable after early miles of the initial climb. To help accomplish the challenge, they had a support vehicle meet them at camp. The peak was still a huge challenge, though, as you’ll see in the video above.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Gila 100 Bikepacking Stage Race

Formerly the long course of the Antelope Peak Challenge, the Gila 100 Bikepacking Stage Race is a point-to-point, two-day race along a 100-mile stretch of the Arizona Trail. This year’s event starts tomorrow morning at the Tiger Mine Trailhead in Oracle, Arizona. There are just five riders registered for live tracking, including 2023 AZTR winner Alex Schultz. Follow their progress here.

Actif Epica

The Actif Epica is a challenging winter adventure on the Crow Wing Trail near North America’s geographic center in Winnipeg, Manitoba. There are several routes to choose from, and you can keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a short edit featuring Emily, Miles, Joe, and Willie from their time on the Monumental Loop 2.0 last month…

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