Friday Debrief: Alt Bagmaking Materials, Mone’s Purple Peacock, Ultralight Bucket Hat, 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…

Arkel Taco Top Tube Bag

Made in Canada / $90 CAD at Arkel

Arkel in Canada just opened pre-orders for its new top tube bag, the Taco. The Arkel Taco features non-slip straps, a water-resistant YKK zipper, a cable port, and is compatible with bolt-on setups for bikes with top tube mounts. It holds about 1L and is made from X-Pac. Pre-orders ship in mid-March.

Silca Ultimate Sealant with Injectable FiberFoam

$6+ at Silca

Silca has introduced an updated version of its Ultimate Sealant with Injectable FiberFoam. While the Ultimate Sealant itself isn’t entirely new—it debuted a few years ago and was praised for sealing punctures larger than 6mm—it previously had two key drawbacks. The original formula couldn’t be injected through the valve and had to be poured directly into the tire, and its 100% natural latex composition required periodic replenishment with a separate product to maintain its liquid state.

The latest iteration enhances Silca’s FiberFoam technology by incorporating single-strand carbon fibers as an occluding agent, marking the first-ever blend of natural and synthetic latex in a tubeless sealant. According to Silca, this innovation allows the sealant to be injected through the valve, extends its lifespan to over six months even in extreme heat, and maintains its ability to seal punctures over 6mm.

C&L Cycles Cable Cuffs

Made in Canada / $11 CAD at C&L Cycles

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Hand brazed in Montreal, Canada, the C&L Cycles Cable Cuffs are made by Jean-Daniel Lafleur (the L in C&L Cycles) using reclaimed bicycle chain parts. There is a cross-cross version and a straight model, and they’re much more elegant than using a zip tie.

Gorewear Lupra Jacket and Pants

$200-$260 at Mens Gorewear

The new Gorewear LUPRA 2.0 GORE-TEX Hooded Jacket and LUPRA GORE-TEX Pants are now made with GORE-TEX ePE, a new PFAS-free breathable membrane construction that offers a lightweight, packable, and ultra-durable three-layer waterproof protection. What is PFAS and why is being phased out? Make sure to check out Miles’ latest deep dive into forever chemicals and the new laws surrounding them here.

Mission Workshop Ultralight Bucket Hat

Made in China and Italy / $75 at Mission Workshop

Mission Workshop’s new Bucket hat offers a modern take on a classic design, featuring an ultra-lightweight and durable fabric sourced from Italian textile mill Olmetex that’s purportedly breathable and moisture-wicking. The material helps regulate temperature during high-intensity activities while ensuring full sun protection. A PFC-free DWR finish enhances water resistance, allowing it to repel light rain and dry quickly. Designed for convenience, it is wrinkle-resistant, packable for travel, and available in two sizes with an adjustable back toggle for a customized fit.

Mone Purple Peakock Bike

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Last week, Mone posted some photos of a recent build, and it’s too good not to share here. This custom Mone SB2 was put together using owner Mark’s vibrant aesthetic as a guide, which led Mone’s owner and founder Cjell to a divine collection of anodized purple and blue. The final build is something truly extraordinary. You can learn more and find additional photos here.

In Conversation

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

Alternative Bag Materials

We’ve posted quite a few photos of bikes with self-made bags on this site, many of which use repurposed materials. We’ve seen bags made from Tyvek, blue jeans, discarded sleeping pads, defunct rain jackets, and more. Today’s photo of the ITI rig with a frame pack and panniers stitched up from discarded dog food packaging made us want to see more. If you have a DIY bag made from repurposed materials, pop a photo or two in the conversation below; we’d love to see them!

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Call to Action: Protect Our Public Lands

With the recent round of mass firings affecting national parks employees due to budget cuts led by the current administration, advocating for public land is more important than ever. Without your direct action, the current administration intends to allow the development of the public lands we all cherish and enjoy for destructive, unrestricted corporate interest. Outdoor Alliance got in touch to let us know that they made contacting your local representative much easier through their quick-action form. With some basic information, you can take a small step toward protecting our public lands with just a few clicks.

For more information on Outdoor Alliance, visit OutdoorAlliance.org.

How I Burned Down My Business

In a new and in-depth conversation with Martina Brimmer, owner-operator of Swift Industries, she details the company’s relatively unknown recent struggles, its origin story, and her journey from a self-described “punk” to successful business owner. Detailing an abridged version of how Swift went from a basement, WordPress-powered workshop to the company many of us understand it to be, Martina gets pretty candid in her conversation, speaking to their recent decision to take the company in a new direction and losing much of their longstanding staff in the process. With so many of us having heard whispers about Swift over the past year, it was good to hear an update from Martina and that she’s steadfast in ensuring the continued existence of the storied bikepacking-oriented company.

Work with Old Man Mountain/Robert Axle Project

Our friends at the Robert Axle Project and Old Man Mountain in Bend, Oregon, are growing their small team by hiring a full-time marketing and content specialist to work on-site in their offices. This person will be responsible for connecting with and growing their global communities to support both brands’ broader marketing objectives. Sound up your alley? Find complete details and learn how to apply here.

Midwest Mountain Bike Fest

Presented by Wilde Bicycle Co., the Midwest Mountain Bike Fest is a non-competitive, community-based festival on the world class trail system of Cuyuna, Minnesota. Join likeminded folk in celebrating the culture and camaraderie of mountain biking, demo the latest bikes, meet new friends, build skills, raise money for the trails, and enjoy all the beauty the area offers. Over 60 miles of legendary red dirt singletrack, magnificent views, and crystal-clear lakes await riders. Nightly events, music, and parties. Fun and trails for all ability levels, from beginner to expert.

Ted King’s Race Around Rwanda Ride

Ted King, winner of this year’s Race Around Rwanda, shot video footage during his ride and put together a vlog-style recap to share his experience. The video also includes footage from Thijs Visser of the Live Slow Ride Fast group. Make sure to check out our Q&A with Ted King if you haven’t already.

Another One: Lachlan Morton Breaks The Single Day Ultra Distance Record in New Zealand

Fresh off the release of Great Southern Country, a film documenting Lachlan’s record breaking ride around Australia, comes a new feat: his single-day ride from Auckland to Wellington, New Zealand. This short feature documents the ride, what it means to Lachlan, and provides some background on the route.

Hike-a-bike through the Cairngorms

Christopher Devine’s latest video documents a harrowing bikepacking trip turned hiking trip in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park. Watch the video and then head over to Christopher’s Substack to read more about the trip.

Sour Purple Haze Build by Chariot Bike

Chariot Bike Shop in Bend, Oregon, just put together a nice little video documenting the build process of a Sour Purple Haze. Press play, zone out, and let Julia take it away.

Wheels & Footprints: Chris Gorney

Poseidon Bikes’ latest video follows Chris Gorney, a Poseidon ambassador and endurance athlete based in Las Vegas, Nevada, as he redefines exploration in Red Rock Canyon. Combining cycling, trail running, and scrambling, he ventures deep into the canyons and ascends the many peaks of this stunning landscape.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Hunt Sydney to Summit

The Hunt Sydney to Summit is a self-sufficient bikepacking challenge that takes riders through some of Australia’s most beautiful terrain, starting in Sydney and ending at the summit of Mt Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest point. Riders are aiming for a grand finish, rather than a grand depart, on Saturday, March 1st, 2024. Follow along live here.

Tour Aotearoa

Tour Aotearoa is New Zealand’s longest bikepacking event. Stretching 3,000 kilometers from Cape Reinga to Bluff, it follows a combination of cycle trails, tracks, paths, and lanes connected by the most enjoyable country roads available. The grand depart is split up into three waves, with nearly 200 riders participating. The first group starts tomorrow. Follow their progress here.

Iditarod Trail Invitational

The Iditarod Trail Invitational is the world’s longest winter ultramarathon by fat bike, foot, and ski and follows the historic Iditarod Trail from Knik to Nome, Alaska. This year’s grand depart takes off on Sunday at 2 p.m. There are over 100 participants split between the 1,000-mile, 350-mile, and 150-mile courses. Track them live here.

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