Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
This week’s Debrief features several fresh components and accessories, a search for affordable bikepacking bikes, Lachlan’s Unbound XL, ways to make your rig more comfortable, four events to follow live, and much more. Find it all here…
Bits & Bobs
New products that are worth highlighting but didn’t make the Dispatch…
Sycip Designs x SimWorks J.B. Bar
Made in Japan / $100 at SimWorks
The new Sycip Designs x SimWorks J.B. Bar is a collaboration between California builder Sycip and SimWorks to create a commuter-focused but ultimately versatile swept back bar. With 600mm of width from the center to the ends, this 25.4mm is perfect for an old cruiser that needs a new lease on life or can serve as just the kind of bar to inspire a fresh build.
Crust Racing Service T-Shirt
$35 USD at Crust Bikes
Crust has hit out of the park with another bangin’ T-shirt design. This time, inspired by the classic Camel tobacco company font and aesthetic, this solid yellow tee is sure to call attention for both style and color. Their “ride the world” sentiment strikes a chord here at BIKEPACKING.com.
Fauna Components Stainless Steel Cargo Cage
Made in Canada / $55 CAD at Fauna Components
Weighing just 52 grams (without the foot), the Fauna Components Stainless Steel Cargo Cage is one of the lightest cargo cages available. It’s laser-cut from 3mm stainless steel, CNC-bent into shape, and then tumbled to a satin finish. It’s one of just a few Canadian-made cargo cages, has a removable and adjustable oversized stainless-steel foot, and is rated for 6.6 pounds (3 kilograms) or a 64-ounce Nalgene or a two-litre soda bottle.
KS Rage Circuit Wireless Dropper Post
Made in Taiwan / $399 at KS Suspension
The new KS Rage Circuit Wireless dropper post is the most affordable wireless dropper post on the market. The post comes pre-paired with the lever to make setup even easier and has a removable and rechargeable battery, a IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, and a user-friendly cartridge design for easy replacement. The KS Rage Circuit is available in 30.9mm and 31.6mm diameters, and three travel options: 120, 150, and 180mm.
BTCHN’ Bikes Ti Seatpost Pre-Order
Made in USA / $320 at BTCHN’ Bikes
California’s BTCHN’ Bikes just opened up pre-orders for their newly improved titanium 27.2mm seatpost, and boy, is it a looker. The updated post features a 3D-printed titanium head that’s welded to a titanium post and a 3D-printed aluminum cradle and clamp. It’s available with a zero or 15mm offset, two lengths (350mm or 420mm), and weighs either 200 or 230 grams. Pre-orders are open until July 2nd.
Groad CNC Alloy Platform Pedal
$80 at RideFarr
Wanting to “flip the script” on mountain bike pedals, Australian company Ride Farr has made their own CNC alloy platform pedals. Claiming the grip from flats comes from the shape of the pedal, these CNC’d pedals have shaped grooves that allow users to forego the sometimes treacherous pins that typical mountain bike pedals use to establish grip on the soft rubber of a shoe.
Scarab Cycles Páramo
Made in Colombia / $3,850+ at Scarab Cycles
Scarab Cycles of El Retiro, Colombia, has updated their Paramó gravel bike with a selected mix of Columbus Spirit and Columbus Life steel tubing and with the ability to run 50mm tires. The Paramó also features their new custom paint scheme, Tropical Cliché, an homage to the Chocó Jungle in the builder’s home nation of Colombia.
In Conversation
Exchanges and ideas that caught our attention in the site’s conversation section…
Do entry-level bikepacking bikes still exist?
Last week, we shared news of Primos Bikes’ newest offering, the Mono ATB, and got some good insight as to what people were excited about. With a solid spec list and a seemingly decent tubeset, Primos is doing something a number of companies, including the big ones, have all but abandoned: addressing the entry level. For $850 shipped, customers can get a complete, bikepacking-ready ATB that clears 2.4″ tires. And while the jury is still out as to whether the Mono is any good (watch this space), it got us thinking: do entry-level offerings still exist? Within the conversation of the post, whatever comparisons were mentioned seemed to be either much more expensive or way less valuable in terms of the build kit. What, then, does an entry-level bikepacking bike look like (and cost) to you? Is anyone aside from Primos offering that kind of value, or has the idea of a truly valuable entry-level bike gone by way of the dinosaur? Be sure to let us know down in the conversation below.
Around the Community
News from around the bikepacking world…
Riding a Bike Doesn’t Have to Suck
Warehouse manager Luke from Soma Fabrications is back with another insightful video, this time about ways to make your bike more comfortable. Find his tips and suggestions in the eight-minute video above.
The Siouxon Sampler
Our friend Chris Wilson recently headed out on an overnight bikepacking trip at one of his favorite places in Washington, Siouxon Creek. Enjoy the video above, and check out his route here.
Mateo Páez’s Fenrir Ti
Otso recently featured a few of their ambassadors’ Tour Divide bikes over on their blog, including Mateo Paez’z Fenrir Ti, shown above. Head over to their blog to see more photos and learn more about Mateo.
Nothing is Easy in the Midwest
The latest video from Far Beyond by EF Pro Cycling beautifully captures Lachlan Morton’s impressive effort at the 2025 Unbound XL event, where he pedaled 350 miles through the Flint Hills of Kansas. Watch the 13-minute video above.
Events Starting Soon
What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…
Port Angeles Super Loop (PASL)
The Port Angeles Super Loop (PASL) is a 330-mile adventure-focused route, linking everything that makes riding the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State special. Riders started earlier this morning from the coastal community of Port Angeles, and you can follow their progress live here.
Hungarian Divide
The Hungarian Divide is a self-supported bikepacking event across Hungary. Choose from either 700-kilometer or the full 1,400-kilometer route. There are over 200 riders participating, split between the two routes, and the 2025 grand depart started earlier this morning. Follow their progress live here.
Veneto Trail
The Veneto Trail is an annual self-supported adventure on dirt roads, trails, and secondary paved roads from the Po Valley to the Dolomites, passing through a wide variety of fascinating landscapes in Northeast Italy. Follow along via Instagram for updates and photos from the event.
Panhandle Ramble (PanRam)
The Panhandle Ramble (PanRam) showcases just what makes northern Idaho unique. Friendly towns, majestic mountains, endless expanses of timeless forest, fascinating culture and history, and of course, fantastic riding. Find the route guide here, and then head over to the event page to follow the 2025 grand depart along live tomorrow.
Wish We Were Here
Shedding a little light on a route one of us is dreaming about riding at the moment…
Nic Morales: The Tasmanian Trail
Okay, it’s getting a bit too hot now. With a heat wave hitting much of the Southeastern US, I think it’s high time I enjoy the exploits of an inverse summer. With Tasmania’s winter running from May to August, some time far south of the equator would serve my sopping body well. I’d also like to fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing a Tasmanian Devil in real life! And the sweltering summer heat of the south has me dreaming of days in the saddle down under on the Tasmanian Trail.
Weekly Social
Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, we learned more about the presence of dangerous chemicals in chain lube …
This week’s social comes to us from Stan’s and the work they’re doing with their bio-based lube. This Instagram reel provides a good explainer on the kind of toxins and microplastics present in chain lube, with their bio-based lube potentially providing an alternative to harmful pollutants.
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