Friday Debrief: BigZag Cage, Emergency Derailleur Repair, New Opinel, 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…

Rune Knightwood Pre-Orders

Made in Taiwan / £800 ($1,075 USD) at Rune Bicycles

• 
• 

Announced last month, the Rune Knightwood is a lightweight 650B gravel platform with rim brakes, QR axles, and mid-trail geometry. Rune describes the Knightwood as a “clean, simple canvas, highlighting the fine details that inspire you to make it truly your own.” Pre-orders are now open in both the Salmon Rose and Olive Green colorways, and a £400 deposit is required to hold your frame until it’s ready to ship in late August.

Opinel’s new Opiflex blade-locking system

Made in France / $30+ at Opinel

Opinel just updated its popular No. 06 knife with a new blade-holding mechanism they are calling “Opiflex.” The new system simplifies opening and closing of the blade by using a strong detent to hold the blade in place instead of a mechanical lock like previous versions.

New Austere Ano Colors

Made in USA / $22+ at Austere

• 
• 
• 

Austere Manufacturing just added a handful of new anodization color options to their lineup of US-made cam buckles and ladder locks. They have orange, black, red, purple, and even a clear finish. While Austere has evolved since our visit a few years ago, it’s worth giving our shop visit story a read for the inside scoop on Austere’s founder, Uriel Eisen, and his process.

PDW BigZag 32-Ounce Bottle Cages

$32 at Portland Design Works

Adding to their Timber to Town collection, Portland Design Works launched the side-loading BigZag bottle cage this week. Made from 5mm stainless steel, it fits a 32-ounce Nalgene bottle and features two slots for Voile straps to help secure your cargo over rough terrain. It weighs 102 grams (3.6 ounces) and is in stock now.

Slug Bikes Terrestrial Ti Handlebars and Hometown Hat

Made in Taiwan / $45-285 at Slug Bikes

• 
• 

Slug Bikes has restocked their Terrestrial Ti Handlebars. Featuring 0mm or 25mm rise, 13-degree back sweep, and 780mm of uncut width, these titanium bars seem like the perfect albeit blingy addition to any bikepacking rig.

• 
• 

Slug is also proudly representing their hometown of San Francisco with these lovely custom hats. The two-tone colorway features a classic five-panel design with a snap-back closure. The all-black Dad hat features a pre-curved bill and adjustable metal clasp.

Zpacks Triplex Pro

Made in USA / $899 at Zpacks

The newly released Zpacks Triplex Pro is an ultralight three-person tent made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics. It features storm doors, magnet toggles, and a spacious layout that fits two wide pads with room for extra gear. The tent requires trekking poles or Zpacks’ tent poles and six to eight stakes for a proper setup. The tent weighs just 622 grams (21.9 ounces), not including tent poles or stakes.

HUNT 25 Carbon gravel X-Wide Wheels

Made in Taiwan / $1,299 at Hunt Bike Wheels

The new Hunt 25 Carbon gravel X-Wide Wheels are designed for the wider end of the gravel spectrum, with a 27mm internal width suitable for 35mm to 2.55″ tires. The rims harness Hunt’s H_Core layup, which uses highly compacted carbon inserts to reinforce the rim bed, sidewall, and 28 front and rear spokes. The wheels are available in boost and non-boost hub spacing, several axle options, and with your choice of freehub.

Sea To Summit Ether Light XR Insulated Air Sleeping Pad

$199 at Sea to Summit

The recently updated Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Extreme (XR) Sleeping Pad builds on the brand’s comfort-focused design with key improvements for added performance and packability. The pad features a suspended Thermal Core (TRM) insulation layer to reflect body heat efficiently, boosting its cold-weather performance with an ASTM-tested R-Value of 4.1, making it ideal for three-plus-season adventures. Despite the insulation upgrade, the pad is lighter and packs down smaller than previous models, while retaining its plush 10cm Air Sprung Cell construction. Sea to Summit also reinforced weld strength for improved durability, and its XPRESS valve system uses an integrated pumpsack for quick inflation.

In Conversation

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

Bikes in Need of an Update?

In a comment on Logan’s Stooge MK7 review, Ben in Australia praised the small British company for consistently iterating and updating their models. He mentioned a couple of crowd-favorite bikes, the Kona Unit and Surly Karate Monkey, which haven’t seen real updates since 2020 and 2015, respectively. This has us wondering: what other longstanding models would you love to see refreshed? Let us know in the conversation below!

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Gramm Turns 10

Happy 10th birthday to Gramm Tourpacking! The woman-owned bag maker in Berlin is celebrating a decade of crafting innovative bikepacking and touring bags, many of which have received high praise here on the site over the years. Congratuations to founder Kristin Heil on her unwavering commitment to setting an a high standard for European bag making. Here’s to 10 more years!

SO. MUCH. NOTHING. THE GREAT DIVIDE MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE WITH QUINDA VERHEUL

Quinda Verheul finished the 2025 Tour Divide in 20 days and 11 hours, taking sixth place in the women’s race. Instead of feeling overjoyed by the experience, Quinda was torn about being out there on the route. With high expectations, including the desire to be blown away by the scenery, she was left blown away by her inner demons and a dull landscape instead. Find a deeply personal monologue from her Tour Divide experience on the Hyperlite Mountain Gear blog here.

Brother Cycles Pinecone Build Spec

Brother Cycles is further teasing the release of their ’90s MTB-inspired bike, the Pinecone, with a journal post that dives into the build spec and prototype. Able to run disc or caliper-style brakes, this modern, flat-bar bike has a lot of versatility built into its design. As the brothers of Brother Cycles detail, it can take anything from the most recent, top-of-the-line components, to those bits you have rusting at the bottom of your parts bin. For more info, visit the Brother Cycles Journal.

This Bikepacking Bag Shouldn’t Exist. But I Designed It Anyway!

Davide Travelli needed a bigger, better way to carry all of his photography gear while cycling around the world, so he teamed up with Rusjan Bags, an Italian bag maker, to create a custom jumbo snack bag for the handlebar. In his latest video, Davide reveals exactly how this bag was designed, what’s different about this custom model, and how he packs his entire camera setup inside.

Viral Bikes Has a New Home in Bentonville

Viral bikes is opening its first customer-facing shop inside the Airship Coffee Pumphouse in Bentonville, Arkansas, and you’re invited to come see the space during their grand opening on Sunday, August 10th. The day will start with a no-drop group ride at 8 a.m. followed by food and drinks back at the new Viral HQ. Stay tuned for updates via Instagram.

A Day in the life of a Custom Framebuilder

Have you ever wondered what an average day looks like for your friendly neighborhood framebuilder? You’re in luck, because Emma May of WZRD Bikes in British Columbia just released a fantastic new vlog that documents a full day, from sun up to sun down. Spoiler alert: it starts with some fly fishing!

Congrats, Basajaun Finishers!

• 
• 
• 

The fastest riders are already starting to roll into the finish of the Basajaun event in Spain, which started five days ago, following a 800-kilometer route on the edge of Basque Country. Adam Jordan took first place overall, finishing in 51 hours. Anna Kofler was the first woman to finish, completing the route in just under 70 hours. Mikel Lacasta and Asier Irigoyen were the first pair to finish, with a time of 71 hours. There are still plenty of riders still out on route. Follow their progress live here.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Angus Young’s Eastern Divide Trail FKT

Yesterday, Angus Young started his attempt at our 5,950-mile Eastern Divide Trail (EDT), riding from Cape Spear, Newfoundland, the easternmost point in North America, to Key West, Florida. Angus’ goal is to beat Logan Kasper’s current FKT, who finished in about 41 days and averaged nearly 150 miles per day. Follow his progress here.

Raffle Race

Raffle Race is probably the most unique bikepacking events we’ve seen. It’s like an ultra-endurance race, but with a twist: your entry requires you to make a 1,000-kilometer route, and one of the routes will end up being the race route! The race is free, which means you don’t get anything from the organizers. No tracking, no support, nothing. The race started earlier this morning, and even the organizers are participating (and no, they didn’t look at the routes beforehand). Follow along via Instagram.

Mother North

Mother North is an unsupported bikepacking adventure in stunning remote Norwegian lands. With 1,000 kilometers and 16,000 meters of elevation gain on mixed terrain, this event is a test of physical endurance and a celebration of natural wonders, all while fostering a deep connection with the enchanting landscapes of Norway. The race starts on Sunday, and you can follow along live here.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, the talented mechanics at Rodriguez Bikes took to some creative solutions to get a friend ready for the Dark Divide 300 …

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Road Holes (@road.holes)

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