Friday Debrief: Voile Strap Extender, a UK Triple Crown Attempt, Plant-Based Bottles, 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…

Voile Strap Extender

Made in Utah / $8.50+ at Voile

We’ve been daisy-chaining Voile Straps for years for bigger rack bags, but Voile recently came up with a better option. The new Voile Strap Extender is a low-profile add-on that pairs with a standard Voile Strap to add up to 32″ of length, giving you about five feet of reach with a 32″ strap. It solves the downsides of daisy-chaining (slippage, re-tensioning, flappy tails) with a nylon buckle and built-in strap keeper that locks the tail securely. It can work solo in a pinch, but it’s designed to support—not replace—the classic Voile Strap for quick single-wrap jobs.

Mountain Flow Release 95% Plant Plastic Bottle

Made in Mexico / $14 at Mountain Flow

Mountain Flow, producers of bio-based lube and plant plastic bottles, have released a new cycling water bottle that apparently contains an even greater percentage of plant plastic in its overall makeup. Up from 70% to 95%, the new Mountain Flow bottles use sugarcane-derived bio-plastic and are certified carbon negative. The other great thing about the new bottles is that they can be recycled with regular, city-collected house recyclables. The previous bottle was a PLA blend, which was still an eco-friendly plastic, but due to the nature of the blended plastic, it didn’t fit into the recycling stream.

SimWorks Black CroMo Bars and Standalone Rims

Made in Japan / $78+ at SimWorks

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, SimWorks was alerted to the fact that NITTO had some concerns about the finish of their black chromoly bars. Due to potential finish and slipping issues, SimWorks decided to put an indefinite pause on its black chromoly offerings. Now, with all of the problems resolved, SimWorks has announced the re-release of their MowMow and Little Nick bars in black Chromoly. The Oregon-based brand has also announced a full restock of their alloy, 29″, 27.5″, and 26″ Standalone Rims. Featuring a 25mm internal rim width, these rims are manufactured by Velocity in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Concrete Revolt x Grepp Bar Tape

Made in Sweden / $49 at Concrete Revolt

Concrete Revolt in North Carolina has teamed up with Grepp in Sweden on another run of flashy, customized 100% washable and reusable bar tape. The bar tape is made in Sweden from 87% Tencel Modal/13% Elastodiene, and then hand-dyed in North Carolina by Todd Nisbet, aka Concrete Trails. Each one is a little different, and they are selling out quick!

HandleStash Cheshire Camo Limited Edition Insulated Stem Bags

Made in USA / $65 at HandleStash

HandleStash has just launched a limited-edition collection of Cheshire Camo insulated stem bags, available in nine color options. The bags are sized to fit large bottles, such as a Nalgene or HydroFlask, and are insulated to keep ice frozen for up to seven hours. Each bag comes with three straps for mounting, there’s a one-handed cinch closure, and they are made in the USA from a mix of domestic and imported materials.

The Landyachtz AB-ST Is Back

Made in Taiwan / $1,249 CAD at Landyachtz

After a slight hiatus, the Landyachtz AB-ST is back in stock in a gloss black colorway. The AB-ST is a steel drop-bar gravel bike with clearance for 29 x 2.2″ tires. It comes with a carbon fork with an adjustable flip-chip, and the frame and fork have plenty of mounting points for cages, racks, and other cargo. The AB-ST is only offered as a frameset, and it’s available online or in person at Landyachtz in Vancouver, BC. Find Miles’ review here.

Fairweather Dodo

Made in Taiwan / $800 at Blue Lug

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Named after the Dodo bird, the Fairweather Dodo is an “everyday bike” designed with classic specs such as quick-release dropouts and canti brake mounts. The frame has front rack mounts, fender eyelets, and a kickstand mount. It clears 650b x 48mm tires, comes in four sizes, and is only available in stores.

In Conversation

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

Tire Clearance: Safe Space

Earlier this week, we dispatched the new Specialized Diverge 4, a gravel bike from the big S that had quite a few interesting claims. While commenters expressed frustration with seemingly contextless claims regarding vibration reduction in their Future Shock 3 and the new seatpost design, another element of the press release that left heads scratching was the tire clearance. Given the bike’s stated clearance is 2.2,” some wondered about the maximum feasible width given the provided images, geometry numbers, and comparison to other bikes with similar clearances. So, while we’ve all crammed tires far past the recommended maximum, we started wonder what others feel comfortable with on their current bikes. Are you okay with a tighter clearances when cornering or at lower pressures, or do you like to have a solid finger’s width of room between rubber and frame material? Be sure to let us know in the Conversation below…

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Bikepacking The Ochoco Outlaw

Chris Wilson’s latest video follows his buddy Paul’s home-brewed “Ochoco Outlaw,” a route linking singletrack across Central Oregon’s Ochoco Mountains. They set out over Memorial Day, which proved a little too early; lingering snow turned the cold into a cold, comic sufferfest. It’s an honest look at how even the best-planned routes can go sideways—and why timing in the high desert matters.

Far Beyond with Lachlan Morton | Migration Gravel Race

Lachlan Morton returned to Kenya for the Migration Gravel Race, and before the event, he rode from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara with friend Kenneth Karayai, dodging potholes, living on petrol-station meals, rolling across wildlife-filled plains, and reconnecting with the freedom and community that first drew him to cycling. The new Far Beyond film captures this pre-race journey, which left him re-energized and intent on “observing, feeling, and surviving,” rather than forcing an outcome.

Nutmeg Nor’Easter Registration Opens

Ronnie Romance’s Fall classic is back for its ninth edition in Nutmeg Country. Per Ronnie, it’s “another world championship of alt biking and liking. This year, like last year and the year before, will be held at Dear Lake Camp in Killingworth, Connecticut, enveloped in quaintness and it’s trappings. What deep pleasures in these soft times of bumpy bike rides!” Click here to secure your spot.

MADE For The Love 2025 (Video)

Mad Monkey Designs had a booth at the MADE bike show this year and was able to get out and enjoy the show to put together a little video recap of their own. “Join us as we experience the wonderful world of MADE. The best hand built-bike show on earth! Thank you to all the amazing builders, brands, and contributors who work hard to create this special gathering. What a blast, during the hottest 3 days in Portland, Oregon.”

Chris Bennett Rides around the World

In 2018, 66-year-old Chris Bennett received a brain injury while riding New Zealand’s Tour Aotearoa. In May 2025, he set off around the world on his bike, aiming to become the oldest person to navigate the globe. Rob Dawson joined him in Wellington for a portion of his ride in New Zealand and put together this video. Chris just finished his ride, covering over 28,000 kilometers in under 130 days, completely self-supported. See more from his ride, including daily updates, here.

Alex Berry is Taking on the UK Triple Crown

Earlier this year, three race organizers came together to combine a trio of longstanding bikepacking events, creating the UK Triple Crown. Made up of the Highland Trail 550, Dales Divide, and North Wales 400, the UK Triple Crown sounds like one heck of a challenge. Alex Berry is currently taking on the Highland Trail 550 as part of his UK Triple Crown fastest-known-time attempt, and he’s about half way through his ride. He has to finish within 4 days and 21 hours to set a new record. Follow along here.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

The Adirondack Trail Ride (TATR)

TATR is a 585+ mile, solo, self-supported bikepacking adventure through the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. The annual grand depart is the second Friday of September. The grand depart starts this morning at 8 a.m. local time, and there are 15 riders registered for live tracking. Follow along live here.

Snallygaster 200

The Snallygaster 200 is a stunningly beautiful but tough 200-mile loop through the rugged and steep Allegheny Highlands of western Maryland and northeastern West Virginia. The route features nearly 23,000 feet of climbing on primarily gravel and dirt roads while traversing parts of the Monongahela National Forest and four state parks in Maryland. There are just eight riders registered for live tracking, and you can follow them live starting Saturday morning here.

Caldera 500

The Caldera is offered in three lengths, ranging from 150 to 500 miles, following the beauty and geological rarities that the Eastern Sierra have to offer. The “Tuff” grand depart starts tomorrow, and there’s a second grand depart on September 19th. You can track both via our event page.

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...

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