Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
This week’s Debrief features alt bars from Genosack, fresh 26+ Beachcomber colors, new Search and State T1 Tac Jackets, the LaRon éSPORT wool sweater, a couple of events happening this weekend, and much more. Find it all here…
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…
Ornot Alpha Gloves, Vest, and Shoe Covers
$85+ at OrNot
Ornot’s new Alpha Gloves, Vest, and Shoe Covers use Polartec Alpha to keep hands and toes warm without the extra bulk or weight. Plus, it’s a material that allows moisture vapor to escape for dry riding. They also released it in a fresh color with a Cookie Monster vibe.
Bear Biker Rac & Bag
Made in USA / $100+ at Bear Biker
The new Bear Biker Rac & Bag is a nifty solution for carrying cargo under your downtube for bikes without bosses. The bolt-on mini rack attaches to the water bottle bosses on the inside of the main triangle and has slotted wings to loop the included webbing straps through, securing the cargo bag in place. The kit is available with or without a Nalgene and comes in a few colors.
Fauna Cages Available at Velo Orange
Made in Canada / $45 at Velo Orange
Velo Orange just announced that it is the US distributor for Fauna Components Cargo Cages, bringing the minimalist, adjustable, Canada-made cage to more people. 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.
Genosack x Leker Leks bars
Made in the USA / $TBD at LekerLeks
The Genosack x Leker Leks bars are “two variations of one really good idea.” There are two sets of bars: one features just 25mm of rise, and the other has 70 mm. Both have 42° of backsweep and are 760mm wide. Made of chromoly steel, these bars are ideal for BMX-style riding and have a secondary hand position at the front due to their shape. If you’d like a set, message Leker Leks on Instagram to pre-order.
Fresh Stridsland Beachcomber Colors + Big Restock
Made in Taiwan / $90+ at Stridsland
Stridsland in Denmark recently received a shipping container filled with fresh inventory. Beachcombers, Bullship Bars, Anchor Bars, and Barnacle Forks are all in stock and available for worldwide shipping. The latest Beachcomber sees two fresh color options, Crackle and Homage, and is Stridsland’s take on his “dream 26+ modern retro MTB.”
Velo Crush 26-Inch Forks
Made in Taiwan / €220 at Velo Crush
Velo Crush, a bike shop specializing in custom bike builds and repairs in Zurich, Switzerland, just released its very own shop-branded 26-inch forks. They are made from double-butted chromoly steel and come with disc mounts and removable rim-brake pivots. Specs include a 1 1/8-inch steerer tube, a 410mm axle-to-crown, and a 45mm offset. The forks are available in glossy raw or matte black.
Bike Buds Long Flap Bag + Triangle Reflectors
Made in USA / $24.99+ at Bike Buds
Tomorrow at noon, Bike Buds is dropping a new long-flap handlebar bag and a new mini version of their Blue Lug-inspired triangle reflectors. The handlebar bag is handmade in Richmond, Virginia, from X-Pac, UHDP panels, a CPM mounting system, and military-grade hardware. There are only two available! The reflectors are also made in the USA and are created from materials sourced from decommissioned road signs, project off-cuts, post-industrial, and post-consumer sources. Both releases go live tomorrow, Saturday, December 13th, at high noon.
LaRon éSPORT Wool Sweater
Made in New York / $200 at Ron’s Bikes
Ronnie Romance’s latest product is a wool sweater that’s made in New York and looks like a useful piece for sub-30-degree cruises when paired with a merino base layer or as a vibrant layer when you’re looking to turn up the style off the bike.
Search and State T1 Tac Jacket
Made in New York / $325 at Search and State
Made in New York, these Search and State T1 Tac jackets are designed for everyday living and riding. With exterior hand pockets, interior cargo solutions, a zip-out hood, easy entry cuffs, and an award-winning shell fabric, the Tac is windproof and water-resistant. Available in three colors, you can grab these riding jackets directly from Seach and State for $325.
Wolf Tooth now offering 0mm Offset Chainrings
Made in Minnesota / $85 at Wolf Tooth
Shimano announced their new wireless mountain bike groupsets earlier this year, and within them was a quiet spec change: they moved to 0mm offset chainrings as standard to maintain a proper chainline. Wolf Tooth is now offering their chainrings for Shimano Direct Mount in 0mm offset. Optimised for Shimano HG+ chains, they pair with wireless Shimano 12-speed drivetrains.
In Conversation
Exchanges and ideas that caught our attention in the site’s conversation section…
Bikepacking Awards in Review
You can’t make everyone happy; folks chimed in the comments challenging our picks in all three of our Awards roundups. For example, a couple of people spoke up about our route awards, saying a certain ones should be silver instead of bronze, and so on. Rest assured, we are very thorough and have a detailed process for selection. That includes 7-10 experienced editors weighing in with a blind vote. Plus, the Collective Choice tallies around 1,000 votes from our members. What you see is democracy in action. But, what do you think; were there glaring holes in our list? Do you think we missed any particular pieces/works that should have made the list? Leave us a note and share any favorites we didn’t recognize in the Conversation below.
Around the Community
News from around the bikepacking world…
Late Summer Bikepacking in Sweden
We missed it when it was published a year ago, but after sharing Wohlgesonnen from Georg Hoos earlier this week, we stumbled upon his carefree video of an end-of-summer bikepacking getaway to beautiful Sweden. Watch it above.
Paul Components Toolin’ Around With Pat-Episode 3: Upping The Game on Roundie Bits
Episode three of Paul Components’ Toolin’ Around With Pat video series explains how they’ve been able to move some of their parts production from their mills to a fancy new magazine-fed lathe, and why that means customers will get their products faster. The addition of the new lathe enables them to produce more products in-house, including their lock rings, bar-end plugs, and other new designs.
Brother in the Wild Year 10
Brother in the Wild event is back for the 10th time, and tickets are on sale now. Taking place in Dorest, England, from May 15th to 17th, this bikepacking-style festival is the place to be for anyone in the area. For more information, click here.
The DOOM (R)Evolution
In the Bikepacker’s Buffet, South City Stitchworks’ blog, Andrew Onermaa speaks to the transition of his infamous event to the Ouachitas. Historically held in the northwest corner of Arkansas, DOOM is one of the hardest bikepacking races in the United States. Changing terrain will likely only add to that sense of difficulty, and in this blog post, Andrew discusses to the change, what it’s motivated by, and what it entails.
Campfire Cycling is Hiring
Our friends at Campfire Cycling in Tucson, Arizona, are seeking a new E-Commerce Operations Manager to work alongside the owner to manage fulfillment, purchasing, accounting, inventory management, warehousing, product listing, and customer service. It’s a full-time job with loads of perks, including industry discounts, paid time off, bonuses, and a $55,000 salary. The deadline to apply is January 7th, 2026. Learn more here.
Adam From Calling In Sick Builds a Stargazer
Adam from Calling in Sick magazine recently documented his build of a Tumbleweed Stargazer. Including some first impressions, it’s a fun little build video with some garage tinkering, California singletrack, and everything in between.
Concours de Machines at Paris-Brest-Paris
Another oldie that we missed, regular contributor Jeanne Lepoix’s 2019 video above vividly documents several of the Concours de Machines show bikes taking on the storied Paris-Brest-Paris randonneuring event across France.
Hobo Hub Works: 1984 Ross Restoration and Build
After way too much time editing footage and dealing with mic issues, Matt Steward of Hobo Hub Works in St. Louis, Missouri, finally uploaded the video of him restoring and rebuilding a 1984 Ross Mt. Whitney. If you’re looking for some inspiration for a winter bike project or budget bikepacking build, this is a great place to start.
Events Starting Soon
What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…
Cross Florida Individual Time Trial
The Cross Florida Individual Time Trial is Florida’s premier off-road ultra-endurance event. It is a unique coast-to-coast bikepacking/ultra-running challenge, the first of its kind in the United States. The grand depart starts tomorrow morning from New Smyrna Beach and finishes in the west on the Cross Florida Barge Canal. Follow along live here.
SimWorks’ First Holiday Market
This evening, SimWorks is hosting their first holiday market from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the SimWorks USA Showroom. There will be snacks and drinks, a one-time 6 p.m. Tour of First Hand Framebuilding Class, HotSalad, and LaMarche workshop, and several small makers will be there selling their creations. Makers include Randi Jo Fab, Shovel Research, Hot Salad Bikes, LaMarche Bike Co., Product of Bob Scales, Stitch Technologies, and First Hand Bike.
Weekly Social
Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a chance to win a Backpack Pannier from Fish-Ski designs…
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