Friday Debrief: Chris King Gold Grease, Woodsy Hog’s Back, Mr. Fusion Colors, 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…

Wolf Tooth Now Offers Gold T47 Internal BB and

Made in the USA / $140 at Wolf Tooth

One of the original Wolf Tooth Color Shop anodized finishes, Gold, is now available in BSA and T47 Internal bottom brackets. They add a striking complement to any bike and are sure to make even your most invisible components all the more ostentatious.

Rhythmus Equipment Unpaid Agitator Tee

$35 at Rhythmus Equipment

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Created by a Minnesotan, these shirts from Rhythmus Equipment speak for themselves. Per the brand, “Rhythmus is about riding bikes, but people can’t do that if they are scared to leave their homes. So let’s TREAD ON THESE FASCISTS and get them out of Minnesota, so the good people there can feel safe again.” Made of 100% cotton, these have a relaxed fit, embroidered front wordmark, and printed back artwork.

New Chris King Gold Grease

$15+ at Chris King

After a year of testing in the lab and on the trail, Chris King just released a brand-new Gold Grease. According to Chris King, the Gold Grease reduces friction by nearly 30% over King Silver Grease (which is now discontinued), and it also remains stable for longer. Gold Grease is offered in two sizes: 25g and 100g, and it’s available now through your local dealer or direct from Chris King.

Bassi Hog’s Back Woodsy Special

Made in Taiwan / £2,249 at The Woods Cyclery

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On top of fully custom builds, The Woods Cyclery in Lyndhurst, England, is now offering “Woodsy Specials,” which are builds that are ready to roll out the door and sold without labour. The latest is the Bassi “Woodsy Special” Hog’s Back with a MicroSHIFT Sword 1×10 drivetrain, Avid BB5 brakes, and Ultradynamico Mars 27.5 x 2.2″ tires.

Allied Fitz

Made in China / $6,900+ at Allied Cycle Works

The new Allied Fitz is a lightweight trail bike designed around a carbon frame, 140mm of travel, and modern specs. Features include internal frame storage, a straight seat tube for long droppers, downtube and chainstay protection, internal routing channels for cables, and a SRAM UDH rear dropout. The Fitz isn’t cheap: framesets start at $3,975 USD, and complete builds range from $6,900 to $11,400 USD.

Rockgeist Mr. Fusion Now in Colors

Made in the USA / $230 at Rockgeist

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Rockgeist just restocked their popular Mr. Fusion seat pack, and for the first time, it’s offered in several colors. Mr. Fusion is now available in Coyote Sunrise, Cranberry Bog, and, of course, Light Black. The seat pack has an integrated mini-rack that clamps to your seatpost and a large-volume, removable drybag, making it one of the most stable and waterproof seat packs around.

OneUp Launches Goldstone Grip

$30 at OneUp

Inspired by pro downhill racer Jackson Goldstone, OneUp has launched their new Goldstone grips. Featuring a 140mm length, these grips have a tacky 20A grip body with durable 45A outer flange. They use a single inner clamp, have a raised palm pad, finger ramps, and a knurled grip body. Weighing in at 108 grams, you can buy these directly from OneUp.

The Sklar 32er is for sale!

Made in the USA / $6400 at Sklar Bikes

Adam Sklar is selling his prototype 32er. Though he’s enjoyed the project, it’s just not for him. So, he’s getting rid of it. Per Adam’s listing, “It is a Large – photo’d with my 780mm saddle height. I am 5’11” with long legs so probably good for someone in the 5’9″ to 6’1″ ish range. Geo is XCish, intended for fast fire roady stuff and some trail too. Nextie carbon rims with Onyx hubs. GX 12 speed drivetrain and Code RSC Brakes. AXS Wireless dropper. It has maybe a couple hundred miles on it but very much like new.”

SimWorks “SimHeads” Headsets by Tangeseiki

Made in Japan / $150 at SimWorks

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The new SimHEADS by Tangeseiki is a premium headset developed in collaboration between SimWorks and Tangeseiki, one of Japan’s most respected precision component manufacturers. SimHEADS is made from A7075-T6 aluminum for the crown race and top cap, matching the material used throughout the rest of the assembly. It’s launching initially as a standard threadless 1-⅛” headset, but additional standards are expected to come in the future. It’s available and silver and black and costs $150 USD.

In Conversation

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

In Conversation: The Components They are a Changin’…

Earlier this week, Nic published his review of the updated Surly Midnight Special. Among other tweaks, the biggest change to the brand’s iconic all-road bike was the inclusion of a carbon fork. Though Midnight Special owners have been swapping in aftermarket carbon forks for years, long-time Surly fans saw it as a heel turn. Given the company’s longstanding preference and advocacy for steel, some Surly fans felt betrayed by the idea of a stock carbon component. What do you think? Is the change simply the brand evolving with the times, or are they turning their back on a core tenet that made them distinct? Let us know in the Conversation below…

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Ritchey is Hiring!

Ritchey is currently looking to hire a customer service/warranty associate. Local to the California Bay Area, those interested should get in touch by messaging the Ritchey account on Instagram or via the Ritchey contact form.

Rockgeist’s Fabric Guide (Part 1)

In Rockgeist’s latest email newsletter, they offer a deep dive into all things fabric-related. If you’ve ever wondered what fabric is best for your next frame bag, this is a great place to start. The newsletter answers questions such as What’s Your Most Eco-Friendly Fabric, X-Pac vs. Ecopak, and more. Dig into it here.

Riding the Route of The Gralloch Ultra

The Gralloch Ultra is a new 330-kilometer ultra-distance gravel adventure through the wild heart of the Galloway Forest Park and the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere. Starting and finishing in the town of Gatehouse of Fleet, the Ultra, supported by Restrap, will be the centerpiece of a weekend-long celebration of gravel cycling from the 15th to 17th of May, which also includes the UCI Gravel World Series race and the Gralloch Sportive. Learn more at GrallochGravel.com.

Frostbike Canceled Due to ICE

Due to the ICE occupation in Minnesota, QBP has decided to cancel the return of its industry expo, Frostbike. As they shared on Instagram, “While we have been hopeful that a significant de-escalation would take place, it does not appear that meaningful change is coming soon. While better days for our community are certainly in our future, the current conditions make it potentially unsafe for some attendees. For that reason, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Frostbike 2026.”

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

2026 Atlas Mountain Race

Now in its sixth year, the 2026 Atlas Mountain Race follows a 1,350-kilometer route across the rugged and beautiful Atlas Mountains in Morocco. For the first time, the AMR starts from Beni-Mellal instead of Marrakesh, and there are nearly 300 riders registered for live tracking. The grand depart was earlier this morning, and you can follow their progress live here.

The Huracan 300 Challenge

The Huracan 300 Challenge is the ultimate self-supported bikepacking race through the state of Florida. Boasting over 100 miles of singletrack and some of Florida’s hardest and longest climbs. There are four route options this year and over 130 riders are registered for live tracking. Follow on starting Saturday morning here.

SimWorks Eighth Anniversary Ride & Party

Tomorrow, Saturday, February 7th, SimWorks USA in Portland is hosting an eighth anniversary ride and party. There’s a group ride at 9:30 a.m. starting from Courier Coffee Roasters, and then an after party at the SimWorks showroom from 1 to 7 p.m. Visit SimWorks’ Instagram post for all the details.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a purpose-built bikepacking rig from Jesse of Slow Southern Steel, and Martina from Swift Industries doesn’t hold back regarding her thoughts of massive, wagging saddle bags…

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