Friday Debrief: 32-Inch Peyote, Your Favorite Bikepacking Experiences, Magic Totes, Tariff Troubles, 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…

Velo Orange Voile Straps

$10 at Velo Orange

• 
• 

After recently discovering the practicality and functionality of Voile straps, the team at Velo Orange has decided to launch a new collaboration with the brand. Available in three colors—green, black, and, of course, orange—these 20″ straps read “Velo Orange” across the body.

Calling In Sick x OuterShell Magic Totes

Made in San Francisco, CA / $135 at Calling In Sick

Following the release of the new Outer Shell Magic Tote, the San Francisco brand has created a limited run of bags in Calling In Sick green. Available through their online store, it’s the same Magic Tote as Outer Shell’s, but in the cycling magazine’s signature green color.

Wheels MFG Chainrings Now Offered in Shimano Direct Mount

Made in the USA / $75 at Wheels MFG

Wheels Manufacturing announced the launch of their new mountain bike chainrings for Shimano Direct Mount cranks. CNC-machined in Colorado from 7075 aluminum, these are available in a wide range of colors, with options in 28-34T and both outboard and inboard chainlines.

Slug Outdoor Hat

$38 at Slug Bikes

Slug Bikes has released another iteration of its Outdoor Hat, this time in black. A six-panel nylon cap with an adjustable strap, it features a stitched Slug logo across the front.

Industry Nine Launches S-Series Aluminum Rims

Made in Asheville, North Carolina / $745 at Industry Nine

Industry Nine has improved upon its aluminum rims by adding its Hollow Bead Wall Technology to the S-Series rims. The new Enduro-S and Trail-S look to blend performance, strength, and value. With wheels starting at $745, these could be a solid option for those in search of an affordable alloy wheelset.

In Conversation

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

Where Has the Site Taken You?

Earlier this week, we published our Pledge to Readers, a clarifying commitment speaking to what we aim to do and how we go about doing it. Many from our amazing reader community sounded off in the comments, with some mentioning their own bikepacking experiences, spurred by stories or routes published on the site. To that end, we’d love to know: what are some of the highlights you’ve experienced as a result of something you found here? It can be a trip, an interaction, or any positive experience. Let us know in the Conversation below!

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

An Interview With Katrina Hase

In his latest video, Ryan Van Duzer sits down with Katrina Hase to talk about her experience as a bikepacker. From the Great Divide to DOOM and a variety of other high-profile events, Katrina has taken to bikepacking like a fish to water and wants to encourage other women to get out there and do more.

Tariffs Hit Hudski Bikes

Starting February 20th, prices at Hudski Bikes will rise. Citing difficulties navigating a complex, tariff-ridden landscape, the small California-based brand will be raising the price of their Dualist from $2,400 to $2,700 USD.

Singular Cycles Kookabura

• 
• 
• 

Sam of Singular Cycles in the UK has been tinkering with his Kookaburra prototype again, this time tossing some drops on it to see how it fares as a rando-style bike. He got into the specifics of how he made his new bars work, saying, “The sleek Nitto stem had to stay, that’s a big part of the reason for making this frameset 1-inch threaded. So I was trying to find a more compact road bar in 26.0 in silver, not much out there. I came across these Deda Speciale bars in a decent 46cm width, not heat treated. They have very vertical, almost inward sloping drops from the factory – so I clamped the drop sections between two sections of ply in my big bench vise and heaved on it until the drops were in a place which feels more comfortable – it feels great so far.”

Vittoria Peyote 32er

The above is a screenshot from Sam of Singular Cycles during his visit to the Ice Bike show in the UK. With more 32″ technology coming to market, it seems Vittoria have thrown their hat in the ring with a 32″ Peyote prototype. Nic put out his review of the 29″ version of the tire earlier this week, but it does make us wonder how this fast-rolling XC tire would fare at an even larger size.

Wish We Were Here

Shedding a little light on a route one of us is dreaming about riding at the moment…

Nic Morales: Oaxaca, Mexico

We’ve enjoyed a strange winter here in Western North Carolina. Just a few days after Christmas, I did an overnighter in shorts and a long-sleeve T-shirt. However, over the last two weeks, we’ve seen only a few days above freezing. With consecutive snow and ice storms, it’s been hard to get outside for extended periods of time, let alone bikepacking trips. So, my desires turn to Logan’s winter home of Oaxaca, through the Ojos De Tehucan, particularly after seeing more of it in his Esker Smokey review.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a Arya of Ron’s Bikes takes to Sky Islands loop for some bikepacking in Arizona, and Adam Sklar offers a sneak peek at a new rack…

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