Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
This week’s Debrief features a peek at Monkey Wrench’s vintage MTB collection, an affordable Neuhaus 32″ wheelset, a new merino shirt from Albion, an event to follow live, 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…
Litelok X1 Mini
$199.99 at Litelok
The new Litelok X1 Mini takes everything that made the original X1 popular, like its angle grinder-resistant Barronium armored construction, and packages it into a smaller, more portable format. The Mini uses a shorter shackle to reduce both size and weight while retaining its “Sold Secure Diamond” rating for bikes and motos. At 1.48 kg (3.26 lb), the X1 Mini is a hair lighter than the full-size Litelok X1, which weighs around 1.7 kg (3.75 lb). That roughly 200-gram savings doesn’t sound like much, but combined with the reduced size, it should make a difference for carrying on shopping rides or packing for a longer haul.
SHREDLY’s 2026 Collection
$29+ at SHREDLY
The new women’s mountain bike collection from SHREDLY features a colorful range of apparel that the brand says pushes boundaries with bold design, refined fit, and technical performance. It includes updated goods, new colors and prints, a fresh featherweight sun hoodie, improved ecoFab fabric, and much more.
SimWorks Gettin’ Hungry: 4 Bolt
Made in Japan / $180 at Sim.Works
The Nitto-made SimWorks Gettin’ Hungry stem, a sturdy chromoly quill stem, has been updated with a four-bolt SimWorks Heart & Arrow faceplate. The stem is available in both 25.4mm and 26.0mm bar-clamp diameters (Lettuce and Tomato, respectively). The Gettin’ Hungry stems are made from Chromoly steel and are offered in black or silver.
Velo Orange Heritage Hats
$45 at Velo Orange
Inspired by Baltimore’s history as a hub for canvas trade, Velo Orange’s new waxed canvas cap features a five-panel design and fits flat under a helmet. The classic profile has also been refined with a slightly shorter brim, offering a better field of vision.
Neuhaus GW 32″ Alloy Wheelset
Made in Taiwan / $749 at Neuhaus
Neuhaus has been embracing the 32-inch bicycle in a big way, announcing the NOVA32 32-inch hardtail earlier this month. For folks building up their own 32-inch bikes, they are now selling a 32-inch alloy wheelset called the GW 32-inch. The wheels are built up with Glory Wheel (GW) high-flange hubs, FX30 TR 30mm internal rims, and your choice of Shimano MS and XD freehubs. They boost-spaced, and a complete wheelset costs $749 USD.
Albion’s Unisex Merino Riding T-Shirt
£85 at Albion
Albion has launched a new line of relaxed-fit unisex T-shirts made with a performance merino wool-blend fabric for riding in warm weather. The shirts come in Sandstone, Shale, and Umber colors and abide by the Responsible Wool Standard—a voluntary, global certification program that ensures sheep are treated humanely, land is managed sustainably, and workers are protected.
Rodeo Labs Bar Tape is Back in Stock
$27 at Rodeo Labs
After a long hiatus, Rodeo Labs has restocked and slightly reworked its bar tape. Per the RL team, “We’ve updated the material of our bar tape with a tackier, more grippy compound. Also revised, our new bar plugs are now laser-etched aluminum compression plugs and feature our ‘ride, explore, create’ slogan. If you liked our previous bar tape, you will like this version even more. Also of note, our bar tape is now longer, which makes it great for wrapping wider and wider drop bars.”
BlackHeart Road Plus
$1,699+ at BlackHeart Bike Co.
BlackHeart Bike Co. recently unveiled its new Road Plus model in both titanium and aluminum. Blending the brand’s Road and Allroad lines, the Road Plus will clear up to 700 x 42mm tires for fast rides on mixed terrain. The Ti model has a unique 3D-printed seat tube cutout that increases tire and fender clearance. Framesets and completes are available in both materials in an impressive array of nine sizes.
Austere Limited Cam Strap Drop
Made in USA / $32 at Austere
Austere just put a limited edition version of its 1″ cam strap up on the web store, and once it’s gone, it’ll be gone forever. It features a green and yellow anodized buckle, paired with a coyote webbing strap, and your choice of a stainless steel or titanium buckle pin. If you’re not familiar with Austere’s US-made CNC-machined buckles, make sure to check out Miles’s shop visit.
In Conversation
Exchanges and ideas that caught our attention in the site’s conversation section…
Your Ideal Tent
There was a lot of tent talk this week with Logan voicing his preference for Dyneema and Neil’s review of the silpoly Six Moon Lunar Orbiter. Given conversations about materials and construction, we thought it was a good time to ask everyone what their preferences are. If you’re a tent user, take a minute to fill out the form, and we’ll share the results soon!
Around the Community
News from around the bikepacking world…
MissingParkHistory.org
MissingParkHistory.org is a project aimed at documenting and preserving information that has been removed or altered from U.S. National Park Service materials. It’s a living public record of deletions and changes tied to recent federal directives aimed to limit how history and science are presented—particularly content related to climate change, racism, and difficult chapters of American history. These edits are reducing public understanding of both environmental issues and historical events, and this map aims to keep that information accessible.
Family Bikepacking with Olympian Erin Huck
What happens when a professional cyclist steps away from the podium and into the mountains with her family? Find out in SCOTT’s new Cycles of Lifevideo, which follows Olympian and six-time U.S. Elite National Champion Erin Huck on a different kind of cycling adventure.
Free Fork and Headset with Sanitas Frame Purchase
Through March 31st, Sanitas Cycles in Durango, Colorado, is offering an exceptionally good deal for buyers. Anyone who purchases one of their titanium frames will receive a free fork and headset. This limited-time deal applies to their full range of mountain, gravel, road, and adventure bikes. See more at SanitasBikes.com.
Tree to Sea Water Taxi Schedule
The 1,000-kilometer Tree to Sea Loop on Vancouver Island has the option for a stunning boat ride between the remote coastal communities of Tahsis and Zeballos. There is an optional detour for those looking to avoid the water taxi fare, but everyone who takes the boat says it’s one of the most beautiful parts of the route. Shorebird Expeditions, a local water taxi provider, just posted its bikepacker taxi schedule and will update it as riders book their trips. The cheapest option is to split the fare among six riders, so it’s the best choice for anyone looking to ride the full route. Find it here.
Seth’s Trek 1120 32er
In our new Gear Index of 32-inch tires, published last week, reader Seth Thomas mentioned he was working on converting his Trek 1120 to 32-inch mode. This week, he shared photos of the final build, which, according to Seth, still has plenty of clearance with 32 x 2.4″ tires, and doesn’t feel like it’s sitting too tall, although he did say some extra bottom bracket drop might be nice.
Esker Lorax 2026: Tim Talk
Esker’s latest video is a deep dive into everything you need to know about the latest 2026 Lorax. In the video, CEO and founder Tim Krueger shares what’s new, how it compares to other bikes, and some strategies they’ve used to keep the MSRP down. As a reminder, we’re giving away a 2026 Esker Lorax to one lucky Bikepacking Collective member next month! Learn more here for your chance to take it home.
Daniel Yang Works in a Chinese Carbon Factory
Daniel Yang of Neuhaus Metalworks took some time to give an in-depth look at how carbon manufacturing works at Light Bicycle’s factory in Xiamen, China. Running through each portion of the production process, this is a relatively complete (albeit guided) view of how one of the biggest Chinese brands makes its carbon components.
Sklar is Hiring
Sklar in San Francisco, California, currently has two job postings listed, and they look like exciting opportunities for the right person. They are still looking for a full-time Director of Operations, and they recently posted a listing for a part-time Bicycle Mechanic/Fulfillment Specialist. Learn more about both jobs here.
Framework Designs is Closing
We’re sad to hear that Tia of Framework Designs has announced the brand’s closure and final sales. Watch her heartfelt message below:
Rivendell Atlantis Build and First Ride
The Woods Cyclery in the UK just posted an entertaining Rivendell Atlantis build and first-ride video worth checking out if you’re ever thinking about picking one up for yourself. The build features Hope RS4 hubs on Velocity Cliffhanger rims, Ultradynamico MARS 29 x 2.2″ tires, Crust/Rons bikes Ortho Bars, and much more.
Events Starting Soon
What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…
East Texas Showdown
This year’s East Texas Showdown is shaping up to be the biggest yet, with just under 200 riders registered, split between the main 395-mile Showdown route, 273-mile Slowdown route, and 160-mile Lowdown ride. There’s also a 69-mile and 42-mile gravel Throwdown on Sunday, March 29th ahead of the after party and official event wrap-up. The 2026 East Texas Showdown starts this morning at 7:00 a.m. local time, follow along live here.
Weekly Social
Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, Monkey Wrench Cycles in Nebraska is showing off a slice of their impressive vintage MTB collection on Instagram. Find more over at @monkeywrenchcycles_ne.
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