Friday Debrief: New Trek 32″ Bike, Sustainable Zip Ties, Memento Saddle Bag Rack, 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. See this week’s findings below.

Bits & Bobs

New products that are worth highlighting but didn’t make the Dispatch…

Gary’s Projects Stickers

Made in Australia / $16 AUD at Gary’s Projects

Gary’s Projects, a DIY-focused YouTube channel out of Melbourne, Australia, just released a new sticker pack that includes a new “One Less Car” and reflective “Look Out!” sticker. Each pack includes two of each sticker and ships from Gary to support his ongoing projects and videos.

Enchanted Sacks Packable Musette

Made in Germany / €30 at Enchanted Sacks

The latest product from Enchanted Sacks in Berlin is an ultra-packable, good-looking musette that tucks neatly into its own pocket and features an elastic loop for clipping on to a keychain or carabiner. The infinitely useful little bag is made from a lightweight cotton blend ripstop fabric and costs €30.

FibreStrap Sustainable Zip Ties

Made in Scandinavia / $20+ at A New Earth Project

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Professional skier Cody Townsend shared his new Ibis on Instagram this week, but it was the packaging that stood out to him. Ibis appears to be using FibreStrap zip ties, which are made from responsibly sourced long fibers from Scandinavian forests, reducing the number of plastic zip ties that eventually end up in the landfill. Pretty cool if you ask us!

Canyon Grail Gen 3

$3,500-$8,000 at Canyon

Canyon has released its latest speed-focused gravel race bike, the Grail. This generation skips the unique handlebar design that drew criticism for being overly complex and swaps it for internal storage, 2.25″ tire clearance, and bags designed in conjunction with Cyclite. While it doesn’t look like the ideal bikepacking bike, a thru-axle-mounted system and a handlebar roll can go a long way.

2027 Rocky Mountain Element Colors

Made in Taiwan / $2,699+ at Rocky Mountain

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Rocky Mountain just released fresh colors across its entire lineup, including the popular Element platform, a versatile full-suspension downcountry bike that’s equally suited to unloaded riding and fast-and-light campouts. The carbon models are available in RockShox Electric Red or Black Dog, and the alloy model comes in black or Flaming Lips (bright red). Miles spent some time comparing the latest Rocky Mountain Element to the previous version in his review; find that here.

Wolf Tooth Spoke Calculator App

Made in the USA / $0 at Wolf Tooth

Alongside the launch of their new hubs, Wolf Tooth recently released a spoke calculator application that gives riders and wheelbuilders a quick resource to calculate the spoke lengths they need when building a new wheelset with their hubs. It can also calculate spoke lengths for other hub and rim combinations, not just those offered by Wolf Tooth.

Industry Nine Revive 2.0 Gravel Wheels

Made in Canada/USA / $495+ at Industry Nine

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Revive 2.0 is the second generation of Industry Nine’s Convergence gravel rim. Featuring an articulating spoke bed that keeps tension balanced, a carefully refined bead seat for a cleaner tubeless setup, and a laminate tuned specifically for drop-bar riding loads. Rims start at $495, and complete wheelsets start at $1,549 USD.

Memento Saddle Bag Rack

Made in Canada / $70 CAD at Memento Cycles

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The new Memento Saddle Bag Rack is a minimal saddle bag support designed to keep bags stable and the dreaded bag wag at bay. The rack slips over your seatpost, comes in 27.2mm and 31.6mm sizes, and features a small platform where you can lash your saddle bag. As always, the Saddle Bag Rack is handmade in Montreal, Canada. Pre-orders are open now.

The Belmont is Back

Made in Taiwan / $2,188 at Bassi

The randonneuring-inspired collaboration bike Nic reviewed earlier this year is back in stock at Bassi. With their second run of frames delivered, the folks at Bassi have assembled a small stock of complete frames at a modest price.

In Conversation

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

Chamois or Chamois-Free?

There were plenty of comments agreeing and disagreeing with Logan’s long-term reflection on gear and ideals that he’s cut out over the years. But his move to chamois-free cycling caused more of a stir than most. That got us thinking: why not poll our readers with a blanket yes/no survey. Take a moment to provide your answer above, and we’ll share the results next week.

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Fall Garage Sale

Looking for a great deal on bags, components, apparel, or other gear for a fall adventure? We’ll be kicking off our fall Garage Sale next week, and you could win a $100 Velo Orange sale by contributing. Learn more about it here.

The Otway Rip: A Dirty Weekender

YouTuber “On the move Charlie” recently took on our three-day Otway Rip route in Australia, designed by Ben Kampschöer, and his latest video shares his impressions from the 260-kilometer track. Watch the 10-minute video above, and find the detailed route guide here.

Against the Current

As cycling increasingly gravitates toward bigger distances, faster times, and ever-more-ambitious objectives, four friends set out to do something different. Outdoor photographers Leo and Lennart, their friend Nils, and filmmaker Bene load four folding bikes with camping gear and leave Munich aboard the Brompton x Wander G Line, bound loosely for the Alps. There’s no daily mileage target, no elevation goal, and no real finish line—just a rough direction and a desire to see what happens when bikepacking leaves the numbers behind. Watch the video above.

Starling Cycles: Our Chainstays are getting longer

Starling Cycles in the UK prides itself on a simple-is-good-enough approach to bicycle design, but the various swing arm lengths and adjustments were anything but. Moving forward, all Starling Murmurs will have the same 455mm swing arms, allowing for 120, 135, 150, and 165mm of rear travel in a single package (plus a different rear shock).

An Italian Cycle Hotel in Remote British Columbia

Guides is a new adventure travel series exploring BC and beyond through the eyes of those who know it best. The latest episode features Tutti Gravel Inn, located in the ranch lands of the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast in Clinton, British Columbia. If you’ve been daydreaming about a gravel getaway, it’s worth a watch.

Smith on the Spite Rack

The new Spite Rack from RatKing Frames earned some attention in our dispatch this week, where our readers wanted to see more photos of the rack on a bike. Owner/maker Smith Levi delivered. We added a fresh on-bike shot to the post, but the photo of Smith standing on the Spite Rack is the real winner. To be clear: don’t do this!

Stridsland 26″ and 20″ Rim Production Has Begun

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Stridsland loves mini velos, but finding modern, durable 26″ and 20″ rims wide enough to handle plus-sized tires isn’t easy. So, Stridsland is making their own! The new rims should be available in February/March, with 32 spoke holes, compatibility with 2.25″ to 3.0″ tires, and four color options: black, matte silver, polished, and purple. We’ll share more when they are available.

Ruta del Jefe 2027 Registration Opens October 19–22nd

Created by Sarah Swallow, Ruta del Jefe is a binational festival celebrating adventure, education, community, and advocacy. The first event took place in 2019 at the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch in Elgin, Arizona, and ran every other year until a two-year hiatus from 2025-26. Ruta del Jefe is making a comeback, taking place in Patagonia, Arizona, from April 1st to 4th, 2027. Registration opens October 19th for Mexican nationals residing in Mexico and continues through October 22nd. Learn more at RutadelJefe.com.

Goofyz in the Wood 2026

Contributor Antoine Willemart recently took 30 friends on a group overnighter near Brussels, and the short video above shares a glimpse of a fun-filled couple of days on the bike.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

East Idaho Epic

The East Idaho Epic is a 430-mile self-supported bikepacking event through east Idaho and a section of western Wyoming. The 2026 grand depart starts from Idaho Falls tomorrow at 7 a.m. local time, with 14 riders tackling the full route and another 6 taking on the shorter 260-mile route. Follow along live here.

Calder Divide Trail

The Calder Divide Trail offers four routes ranging from 100 to 160 miles along the River Calder watershed in West Yorkshire. This year’s grand depart starts tomorrow morning in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and 13 riders are currently registered for live tracking. Follow their progress live here.

Iberica-Traversa 2026

Iberica-Traversa is an unsupported adventure across the Iberian Peninsula, following a 1,700-kilometer route on gravel roads and trails. This year’s event starts on Sunday, and you can follow all participating riders here.

Wish We Were Here

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

Miles: Death Valley

Although Emily and I are planning a larger winter escape somewhere overseas, I’m itching for something sooner, and California’s Death Valley is high on my list. There are a few routes in our database that look rideable this time of year, including the Death Valley Dustup and Echo-Titus Circuit, but if anyone has any other suggestions for week-long routes to ride in November, I’m all ears!

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a ride up Rollins Pass, Trek’s new 32er, and an etching tutorial…

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