Friday Debrief: King Cage Flat Top, Bluemels Fenders, Ride for the Forest, and More…

We started “The Debrief” on our YouTube channel last year as a way of highlighting the week’s news and things that caught our attention on the website, in the conversation, and elsewhere around the community. To take this a step further, we’re posting a weekly Debrief here on the site to highlight all of those things and more, including upcoming events and interesting things 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…

King Cage Flat Top Cages

Offered in titanium or stainless steel, the new King Cage Flat Top bottle cages are nearly identical to their standard cages but lose the bend on the top of the cage, making them compatible with pretty much any non-cycling-specific bottle. While the original version is one of our favourite cages and has proven to be exceptionally durable, the new Flat Top option will be more versatile and can hold a variety of bottle types.

$26-$66 / Made in USA / Details

ENVE Ride-Lifestyle Apparel

ENVE just rolled out a full lineup of apparel they’re calling Ride-Lifestyle Apparel. The range includes merino tops for men and women, some comfy looking post-ride garments, and the insulated jacket pictured above that’s made from 100% recycled nylon. Find the full line over at ENVE.com.

PNW Rover Hip Pack LTD

Released last fall, the PNW Rover Hip Pack is kitted out with lots of pockets for organization, a padded back panel, and a clever adjustment system to keep things tight and tidy. PNW just released a new limited edition camo version and some additional stock color options that are all available now.

$79 / Made in Vietnam / Details

PEdALED Winter Odyssey Collection

PEdALED just launched their 2022 fall/winter Odyssey Collection, which is designed around all-day comfort and insulation from the cold and features reflective detailing for low-visibility riding. The lineup includes long sleeve jerseys, bib tights, insulated vests, base layers, gloves, and more.

$40-$280 / Made in Italy / Details

Wizard Works Bespoke Frame Bag Orders Open

If you’ve been holding off on ordering a custom frame bag, now’s your chance. Wizard Works in London just opened up orders for full and partial bespoke frame bags, and with the ability to add pockets, different fabric colors, and more, you could have the frame bag of your dreams. Each bag is handmade in their workshop and has a six-week lead time.

£215 / Made in UK / Details

Fizik Terra Artica GTX

The new Fizik Terra Artica GTX is a winter mountain bike shoe with a waterproof Gore-Tex membrane, insulation, and a breathable fleece liner for cold and wet gravel and mountain bike rides. They are made from a high-density PU upper/Ripstop fabric, have a BOA closure and an upper velcro strap that wraps around the ankle, and a tacky rubber outsole for grip in winter conditions. They come in sizes 36-48 in black or the grape/purple shown here.

$260 / Made in China / Details

Updated SKS Bluemels Fender Line

The Bluemels fender family has been part of SKS since the beginning, which dates back to the early 1980s. They recently gave the Bluemels lineup a major update, including new size options from 20″ to 29″, more widths, and a new design that makes installation easier. They’ve also added a new Bluemels STYLE fender that come in four widths, offering coverage for 700 x 28mm on up to 29 x 2.6″ tires.

$40-$87 / Made in Germany / Details

In Conversation

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

Powered By Cheese

If you watched Katie Stempke’s video from her Utah Mixed Epic race, you’ll remember a scene where she contemplates how much cheese is too much cheese. We thought this was hilarious but also imagined the chaos that might cause to your stomach. Interestingly, Katie found out she has a minor nut allergy, so she’s been full-on dairy now, and it has “changed her life.” What’s your favourite bikepacking snack or race fuel? Let us know below.

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Landyachtz Ride for the Forest 2022

Landyachtz Bikes’ third annual Ride for the Forest self-supported bicycle photo scavenger hunt is back. The rules are simple: register online, collect photos during the month of October, and then post them on social media over the weekend of October 30th. All registrations will be put into a draw to win a AB-AL or AB-ST, and there are loads of other prizes up for grabs. Entry is $30, and the funds raised are going towards putting a stop to the logging of old growth trees. Register at LandyachtzBikes.com.

Revel Bikes & LoveYourBrain Bicycle Fundraiser

For the fourth year in a row, Revel Bikes is raffling off two custom-painted bikes in support of the LoveYourBrain Foundation, who’s mission is to improve quality of life for people affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and raise awareness about the importance of brain health. The fundraiser will run for the month of October and the winners will be picked on November 7th. Every $10 donation gets you one chance to win, and there is no limit on the number of donations you can make. Learn more here.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Sedgefield 500 (Fall Event)

The Sedgefield 500 is a self-supported 500-kilometre gravel race that starts and ends in Sedgefield, South Africa. Following the event earlier this year, the organizers have put on another race that starts this morning. This time, it’s limited to 35 riders, there are no teams, and drafting is allowed. It sounds like an interesting one to follow along, and you can do so here.

Wish We Were Here

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

Josh Hicks (@joshhicksss): Pisgah, North Carolina

While perusing through the routes published on the site, The Real Pisgah jumped out at me when I saw the many layers of The Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. I grew up visiting my grandparents every summer just an hour north of the starting point, but I’ve never pedaled any further than circles around the campground on my childhood BMX bike. This area holds more classic summer memories than I could even recall: chasing waterfalls, bluegrass music festivals, fishing, and tubing down the freezing cold streams waiting to find another diving hole hidden around the next bend. The pace of life deep in the forest is quiet, slow, and in many places, uncommercialized. To me, that all sounds like it’d make for the perfect escape on two wheels.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, more updates from the 2022 Arkansas High Country Race…

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