Friday Debrief: LaShay’s Sonoran Bloom, SPD Vans, Paul Duplex, 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…

Randi Jo x Great Basin Pottery Coffee Cart Drops Tomorrow

Randi Jo Fabrications has once again teamed up with California-based Great Basin Pottery on a limited run of Coffee Carts and mugs, guaranteed to take your #coffeeoutside setup to a whole new level. The kit includes a waxed canvas stem bag designed specifically for the mug, a stuff sack, and this time they are including an Aeropress as well. Orders open tomorrow morning, so keep an eye on the Special Offerings section on RandiJoFab.com to snag one.

Mason RAW in OpticGreen

Released a year ago, the Mason RAW is the brand’s first dedicated flat-bar mountain bike. It’s handmade in the UK and has clearance for 29 x 2.6″ tires. Mason just added their new OpticGreen finish as an option for the RAW, which includes an anti-corrosion treatment inside and outside the tubing. Check out the RAW GX AXS build here.

New Rocky Mountain Blizzard Colors

While the Rocky Mountain Blizzard isn’t receiving any major updates for 2023, they did just release some flashy new colors and build kits that look ready for some serious winter riding. Complete builds range from $1,900 all the way up to $3,800 USD and come in aluminum and carbon. Check out the entire lineup at Bikes.com.

RideWithGPS Photo Overlay

RideWithGPS snuck in another cool update to their route planner application. Photos can now be added in the app or at any point after the fact. On the web, simply drag and drop photos directly into any route or ride page and they will auto-upload to the exact locations they were taken. Pretty cool. Find details here.

Omnium 10-Year Anniversary Cargo V3

Omnium’s 10-year anniversary Cargo V3 cargo bike is covered in logos from messenger companies from all across the globe that use Omnium bikes in their daily work routines. This limited run of frames will initially be up for grabs for the courier companies who are represented on the frames and are available as a frame-only or complete build.

€1,415+ / Details

Oveja Negra LaShay’s Sonoran Bloom Collection Drops Today

Salida, Colorado-based Oveja Negra’s latest collection features original artwork by LaShay, a seamstress at Oveja Negra and a talented artist. LaShay’s Sonoran Bloom Collection includes backpacks, Snack Packs, totes, tank tops, sweatshirts, hats, cups, patches, and stickers.

Made in USA / Details

Paul Duplex Lever is Back

After a hiatus, the Paul Duplex lever is back. The Duplex levers pull two cables at once and have two pivot points, allowing them to work with any long or short-pull brakes. “We started making these for Bike Polo nerds, but they’ve gained popularity with adaptive cyclists looking for high-quality braking.”

$152 / Made in USA / Details

Valcko Clipless Vans Preorder

Paris-based Valcko Studios just opened up preorders on their custom SPD-compatible Vans. Love ’em or hate ’em, clipping in with vans on the way to your favourite brewery or cafe seems like a great idea to us. They’ve got several models and colors to choose from, they ship worldwide, and preorders take 6-7 weeks to be completed.

€250 / Made in France / Details

Poseidon Redwood in Matte Black

After requests for a black Redwood, Poseidon has delivered with a fresh matte black drop-bar Redwood, which includes their new updated saddle as well. The Redwood is based around an aluminum frame and fork, has loads of mounts, and comes specced with 27.5 x 2.35″ tires.

$1,000 / Made in Taiwan / Details

In Conversation

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

Thoughts on Specialized’s Defunct Ambassador Program

There’s a lively conversation going in our Dispatch about Specialized terminating their “adventure” ambassador program. Plenty of the comments reflect our intent with the article, which wasn’t to pass judgement, but to express disappointment that they sacrificed a channel that made more riders feel welcome and represented. As one commenter put it, “Seeing people my age and older riding such awesome places, at a pace that was neither here nor there really stood out to me. I saw that I can go hard, or I could go at ‘party pace’, and it doesn’t matter how many times I stop to take in the view etc. The only competition is the one I create for myself. That is so attractive to me I went out and bought my first ‘real’ bike.”

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Finding Time

Teravail recently produced “Finding Time,” a new film featuring friends and gold-medal Paralympians Steve Bate and David Smith as they share the challenges they face and the relief that riding brings.

Rodeo Labs Ready To Roll

The newly added Ready To Roll section on the Rodeo Labs website will feature bikes that they’ve had in their demo fleet, at trade shows, or have built with parts they have around the shop. The Ready To Roll builds will be priced nicely, and thus won’t be customizable. Check them out at Rodeo-Labs.com.

Paul Price on the Bikes Bikes Bikes! Podcast

Earlier this year Cjell Moné of Moné Bikes launched a new podcast called Bikes Bikes Bikes! Cjell describes it as, “A podcast about lots of stuff with a general cycling bend. Hi value guests. Medium production value and low brow humor.” His latest guest was Paul Price of Paul Components. Give it a listen above.

Wish We Were Here

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

Lucas Winzenburg: Peru

If I had to choose just one bucket list route from our entire catalog, the Peru Great Divide would probably be it. Cass and crew did a fantastic job of documenting it through the route guide and corresponding video (linked below), and I return to both from time to time. I can only imagine that spending a month riding through the Andes would fill satisfy my wanderlust and fill my adventure cup for many years to come, and I hope to have the opportunity to experience the 1,600-kilometer route for myself someday.

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