Friday Debrief: Spa Cycles, Mezcal FTW, Bismarck Bottle Bucket, 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…

Updated Rogue Panda Bismarck Bottle Bucket

The updated Rogue Panda Bismarck Bottle Bucket uses the same all-Voile strap construction as their Happy Jack Snack Sack but keeps the same easy bottle access that it’s known for. The Bismarck has an integrated bottle cage to keep bottles secure and readily accessible; no pesky drawstrings are required! The new design doesn’t need a stem strap, which means it works better with short stems and doesn’t interfere with top tube bags.

Made in USA / $65 at RoguePanda.com

Spa Cycles Rove Ti

The new Rove Ti from UK-based Spa Cycles is described as a bike that’ll “give you the ability to be truly free, not limited by performance, tyre size or luggage carrying ability.” It features clearance for 29 x 2.6″ tires, loads of mounting points, a carbon fork with anything cage mounts, and is also offered as a Reynolds 725 steel frame.

Made in Taiwan / £1,395 at SpaCycles.co.uk

OneUp Composite Pedals now in Turquoise

The OneUp Composite pedals feature a huge (115x105mm) and super grippy platform with 10 rear-loading steel pins per side to keep your feet planted. Logan has been using them for years and claims they hit a sweet spot in terms of size and grip, and they’ve proven to be exceptionally durable and totally suitable for bikepacking. Plus, they now come in turquoise!

Made in Taiwan / $40 at Jenson OneUpComponents

Paul Brings Blue Back

PAUL got a lot of requests to bring back blue anodized components. Starting this week, they stocked their shelves and website with loads of blue! Dig in over at PaulComp.com.

In Conversation

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

Vittoria Mezcal FTW

A few readers brought up the overwhelming numbers of Atlas Mountain Race riders using Vittoria Mezcal tires on their rigs this year. A quick search on our latest rig roundup shows this to be true. We have some theories on why they’ve gained so much popularity but are interested to hear your thoughts on the Mezcal in the discussion below.

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

SimWorks: How Obento racks are made

Curious about how or where SimWorks Obento racks are made? In SimWorks’ latest blog post, they take a closer look at how their racks are constructed, including an inside look at the Nitto factory in Fukushima, Japan. Check it out here.

Brother in the Wild 2022 Video

Our friends at The Woods Cyclery in the UK just published a retro-inspired recap of the 2022 Brother in the Wild in Dorset. Give it a watch above to see what the popular event is all about.

Bespoked Goes to Dresden

The organizers of Bespoked, the UK’s handbuilt bike show, just announced that they’ll be hosting the inaugural Central European edition of the event in Dresden, Germany, this year. The show will take place from October 13-15 and will feature the very best of handbuilt bikes from around Europe. You can find full details at Bespoked.cc.

Bikepacking in The Cairngorms Scotland: The Speyside Way

Earlier this winter, Tom Wall of the Cycling366 YouTube channel set off on a bikepacking trip to the Cairngorms in Scotland, packing one wild-looking ride into a weekend. He passed along the above video recap of his trip that documents his travels.

First Rider Home: Great Southern Brevet

New to bikepacking after racing enduro for seven years, Joseph Nation used the Great Southern Brevet in New Zealand as a training ride for the 2023 Tour Divide. Joseph shot video during his race, highlighting his inexperience and lessons learned along the way.

Made in: Milano

In Shimano’s latest “Made in” video, they profile Italian brand Passoni: “Expertise and passion for crafting made-to-measure bikes are at the heart of the Italian Passoni brand. Founded in the late 80s in the pre-carbon era by Luciano and Luca Passoni, it was the first company in Europe that produced titanium bikes when off-the-shelf tubing wasn’t yet available. Every tube had to be made by starting from titanium sheets which were bended and welded into exceptional quality, bespoke bicycle frames. A passion for the sport and its culture has always been at the very heart of Passoni’s identity as they have spent the last 30 years building stunning machines for those with a true appreciation of fine craftsmanship. Passoni has always been a brand steeped in cycling history.”

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

2023 Atlas Mountain Race

The Atlas Mountain Race is a fixed-route, unsupported, single-stage cycling race from Marrakesh to the Atlantic coast. There are more than 200 riders registered for this years’ event, which takes off today at 6 p.m. local time. Find a roundup of more than 100 riders and rigs participating in the event here, then head over to the event listing to follow along live.

Huracan 300 Challenge

The Huracan 300 Challenge is the ultimate self-supported bikepacking race through the state of Florida, boasting 100+ miles of singletrack and some of the state’s hardest and longest climbs. The grand depart takes off from Ocala, Flordia, at 8 a.m. tomorrow, and you can follow along live here.

Wish We Were Here

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

Mia Altieri (@mia.magnolia): Bolivia

Last summer, when I went over 5,000 meters with my bike, I thought, “Wow, I never want to do this again.” But after several months back at sea level, I find myself reminiscing about that trip and curious about what other high-altitude bikepacking trips are out there. The Mama Coca, Bolivian High Andes Traverse keeps coming to mind. Micheal Dammer’s words and photos paint a beautiful picture of the route, and I can’t help but daydream a little. What attracts me most about the route is remoteness. My last couple trips have blessed me with easy logistics, but deep down, I desire a little more adventure and self-reliance. The Mama Coca, Bolivian High Andes Traverse seems to be an adventure of a lifetime, having a little bit of everything, and I look forward to riding it in the years to come.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a charming video of Kermit the Frog that our friends at Rivendell Bicycle Works recently shared in their email news letter. Watch “Gone with the Schwinn” below:

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