Friday Debrief: New Bags from Tribulus and Straight Cut, Groadinger, 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…

Straight Cut Design Dhà Frame Bag

Scotland-based Straight Cut Design just added a larger volume frame bag to their ready-to-ride lineup called the Dhà Frame Bag. The first round will be available in an LS21 Black Heather and VX21 Coyote Brown colorway featuring 3L of storage, a slim non-drive-side pocket, and a hydration/cable port. It’s also available as a custom item if you’d like to choose your own fabrics.

Made in Scotland / £75 at StraightCutDesign.com

Apidura Backcountry Hydration Backpack

Apidura just launched the new Backcountry Hydration Backpack, designed for mountain biking and long rides in remote locations where extra water carrying capacity and increased storage are essential. The backpack comes in two sizes: S/M with 14 liters of storage and L/XL with 14.5 liters. Both feature a breathable 3D mesh construction with a TPU-coated 70D lightweight ripstop fabric, roll-top closure, internal lycra stash pocket, stretch mesh rear side pockets, and quick-release buckles incorporating magnetic hydration hose clip. They also have a custom 2L fast-flow bladder housed in the 12L main storage compartment alongside an additional 2L capacity spread across easy-access pockets across the backpack.

$199 at Apidura

Ritchey Corralitos Handlebar has Landed

The recently announced Ritchey Corralitos handlebar (which we covered here) is finally available, featuring a generously wide 24° drop flare, a 15mm rise, a round top shape, extra-long 180mm drops, and a super-compact 67.5mm drop, which is about 34mm shorter than their popular VentureMax XL.

Made in Taiwan / $54.95 at RitcheyLogic.com

Slammin’ Salmon Velo Orange Neutrino Pre-Sale

Velo Orange’s Neutrino Mini-Velo will be back stock in a fresh “Slammin’ Salmon” color soon, and now’s the chance to secure your frameset! Their pre-sale is live now, with frames expected to be delivered in early May. If you missed our review last year, you can find it linked at the bottom of this post.

Made in Taiwan / $825 at Velo-Orange.com

Three New Bags from Tribulus Limited

New Mexico-based bag maker Tribulus Limited just added three new bags to their web shop, and if they’re anything like the Endover that Cass reviewed here, we expect good things. The drop includes a 5.5L Low Roller fork bag, 10L High Roller dry bag, and a small hip pack called the Bum Bag.

Made in USA / $40-$75 at TribulusLimited.com

Stayer Groadinger UG Orders Close Soon

If you’ve been holding off on snagging the new Stayer Groadinger UG, the time has come to make a decision. Stayer has begun production of their versatile Groadinger UG (Ultra Grav) frames, and preorders won’t be open for much longer. Stayer offers lots of add-ons and custom features, even when ordering from their stock sizes, and frames can be bundled with a wheelset or dialed in as a complete build.

Made in UK / £2,200 at StayerCycles.com

Forge + Bond Zero-waste Carbon Wheels

Forge + Bond, makers of Fusion Fiber—the recyclable carbon process behind the Revel Wheels we reviewed—launched their own line of wheels this week. The Utah company makes the rims in house and is looking to change the tune of wheel manufacturing with a sustainable process that has lower emissions and creates zero waste or carbon dust while making their 100% recyclable rims. They released a 25mm gravel wheel and a 30mm mountain wheel. The 28-spoke, I9 Hydra hub-equipped EM30 is the most interesting (specs above).

Made in Utah, USA / 1854 grams / $2,599 at Forge And Bond

In Conversation

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

Lifetime Warranty-backed Wheels

With two new alloy wheels launched recently offering lifetime warranties, a reader mentioned that this is hopefully the beginning of an “avalanche of lifetime warranty-backed wheels.” What do you think, are there others out there besides the new Race Face Turbine and the Reserve 30|SL? How about carbon wheels that have a lifetime warranty? Let us know in the conversation below.

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Sofiane and Fanny’s South East Asia Pack List Video

Sofiane Sehili and Fanny Bensussan spent a little more than two months riding around Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam last December. They put together this video showcasing their ultra-minimal packing lists, which shows just how little is needed when stripping away almost all non-essential items. Check it out above.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Hunt Sydney to Summit

The Hunt Sydney to Summit kicks off on Sunday. This 680-kilometer self-sufficient bikepacking challenge takes riders through some of Australia’s most beautiful terrain as they leave Sydney’s bustling metropolis and navigate through national parks and remote areas, climbing ~13,000 meters from sea level to the highest point in Australia. Follow along over at @hunt_bikes.

Tour de Los Padres

Tour De Los Padres kicks off next Thursday with riders facing a challenging 300-mile bikepacking route that traverses some of the most scenic areas of the Southern Los Padres National Forest in California. You can follow along on the live tracking map here.

Wish We Were Here

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

Lucas Winzenburg: Grand Staircase Loop

Jamie Mefford’s images from the Grand Staircase Loop in Utah have been seared into my memory since we first shared them back in 2017, and the fact that I still haven’t ridden it pops into my mind from time to time. This morning is one of those times, and I’m reminded that 2023 should be the year I finally get to Utah to experience the captivating 160-mile route for myself.

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