Friday Debrief: Collapsible Coffee Dripper, RIP Bernhard Rohloff, Natural Atlas, 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…

Industry Nine Classic Wheels Get Colorized

Made in USA / $950+ at Industry Nine

Some of our favorite wheels just got even better. The Industry Nine Classic Trail S and Enduro S (both the alloy and carbon versions) are now available with anodized hubs. Formerly only offered in black, you can now choose from I9’s rainbow of color options. Logan put together a long-term review of the Enduro S Carbon wheels after 3,000 miles of use, which you can read here. It’s worth noting that he’s since put another 1,200 miles on them, and they’re still going strong—including a ride on the San Jose del Pacifico Grand Dirt Tour last winter.

Pewter PAUL

Made in USA / PAUL Comp

Chico, California-based PAUL Components just added another color to its kaleidoscope of anodizing options. All PAUL parts are now available in a cool pewter, including our favorites, the Boxcar Stem and the elegant Dropper Lever.

More Rogue Panda Designs Rincon Options

Made in USA / $65 at Rogue Panda

Rogue Panda Designs in Arizona just added more options to their Rincon top tube bag, making it easier to fit more bikes and different shaped top tube/seat tube junctions. There are now six designs to choose from: 90-degree, gusset, obtuse, acute, XL, and XL gusset. They range from 0.8L to 1.2L (6-11 Snickers) and can be customized with your choice of fabric using their online tool.

Michelin Power Adventure Tires

$84.99 at Michelin

Available as of yesterday, the new Michelin Power Adventure tires are offered in 700 x 30-48mm sizes with black or tan sidewalls and are designed to suit the needs of cyclists who primarily ride on roads but occasionally like to venture a little further off the beaten path. They feature small shoulder blocks and a smooth center tread, Michelin’s GUM-X Technology that’s engineered to balance rolling efficiency and grip, and a lightweight 3×100 TPI construction with the brand’s high-density protective “BEAD 2 BEAD” shield technology.

Three New Products from Restrap

$14.99-$41.99 at Restrap

Restrap over in the UK just released a trio of new accessories, including the lightweight Travel Pouch ($41.99) that’s designed to store daily essentials and fit into a frame bag, the collapsible Coffee Dripper ($14.99) for brewing coffee on the go, and a new 20oz Enamel Mug ($29.99).

Wizard Works Gala Musette

£35+ at Wizard Works

The new Gala Musette from Wizard Works in London is a weather-resistant and durable version of a traditional musette for keeping your phone handy, carrying your watercolors to the park, or filling with tasty food to haul to camp. It’s partially lined and made from Cordura and X-Pac fabric to keep weight down and features an angled adjustable strap for the perfect fit and a press stud at the top to keep your snacks secure. The Gala Musette is offered in five readymade color combos, and custom colors are available for an extra £10.

SimWorks June Pride Collection

$7-$78 at Sim.Works

In celebration of Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community, SimWorks has put together a collection of colorful products to encourage everyone to take pride in adding some color to their bike lives. Add any of the products in the June Pride collection to your cart and add the code JUNEPRIDE_SW_20 at checkout for 20 percent off.

In Conversation

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

New Routes

We were thrilled to finally work with the Munda Biddi Trail association and get that route documented and available on our route map. It’s a route we’ve been dreaming of getting into the archive for years. What other longstanding routes are missing that you’d like to see documented and included in our ever-growing archive?

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

RIP Bernhard Rohloff (1950-2023)

Bernhard Felix Rohloff, who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease, died peacefully and unexpectedly on Friday, May 19, 2023 at the age of 73. He was born in Germany in 1950 and founded Rohloff GmbH with his wife Barbara in 1986. His name is inextricably linked to innovative, long-lasting bicycle drive technology, and he was known for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. You can read more about Bernhard and his legacy at Rohloff.de (only in German).

The Culzean Way by Markus Stitz

The latest video from Edinburgh, Scotland-based filmmaker and author Markus Stitz highlights the beauty of South Ayrshire and the efforts of a volunteer community group to give a disused railway line from Ayr to Girvan a new lease of life. Learn more about the group’s work and see the stunning region for yourself in the video above.

Natural Atlas

More than just a GPS app, the all-new Natural Atlas app is the first of its kind: an evolving field guide of nature that helps you learn more about your surroundings and also a field recorder packed with all the practical tools you need to navigate and chronicle your discoveries. It features details on geology, public vs. private lands, notable points of interest, tree cover, and over 1.3 million animals and 400,000 plants. There’s a free starter version and a “plus” version for $39.99/year. Learn more at NaturalAtlas.com.

Sofiane’s Highland Trail 550 Debrief

Sofiane Sehili took ninth place at this year’s Highland Trail 550 event in Scotland, an hour behind Alice Lemkes, the first woman to finish this year’s race. Sofiane sat down to share some post-race thoughts just after his ride, including his feelings about starting out on the wrong foot and finding his groove as the raced progressed. See it above.

Sisters in the Wild East Devon Trail Rally

£150 at Sisters in the Wild

Tickets for the Sisters in the Wild East Devon Trail Bikepacking Rally go on sale today, and we imagine they will sell out quickly. The event is for women, trans, and non-binary folks with some off-road experience/bikepacking and those who feel like they’re ready to work toward giving it a go. The ride starts and end in Exeter, UK, and participants will have three days and two nights in between to complete the 115-mile 50/50 off-road loop.

Sufur Prototype: Bags Before Bike

If you spotted the SÜFUR prototype made by Rufus Wenlock in our Rigs of the Trans Balkan Race roundup this morning, you probably have some questions. According to Rufus, “The objective of this frame was to better understand the best application and design around 3D printing.” The saddle, bars, and cranks remain in a normal position, but everything around them is unique. Joe Nation spent some time with Rufus to learn more about the bike before the event, which you can watch in the video above.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Trans Balkan Race

The Trans Balkan Race is a 1,300-kilometer off-road unsupported bikepacking race across the Balkans. It follows an unforgettable route across karstic landscapes and thick forests through the history of the Ex-Yugoslavia. The 2023 event introduces a new route and whole new set of challenges that riders will be forced to overcome. The grand depart is already underway, and you can follow their progress live here.

North Central Washington 250

The North Central Washington (NCW) 250 is a 250-mile self-supported bikepacking event that samples some of the best backcountry riding in North Central Washington. The course boasts 28,000 feet of vertical climbing and is completed in a loop. This is a race that the weekend warrior might be able to complete and be in time for work on Monday. The event takes off from Wenatchee tomorrow morning. Follow along live here.

Trans Am Bike Race

Covering 10 States and 4,300 miles, the Trans Am Bike Race is a classic coast-to-coast race across the USA. The grand depart is this Sunday from Astoria, Oregon, 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…

Marcus Nicolson: The Cairngorms

Next weekend, I’m looking forward to trying out the Cairngorms Loop. The updated version of the route covers 311 kilometres and almost 4,000 metres of elevation. There have been some extra sections of singletrack added for a bit of extra spice! Huw Oliver is arranging a finisher party where riders can meet up and re-fuel after the weekend with some pizza and beers. I’m looking forward to the remote sections of the route and the long daylight hours. I’ll be riding on a drop-bar bike, which maybe isn’t ideal but should do the job just fine. I’ll wear some comfy shoes, as there is sure to be plenty of walking!

Related Content

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...

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