Friday Debrief: Rodeo Bars, Stridsland Beachcomber, Paper Roads Trail Panniers, 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…

Wilde x Paul Splatter Stems

Made in USA / $170 at Wilde Bikes

Minnesota-based Wilde Bikes has teamed up with Paul Component Engineering on a limited run of Boxcar stems, and there are only 50 available. They are silver with a black splatter, come in zero degree 50mm x 31.8, 70mm x 31.8, and 90mm x 31.8 sizes, as well as +-7 degree 100mm x 31.8, all with a 31.8mm clamp.

Veloci VLCmade Rift Pedal

Made in Taiwan / $TBD at Veloci Cycles

The new Veloci Rift Pedals are “inspired by the traditional Japanese footwear TABI and designed to embody the essence of the traditional Ninja spirit.” They are made in Taiwan by VLC, have replaceable pins, sealed bearings, and a 100mm x 95.5mm platform.

Wildwood Rodeo Bars

Made in Canada / $300 at Wildwood Cycles

• 
• 

Wildwood Cycles on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is back with another interesting handlebar/cargo solution. The Wildwood Rodeo Bars are handmade in Canada from 4130 Chromoly steel, appear to be at least partially inspired by the Surly Corner bar, run standard flat-bar brake levers and shifters, and have integrated three-pack mounts along the front for mounting Wildwood’s cargo cages.

FRXBL Thumbster Now Available

Made in Japan / $90 at FRXBL.com

Earlier this year, we shared a Kickstarter campaign for the FRXBL Thumbster, a CNC-machined friction shifter designed for folks restoring vintage bicycles. The campaign has ended, and the shifters are now available to purchase directly through FRXBL. The Thumbster is made of Aluminum 6061 and weighs 84.5 grams. It is designed to have a cable pull length of 27.7mm, the clamp size is 22.2mm, and the shifter will work with drivetrains from 5 to 10 speeds.

Stridsland Beachcomber Heads to Production

After a few years of designing and tinkering and multiple prototypes, Matias from the small Denmark-based company STRIDSLAND has reached a point where he’s decided to put the first batch of steel Beachcombers into production. Matias’ dream frame is a modern take on an old 26” MTB, designed for 26+ tires, thru-axles or QR, disc brakes, and dropper routing. Blurring the lines between your choice of buzzwords like Gravel, ATB, Commuter, MTB, and BMX, the idea was to create a fun bike to ride directly from your front door, wherever that may be. The recipe is something along the lines of: lots of mounts for all your bike-camping needs, a big front triangle for a spacious frame bag, and a high BB with short chainstays for fewer pedal strikes and more playfulness.

The ETA is hopefully late this year or early next, but he will open pre-orders once they begin their voyage at sea from Taiwan. Also, keep an eye on the Titanium version pre-order, the first batch of Anchor bars, and an updated version of the Barnacle fork in the coming months. Hop over to @stridsland_journal on Instagram to see more.

Paper Roads Aotearoa Trail Panniers

Made in New Zealand / $279 NZD at PaperRoads.co.nz

The new Paper Roads Trail Panniers are designed specifically for the demands of bikepacking and off-road riding. They are made with an X-Pac exterior, fiberglass battens and a plastic insert for stability, and rely on three burly velcro straps and a lower drawstring cord to secure them to your favourite rack. They provide an option for seam taped or not, several color choices, and have a 16L max capacity.

Broadfork Bags Wald Basket Bag

Made in USA / $125 at BroadforkBags.com

Utah-based Broadfork Bags just released a new Wald basket bag that’s available directly through their web shop or at Saturday Cycles in Salt Lake City (once more are made). They can be built for any Wald basket size, weigh right around 330 grams, and are made with a mix of Cordura, pack cloth liner, and foam padding. The bags can be made to order with your choice of custom fabrics, additional pockets, and even extra padding for those who need it.

In Conversation

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

Dyneema, Nylon, or Polyester?

Our review of the Druston X-Mid Pro 2 that was published earlier this week stirred up some discussion on tent fabrics and their pros and cons. There’s no question that Dyneema Composite (DCF) tents are more expensive, but are they worth the extra cost? One reader suggested the new wave of polyester tents offer better abrasion resistance and still don’t wet out like nylon tents. Share your thoughts in the discussion below.

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Michele Miani and the Mountain Race Triple

Mason rider Michele Miani just finished the unofficial Mountain Race Triple, a challenge that includes all three of Nelson Trees’ mountain race events: the Silk Road Mountain Race, Atlas Mountain Race, and the new Hellenic Mountain Race, which debuted this spring. You can read more about Michele’s accomplishment on the Mason blog.

Meaghan Hackinen Sets Log Driver’s Waltz FKT

• 
• 

Last week, Meaghan Hackinen set off on an individual time trial of the Log Driver’s Waltz route in Ontario, an 800-kilometer route through the Ottawa Valley of Ontario and Quebec’s Outaouais region. This was Meaghan’s first ITT, and she went all out to crush the previous men’s record by more than six hours and cut the women’s time in half. Her official finish time was 43 hours and 33 minutes. Congrats, Meaghan! Head over to her Instagram page to see more from during and after the ride.

Josh Ibbet’s 2023 Pan Celtic Race Setup

The 2023 Pan Celtic Race is a 1,400-mile, self-supported cycling adventure journeying through the Celtic Nations of Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and Brittany. The grand depart takes off from Brittany this Sunday, and in preparation, our friend Josh Ibbett put together a detailed rig breakdown video, which you can watch above.

Dusty Wins 2023 Kenai 250

Dustin (Dusty) Eroh, a longtime product designer and gear tester at Revelate Designs, took first place at the Kenai 250 race in Alaska this past weekend. The unsupported race tackles 250 miles of some of Alaska’s best singletrack and epic scenery. Dusty pedaled over the finish line in 28 hours and 30 minutes.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Pan Celtic Race

The Pan Celtic is a self-supported, ultra-endurance bicycle ride journeying through the Celtic Nations of Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and Brittany. The event follows a different route each year, tackling stunning terrain and landscapes steeped in Celtic tradition. There are more than 200 riders registered for the grand depart this Sunday, and you can follow their progress live here.

Vistula 1200

The Vistula 1200 is a roughly 1,200-kilometer bikepacking race that follows a scenic and historically relevant route through some of the most beautiful areas of Europe. The sixth edition of the event takes off tomorrow morning from the town of Wisła with a 200 hour time limit. Follow along live here.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a handful of updates from the inaugural Ascend Armenia event…

Further Reading

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.