Friday Debrief: Fresh Bedrocks, Tension Discs, Arizona Trail, Dear Susan, 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…

Andrew The Maker Many Things Sack V1.2

Andrew The Maker just brought back the original style of the Many Things Sack, but with a few tweaks. The latest version maintains the original shape and same four-point attachment. In place of the top strap, there’s a flap with webbing for strapping light items. There’s a fresh batch available on his web shop and a few custom bag slots open as well.

$170 / Made in USA / Details

New Bedrock Sandal Colors

Bedrock Sandals just announced a few new colour options to their line of adventure-ready footwear. The new Moss Green (top left) is available in 3D Pro II and the Cairn. Plum (top right) is new on Classics, and Old Growth Green (bottom) on Geos. Plus, according to their Instagram post, all orders placed today will receive a free sticker pack.

$78-130 / Made in USA / Details

2022 Brother Kepler Preorders Open

Brother Cycles’ Kepler is their steel all-road, dirt-touring, gravel-grinding rig. For 2022, the Kepler has been updated with triple pack mounts on the fork legs and is offered in Gunmetal Grey or Pink Metallic. It has clearance for 700 x 45mm or 650 x 48mm tires, thru-axles, and a 4130 Chromoly steel frame and fork. Preorders are open now, and frames are expected to ship in July. The Kepler can be purchased as a complete for £2,049 or as a frameset for £649, UK VAT included.

£649 / Made in Taiwan / Details

2022 Rapha Brevet Collection

Rapha recently updated their Brevet Collection for 2022, a line designed for long-distance cyclists who ride in all weather. Several pieces in the refreshed collection are now made from recycled materials, and they’ve introduced the new men’s Brevet GORE-TEX Rain Jacket and women’s Women’s Brevet Flyweight Wind Jacket, among others. The full collection includes several merino pieces, bibs with cargo pockets, gloves and socks with reflective accents, and more.

$12 to $360 / Details

New Ergon CR AllRoad Pro Carbon Seatpost

Replacing the former CF3, the new CR AllRoad Pro Carbon Seatpost uses a leaf spring design to combine road bike control with suspension on rough surfaces. It has a 27.2mm diameter, 345mm total length, and weighs just 220 grams. Note that it has a 220-pound weight limit and isn’t designed for mountain bike use.

$299.95 / Details

Search and State Spring Printshop

Our friends at Search And State just unveiled three new men’s jersey prints with their “Spring Printshop” collection. Head over to SearchAndState.com to check out the Electric Aloha, Stealth Birds, and Blue Bandit jerseys.

$195 / Made in New York City / Details

In Conversation

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

Tioga Disc Drive (aka “Tension Disc”)

Amid the Sea Otter Chaos, man-on-the-ground Evan Christenson missed one little fact on Nick Martin’s retro Yeti. A commenter let us know that the rear wheel was in fact a Tioga Disc Drive (aka “Tension Disc”), a 90s-era wheel that used kevlar strands and carbon fiber in place of spokes to provide built-in suspension. When looking into it, we stumbled on this interesting video depicting a 1992 tour across Russia using these quirky wheels.

Dear Susan’s take on the Cleland

Someone mentioned this video in response to the Cleland-inspired Clandestine we shared last week. “Petor Georgallou of Dear Susan was so impressed by the design of Geoff Apps’ 1980s Cleland singletrack bike that he decided to make one for himself. In this video, he talks about the process and what it’s like to ride this unsung off-road classic.”

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

How Restrap Cycling Bags are Made

We’ve been meaning to share this video from late 2020 for ages, and yesterday’s post about Restrap’s updated Adventure Race Range finally reminded us to do so. Though a lot has changed for the small brand since this video was published, it offers an honest and insightful look inside the UK-based bag maker and is well worth a watch.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Arizona Trail Race Spring ITTs

While there aren’t any major bikepacking events starting this weekend, there are a handful of riders out tackling the Arizona Trail right now, including Lael Wilcox, who set off on Tuesday for her own ITT. Follow along live above.

Wish We Were Here

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

Lucas Winzenburg: Mongolia

Jay Ritchey’s excellent 2015 film, Bikepacking the Mongolian Steppe, remains one of my favorite pedal-powered productions to date, and watching it cemented my desire to ride the 300-mile Khangai Mountains Traverse route someday. I’m still not sure when it will happen, but it’s something I’ve enjoyed looking forward to for years, and it remains right up there atop my list of dream bikepacking trips. For a more recent perspective, don’t miss Todd Palmer’s 2019 route report here.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a reflective post from fan-favorite ultra-racer Sofiane Sehili on cycling, happiness, and fitting in…

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A post shared by Pi Manson (@clandestine.cc)

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