Friday Debrief: Ideal 2x Gearing, DIY Tool Pouch, MADE Interviews, IMBA/Diné Trail School, 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…

Musguard × What Happened Handlebar Harneess

Made in Slovenia / €159 at What Happened Outdoors

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Our friend Neža from What Happened Outdoors just let us know about an interesting collaboration between What Happened and Musguard. The two Slovenian companies got together and created a limited run of 40 unique handlebar bags. Each consists of a Musguard Handlebar Harness and an ultralight What Happened Dyneema dry bag. The harness is one of the lightest on the market and weighs just 148 grams, and the Dyneema bag comes in either the 46-gram, 11-liter “drop-bar” size (52 cm in diameter and 65cm long), or a larger 56-gram, 17-liter “expedition” size at 58 cm in diameter and 80 cm long.

Restrap Light Mount + Shimano Crank Bolt Tool

$10.99 at Restrap

Similar to the classic PAUL Gino, the new Restrap Light Mount provides a light mounting bar that can be mounted to any M5 threaded eyelet, such as mid-fork, at the dropouts, or on rear rack eyelets. As a secondary function, it also serves as a tool to thread/unthread the crank bolt preload cap found on Shimano cranks.

DIY CLOG Tool Pouch

FREE at Duffelx

Duffelx, the folks behind the Jack the Rack, are working on an interesting new handlebar bag modeled after the top of a backpack. While they are finalizing the design, the recently released a free DIY guide for a neat CLOG Tool Pouch. Watch the video above and then head over to their website to download free printable patterns and find fabrics.

Apogee Module by Albatross Bikes

Made in USA / $TBD at Albatross Bikes

At the MADE Bike Show this past weekend, Albatross Bikes was showing off their new Apogee Module suspension system. The Apogee Module was designed to provide long-term value to their customers while also ensuring a high degree of customization. The idea is that the entire system will be fully supported for 10 years, allowing it be swapped into your 2034 Albatross frame if you upgrade. The Apogee Module is scheduled to be available Summer 2024.

PEDALED Godai Jerseys

Made in Italy / $150-160 at Men’s Women’s

PEdALED recently released their Godai Jersey lineup, a limited apparel collection created with multimedia artist Alberto Scodro. The collaboration combines Scodro’s transformative vision with PEdALED’s fit and finish to create a variety of interesting jerseys. They’re available in long and short sleeve in both men’s and women’s sizes.

Mason Bokeh with Shimano GRX 820

Made in Italy / £3,300 at Mason Cycles

UK-based Mason Cycles just released their Bokeh gravel bike with new Shimano GRX 820 groupset with a limited-release OpticGreen paint job (carried over from the RAW we reviewed here due to popular demand). It features premium Dedacciai aluminium tubing, clearance for 650b x 55mm or 700c x 45mm tires, and is available with 1×12 or 2×12 drivetrains.

Jack’s Sacks Dropper Sack

Made in USA / $150 at JacksBikeSacks.com

Just released, the new Jack’s Sacks Dropper Sack is a dropper-compatible seat bag that’s specifically designed for shorter riders with limited tire-to-saddle clearance. It has internal stiffeners on the sides and bottom, the webbing straps pull on the stiffeners to keep things tight and even, and all saddle contact points are reinforced with a durable, grippy material. The colors are fully customizable, and bags require 4-6 weeks to deliver.

In Conversation

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

Ideal 2x Gearing

Logan: Alongside our Shimano GRX 12-speed review, we saw a lot of comments from folks that “Shimano missed the mark” with their 2×12 gearing offerings. That made me reflect back on my old Surly Krampus and the 2×10 drivetrain (36/22 x 11-36) I setup using the Surly O.D. Crank. That was excellent gearing for a dedicated singletrack bikepacking machine. What’s your ideal 2x gearing, and what components/companies have hit the mark?

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Velo Orange MADE Bike Show Interviews (Part 1)

Velo Orange published part one of three of their Made Bike Show coverage, featuring interviews with several frame builders we featured in our extensive show coverage: Eva of Liberation Fab, Joergen of Sour Bikes, and Alder of Rodriguez Cycles.

Jay Petervary Struck by Car During GDMBR FKT Attempt

On the afternoon of August 27, 2023, more than 2,000 miles into his Great Divide Ride Unearthed fundraising ride for the Be Good Foundation, Jay Petervary was hit from behind by a young driver outside of Hartsel, Colorado. He was transported to the hospital in an ambulance and found to have a shattered left wrist, right humerus break, lumbar spinal fracture, and multiple facial and body lacerations and bruises. Several surgeries are expected, and he’ll be in a back brace for 6-8 weeks. You can find additional details about the incident at JayPetervary.com. We’re sending Jay the best during his road to recovery.

2023 IMBA/Diné (Navajo) Trail Care School

The last weekend in June, trail builders from 12 communities from across the Navajo Nation came together for an IMBA Trail Care School to tune up trails in time for the third annual Rezduro, the first Indigenous-led mountain bike enduro held annually since 2021 in Hard Rock, Arizona. Watch the video above to hear from the Rezduro founders/organizers and four trail builders as they reflect on the weekend of sharing, building, and learning.

14-year-old Edyn Teitge Joins Rodeo Labs Team

At just 14 years old, Edyn has already tackled some impressive events, including the Stagecoach 400, Smoke’n’Fire 400, and JayP’s Fat Pursuit. Rodeo Labs just announced Edyn has joined their team and will be riding a shiny new Trail Donkey at some upcoming events, including Rebecca’s Private Idaho, and maybe the 2024 Tour Divide. Congrats, Edyn!

Tom La Marche Rips!

A reader pointed out that Tom La Marche, a frame builder we featured in part three of our MADE Bike Show coverage, “is the best fixed gear freestyle rider of all time.” Watch and behold above. Unreal.

Introducing the Detours Podcast

The new Detours podcast hosted by Mel Webb and Cynthia Frazier is about celebrating the journey—and the detours along the way—as much as the destination. Whether you’re an aspiring racer, a seasoned rider, or simply a curious soul eager to be captivated by tales from the trail, this podcast could be for you. Listen to the trailer above and check out the first two episodes here.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Badlands

The Badlands is a non-stop, unsupported gravel challenge along the edge of Europe. It follows a challenging 800-kilometer route across the only official deserts in Europe, the wild coast of Cabo de Gata, and the highest Col in the continent, Pico Veleta at 3,396 meters. There are nearly 350 riders registered for this Sunday’s grand depart, and you can follow their progress live here. And stay tuned for our Rigs of the Badlands roundup!

Bohemian Border Bash

The Bohemian Border Bash is a fixed route, 1,300-kilometer ultra-endurance on and off-road cycling competition circumnavigating the ancient borders of Bohemia. There are more than 50 riders registered for tomorrow’s grand depart and you can follow them along live here.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a handful of photos from the 2023 Transiberica event from earlier this month…

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