Friday Debrief: Peru Dreams, Shredpacking, Dogs by Bike, 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…

Updated SimWorks Volummy Tires

Designed for pavement and packed gravel, the SimWorks Volummy tire was just updated with a reinforced open-sidewall casing that SimWorks claims is more supple and lighter but still maintains a dependable level of puncture resistance. They’ve also expanded the size range to include new 700 x 38mm and 27.5 x 1.9″ options.

$62 / Made in Japan / Details

Swift Hold Fast Frame Bag Drops Next Week

The new Swift Industries Hold Fast Frame Bag is available in three sizes: 2.75 liters (sm), 3.25 liters (md), and 4 liters (lg). It’s constructed from an ECOPAK exterior with recycled polyester liner and has water-resistant zippers. There’s a large main pocket with enough room for pumps, locks, and water bladders, plus a smaller non-drive-side pocket for a wallet or small snacks. There are some fixed straps and lengths of daisy chain for removable straps or lashing on gear under the bag. The Hold Fast Frame Bag drops next week (April 26th), but you can sign up for Swift’s waitlist to be notified when it’s available for order.

$110 / Made in Washington, USA / Details

Omnium Titanum On-Demand

Our pals at Omnium in Denmark just shared the news that the ordering window for made-to-order titanium bikes is open again and will close on May 2nd. Buyers can choose between frame kits or complete builds of their Cargo, Mini-Max, CXC, or Mini models. The production and delivery time is around five to six months.

Details

Rodeo Labs Quite-Nice Headset

The new Rodeo Labs Quite-Nice Headset is now available as a standard option on their new bike builds, as well as for anyone looking for a well-made headset. They use high-quality stainless steel bearings, dual dust seals, an angular contact bearing, and are CNC machined from 7075 aluminum. The headsets are currently offered in EC44 and integrated standards with a satin/matte black anodized and laser-etched finish.

$85-95 USD / Made in Taiwan / Details

Updated Patagonia Sleeping Bags

Patagonia recently updated its sleeping bag lineup with new, less harmful materials. They are Fair Trade certified sewn, use recycled nylon, finished with non-fluorinated DWR, insulated with traceable down, and are also coloured with solution dye, which uses less water than traditional dying. The Fitz Roy is offered in two temperature ratings: 30°F/-1°C or 20°F/-7°C, and their Synthetic Liner Bag is insulated with PrimaLoft for a lightweight summer bag or layered in colder conditions.

$199-$519 USD/ Made in Vietnam / Details

In Conversation

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

Shredpacking Is In

In Miles’ recent review of the Chromag Surface Voyager, a number of readers were excited about both the idea of and term shredpacking. It turns out this somewhat new breed of hardtail makes a lot of sense for those who like to shred and bikepack, but there actually aren’t that many bikes that make the cut. A few options were brought up in the discussion section, but there surely must be more out there.

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Hammerhead and Suunto Join Forces

Hammerhead and Suunto just announced a partnership that will provide multisport users with a seamless solution for performance tracking and route finding. Folks can now ride with their Karoo 2 and run, swim, or hike with their Suunto, synching across the two devices. Most notably, riders will also gain access to Suunto Heatmaps as an in-ride feature on the Karoo 2.

Details

Lanza Rebel

Recently showcased on the Cascada blog, Lanza Rebel is a short video from Rebel Side. The video documents a bikepacking trip in Lanzarote, the northernmost and easternmost island in the Canary Islands with unique volcanic origins. Watch the video above and then head over to Cascada.cc for more photos and words.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Desertus Bikus

The inaugural Desertus Bikus event is a self-guided race across Spain from the Bay of Biscay to the Costal Del Sol. Riders are responsible for finding their own route between the Basque Country to Andalusia, stopping at four mandatory checkpoints along the way. There are nearly 200 riders registered for the grand depart, including fan favourite Sofiane Sehili. The event starts tomorrow at 12 AM. Learn more and follow along live here.

Italy Divide

The Italy Divide is an exciting 1,250-kilometer route crossing Pompei, Naples, Reggia di Caserta, Rome, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Mantova, and Verona. The grand depart takes off from Pompei tomorrow at 8 PM and there are over 70 riders registered to participate. 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…

Joe Cruz: Peru

I wish I was out on Hana Black and Mark Watson’s Camino del Puma. For me, Peru is the perfect bikepacking destination. The high-altitude landscapes soar and sing, but equally, it’s a place of history, thought, and towering culture. It’s important to me that visiting somewhere is a dialogue with the people who live there and an opportunity to be changed. Peru without a doubt can present a vast open wild, but there are always chances to be with Peruvians in villages and markets. It’s massive and unpredictable and lifting.

When I rode solo the length of Sudamerica in 2011-12 (on a Surly Pugsley with a bikepacking setup), I passed east of this area, crossing into Bolivia on the other side of Lake Titicaca. I was by then continuous with the rock and scant air. The region calls to me to return to do a circuit like this to recapture some of the positive emotions of being there.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, Lucas highlights a couple of posts from a relatively new Instagram account that combines two of his favorite things: canines and (cargo) bikes.

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