Friday Debrief: Anchor Bar, DIY Survey, Packable Pogies, Chunk in Canada, 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…

The Stridsland Anchor Bar Has Landed

Made in Taiwan / $80+ at Stridsland

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Three years in the making, the new Stridsland Anchor Bar is a klunker-approved 4130 Chromoly steel riser bar that looks perfect for anyone on hunt for a comfortable but shreddable handlebar. It’s 850mm wide and has a 22.2mm clamp, 20° backsweep, 5° upsweep, and 75mm rise, weighing in at approximately 750 grams. It’s heat treated, and aluminum shims are available for 25.4mm or 31.8mm stems. The Anchor Bar comes in black or raw and start at 675 DKK for folks within the EU. For everyone else, prices start at $80 USD. Orders open this Sunday at 4 p.m. Central European Time (7 a.m. PST).

Wolf Tooth Waveform Pedals in Raw Silver

Made in USA / $199 at Wolf Tooth

Wolf Tooth quietly changed to their new Raw Silver color on the Waveform Pedals. The new Raw Silver is made using a clear anodizing technique. According to Wolf Tooth, they get a lot of requests for unanodized components, but Aluminum needs to be anodized. Raw Silver components looks like they were never dipped into the electrified baths.

New Patagonia Black Hole Duffels

Made in Vietnam / $159 at Patagonia

Patagonia’s Black Hole Duffel bags are a longstanding favorite for traveling among several of us. The 40L version meets most airline carry-on size requirements, and they’re generally the perfect size to fit most of a bikepacking kit in. Plus, they’re tough as nails. They just got revamped, and the most significant change is a shift from virgin to 100% recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). For every 1,000 yards of TPU produced, 75 pounds go to waste as a result of the manufacturing process. In an industry first, Patagonia is now purchasing the TPU “waste” direct from the factories and recycling it into all Black Hole Duffels. The use of recycled TPU gives the bags a new matte finish look. Additionally, the new Black Hole Duffels are now designed with even greater repairability in mind. Patagonia’s Reno repair center is now stocked with Black Hole replacement components such as the base, side panels, and top panel.

Crumbworks Chunk Pre-Order at C&L Cycle

Made in Japan / $3,650 CAD at C&L Cycle

Remember the Crumbworks Chunk, a swoopy Japan-made all-terrain bike, that was one of the most interesting bikes for 2024 in our 2023 Gear of the Year Awards? Well, they’ve made their way over to Canada, and C&L Cycle in Quebec is taking pre-orders on all sizes. The Chunk is handmade from a mix of TANGE and 4130 Chromoly steel, has clearance for 27.5 x 2.8″ tires, and has an interesting mix of modern and classic specs. These include a 1″ threaded steerer, disc brakes, and dropper post routing.

Jacks Sacks Packable Pogies

Made in USA / $35 at Jacks Bike Sacks

Handmade in Richmond, Virginia, the new Jacks Sacks Packable Pogies are designed to be easy to install, packable (there are two pogies in the mug), and leave plenty of room inside for your fingers to move around. They are made from Tyvek, weigh just over 80 grams/pair, have reflective detailing for visibility, and use velcro to pinch around the handlebar.

ACTOFIVE SIGNATURE X and SIGNATURE X Pinion Crankset

Made in Germany / €399-€369 at ACTOFIVE

ACTOFIVE is a small company located in Saxony, the wooded corner of eastern Germany, producing high-end, in-house CNC frames and components. They just released two new CNC-machined cranks, made from solid 7075-T6 aluminum, designed for mountain bike, gravel, and Pinion-equipped frames. They come in your choice of finish (raw, silver, black, blue or grey), a single 170mm length option, and are limited to 50 units per batch. The next run is scheduled for January 2024.

9point8 Slack-R for Press-Fit Headsets

Made in Taiwan / $99 at 9point8

Canadaian component manufacturer 9point8 just added more Slack-R kits to their lineup, giving users the ability to slacken (or steepen) their bike’s head tube angle by up to 2.9°. The new Slack-R ZS/EC kits are designed for press-in cup style headsets and come in a variety of configurations and sizes.

In Conversation

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

DIY Survey

We have dozens of MYOBG (Make Your Own Bikepacking Gear) guides and DIY tutorials here at BIKEPACKING.com. From our long-term perspective, sharing how-to information is one of the building blocks of this site. The Waxed Canvas Bags guide posted yesterday got the wheels turning, and we’re wondering what other DIY tutorials and subjects you’d like to see. Leave a note in the survey below:

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Don’t Miss the Restrap Solstice Century

Again this year, the team at Restrap in the UK is challenging folks around the world to get out for a long ride over the winter solstice weekend. If you pedal 100 miles (160 kilometers) between today, December 15th, and Sunday the 17th, Restrap will send you a finisher’s patch. They invite you to complete the challenge indoors or outdoors and on any type of bike and terrain. Find details and get signed up here.

Rodeo Labs on the Mid-Atlantic Gravel, Travel & Dirt Podcast

Rodeo Labs founder Stephen Fitzgerald was recently a guest on the Mid-Atlantic Gravel, Travel & Dirt podcast. It’s a worthwhile listen if you’re curious about all things Rodeo Labs, including the yet-to-be-released Show Pony that we’ve teased here on the site.

Wish We Were Here

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

Lucas Winzenburg: Bosnia

As the only Balkan country I haven’t traveled through by bike and probably the one that intrigues me most, I’m always loosely planning a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina to immerse myself in its stunning landscapes and learn more about its history. Michael O’Dwyer’s seven-day route, the Bosnian Highline, looks like an excellent primer and way to connect natural highlights, cultural heritage sites, and and some unforgettable riding.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a handful of photos from last month’s Mallee Blast in Australia…

Further Reading

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

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