{"id":697223,"date":"2026-07-17T20:08:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T20:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/697223\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T20:08:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T20:08:27","slug":"friday-debrief-230-bikepacking-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/697223\/","title":{"rendered":"Friday Debrief #230 – BIKEPACKING.com"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week\u2019s Debrief features a rainbow of Microwave Pannier colors, Vetra\u2019s Rattlesnake Stem, niche shop tools, a limited-edition Brooks saddle, multiple events to follow live, and more. Find it all here\u2026<\/p>\n

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\u2019s findings below.<\/p>\n

Bits & Bobs<\/p>\n

New products that are worth highlighting but didn\u2019t make the Dispatch\u2026<\/p>\n

Parsec Objects Big Peach<\/p>\n

Made in China \/ $12 at Parsec Objects<\/a><\/p>\n

\"parsec<\/a><\/p>\n

If safety donuts and pizzas just aren\u2019t doing it for you, the new Big Peach reflector from Parsec Objects could be worth checking out. It\u2019s hard to imagine a more suitable reflector to hang from your saddle, ensuring nobody misses your rear end. <\/p>\n

Brooks x JJJJound Limited Edition Saddles<\/p>\n

Made in England \/ $265 at Brooks England<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

JJJJound, a Montreal-based design studio, teamed up with Brooks on two limited-edition saddles finished in their signature aesthetic. The drop includes the B17 and Flyer saddles with an all-white treatment and the underside of the tops left to their natural coloring. The side of each saddle is embossed with a dedicated JJJJound side stamp and includes a Brooks England x JJJJound hub shiner.<\/p>\n

Vetra Rattlesnake Stem<\/p>\n

Made in Germany \/ \u20ac178 at Vetra Bikes<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Vetra<\/a><\/p>\n

Made by Vetra in Berlin, the Rattlesnake Stem features a polished chrome finish, an 80mm length, and a -6 degree rise, making it suitable for a range of classic and modern cockpit setups. It is designed for round-tube drop handlebars and is equally compatible with swept-back flat bars, making it a good fit for ATB, touring, and commuting bikes.<\/p>\n

Nordest Supercross Ti Handlebar<\/p>\n

Made in Taiwan \/ \u20ac349 at Nordest Cycles<\/a><\/p>\n

\"nordest<\/a><\/p>\n

Nordest\u2019s new Supercross Ti Handlebar has a 50mm rise, 11\u00b0 backsweep, and 6\u00b0 upsweep that they say is perfect for \u201call-day riding, all-day ripping, and more.\u201d The Supercross Ti is made from Ti3Al2.5V titanium, measures 800mm wide, uses a 31.8mm clamp, and weighs 465 grams. <\/p>\n

Custom Rockgeist Microwave Panniers<\/p>\n

Made in USA \/ $285 at Rockgeist<\/a><\/p>\n

\"rockgeist<\/a>
\n\"rockgeist<\/a><\/p>\n

For the first time ever, Rockgeist is offering custom Microwave Pannier colors. Customers can select any fabric and color from our fabric library when placing their order, giving them over 40 options to choose from. If you aren\u2019t picky about holster colors, they will be making RX36 Black Microwave sets to keep in stock for faster shipping. Custom orders come with a 2-3 week lead time. <\/p>\n

Fairlight Touch Up Paint<\/p>\n

Made in the UK \/ \u00a320 at GPaint<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Fairlight<\/a><\/p>\n

Fairlight has teamed up with GPaint to make their fantastic paints available in small touch-up bottles. Touch-up paint for all current Fairlight colors (including the new Iridescent Root Beer) is now available on the GPaint UK website, with US and EU availability to follow. <\/p>\n

Keystone Bikes Friendly Mechanic Tee<\/p>\n

$25 at Keystone Bikes<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Keystone<\/a><\/p>\n

Keystone Bikes<\/a> has released a T-shirt designed by Jessie Jay, a tattoo artist and friend of the shop. Emblematic of the rough roads in central Philly, it\u2019s a dual-colored tee that supports a small business. <\/p>\n

In Conversation<\/p>\n

Exchanges and ideas that caught our attention in the site\u2019s conversation section\u2026<\/p>\n

Obscure Shop Tools
\n\"Logan<\/a><\/p>\n

The introduction of Knipex\u2019s tiny SlimKnips<\/a> got us thinking about those oddly specific tools that earn a permanent place in the workshop. Whether it\u2019s a precision cable cutter or something even more obscure, what\u2019s your favorite highly specialized shop tool, and why is it worth having around?<\/p>\n

Around the Community<\/p>\n

News from around the bikepacking world\u2026<\/p>\n

I Failed My 2,700-Mile Bikepacking Trip<\/p>\n

In his latest video, Darwin onthetrail unpacks what went wrong on his recent attempt at the 2026 Tour Divide, sharing some reflections on what worked and what ultimately led to his decision to bail from the 2,700-mile route in Montana. Watch it above.<\/p>\n

The Gralloch Ultra 2026<\/p>\n

Markus Stitz\u2019s latest film follows Josh Reid, Jenny Tough, and other riders as they take on the 2026 Gralloch Ultra, a 323-kilometer gravel race through the Galloway Forest Park in Scotland. It captures both the physical toll of the distance and the camaraderie that defines ultra-distance riding. <\/p>\n

2027 KONA ATHLETE APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN
\n\"2027<\/a><\/p>\n

Applications for the 2027 Kona Teams are open through August 4th, 2026. The brand is seeking racers, creators, community builders, and bike-obsessed humans who make an impact\u2014on the bike, behind the camera, in their communities, and within the cycling industry. Sound like you? Head over to KonaWorld.com<\/a> for details.<\/p>\n

The End of An Era: The Details Behind What Happened to Hardtail Party<\/p>\n

Steve Hume, creator and host of the popular Hardtail Party YouTube channel, has been making videos as his job and passion for the past seven years. The channel has been quiet recently, and his latest video offers more insight into his health, his return to school, and what the future might look like. <\/p>\n

Tout Terrain Shift:R Allroad<\/p>\n

\"Tout<\/a>
\n\"Tout<\/a><\/p>\n

New from Tout Terrain in Germany, the new Shift:R Allroad is an innovative system that lets riders link Shimano GRX shifters to a Pinion gearbox, enabling an easier connection between the comfort of a drop-bar cockpit and the weather-sealed reliability of a Pinion drivetrain. For now, the Shift:R Allroad is available exclusively on select Tout Terrain models, but it will be offered as a standalone upgrade in the future. Learn more at Tout-Terrain.de<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Events Starting Soon<\/p>\n

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon\u2026<\/p>\n

2026 Montana Bike Odyssey
\n\"Montana<\/a><\/p>\n

The Montana Bike Odyssey is a 1,750-mile loop through Montana, starting and ending in Bozeman. For 2026, there are also 500-mile and 235-mile route options. This year\u2019s grand depart took off this morning, and you can follow along live here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Ardennes Monster
\n\"ardennes<\/a><\/p>\n

The Ardennes Monster is Belgium\u2019s most poetic ultra. Crossing four countries and hundreds of lovely climbs, the race blends cycling legends with forgotten roads, deep forests, and lonely plateaus. The event offers three formats: a massive 1,050-kilometer loop through the heart of the Ardennes, a 500-kilometer version with the same soul and the same sting, and a 300-kilometer option to taste the adventure in a more compact dose. The event started yesterday evening, and you can follow along live here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Port Angeles Super Loop (PASL) 2026
\n\"PASL<\/a><\/p>\n

The Port Angeles Super Loop (PASL) is an unofficial, solo, self-supported bikepacking ride on the north Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. It links everything that makes riding this little slice of heaven so special. This year\u2019s event starts tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. local time. Follow along here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Capitals
\n\"the<\/a><\/p>\n

The Capitals is an 840-kilometer ultra-endurance race connecting the four Catalan capitals: Barcelona, Tarragona, Lleida, and Girona. This year\u2019s grand depart starts Sunday morning at 6 a.m. local time, with nearly 100 riders participating. Follow along live here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2026 Transcontinental Race
\n\"Christoph<\/a><\/p>\n

Founded by Mike Hall in 2013, the Transcontinental Race (TCR) is an annual, self-supported, ultra-distance bikepacking race across Europe. The route varies for each edition, but participants are free to choose their own route between the mandatory checkpoints. This year\u2019s event starts on Sunday from Trondheim, Norway, with well over 400 riders participating. Follow along live here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wish We Were Here<\/p>\n

Shedding a little light on a route one of us is dreaming about riding at the moment\u2026<\/p>\n

Lucas Winzenburg: Peru
\n\"Conexion<\/a><\/p>\n

Back in the early 2010s, Cass Gilbert<\/a>\u2018s images from his time riding across the Americas were formative for many bikepackers, myself included. I was a devout reader of his blog, While Out Riding, and consider myself lucky to have spent the last decade and a half working with him. Naturally, I was thrilled to see that he was recently back in Peru, where he documented and shared the new 290-kilometer Conexi\u00f3n Oy\u00f3n<\/a> route, which I hope to experience for myself in the not-too-distant future.<\/p>\n

Weekly Social<\/p>\n

Some things we found around the \u2018gram and elsewhere. This week, Kara Folkerts\u2019 mini Bright Midnight writeup and Angus Young\u2019s post-Tour Divide rig breakdown at the MASON barn\u2026<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This week\u2019s Debrief features a rainbow of Microwave Pannier colors, Vetra\u2019s Rattlesnake Stem, niche shop tools, a limited-edition…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":697224,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[173302,173298,173299,173303,50635,173300,50634,4985,101,173305,173301,387,56,54,55,173304],"class_list":["post-697223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-adventure-cycling","tag-bicycle-touring","tag-bike-touring","tag-bike-tours","tag-bike-packing","tag-bikepacking","tag-cycle-touring","tag-cycling","tag-sports","tag-stealth-camping","tag-touring-bikes","tag-travel","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-world-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/697223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=697223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/697223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/697224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=697223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=697223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=697223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}