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…

New 2FO Roost Flat Syn Shoe

The Specialized 2FO Roost Flat was one of our favorite shoes of last year. It has tenacious pedal grip and has proven to be extremely durable. The only downfall is that the mixed-suede is not that great looking. Specialized recently announced a new version of it that looks to be a little easier on the eyes. There aren’t many details on the new fabric or construction, but there are a few more photos and details at the link below.

$120 at Specialized

Velo Orange Pass Hunter in Metallic Graphite

Velo Orange’s Pass Hunter has been a longtime fixture in the brand’s lineup for folks who don’t need the full-on touring capabilities of their Polyvalent. It’s a speed-oriented frame for gravel riding and sport touring, and Velo Orange just launched an attractive new Metallic Graphite color. The remaining Cool Blue and Burgundy sizes are on sale for $693, and the new color is now in stock in all sizes.

Made in Taiwan / $925 at Velo Orange

Snek Top Tube Bag

Utah-based Snek Cycling rolled out a saddle tool bag and this interesting top tube bag this week. One thing that makes the Snek Top Tube Bag unique is a pair of external mesh pockets, which are ideal for snacks or other such items. The bag is made from 500D Cordura and has an internal side pocket divider, lightweight closed-cell foam sides and bottom, and standard velcro straps. It measures 7 x 3 x 3.5″ (LxWxH), offers 0.73 liters of storage, and comes in three colors.

Made in USA / $65 at Snek Cycling

Mission Workshop Sector Merino Core

The new Mission Workshop Sector : MC is their new classic crew constructed with an extra-fine 18.9 micron 190g/sm Australian Merino Wool which is spun around a core of nylon. Mission Workshop claims that having Merino Wool with a fully encapsulated nylon filament makes an incredibly strong and durable base layer or high-performance tee shirt. Buy one, get one 20% off until Sunday.

$100 at Mission Workshop

SQlab 5OX Pedals

Released last month, the new 5OX Pedals from the ergonomics experts at SQlab in Germany feature a glass fiber-reinforced composite body with a slightly concave platform with a large 110 x 105mm contact area and no axle bumps in the middle. The pedals feature Japanese ball bearings, German-made IGUS friction bushings, and replaceable pins. They offer outstanding grip and are available in three CroMo axle widths to suit various shoe sizes.

Made in Taiwan / $90 at SQlab

Wolf Tooth Fat Paw and Karv Grips in Brown

Now available in an earthy brown color, the Wolf Tooth Fat Paw and Karv Grips are both slide-on silicone grips that provide lots of cushion and are made in the USA. The Fat Paw grips are 9mm thick and the Karv Grips are 6.5mm thick.

Made in USA / $21+ at Wolf Tooth: Karv Fat Paw

Fairlight Cycles Faran 2.5 in Midnight Blue and Copper

The recently updated Faran 2.5 has landed at Fairlight Cycles HQ, and this time it’s finished in a snazzy Midnight Blue paint job with metallic copper decals. They only have frameset photos on their website for now, but they’ll be offering a complete build and more details soon. Make sure to give Logan’s review of the Faran 2.0 a read here.

Made in Taiwan / £999+ UK frameset at Fairlight Cycles

In Conversation

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

Camp Sandals

With the release of the QUOC x Restrap “post-ride” sandals, our team had quite a few conversations about camp shoes/sandals this week. Do you carry extra camp shoes on multi-day bikepacking trips? If so, what are your favorites, and how do you haul them?

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

Boyd Cycling In-house Made Alloy Rims

Greenville, South Carolina-based Boyd Cycling—whose wheels we’ve reviewed before—recently brought the manufacturing process of their alloy rims in-house. You can find more about their products here.

Inside The Trans Mountain Biking Experience

A new four-part series from Outside follows pro Blake Hansen on a yearlong mountain bike tour racing against elite competitors. Blake opens up about what it’s like to be a trans woman in the mountain biking scene and provides a first-hand look into what happens behind the scenes.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Rando Imperator

From Munich to Ferrara, the Rando Imperator is the only Randonnée that crosses the Alps, from Germany to Italy, passing through Austria


. Rders take off on May 6th local time and you can follow along live here.

All Along the Watchtowers

All Along The Watchtowers is a self-supported group ride along seven “Luchtwachttorens” in the east of the Netherlands. The route is primarily off-road, not technical, and approximately 750 kilometers long. Riders take off from the town of Echten at 9 a.m. on May 5th local time. Follow the riders live here.

Three Rivers Way (Vista 300 and 420)

Three Rivers Way kicks off on Thursday through the deep woods and beautiful backroads of the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains in Tennessee. Named for the three rivers that define this gorgeous landscape – the Ocoee, Hiwassee, and Tellico – Three Rivers Way is comprised of two routes: the Mountain (430 miles/48,500 feet) and the Vista (316 miles/34,500 feet). Follow along on the Trackleaders map here.

Wish We Were Here

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

Johan Wahl: Kenya

Africa holds a special place in my heart. There’s a magic about it that is hard to describe. Although travelling in the continent is often complicated by tricky logistics and limited infrastructure and services, in my experience, it is one of the most rewarding places to roam. My recent bikepacking trips have all been in and around the Caucasus and Eurasia, and lately, I’ve felt the itch to come back and further experience my home region by bicycle. I was beyond excited when Tristan Ridley recently published the Kenya Bike Odyssey, as I’ve long thought of Kenya to be an excellent country for a bikepacking trip.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, a couple of relatively new builds from Jolie Rouge Cycles in France…

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