This week’s Debrief features a couple of fresh handlebars, a look inside 1UP USA’s Wisconsin factory, an adaptive cargo fork, another attack on public lands, top caps inspired by Sonic Youth, four events to follow live, and more. Find it all here…

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…

YellowBird ThreadWorks Sonic Youth Top Caps

Made in Chester, CT / $60 at YellowBirdThreadWorks

Brian from YellowBird Threadworks has a new stem cap launching today at noon EST. Inspired by an old Sonic Youth song, these top caps feature a varied patina across the range. According to Brian, “It was a great feeling getting them to all look different as opposed to the typical batches where I am trying to get things to look the same. You will be able to purchase specific caps so if there is a specific one you like, act quick. When they are gone, they are gone.” These caps are limited to just 25 pieces, so get one before they’re gone!

Hand-Dyed Alpha Cruiser from Farpointe

Made in USA / $110 at Farpointe

Farpointe, an outdoor apparel brand, partnered up with their friend Dotty Arts on some one-of-a-kind, hand-dyed Alpha Cruisers. The Alpha Cruiser is made from Polartec Alpha Direct 90gsm and is praised for its warmth and breathability, acting as a fantastic mid-layer under a wind shell in cooler temps or a standalone layer in warmer conditions.

2025 State Carbon All-Road V2

Made in Taiwan / $2,399 at State Bicycles

Updated for 2025, the new State Carbon All-Road V2 now features SRAM UDH compatibility, a T47 BB, 29 x 2.2″ tire clearance, integrated frame storage, and more mounting points. Component upgrades are available across the entire bike. Framesets start at $1,399 USD, and complete builds start at $2,399.

New X-Pac Color: RX30 in Moss

Made in USA / X-Pac

X-Pac’s latest addition to the RX30 range is a deep, rich moss color inspired by the olive and ranger green colorways. RX30 is made from a 300-denier 100% recycled polyester face, black post-consumer recycled polyester X-PLY, and a 0.5-mil polyester film on the back. Bag makers can reach out to X-Pac directly for samples.

Sklar PBJ Bar in Stock and 45 Grams Lighter

Made in Taiwan / $118 at Sklar Bikes

The PBJ handlebar is an aluminum riser made for long, all-day rides, bikepacking trips, and commutes. It’s made from 7000-series aluminum and has a 31.8mm clamp diameter, 28° back sweep, 40mm rise, and an uncut width of 795mm. Sklar just restocked the PBJ bar, and it’s now made with thinner aluminum, which has reduced the weight by 45 grams. Read Miles’ review here.

Fugu Adaptive Cargo Fork

Made in France / Details at Fugu

Fugu is a clever new adaptive cargo fork project from makers Romain Thouin and Félix Grousset in France. It attaches to the frame via an integrated fork and a downtube clamp that can mount to all kinds of bikes. The platform can be moved forward and backward to find the proper fit, and a telescopic head tube extension compensates for various wheel diameters and specced fork lengths. The duo also designed a matching rack bag, Bumpak, which ideally fits on the platform, has a 40-liter volume, and is quick to detach. We don’t have details on pricing, but you can learn more and contact Romain and Félix via the link above.

SimWorks Big Little Nick Bars

Made in Japan / $86 at SimWorks

An iteration on the popular Little Nick bars, the Big Little Nick Bars from SimWorks feature the same lack of rise and angular shape but with a backsweep of 32° for a more upright position. Made by Nitto, these chromoly steel bars are available in black or silver, use a 25.4mm clamp diameter, have a 22.2 grip diameter, and are 700mm out of the box.

Seldom Seen Fika XL Hip Pack

Made in USA / $250 at Seldom Seen

The Seldom Seen Fika XL doubles the volume and carry potential of the standard-sized Fika Hip Pack. Dual side compression straps, approximately 7L of volume, and a more substantial camera mod system for the over-packers among us. The Fika XL also features a stabilizer strap when used as a sling pack. As always, each pack is handmade in Bozeman, Montana.

In Conversation

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

Suggest a Survey Topic!

A recent reader-suggested survey of how many bikes folks in our community own received more than 2,000 submissions and became the topic of its own video on our YouTube channel. We always enjoy taking the pulse of our readership on various issues, and today we’re looking to you to suggest future surveys. What are you curious to know about? If something comes to mind, please suggest a topic for a future poll in the Conversation below!

Around the Community

News from around the bikepacking world…

1UP: How It’s Made in the USA

In this video, shot in the style of the classic “How It’s Made” series, 1UP USA shares an inside look at the process of building their best-in-class bike racks in their Wisconsin facility. From raw aluminum to road-ready, it walks through extruding, cutting, welding, machining, finishing, assembly, and shipping. Watch it above.

Adam Sklar’s Bike-Touring Setup

Earlier this week, Sklar Bikes launched their new SuperSomething gravel bike. Miles covered all the details here, but Adam Sklar went a step further and showed off his bike touring setup. Complete with BxB panniers, an Oveja Negra Bedroll, and a custom frame bag, Adam’s setup also teases a rear rack he’s said to be making in collaboration with Jay from BxB.

Another Attack on Our Public Lands

Steven Rinella talks with Jeremy Romero of the National Wildlife Federation about yet another attack on our public lands by Sen. Mike Lee’s latest Border Lands Conservation Act. It’s an interesting and informative episode about the act, which does very little to conserve anything.

Bikepacking Vancouver Island: Tree to Sea Loop

This August, Matt Westfall of the Wax Tracks YouTube channel made the trip to Vancouver Island in British Columbia to ride the Tree to Sea Loop. Over the course of two weeks, Matt enjoyed rides, storm-soaked climbs, ocean views, remote logging roads, and more bear encounters than expected. Watch the full 26-minute video from his ride and then head over to the route guide to learn more.

Hudski Bikes: Dualist Days

We’ve seen the Hudski Dualist go bikepacking, commuting, riding gravel and singletrack, but Hudski’s latest video showcases the bike’s urban shredability in an entertaining skate-style edit. Watch as Ornot rider Teddy Hayden and local legend Dylan Buffington ride infinite extra credit lines through San Francisco, set to the musical composition by James Nixon.

Patagonia’s First-Ever Work in Progress Report

From Patagonia: “Our 2025 Work in Progress Report dives into all the new, fun and kinda weird ways we’re trying to lighten our load on Earth, our only shareholder. Our first report details the truth about how we’re messing up, where we’re making progress, and all the stubborn challenges ahead.” Download the entire report here.

Events Starting Soon

What to watch this weekend and bikepacking events starting soon…

Middle Southern Georgia Loop

The Middle Southern Georgia Loop is a 180-mile gravel bikepacking route in one of the Southeast’s most unique cycling landscapes. A small group of riders is registered for the 2025 grand depart, which starts tomorrow morning in Thomasville, Georgia. Follow their progress live here.

West Texas Showdown

The inaugural West Texas Showdown takes riders to the Big Bend region of Texas and is the third stage in the Texas Showdown Series. There are three route options ranging from 111 to 420 miles. There are 35 riders signed up between the three routes, and you can follow along live here when they start tomorrow morning.

Across Andes

Across Andes is the first self-sufficient bikepacking race to cross the longest mountain range in the world, 800 kilometers over five days from Chile to Argentina. There are over 200 riders participating between the solo and pairs division, and the race starts on Sunday. Follow along live here.

GranGuanche Audax Trail

The GranGuanche Audax is a 900-kilometer self-supported adventure across the Canary Islands—a ride to the next ferry through the ever-changing landscapes of this unique archipelago. There are nearly 50 riders signed up for live tracking, and they start on Sunday. Follow their progress live here.

Weekly Social

Some things we found around the ‘gram and elsewhere. This week, Randy Windle’s West Texas Showdown rig and Oli’s Midnight Special…

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