While most of the crew is out west for the MADE Bike Show, I rolled through Outdoor Retailer’s new venue in Minneapolis, MN, to see what’s new for other outdoor activities. Turns out, there was quite a bit of very cool bike stuff on display, plus some camping gear that was perfectly suited for bikepacking, and more! Here’s the best cycling bits from OR2026…
Donkey Label Titanium Gravel Bike
While they weren’t using the word, I’ll say it – Monster Gravel. This beast crammed 29×2.35″ mountain bike tires into the frame and fork. Realistically, it’s designed for up to 700×50, as tires this big create some real clearance issues, particularly at the fork’s crown. And they raise the BB height, and your center of gravity, which takes the handling down a notch.
Regardless, they had two prototypes on display, one polished and this brushed one, both titanium and both looking very near ready for production.
No word on pricing or availability yet. If you’re wondering who Donkey Label is, they’re better known for their cycling clothing, which is pretty cool. But they partnered with an MPLS design firm and, together, they wanted to make a bike. I’d say it looks pretty good for a first effort!
Wolf Tooth, Otso, Cedaero, Surly & Wilde
While we’re on bikes, several other area brands had displays. While not new, this Otso was decked out with sister-brand Wolf Tooth Components‘ gold-anodized bits…
…which were color-matched perfectly by Cedaero for their handlebar and seat bags.
The Surly Moonlander was built around gargantuan 24×6.2″ tires. Yes, that’s SIX-point-two inch wide tires. Throw in a long wheelbase and low standover and it’s a bike designed for riding places most people wouldn’t consider. Read all about it here.
Wilde is a brand that gets it – bikes should be fun, and their designs and pricing prove it. Sure, they’ve got titanium models, too, but their steel 26″ clunker comes in under $2k complete.
Bikepacking: Hyperlite, Trailbrush, Dry Brew & Buzz Bomb
Hyperlite, as the name suggests, makes ridiculously lightweight camping gear. This CrossPeak 1 tent weighs just 28.7oz (813.6g) all in. The shell and floor are 100% waterproof Dyneema, and there’s a generous vestibule once the guy-lines are run to pop out the rainfly shell, perfect for keeping your helmet, bags, etc., protected from the elements (or just hidden from view).
While it’s not specifically made for bikepacking, they say the pole segments are pretty short for the main (gray) frame poles. The cross bar orange) that creates width at the top has the longest segment, around 15.5″. As long as you have a packing solution for that part, it’s among the lightest solo tents on the market. They make a two-person version, also.
The Trailbrush was the ultimate weight-weenie item at the show. It turns most camp utensils into a toothbrush, weighs less than a penny, and is purposefully designed for camping. How? The bristles are fewer, with wider spacing between bunches, so you don’t need as much water to rinse it clean.
The brush head slots into a small hole found on most camp spoons, turning the spoon into the handle. That gives you a proper length handle compared to cutting down a regular toothbrush, and also means a lot less plastic being used for something you’re just going to cut down and throw away anyway.
If you’ve cut out the camp stove and extra water to save weight, too, Dry Brew makes coffee into a Tootsie Roll-like snack. The single serve packets have about a cup’s worth of coffee each, and tins and bigger bags let you dose it how you wish.
And if those are too much weight, Buzz Bomb is flavored caffeine powder that you dissolve under your tongue for an instant boost. No wasted time or effort chewing, guzzling, or even digesting.
Other Cool Stuff
Introduced last fall, Kopilot.ID is a simple RFID tag that you stick to your helmet, then create your free account. There’s no battery, no subscription, and nothing else to do. Just input your personal, medical & emergency contact info, then anyone can hold their NFC-equipped phone (which is most modern phones) near the tag to see your emergency medical info if you’re unresponsive.
4theBLK Helmets, by BiciPr3ta, is, according to Google, a “Brazilian socio-environmental enterprise based in Salvador, Bahia, focused on Black cycling mobility. Founded by creative entrepreneur Lívia Suarez, the brand creates products, projects, and cultural initiatives—most notably designing and producing Helmets 4theBLK, the country’s first line of urban bicycle helmets specifically adapted for afro hair, braids, and dreadlocks.”
The shell is thin, with lightweight foam padding inside. It’s made for casual, low-speed cycling around town, not mountain biking or faster road/gravel cycling.
Formula 100 is a German brand of bicycle care, and when I asked what makes them better/special/different, the reply was genius – “We use science.” Check out the full line on their website, but two things that stood out at OR were the Bike Wash and chain brush.
The Express Wash is a rinse-free solution, just spray on and wipe off. More interesting is the Clean Machine, a gel-based spray that goes on thick and won’t run:
As long as your aim is true, it’ll it on the bike and dissolve grime and gunk, making it easier to scrub or wipe off, then rinse it clean. It does this without hurting the paint, finish, seals, or anything else. In fact, both are designed to use on any part of your bike, including drivetrain and brakes.
I also really liked their chain brush because it’s the only one I’ve seen with bristles to hit all four sides of the chain. Most only have three, so I have to flip it over, but this does the whole chain at once. Brilliant.
Flatbike’s Pop-Off Pedals don’t fold flat to save space, they pop off. The custom spindles click into custom receivers that thread into your cranks, using dual-sided retention clips to hold them steady. They only add about 1/2″ to your Q-factor, not bad for a pedal you can add and remove in about two seconds. The benefit isn’t just making your bike narrower for storage in tight spaces and cramped apartments (especially when paired with their stem); it also makes your bike unridable when you take them off, which makes it harder to steal.
The Drye Fan is a rechargeable, compact fan that attaches directly to your Camelbak reservoir. Turn it on, choose one of three fan speeds, then decide how long you want it to run for (each light = one hour), then come back to a clean, dry bladder.
They crushed its Kickstarter campaign last year, and they’ll soon have attachments to work with bladders from Nathan and Hydrapak, too. Kits include the mounting adapter and a hanging hook that clips into the hose port.