Radar Roundup: Merman Bicycles Launch, Mowmow Bars, Crumbworks Prototype Frame, Ibex Indie Hoodies, Minoura Camp Stove Cage, Mitch Ropelato in NYC, and Adaptive Shredding

Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…

Merman Bicycles Launches!

Merman Bicycles, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, USA (self-proclaimed MTB capital of the world), is a new bicycle brand focused on creating “fun-forward” bikes. Founders Tyler Siems and Taylor Weichman are a couple of hardtail fanatics who have wandered the earth searching for stoke and wanted to create an optimizable platform that would allow any rider to make their bike into almost anything they need it to be. Not too slack, not too twitchy, not too rowdy and not too tame. After a few prototype iterations, they believe that they have created a bike that is juuuuuust right. The little Goldilocks that emerged from almost two years of riding and refining is called “Unholy Diver”. A shreddy hardtail with the desire to blast when pointed down, and still conquer even the techiest climbs. You make your own rules, Unholy Diver won’t tell you how to live your life!

64* headtube angle, short-ish chainstays (with sliding dropouts adjustable from 425mm-437mm), fully sleeved internal routing, with steel and titanium construction options. The Unholy Diver is singlespeed friendly, gears friendly, shred friendly, people friendly. Merman considers the frame to be a blank canvas, compatible with 29” wheels, 27.5” wheels, or even mullet wheels, and suspension travel options from 130mm to 150mm of squish. Merman Bicycles believes that for most riders and ride locations, the sweet spot for the geometry is to set the frame up with 29” wheels and 140mm travel fork, but Unholy Diver can easily be optimized for your personal ride style and terrain of your local trails.

The mission of Merman Bicycles is to create bikes aimed at maximizing fun and to never take themselves too seriously.

The initial “Founder’s Run” of Unholy Diver frames has nearly sold out, but a few frames are currently in-stock on the webstore. Small batch orders will soon be available from artisans worldwide, including the good ol’ USA. You can purchase directly from Merman Bicycles, or if you have a favorite local shop, they will also be stoked to work with that shop to curate your dream build.

The Merman Bicycles founders are lifetime bike shop rats, and want to make sure that independent bike shops continue to be a gateway to community, culture and adventure.

The Unholy Diver is the introductory flagship model for Merman Bicycles, but there are other frame designs currently in development.

Merman Bicycles, Fun Forward Forever!

MowMow CrMo Bar and Aluminum Bar $82/$128

Sim Works’ best selling flat bars are back in stock in both the CrMo and alloy varients. The MowMow bars are made by Nitto in Japan, have a 38mm rise with 9° backsweep and measure 700mm wide for the CrMo and 750mm wide for the alloy bars. Like most of Sim Works’ handlebars, gettem while they’re in stock!

Shipping today from SimWorks USA.

Crumbworks Crumb Frame Prototype

We usually wait until a bike is available for ordering or pre-ordering before we post about them but this new prototype from Japan’s Crumbworks dropped this on its Instagram and our mouths are watering. It’s like a Riv with disc brakes. Check out more detail photos at Crumbworks.

Ibex Indie Hoodies for Men and Women $170

When it comes to shoulder season riding, it’s hard to beat a good, versatile merino hoodie. Toss it in your pack or bar bag for those cold descents, bring it on an overnighter for those chilly mornings, or ride in it all day for excellent body heat regulation. Ibex’s Indie Hoodies feature a scuba hood that can be worn under helmets, have a quarter zip for venting, and feature flatlock stitching that eliminates chafing during your ride.

Specs:

No Tags for Maximum Comfort
Raglan Seams for Optimal Movement
Minimalist Zipper Placket for Extra Breathability
Thumb Holes for Layering
Slim-fit Hood That Stays Up During Activity
Fabric Origin: Australia
Garment Origin: Vietnam

See more at Ibex.

Minoura Camp Stove Cage $30

Got a Jetboil that takes up too much space in your pannier or framebag? Check out the Minoura Camp Stove Cage. These smart cages offer an alternate way to carry your camping stove when touring, S24O-ing, or just going for an early morning coffee session in the woods. This frees up cargo space in your bag or basket so you can bring more snacks, your pet iguana, or maybe more ground coffee to achieve ALL. It is compatible with the Zip, Flash, and Micromo JetBoil camp stoves but should work with most camp stove fuel canisters.

Specs: