⚙️ Niner Bikes Closing: Impact on Local Cycling Communities

With Niner Bikes pausing operations in Northern Colorado this week, the spotlight on our local independent bikepacking scene burns brighter than ever. If you want a masterclass in the Utility Era ethos of domestic, resilient manufacturing, you look straight at Widefoot.

Handcrafted right at their headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado, their robust cages and pack mounts represent the exact kind of high-velocity premium utility that independent niche shops are thriving on. They prove that supporting small, rider-owned business isn’t just a feel-good marketing line—it’s how we secure bulletproof gear that outlasts corporate market shifts.

🛠️ The Gear: “The Wrench” Engineering Breakdown

• The Custom-Bent StoutCage™: Full stainless steel construction that is cut, hand-bent, and TIG-welded in-house in Fort Collins. Unlike cheap alloy cages that snap under the weight of an insulated bottle on a rowdy gravel descent, the StoutCage is a literal work of art built for absolute durability over weight-weenie vanity.

• The Unique 7-Slot Configuration: Widefoot’s signature bracket design offers an impressive 71mm (2.8 inches) of vertical adjustment on the StoutCage and LiterCage platforms. This is a massive lifesaver when you’re trying to clear a frame bag in a tight front triangle or maximize cage positioning on a 3-bolt fork mount.

• The CargoMount™ Innovation: Often credited with creating the low-profile, single-piece aluminum cargo cage class, the regular and Mega CargoMounts utilize an internally threaded tube design. Rather than forcing you to bend the actual cage material to secure gear—which fatally weakens aluminum over time—Widefoot utilizes replaceable CargoNoodles and BagNoodles to handle heavy impacts and crashes without sacrificing the cage.

• The Nalgene-Sized LiterCage™: Designed explicitly to handle 3.5” diameter vessels, this full stainless build securely locks down 32oz or 48oz Nalgene bottles, insulated growlers, or soft-sided cylinders for extreme backcountry exploration where water security is the primary objective.