Fresh Goods Friday 663

Feb 29, 2024

H in this instance being ‘Holiday’. Preparing for holidays can take many forms. Some can be fun (new hat!) Some can be stressful (passing the MOT) Some can be exhausting (doing loads of extra work in advance so you don’t come back to a total bin-fire in the office).

Hopefully you’re going on holiday this summer. Have a lovely time if you are. Don’t forget to send a postcard to whichever old people you have left in your family who are bothered about such things. Nice to be nice. And they probably aren’t checking out your Instagram feed 24/7.

At this point I feel duty bound to mention our recently launched Resort Guide to mountain biking’s hotspots. It’s probably too late to book yourself a summer biking break for this year but there’s no harm in thinking about next year’s dirty destination.

On with this week’s Fresh Goods Friday!

These stretchy gloves come in an array of wild and loud designs. They’ve a simple pull on cuff – no fastenings – a touchscreen friendly finger, and silicone grip on the palms.

These are the Melon Kingpin glasses – their full frame cycling option. You can choose from a range of 10 frame and 10 lens finishes (six of which are aimed at trail riding), and then select the colour of logo and noise piece you want too. These are Hannah’s colour choices: paint splat frame with pink chrome lens, pink nose piece and neon yellow icon. We’ve also got the low light lens £20 add-on, because let’s face it, we probably need it.

Amand’s perch of choice. And when you put in as many miles as Amanda does (she’s very probably sat on this saddle as you’re reading this) knowing what saddle suits you it rather important. Hollow Cr-Mo rails and Level 2 padding plus all the usual Body Geometry input from Speech boffins. The Mimic stuff is essentially multi-layered materials which are designed to “maintain equilibrium and minimize swelling in soft tissue.”

Yes, more Pirellis. We’re trying a load of these hard-to-find rubbers out on various bikes at the moment. These particular pair are going on Benji’s long-term test-bed Cotic RocketMAX [Yes, I’ll do another Bike Check about the bike soon! – Benji] The most versatile model in the Race Enduro range. Design for “mixed terrains, from hardpacked tracks to mid-soft natural”. DuallWall is double-ply 120TPI carcass combined with a rubber insert reinforcing the bead area. SmartEvo DH Compound is soft 42a. Genuine weight of 1,260g. Great yellow.

In terms of sole grip, we’re almost of the opinion that the top two positions on the pedal podium are from Ride Concepts and Unparallel (read Benji’s Unparallel West Ridge shoe review). And we’re also becoming more and more fond of BOA systems for cinching up our sneaks. This is especially true when it’s filthy out there. Like in July, now. It’s so nice to not be wrestling with ‘orrid laces when things are wet and generally yuck. And the BOA system dries out faster than laces too! The new Accomplice BOA is made up of four-way stretch slip tongue and BOA L6 Fit System. There’s also anti-abrasion zones to deter wear, a supportive heel counter for a secure fit and MAX GRIP rubber outsole. Dual-density EVA insole. And you can’t go wrong with this black-and-gum colour combo.

The first item in a whole tip-to-toe ensemble from Fox Racing this week. This is an extremely fetching Speedframe Pro Klif helmet. Well, we like the colourway anyway. The Speedframe Pro Klif Helmet earned Virginia Tech’s best rating (5 STARS). MIPS to reduce the rotational baddies in impacts. Dual-density Varizorb EPS spreads impact forces across a wider area. Fidlock buckle (these are great). Plenting of the venting. Goggle compatibility. Three position visor. 360° Fit System. Nice colours.

Part of the Tahnée Seagrave Collection. Lightweight 4-way stretch polyester on top. Minimal, single-layer Clarino palm with strategically placed perforations. Stretch mesh finger gussets. TruFeel internal ‘TPR knobbies’ direct-injected at fingertips. Oh yes. Touch-screen friendly too.

Fox’s latest crack at a classic, packable, lightweight mountain bike wind jacket. Lightweight (approx 50g) Cordura ripstop main body. DWR finish. Elastic cuff and hem. ‘Rider Attack Position’ patterning specific for ATBing. Packable into left front pocket (also should stuff into jersey back pockets). Two zip hand pockets for yer bits ‘n’ yer bobs.

This vest is technically more weatherproof than the long sleeve jacket above, even though it is armless. For those rides when you’re not that fussed about whether your arms get wet but you want your core to stay not-cold. 10K/10K waterproof front panel (Fox’s most breathable ‘proof fabric apparently). DWR coating. Two zip hand pockets to store essentials. Lightweight and minimal design. Can be packed away when not in use. Double-head zip (as shown in the pic above) for back/hip pack playing-along-nicely-ness.

This is a layer that’s all about dealing with moisture, quickly. Whether it’s wicking sweat off your person, or drying out as quick as poss once soaked by a summertime shower. DriRelease dries four times faster than cotton. Mountain bike specific tailoring with dop tail back panel. Full garment uses recycled materials. The fabric is a bit more airy/meshy at the rear and sides.

Charlie says: “You can now join over 6,000 other mountain bikers at Singletrack from only 99p. That is a one month digital membership offer. You will also find 1/2 price annual membership deals which are better long term value.” Click here to see all our membership deals.

This week’s bestest forum thread was kicked off by Cougar. Don’t worry, it’s not what you think it is at first glance (of the forum post at least)…

The winning TOTW in FGF gets a prize. And it’s the fabulous majestic Singletrack Forum Bottle Opener! So, AHOY-HOY! to Cougar! Please email [email protected]. Please include your postal address, as it really speeds up delivery logistics like. Ta!

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I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones.More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments.I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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Is the helmet for freeride, by any chance?

@Amanda, is that jacket short d’you think?

I’m in the market for this sort of thing but I’d prefer it if it came down a bit further as I’m not keen on elasticated jackets and the like that bunch/ruck up at the waist

Fox Dri Release are ace 👍I’ve got a couple of long sleeved ones but I didn’t pay that much for them 😁

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Buzzard

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