Welcome to the first Fresh Goods with the new site! It’s like driving a new car rather than a ropey old one that has a passenger footwell full of pastie wrappers, with mud and banana skins under the seats. Anyway, we’ve had more Oranges landing here lately than the man from Del Monte. This one is for Mark’s special lady friend Vicky. It’s the Orange Five Diva with a short sized top tube, this is the smaller ladies version of the Five but it’s not girly by any means, ‘cos it’s got all the same features as the blokes version, just in a slightly more compact package. ICSG05 mounts, tapered headtube, 30.9mm seattube for dropper posts and the same geometry that makes the Five such a popular bike. She’s very attached to it already.
Price: £1,399 frame & shock
From: Orange Bikes
Chipps has always enjoy the sound of leather on skin but we thought it was limited to Brooks Saddles. Possibly not, because he’s modelling a dog collar for this week’s homo-erotic (or not) shot. Look at the submissive look in his eyes. We hope someone remembers the safe word.
Matt’s gone all sports crossover with this Marmot Tempo Jacket in a fetching cardinal/fire colour. The jacket uses a lightweight M3 softshell outer to keep light rain off and retain good wind resistance without turning it into a boil in the bag horror for high output activity. Sleeves have elasticated Lycra cuffs so there’s a good chance you’ll avoid the horror of wet spray up warm arms. It’s really made for trail running or climbing but it should be an excellent choice for mild night rides or only moderately grim winter epics. As an added bonus you’ll fit in with the outdoor lifestyle crowd a treat…
Price: £80.00
From: Marmot Mountain Europe
These Sun Black Flag Expert wheels are destined for Tom dB’s Yeti build, which is a good thing as Tom is the only one in the office that can stand punk rock band Black Flag or Henry Rollins. Anyway, they use 24mm rims with Stan’s BST ‘tubeless-with-sealant’ rimstrips. There are 24 Wheelsmith double butted spokes per rim and they roll on cartridge bearing hubs and you can have QR, 15mm or 20mm front axles while the rear is only available as quick release. If you have big wheels on your wagon then 29″ versions are available.
Price: TBC
From: Hotlines
More Ergon grips! We have here the palm friendly Ergon GX1 and GP1-L grips. The GX1 is a racing grip and has a slimmer wing than other Ergon grips as well as a lightweight contruction. The new GP1-L grips are a planet friendly design, made using 40% ecologically sound bio cork along with a natural fibre reinforced plastic core and vegetable based rubber gel part. Intended for both touring and mountain biking, the cork outer is antibacterial and hypoallergenic, so it’s suitable for all-round sensitive types. Awww.
Price: GP1-L £29.99, GX1- £32.99
From: Extra UK
It’s a cycle computer, but not as we know it. It’s the German o-synce MACROserie cycle computer. It sits on it’s little stalk to be better in your field of vision but the mount also has the control buttons built in so it’ll require minimal hand movement to operate it. It’ll remember settings for two different bikes, but where it sets itself apart from other computers is in it’s modular approach. Choose one of the three basic models (wireless analog, wireless analog with altimeter, wireless digital with powermeter compatibility) and then add in HRM, cadence and other functions to match. One for the serious techno-training types.
Price: £49.99-£69.99
From: Extra UK
FSA XC-500 tubeless wheelset weighs 1800g and they come with adaptors to make the front wheel accept a 20mm bolt through axle. Ed is testing them on a Lapierre Spicy, because according to Dan from Windwave they are light enough, whilst also being pretty strong and so make great ‘Blunder Man Wheels’!
Price: £359.95
From: Windwave
All of us in the Singletrack office are similar to your average rider in as much as we lust over the big things and forget about simple things that make a massive difference to riding, like having a drivetrain that works. You can tell when one of our own bikes in being ridden due to the sound of skipping gears and swearing, which can be surprising when the rest of the bike is covered lightweight chi-chi stuff and has a pair of 2013 forks that cost as much as a small house. Thankfully we’ve been sent this shiny, golden, brass coated Connex 9sG chain which will be bringing smooth shifting and pedalling joy back to a tired bike.
Price: £32.99
From: Extra UK
Finally we’ve got a fi’zi:k Gobi XM Muzzle saddle. This is the classic Gobi XM but using Manganese rails and a carbon reinforced nylon shell now with a removable rubber cover on the back of the saddle. It’ll help protect it from crash damage and as the rubber piece extends to the wings it should help grip muddy shorts too, but there will be plenty of chance to find out over the coming months.
Price: £94.99
From: Extra UK
Comments (21)
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Good choice of chain, the Connex Powerlink is easilly the best one out there.
Liking the look of the computer, wonder how much the additional cadence monitor will cost.
Good god that picture of Chips and the Chorus of that outcast song work in a way that is so SO SO SO SO WRONG…………………..ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Ahh, the things I do for the magazine eh…
Hmm computer offset to be better in your field of vision?
good idea on a road bike maybe but bit too exposed on an MTB for my liking
Tom is the only one in the office that can stand punk rock band Black Flag or Henry Rollins.
In other words none of the rest of you have any taste! 😉
Chipps is currently listening to Frankie Goes To Hollywood. I kid you not.
Liking the Marmot Tempo Jacket.
I’m think I’m going to be ill – no offence Chipps!
Liking the new picture “fade in” though :o)
nowt wrong with that………………………….as long as your not wearing a dog collar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIeMTqoonlo
the beginnings like cassette boy ACE
Is that a Vivid Air shock on the Orange frame? Looks to have a rather girthsome shaft (heh!) like the Vivid Air.
That looks like a Cane Creek Cloud Nine to me Rickos…
I have never seen that version of Two Tribes, great stuff, I had forgotten quick how political they were, I will probably spend the rest of the evening reliving Frankie now, no shame in that if you grew up in the 80’s, I think 😉
Like the new chain and saddle.
Next time you photograph Chipps, please get him to put his hands where we can see them!
Blaggin a bike for the missus, ok for some… ginger though… 😉
I jest before you go mental 🙂
Not blagged, definitely got to pay for it!
And ginger by choice! 🙂
nowt wrong with her hair colour, not so sure about her taste in Alice in Wonderland style cat ornaments though 😉
Tom is the only one in the office that can stand punk rock band Black Flag or Henry Rollins.
In other words none of the rest of you have any taste!
No Tom Hasn’t – he’s a programmer there music taste is always bad.
+1 for connex power links
sram= fumble fumble, swear, lose skin on knuckles
connex=ohh any banana figered idiot could use it
connex for me then
Yep Wippermann chains are mega underated… very well made and def last longer than Sram