ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou

Fresh Goods Friday 318

by 3

Well, we’re not going to even attempt to gloss over it. Things have been a little subdued at Singletrack Towers over the past 48 hours. Especially for our ex-Californian Sarah. Like many others all around the world, we’re still trying to work out exactly what’s going on with our American pals on the other side of the Atlantic. Chances are, they’re still trying to work that out too.

Yep, the world has just been turned on its head by a bipedal Orangutan, who is now the leader of the most powerful nation in the world. Say hello to the new President of the United States Of America;

maxresdefault
Bow down to your new fearless leader!
Calibre T3 Hardtails: High stoke, l...
Latest Singletrack Videos

We’re not going to dwell on all of that though, because every news channel and social media outlet is already saturated with commentary about the US general election, and you’re probably as sick of it as we are. Whilst all of this madness has been going on, Hannah has been rocking out in Sedona, Arizona on a press launch for Liv/Giant. She’s there to check out the new Pique and Hail full suspension bikes, where she’s riding with some of Liv’s top shredders and brand ambassadors. Needless to say, Hannah is quite enjoying having limited access to internet…

Hannah wall riding the #LivHail while Sterling Lorence does his stuff. Thanks to @ladiesallride for the pic!

A photo posted by Singletrack Magazine (@singletrackmag) on

Whilst Hannah is busy shredding the rocky trails of Sedona, it would appear that the entire country is crumbling all around her. But as we wait to hear whether she’ll be able to escape US borders and make it back to Todmorden, you know, because it’s so warm and sunny here right now, we’ve got some other news for you from last night’s CMAs;

Two awards! Chipps and Sanny bagging two at the Cycling Media Awards for 2016! #cma2016 #notcountrymusicawards

A photo posted by Singletrack Magazine (@singletrackmag) on

Yep, Singletrack just bagged two awards at the 2016 CMA in London! And no, that’s not the Country Music Awards, though we think Chipps would fit right in with that shirt. It’s the Cycling Media Awards, and despite being up against the likes of BBC Sport and The Guardian, Singletrack still came away with two billet-machined alloy trophies. And a killer hangover.

So as we nurse ourselves through P.O.E.T.S day and the end of a slightly depressing week of international politics, we feel it’s a perfect time to indulge in some lovely new bike goodies. Ready for a distraction? Then saddle up, because right now it is FRESH GOODS FRIDAY!

NS Bikes Eccentric Cromo

ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
The 2017 Eccentric Cromo hardtail from NS Bikes.

Known originally for its dirt jump roots, NS Bikes has evolved into a well-rounded mountain bike brand with full suspension, downhill and trail bike offerings. The Eccentric Cromo is described as “All Mountain / Trail”, and it uses a steel frame, while the other Eccentric models use alloy frames.

ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
Shapely tapered head tube on the front of the NS Eccentric Cromo.
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
Manitou Minute fork on the front with 140mm of travel that creates a 66.5-degree head angle. Slack baby!
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
There’s something uber-gangsta about cursive script and polished alloy components huh?
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
See how close that rear wheel slams up against the curvy seat tube? That’s cos the Eccentric Cromo has got a 42cm chainstay length. Toight like a toiger.
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
SRAM 1×11 drivetrain, with a cute little dimple in the driveside chainstay for chainring clearance.
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
SRAM NX derailleur punching out shifts on the blacked-out 11-speed cassette.
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
Ever thought 760mm wide bars weren’t wide enough? The NS Terra bar comes stock on the Eccentric Cromo, and it gives you an extra millimetre on either side. Just cos.
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
Clean cockpit with a matching 45mm stem and a SRAM 1x shifter. Reckon you can see your toothy grin in the shine off those bars?
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
Gobs of clearance on the back end of the Eccentric Cromo thanks to slender steel tubes.
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
While the frame and fork will take wider rubber, NS has slapped on some classy gumwall Maxxis Ardent tyres in a 2.25in width.
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
Fat rims, white spokes and gumwall tyres. Kind of like wearing a full white tuxedo and smoking a fat cuban cigar don’t you think? No? Mmmk then.
ns bikes steel hardtail 29 gumwall manitou
Time to go to work!

Opinion is divided in the Singletrack Office about the aesthetics of the NS Eccentric Cromo, but you can’t deny that it’s distinctive. The geometry definitely leans towards the more aggro side for a 29in hardtail, so we’ll be very interested to see what sort of attitude the Eccentric Cromo has on the trail.

Brake Force One H20 Brakes

brake force one bfo h20 water hydraulic disc brake german
Exotic brakes from German manufacturer, Brake Force One.

This time last year, we found out about Brake Force One’s plan to shift to water rather than DOT or Mineral Oil for its hydraulic disc brakes. Now we’ve got a pair on test to see what it’s all about.

brake force one bfo h20 water hydraulic disc brake german
In the words of Duffman; “Looks like you need a little H2 Oh Yeah!”

The BFO brakes are purportedly some of the strongest on the market, so they should be able to put a stop to anything in their way. Will they put a stop to Chipps’ lairy t-shirt choices? We can only live in hope…

Barfly Garmin Bar Mounts

  • Price: £40 each
  • From: 2Pure
barfly garmin handlebar mount
Is it time to set your Garmin and GoPro free with a Barfly?

Got a Garmin computer that needs mounting off the handlebar? And a GoPro too? Barfly make brackets for exactly that, which either places your Garmin out in front of the bars, or over the stem. The Barfly Max and Mini will also hold a GoPro at the same time, so you can have ALL THE ACCESSORIES.

Fix It Sticks Mountain Set

fix it stick tool multi allen hex
Finished in safety orange for…safety.

A Kickstarter success story, Fix It Sticks is a neat modular tool that offers multiple bits and two alloy handles that allow you to create a solid T-bar tool. There’s also a plastic mount that bolts on to your bottle cage bosses, so you can carry them on the bike rather than deep within a never-ending hole inside your backpack.

Blackburn Wayside Hybrid Pump

blackburn pump
Get up, stand up. Stand up for your rights.

Is this pump a jack of all trades? Or a master of none? The Wayside Hybrid combines a floor pump and a compact pump in one, with a neat little fold-out foot hold for pumping some serious air into your tyres. Could be a good one for the back of the car?

Blackburn Outpost High Volume Pump

blackburn pump tyre
This is Big Barry. He’s a big pump with big volume for gettin’ the job done quickly.

Sometimes a mini pump just ain’t going to cut it. If you’re fed up with blowing nothing but hot air when your mates are patiently waiting for you to sort out a flat tyre, then you might want a big volume pump like this one from Blackburn. Doubles as a baton in case you need to beat away any aggressive sheep on your ride.

SP Gadgets Phone Case Set iPhone 6/6S

iphone smartphone case
Protective case for your iPhone, with an interesting bracket on the back…
iphone smartphone case
…which will click into a range of different accessories for putting your phone basically everywhere.

New from SP Gadgets is a range of smartphone accessories for the technologically anxious who require a screen to be in front of them at all times. Good for keeping up to date with politics then? Or just watching cat videos to cheer you up during a ride.

SP Gadgets Suction Mount

iphone smartphone case
A sucky mount? Or a mount that sucks from SP Gadget?

Maybe you have a need to sucker your smartphone to glass-like objects? If you do, this sucky device from SP Gadgets does just that, and it uses the same twist-lock design as the rest of the SP Gadgets accessories.

SP Gadgets Wedge Case

iphone smartphone case
Keep your cigarettes handy with the SP Gadgets Wedge bag.

If you’re looking for a little more easy-access storage while having your smartphone in front of you, SP Gadgets makes the Wedge Bag that does exactly that. It’s like a piece of Lego, with the bag clipping onto a stem cap mount, before the phone case mounts on top of that. Great for things like munchies, smokes, sunglasses – anything that you want within easy reach really.

Exposure Lights Axis Mk4

exposure use light led helmet handlebar
The Axis is a compact little head light from Exposure Lights.

British manufacturer Exposure has updated its light range for 2017, with new buttons and improved power outputs across the board. The Axis is a tiny little headlight that now punches out what the Diablo used to deliver only a couple of years ago. 1000 Lumens and a 1.5 hour run time. Includes bar and helmet mounts.

Exposure Lights Diablo Mk8

exposure use light led helmet handlebar
Want more juice? That’d be the 3 x LED Diablo light then.
exposure use light led helmet handlebar
A new button on the back gives your fingers a more tactile experience.

The Mk8 Diablo pumps up the jams to 1400 Lumens while retaining its compact CNC machined alloy body. Low will get you 24 hours of runtime, while it’ll run at full noise for 1 hour. Look out for our upcoming review of the latest Diablo.

Exposure Lights Toro Mk8

 

exposure use light led helmet handlebar
The Toro is a mid-sized handlebar light from Exposure.

Using the same CNC alloy handlebar bracket, the Toro clips in place to give you 1800 Lumens of power from its three LEDs. It’s essentially the handlebar version of the Diablo, so it’s a bit heavier with a bigger battery inside to get 2 hours of runtime at full power.

Exposure Lights MaxxD

exposure use light led helmet handlebar
Max Daddy Baby.

Bung in a 4th LED and an even bigger battery, and you’ve got the Maxx-D. The 9th iteration of the Maxx-D will get you 2350 Lumens of power, though the Reflex technology will drive that as high as 3200 Lumens. So you can basically see through walls.

Superstar Components Alpine Trail Wheelset

superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing
New wide hoops from Superstar Components. This is the Alpine Trail in 29in flavour.

UK company Superstar Components sent us in a whole bunch of new gear along with a press release talking up their new direction. Part of the new product release is its wide profile 29in Alpine Trail wheelset, which runs a 30mm internal width and a tubeless compatible bead. The wheels are built around Superstar’s new Electro hubs that feature no less than 102 engagement points for lots of buzzzzzz.

superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing

The Alpine Trail wheels can be had with a 24mm or a 30mm internal width, and they’re built with regular J-bend spokes and Superstar’s own hubset. The rims are apparently made from naughty-soudning 6069 T-XXX alloy, which means you have to be over 18 to ride them.

Superstar Components Raptor Chainrings

superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing
Lots of new UK-made chainrings from Superstar Components in nearly every standard you can think of.

With its new range, Superstar is aiming to manufacture more of its products in house, and longterm they’re hoping to produce nearly everything on British soil. That includes these CNC machined chainrings, which come in a whole variety of different standards, including both round and oval profiles.

superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing
Narrow-wide tooth profile that Superstar says is mud-friendly.

The chainrings are 1x specific and feature a narrow-wide profile that Superstar says is unique to its chainrings. Looking at the teeth, there’s definitely some interesting shaping going on, which Superstar says offers superior mud-shedding abilities to typical narrow-wide rings.

Superstar Components Nano-X Pedals

superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing
Sub £50 British made pedals? You bet!

Bright orange anodized pedals from Superstar Components, which are made right here in the UK. You can get them in cromo for less than 50 quid, while the titanium version goes for £84.99.

Superstar Components Headset

superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing
Love colours? Love being able to turn your handlebars?

If you’re building up a frame from scratch, or your current bike has some grinding coming from the front end, then Superstar’s new headsets may be of interest. Made in the UK with sealed bearings and lots of rubber sealing to keep the crud out, this could be the Mexican wall of the headset world.

Superstar Components Angleset

superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing
Play with your front end with an Angleset!

Slack head tube angles are all the range, but what if your bike could be even slacker? Superstar offer an angleset so you can tweak your bike’s front end to kick that front wheel out a little further again.

Superstar Components High Fill Bearings

  • Price: £6.99 – £13.99 (pack of 4 hub bearings), headset bearings from £7.99
  • From: Superstar Components
superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing
Bearings are boring, until you really need them. Then they’re very important.

Because Superstar produces so many hubs and complete wheelsets, they need a steady supply of replacement bearings for people to be able to source to keep their hubs rolling smoothly. The High Fill bearings pack in more grease with tight tolerances to deliver smooth rolling at a decent cost.

Superstar Components Brewster

superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing
Bikes and beer.

If you’re going to cover up that unsightly front derailleur mount, you might as well do it with a cap that’s compatible with beer.

Ortilieb Frame-Pack Bikepacking

  • Price: £95 – £115
  • From: Ortilieb
superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing
Speaking of beer, here’s a device to carry more of it on your bike.

Masters of all things bag-y and waterproof-y, Oritlieb now offers frame bags, and we’ve got one to try out. We’re thinking 8-10 cans of beer will get in this guy. What’s your guess?

Giro Jacket Shoe

giro jacket flat pedal shoes vibram rubber
Business underneath, party on top!

The Jacket shoes from Giro are flat-pedal specific, with a sticky Vibram rubber sole and textured tread for locking in with the pins on your flat pedals. Army green with gum soles and bright red laces. Other colours available for civilians.

Bontrager Velocis S1 Softshell Jacket

superstar components uk made 29in wheel wide rim alloy chainring oval pedals angleset headset bearing
That’s the smug “I just made a souffle” expression.

Lovely new softshell jacket from Bontrager modelled by the…err…lovely Mark. Mark qualified as a model for this photo because he has arms, and they are necessary for modelling a winter cycling jacket. The requirements for our photoshoots are very low.

Bluegrass Eagle Golden Eyes Helmet

bluegrass helmet met golden eyes orange mark alker
Don’t give us that look Mark, it’s you who are wearing a helmet indoors after all.

The latest enduro-ready lid from Bluegrass Eagle, the Golden Eyes lid is a perfect match for Marks’ golden-boy looks. Extra coverage around the temples and back of the head, in case Mark slips over a sly banana skin in the office and does a whoopsie-do onto the floor. We reckon that’s what is going through his mind in this shot anyway.

Bluegrass Eagle Crossbill Knee Pads

met bluegrass knee pad lightweight armour
An offering to the gods of knee protection?

As part of an upcoming knee pad grouptest, we’ve got the lightweight Crossbill knee pads from Bluegrass Eagle to go with that shiny helmet. Mark is either confused as to where the second knee pad goes, or he’s training to be a Formula One pit mechanic. We’re not sure either.

Giro Pivot Waterproof Gloves

mark alker bluegrass orange helmet gloves giro winter bontrager velocis jacket
“You, winter! Stop! I demand it!”

Insulated and padded gloves from Giro Cycling, which are built to offer you warmth and waterproofing against the harsh winter elements. Given that it rained this week in Todmorden, these gloves could come in handy a little sooner than we were expecting!

Altura Zero Waterproof Gloves

mark alker bluegrass orange helmet gloves giro winter bontrager velocis jacket altura
“OK winter, how about a knuckle-sandwich then?!”

Mark is ready to launch his wrath on winter with another pair of waterproof gloves, this time from Altura. Full-length sleeping bags for your fingers, the Zero Waterproof Gloves are insulated for maximal warming properties. Textured palm so you don’t lose your grip on reality.

mark alker bluegrass orange helmet gloves giro winter bontrager velocis jacket
Mark loses his grip on reality.

Mark is either questioning the intent of the weather gods, or he’s just tuned into the US general election results. Ok, so we’re back to politics now, but at least we provided you with a smidgen of respite in an otherwise bizarre week of world news.

To finish off said week, we fully intend to ride our bikes as much as possible and take solace in the fact that bikes are, and will always be, a perfect escape from reality. Because when things are getting you down, there ain’t nothing like fresh air and floating on two wheels to take your mind off the crap.

So that wraps up Fresh Goods Friday on this historic week in world politics. With that in mind, we’re off to ride bikes, but not before we enjoy this appropriate number from R.E.M.

Happy Friday everyone!


Comments (3)

Leave Reply