BTR Ranger

Fresh Goods Friday 328

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The week that started with Blue Monday ends in…Bleak Friday? Here is Hannah practising her happy face. Note the clenched fists. She’s trying really hard. Too hard?

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Hannah. A natural smiler.
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Even Wil isn’t looking his usual spiffing self, even with a touch of Photoshop.

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A poor attempt at happy. Super gangsta tho.

However, we have a bundle of booty here that we’re sure is going to cheer you up. And we’re not talking about Wil’s behind. Or Hannah’s. And definitely not Chipps’. We’re talking about bikes, and bits, and bikes. Because today, this glorious Friday, we have TWO bikes, as well as a bunch of cool stuff.

Buck up and buckle up, it’s Fresh Goods Friday yo!

Giant Trance 1

  • Price: £3,299
  • From: Giant
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En Tranced?

This is the 2017 Giant Trance. The bike we’ll be giving a pastin’ is the Trance 1; the top-spec option with an ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminium frame. There are cheaper spec versions available, and you can also get pricier options that swap in a fancy carbon Advanced frame. Regardless of frame material though, all Trance models feature 27.5in wheels, 140mm of rear boing and 150mm of front bounce, and an all-new suspension design and frame geometry for 2017.

Giant Trance 1
Fox 34 up front features the FIT4 damper for cadillac plushness. Travel sits at 150mm, so 10mm more than the back end.
Giant Trance 1
The Maestro dual-link remains for 2017, but there have been some tweaks. New for 2017 is Boost 148x12mm rear hub spacing too.
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85% sexier carbon rocker link.

The upper rocker link is made of the carbonz. It’s apparently 50% lighter and 50% stronger than the previous alloy version, and hot damn, it’s at least 85% sexier too – BOOM! Like the new Anthem and Liv Hail models, the Trance is rocking on a trunnion-mounted rear shock. That puts two cartridge bearings on either side of the shock body, which creates a more compact package, and one that rolls smoother than the DU bush eyelet of old. Having tested both the Liv Hail and Giant Anthem, we can attest to the improvement in sensitivity of the new suspension design.

Giant Trance 1
Look closely and marvel at Giant’s masterful hydroforming work on the Trance 1.

The rear triangle is a one-piece welded unit, and has some striking shapes and tube profiles going on. Two linkages tie the front and rear triangles together, and control the 140mm of rear wheel travel. Giant makes the Maestro linkage particularly neat by integrating the lower shock mount with the forward pivot for the lower linkage. Tidy indeed.

Giant Trance 1
Alloy can be swoopy and flowy too y’know.

A bolt-up axle keeps the rear hub in place, so you’ll need a 6mm hex key to remove the wheel. It does look super clean though, and along with the hydroformed tubes and post-mount rear disc brake, it’s all very neat.

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Straight-pull hubs.

Giant’s own TRX1 carbon wheelset features on the Trance 1, and it comes with hubs that are packed with sealed bearings and a straight-pull spoke design. The rear hub features the DT Swiss Star Ratchet freehub mechanism for bombproof reliability.

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New for 2017, the TRX 1 wheelset features carbon rims with a 33mm internal width.

The TRX 1 wheelset has a claimed weight of 1685 grams, which is darn impressive given the huge rims. With tubeless compatibility (the bike comes with tubeless tape and valves in the box), the TRX 1 rims have been upsized from a 27mm internal width from last year, to a 33mm internal width. Modern and all that.

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Giant branded cockpit items.
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Internal routing through the front triangle.
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The Trance 1 comes with a complete Shimano XT 1×11 drivetrain.

We’re warming up now. Let’s have a bit of a jump around and vent a bit of aggression.

Unior Pro Home Tool Kit 1600CN

  • Price: £299
  • From: 2Pure
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Ooh, what’s inside?

OK children, settle down now. Shall we look inside the blue box and see what’s in there today? Is it the codes to the nuclear armoury? The Big Button Of Doom? Hannah’s sewing kit?

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Yay! It’s not a first aid kit!

Yay! It’s an 18 piece tool kit for fixing and fettling pretty much anything that your bike might need.

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First aid for bikes?

A place for everything and everything in its place. We might just sit and gaze awhile at this oasis of calm. Ahhh…

DMR V-Twin Pedals

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Pink Pedals? Please!

Officially these are ‘magenta’, not pink. Whatever. Pink. Purple. Rose. Magenta. They’re eye catching and cleat catching too, so you can clip in and pedal off down the trails in confidence, supported by the large platform. You can customise the set up, to suit your needs, as there’s a tuneable platform height with nylon bumper, metal shim plate, and foot pegs. Also available in a variety of other colours so you can argue with your friends whether they’re yellow or green, or gold, or blue….

Brooks B17 Standard Saddle

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Not yet moulded to Chipps’ behind.

The classic saddle, in to adorn Chipps’ Performance Pub Bike, which you can read all about in Issue 111. That little tool is for adjusting the saddle once you’ve worn it in a bit, so it doesn’t get saggy.

Lezyne Digital Alloy Drive

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Digital Alloy Drive

A High Volume pump with digital pressure gauge for accurate inflation of your tyres.

Lezyne Shock Drive

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Shock Drive

The ergonomic handle enhances pumping comfort on this shock pump, which provides up to 400 psi (27.5 bar).

Lezyne Digital Shock Drive

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Digital Shock Drive

A shock pump which provides up to 350 psi (24 bar) and features a zero-loss chuck design, which unthreads from the shock after the valve pin seals itself.

BBB Easyair CO2 Cartridge Inflator

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Sadly not laughing gas.

Fits both Presta and Schrader valves, and weighs 16g, for all you racing snakes.

BBB Pressure Gauge

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BBB-Because Wil is OBSESSED

Accurate up to 160psi, compatible with Presta and Schrader valves, and with an auto off. Can you sense a group test coming?

CycleOps Hammer Direct Drive SMART Trainer

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Who loves pain and suffering?

You could buy a winter bike, or you could buy this. This way it’s only you that’ll be needing a wash, and not your bike – day after day, ride after ride. Put that way, this indoor suffering machine has some appeal. The Hammer’s axle compatibility gives you the freedom to choose any thru-axle or quick release bike. Simply add a cassette, pop off your rear wheel, connect to your favourite virtual training software and prepare to suffer/have fun/get faster than all your mates.

Endura MTR Shorts II

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Lightweight, durable, 4-way stretch fabric

DWR protected lightweight trail short, as featured in the subscriber section of issue 110. With zipped pockets to stop all your valuables spilling out on the trail like sweeties. That’s not a simile – you don’t want to be losing your sweets.

BTR Ranger

  • Price: £1000 (frame only)
  • From: BTR
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Hulk of burning love, oh yeah.

BTR – that’s Burf and Tam Racing – says:

When we headed to Scotland for the inaugural Dudes of Hazzard enduro race, we thought it a good idea to make something a little more ‘all round’ than the Belter… So we created the Ranger to take us up hill, down dale, through the jumps and probably to the pub after.

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Burf and Tam

Look at those decals. This bike is turning heads in the office. We have it in a 27.5inch format, but the frames are bespoke and built to order in whatever size you want. We want them all.

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Glow in the dark grips?

We think these are glow in the dark grips. We’re going to have to stand in a darkened room and find out.

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Industrial Chic

If the Terminator rose from the ashes (again) and built himself a bike, we reckon it would look like this. Nice rear triangle brace and brake mount.

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Neat wee gusset behind the (yay) threaded bottom bracket shell.

Loads of tyre and mud clearance, despite the short chainstay length on the Ranger frame.

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If the army made head badges?

If you order one you can opt to have your own custom text on the head badge. And you can choose to have internal cable routing – our is externally routed.

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Internal dropper routing optional.

Our test model has an externally routed Reverb, but you can opt for stealth routing if you want.

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Tough-looking dropouts and a bolt-up axle.
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SRAM 1×11 GX drivetrain on our test bike.
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And a 120mm travel Marzocchi 350 fork on the front.
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What a beast!

Now, we should point out that this is the current BTR Ranger frame, and not the incoming 2017 Ranger model that was released just before Christmas. The difference? The 2017 model gets even slacker and longer, which is insane, because this is already one slack beast. We’ve got this Ranger on test for an upcoming issue of Singletrack Magazine, where it’ll be going tête-à-tête with a couple of other intriguing bikes that we think you’re going to like…

My Drinking Club Has A Cycling Problem T-Shirt

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Apparently designed by a man who lives in a shed and runs a wall of death. So why wouldn’t you want one? Comes in men’s and women’s fit, made from organic cotton.

Beer

From: Honest Brew

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Crocodile or alligator skin bottles?

Hannah is both Scottish and squeamish about her meat but likes Haggis, so she is eying up this beer. Actually, she eyes up the beer every week. Get yourselves set for Burn’s Night with a Scottish beer to wash down your sheep body parts. Or celebrate Waitangi Day with a New Zealand brew – but as if we need any excuse to drink beer when it comes in a lizard skin bottle. We’ve learned that a Tuatara is a lizard, proving that beer can be educational. Hurrah!

For Burn’s Night (25 Jan) – Scottish Brewery
Tempest – Farmhouse Ale – Saison
Tempest’s flagship pale ale takes full advantage of South Island New Zealand hops. Extra pale, especially refreshing and jam-packed with citrus and tropical fruit notes, Long White Clouds on the horizon guarantee bouts of great drinking.

For Waitangi Day (6 Feb) – New Zealand Brewery
Tuatara – NZ APA
‘As Kiwi as a 25 year mortgage’, this APA boasts Pacific Jade, Sauvin and Motueka hops and is a cracker with tangy lime flavours and a bready, biscuity malt body.

Et voila! We have gone from blue and bleak to beer bliss.

Let’s leave on a high note. Some literal ones. A spot of culture. Bear with us, it’s opera, but close your eyes and think of all that is good and beautiful in the world while you listen to this. If anyone knows what they’re actually saying, don’t spoil it for us if it’s not all about love and happiness.

Peace, love, happiness and sweet trails all round.

ST Out.

Author Profile Picture
Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

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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