Singular Swift

Fresh Goods Friday 291

by 26

Some Sunny Fresh Goods Doggerel, Just For You

I cannot tell you what to think

of stories such as this. A blatant exercise

In cynicism? Brinkmanship?

Solipsistic indulgence, perhaps

Simply borne of hubris?

But there is a throng; a happy few

who, simply put, enjoy the view

So to those I say Awake!

From torpid slumber rouse

Your tired limbs, and browse awhile.

There’s little here that’s grim, and

should your finger make an errant slip, a snick

the smallest click, which takes you without,

A simple button press will redress the woe

And lead you safely back to our cocooning breast.

It’s Fresh Goods Friday!

Singular Swift

Price: £399.20

From: Singular

Singular SwiftThe Swift! A stalwart of the 29er surge, it’s moved with the times, so the erstwhile rigid XC 29er is now also a fully paid-up member of the 27.5+ brigade, with a time share on 29+ too.
Singular SwiftSwift-tacular headbadge. It’s a straight steerer, which will accommodate forks with between 80 and 100mm of travel should you so choose.
Singular SwiftIt’s available as a frame only, so Sam kindly built ours up with an eclectic build of semi-chi. We’ve got XT brakes…
Singular SwiftHope chainset, 1x, natch, although…Singular Swift…eschewing any 11 speed fripperies with a solid, no nonsense 10 speed cassette (I haven’t counted, but I think it’s a 34 tooth big sprocket). No Boost here, neither. The chain is dragged about with a previous model XTR rear mech. I actually think that these are prettier than the newer ones (ssssh, don’t tell anyone).Singular SwiftWhisky carbon seatpost. Singular Swift27.5 x 3.0 tyres for maximum brappage. Apparently the fork will take 29×3.00 tyre, and front and rear can take 27.5×3.25 – which would be enormous.Singular SwiftHere’s an ‘arty’ shot. Just because the sun was out. RUINED by a heretofore unseen bloke in a burgundy top. Gah!

Alpamayo Designs Front Harness

Price: £60

From: Alpamayo Designs

Alpamayo designsNot a groin protector with a suspiciously large number of straps, no. This attaches to your handlebars, and lets you attach your drysack or whatevs to them in comfort, safety and, frankly, elan. Alpamayo stuff is hand made in the Peruvian Andes by Peruvians (with their ‘andies? No? Pfft.)

Alpamayo Designs Partial Frame Bag

Price: £55

From: Alpamayo Designs

Alpamayo designsA bag to partially fit your frame, rather than a bag to fit partial frames, whatever they may be. There 3 sizes available, so there’s everything to fit your overweight hamster all the way up to to your oscillating ocelot.

Alpamayo Designs Top Tube Bag

Price: £29

From: Alpamayo Designs
Alpamayo designs

A bag to attach to your top tube. Just the right shape for an unusually-shaped cone baguette*.

*Comedy Gold**

**Anagram of ‘My Coded Log’. #trufax

Alpamayo Designs Front Accessory Bag

Price: £50

From: Alpamayo Designs

Alpamayo designs

This one sits in front of your elegantly rammed drysack (fnar) and is beautifully sized to put the accessories of your choice in.

Alpamayo Designs Stem Bag

Price: £25

From: Alpamayo Designs

Alpamayo designs

This one (you’ve guessed, right?) WRONG! It goes on the stem. And bars and fork crown. Green lining to help you see what you’ve put in it – or if you work in the special effects industry you could film it and make it seem like it contains THE UNIVERSE.

Bontrager Rhythm Gloves

Price: £24.99

From: Trek

Bontrager Rhythm Glove

Light, untrammelled by padding, and rather more yellow than this photo suggests.

Bontrager Classique Full Fingered Gloves

Price: £59.99

From: TrekBontrager Classique GlovesAnd in marked contrast, these ‘fifties style leather driving gloves have ALL TEH PADDING. And they’re made of Pittards leather too – so you can scralp the gnar in your roll-neck jumper and keep your hands elegant and safe until you get to the coffee-stop, where you can twiddle your Terry Thomas moustache with impunity. Or strong tea, if you prefer*.

 

*oh, my aching sides

Bontrager SE5 Tyres

Price: £44.99

From: Trek

Bontrager SE5 Tyre

Braap-tacular rubber from the man who is perpetually angry with Bonts. 990g per tyre too.

Bontrager Rovv Women’s Shoes

Price: £129.99

From: Trek

Bontrager Rovv shoes

BOA closure, mesh, stiffness and a commendably minimal application of exterior pink.

Bontrager XXX Race Shoes

Price: £259.99

From: Trek

Bontrager XXX Shoes

Once upon a time, Bontrager had a shoe with a stiffness of 10 our of 10. Then another company came out with one with a stiffness of 11 out of 10. So Bontrager replied with a hugely stiff 13 out of 10. And now comes theawe inspiring XXX shoe, with a MASSIVE 14 OUT OF 10 STIFFNESS. Weep, people.

Actually, Trek’s very lovely (and surprisingly loving) Jez left these behind in a caffeine-stupor yesterday, so we’re going to give them away to one lucky reader before he can turn the steering wheel round and fetch them back – provided you’re a size 42 that is. Keep your eyes on the front page for more details later today!

Bontrager Lithos Shorts

Price: £109.99

From: Trek

Bontrager Lithos Short

We’d like to say these are in memory of Prince, but they’re baggy, so he’d probably be able to go camping in them. Lots of cool touches, a decent-looking liner, and Chipps models with Maximum Clash for Maximum Urgh.

661 Recon kneepads

Price: £47.99

From: Hotlines

661 Recon kneepadsFlexible, light kneepads for all-day wearing from 661. Mesh back, flexy sort of rheopectic gel pad, good for trail and all-mountain (it says here). and making it look as if you have computer generated knees.

Maxxis Minion SS FLD 27.5×2.3 EXO/TR Tyres

Price: £44.99

From: Extra

Maxxis Minion SS Tyres

Some substantial warp factor semi-slick VROOM from the central treads, with some relatively whopping-looking side knobbles for some proper leaned over cornering, hopefully.

iSSi II and Trail pedals

Price: £49.99 and £59.99 respectively

From: 2Pure

IMG_0070Seriously brightly-hued and SPD compatible pedals from iSSi; the II is more XC, and the Trail is more – er – trail. There’ll definitely be one to match/clash with your bike/shoe/curtains, you mark my words.

Rideguard PF1 Mudguard

Price: £8.99

From: RideGuard

DSC_1458

Flexy underbrace mudguard – you know the sort of thing. Comes with sagsetter (basically a small ruler) too!

Bikepacking on the Wild Trails Of Britain book and Intelligencer ‘zine.

Price: £16.99 and free

From: Bookstores everywhere, and Ison distribution respectively

DSC_1466

A glorious guide to backpacking in our glorious Grape Written (say it out loud), and a sort of editorial catalogue thingy all about Surlys. Coo.

And that, my sweet, sweet friends, is shallot.  All that remains is to point you towards something musical, and then I shall saunter provocatively towards the metaphorical door. So have a great weekend, and we’ll pick this up again next week, yeah? This one is an utter, utter corker. Grab your headphones.

ST out

 

Barney Marsh takes the word ‘career’ literally, veering wildly across the road of his life, as thoroughly in control as a goldfish on the dashboard of a motorhome. He’s been, with varying degrees of success, a scientist, teacher, shop assistant, binman and, for one memorable day, a hospital laundry worker. These days, he’s a dad, husband, guitarist, and writer, also with varying degrees of success. He sometimes takes photographs. Some of them are acceptable. Occasionally he rides bikes to cast the rest of his life into sharp relief. Or just to ride through puddles. Sometimes he writes about them. Bikes, not puddles. He is a writer of rongs, a stealer of souls and a polisher of turds. He isn’t nearly as clever or as funny as he thinks he is.

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