It’s been a quiet week here at Singletrack Towers – partly because everyone’s at the Cycle Show (where we should be too actually!) and partly because half of us are beavering away finishing the next issue of the magazine. There’s still (always) plenty of fun stuff to play with though.
We’ve just had some Gore Bike Wear clothing in for the winter months. The first is a Windstopper insulated jacket – which makes a great spectating jacket and, though it has three rear cycling pockets, we can’t see many people ever wearing it to ride in – it’s just too scorchio! Thin-blooded people only.
A saddle called Knife, that’s a bit worrying isn’t it? The Charge Spoon saddle has been pleasing bottoms in the office for a while now so we’re hoping that the Charge Knife will do similar. It’s aimed at XC and road fans and alights on the scales at 214g with its hollow Ti rails. Also available in ‘for one ride only’ white.
Price: £49.99
From: Charge www.chargebikes.com
It’s sometimes easy to forget how good a product is thanks to its ubiquity. A good example is the the Fox Float RP23. It appears on all manner of bikes from 6in AM bikes to 2.5in XC flyweights proving what a good all rounder it is. Buying Fox products also keeps Chris at Mojo in beard and mane products which has to be a good thing.
This one is destined for Sim’s next long term test bike which is due in soon…
Price: £349
From: Mojo www.mojo.co.uk
eBay strikes again. Sim’s ‘invested’ in a big bit of glass, a very big bit of glass, for his camera. A Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 means he can now see the entire world laid out through his viewfinder. More likely he’ll be seeing people on bikes in damp, dark woods though…
Price: Best not to think about.
From: Nikon www.nikon.co.uk
Exposure lights
We caught up with the enigmatic Rory Hitchens at the Marin Dusk Til Dawn at the weekend. It was a great opportunity for us to get some laps in on the latest Exposure lights, and then to bring them home again where we can try them out for longer on our own trails.
First up is the new Diabolo. Still fitting into the original Joystick mount, it now has three super bright LEDs giving out 900 Lumens on full. Run time is an hour on full, three on medium and 10hrs on low!
The Joystick is now apparently in its fifth incarnation – now at 300 Lumens and a running time of 3hrs on high(!), ten on medium and 24hrs on low.
Before the Six Pack appeared, the Maxx-D was the big daddy. It offers a huge 1200Lumens and run times of 3, 10 and 24 hours.
Did you enter our competition to win a Genuine Innovations Mountain Pipe mini pump and CO2 dispenser? Well, if your card is here, you could be one of the 20 winners. There were some great picture postcards sent in. Remember, it has to be a picture postcard – one reader missed out by sending in a plain postcard, and another because we couldn’t read his/her writing… We’ll be sending the pumps out in the next fortnight.
Santa Cruz Nickel
Price: £1299 (frame only), £2799 as built
From: www.santacruzbikes.co.uk
Don’t tell our cleaning lady, but this Santa Cruz Nickel is currently gracing the editorial office while we finish off the final details of issue 61’s bike test.
Salomon Lace Kit
Most Salomon stockists carry them, or contact Salomon direct.
These are Chipps’ favourite shoes – unfortunately the Kevlar lace broke on one of them – and the laces are sewn into the shoes, which makes replacing them difficult. Luckily to solve such a disaster, Salomon makes a replacement lace kit which cleverly replaces the irreplaceable laces.
Comments (18)
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definately my favourite shoes too, good choice chips 🙂
The Nickel looks interesting and fun.
why is he called ‘chips’ ?
Is the Diablo cheaper this year as well? Looking to replace my BLT helmet light from the last century.
How much are the gloves?
That jacket’s a bit small for him, somebody tell him.
Nickel looks v nice yes.
I have 2 knifes on my MTBs (one is still white!!) and they’re great for a quick bash all the way up to 24hr racing. Could do with a soft cut-out in the middle (a la WTB) for really long rides though
That’s a serious piece of Glass right there. My dream Lens…….one day.
does that SC need any more testing, I have a week off this week
like the look of the gore jacket, does it come in other colours. Also any idea of price and when it becomes available to buy
“why is he called chipps?”
Real name is William Chippendale, his relatives flogged wardrobes .or something
Gore Countdown insulated. Windstopper with Primaloft insulation. It was quite hot with a fleece on underneath, it’ll fit perfectly with riding kit under I reckon.
Available in Red, Brown, Green and Black for £159.99.
http://www.gorebikewear.co.uk/remote/Satellite/PROD_JWTCOT?landingid=1212722558082A
Gloves are AlpX Windstopper G|loves. £44.99
The Tool WS gloves I used last winter were ace, never had cold fingers :o)
I have the Salomon shoes too, in the high ankle version. light, warm and not too pricey (Decathlon do them btw). My choice for a lightweight walking boot and I know guys who hill run in them aswell (if you’re mad like that). I never knew they did replacement lace kits though, nice!
The Windstopper gloves I have had for a season now aswell, they are superbly balanced for the weather here and see me right through the winter, comfy enough from -10 to +10 Deg C. Haven’t needed them yet this season as it’s staying warm into October but 7deg this morning might see them coming out this week!
why is he called chipps?
because he starts the whole chippendale stripper franchise and is mega rich.
his real name is Bob Whaleoski from Cornwall
Shhh! That’s my secret!
Bob W…
I reckon that Goretex might be the thing I’m after for riding in -20c here
ooh Nickel looks good, what size is that?
Medium iirc.