Fresh Goods Friday

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Hello. You’re through to Singletrack. The editorial office have all gone off on press trips and aren’t available right now. We’ve managed to round up a selection of fresh goods for this Friday but it’s probably not the enourmo-load you’re used to, sorry about that, it is high on quality though. If you’d like to leave a message after the beep we’ll get back to you. Thanks!

*BEEP*

Shimano M315 SPD shoes
Price: £269.99
From: Madison www.madison.co.uk

Shimano’s high-end-and-then-a-bit-higher XC race shoe. We’ve been getting in race shoes for a future issue’s group test and we think these might be the most expensive we’ve seen so far. So what do you get for your money? An extremely stiff carbon sole. These really don’t flex at all! There’s also a little packet of pads in the box for customising the footbed under the arch of the foot and in that bit between your toes and the ball of your foot. The sole appears to be have a bit more tread to it than previous Shimano race shoes and so hopefully won’t be as sketchy on rocks or when clipping into pedals. Anti-slip heel lining prevents heel lift by using a knitted in metal fibre. The upper material (‘Rovenica’ anyone?) is noticeably thinnish and ‘just right’ supple.

Vaude Tracer 16 backpack
Price: £85.00
From: Vaude www.vaude.co.uk

Not a lightweight pack by any means, the Tracer 16 is clearly aimed at more rutty tufty adventures where you’re carrying quite a lot of stuff and what it all held in place properly. We reckon it might make for a decent ‘bike and camera gear’ backpack. The pack includes a rain cover, a front outer pocket which has a compartment for tools and spare inner tube compartment and front helmet holder. There are side mesh pockets; a height adjustable hip belt to tweak where the bag sits on your back. There’s a hydration compartment too. This one is the mid-sized 16 litre version, there are Tracer backpacks available in 12 to 28 litre sizes. This one’s also available in a rather fetching lemon/pine colour if you prefer something a bit brighter on your back.

 

BMC Trailfox Carbon
Price: About £7000(!)
From: Evans Cycles www.evanscycles.com

Look, a carbon fox! Actually is a Trailfox from BMC. All new for 2012 (yes, in bike world it’s next year already) but based on last years alloy version with a few modifications to make it a little peppier for it’s target market.
Here’s Evan’s marketing guru Albert with the low down:
“We’ll be bringing in early limited numbers of the XO spec bike (expected end July – £4499.99srp) with another model available at a later date with build sitting somewhere between XTR and SLX 😉 (to be launched @ Eurobike – circa £4k TBC). BMC are currently stating there are no plans to offer it as a frame-only option. Booo! Sadly the crazy spec on the flagship pimped XTR model you’ve got (including £2k Easton Haven Carbon wheelset) would’ve resulted in a bike solely for the bankers (circa £7k pricetag) so we went with our heads instead of our hearts and shied away from ranging it.

– 150mm travel
– 5.5lbs frame weight (with shock and all mounting hardware – rear axle, downtube protector).
– 25.3lbs for XTR spec (with RockShox Reverb seatpost!)

BMC worked very closely with Fox on the suspension tune – their European HQ is based just down the road from BMC so the R&D boys have got a very good relationship with them.

BMC have steepened the headangle by 1° (to 67.5°) on the new carbon bikes (compared to the alloy version of 66.5°) to ultimately make it a more efficient climber. They already had a competent decender in the alloy version so the focus with the new carbon platform was to improve ascending capabilities – this is also the reason why they went for triple chainsets as opposed to doubles – when a bike weighs as little as this why not have the gear range for mega steep climbs? The alloy version will remain in the 2012 lineup with unchanged aggro/ripper 2011 geometry.”

Bert has kindly given us a clutch of rad RUN DMC tribute t-shirts and  BMC caps to give away to our Premier members. So, if you’re a Premier member you should see a question below. Send the answer to newsdesk@singletrackworld.com with ‘Ride BMC’ as the title and the first 14 correct answers win a cap or t-shirt in a lucky dip stylee. Winners will be notified next week. Not a Premier member? Sign up here!

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Alpinestars ‘A Line’ Glove
Price: £38.95
From: www.alpinestars.com

These lime-colour-livery beauties come straight off the MX inspired design board.  Thankfully for our farmer-boy-sausage-fingers Jamie, they come in a rather nicely snug fitting XL and for everyone else, a range of five sizes (S-XXL) and four, not too garish colour-ways. Construction is polyamide (45%) cotton (6%) and ‘synthetic leather’ (49%) mix.  The top panel is a breathable mesh, which makes them lightweight to touch and should help ventilation with the promise of plenty summer trail riding still on the horizon. On the palm, they carry a one-ply finish with added (and very minimal) microinjected silicone at the pressure points.  This might assist with ‘bunching’ on the grips.  The rubber-feel knuckle protection is very flexible which is also included in the cut away wrist flap with velcro wrist strap, which ensures secure closure.  Sweet.

Shimano Race Tape
Price: Priceless to racers.
From: The side of the track

Things are coming together beautifully for the Singletrack Classic Weekender and this is just the cherry on the top. Not entered yet? Do it now to have the most fun you can have on two wheels and not get arrested.

Corney and Barrow Wines
We’re quite fond of the odd tipple here at Singletrack so when Piers from wine merchants Corney and Barrow offered to pop round and let us taste some of their wares we thought it’d be rude to turn him down. Piers is a mountain biker and thought the cultured palettes of Singletrack readers would appreciate some ideas of what vinos to try next.

When he’s not going round some very swanky hotels and advising them on what wines they should have on their wine list Piers can be found riding in the Lakes. Sounds a pretty good life to us.

 

This Panul Merlot comes from Chile and at £6.99 makes a good ‘everday’ wine that tastes as good as some much more expensive supermarket offerings.

With its fresh citrus and elderflower notes this Chardonnay had the Singletrack office nodding with approval. Perfect with chicken in a cream sauce we think. £12.99

The Eradus sauvignon blanc had a very distinctive taste, vegetal almost with a hint of asparagus. Best enjoyed with warm goats cheese on a hot day. £11.49

Like it’s red cousin this Chilean is a stunner for the money. £6.99 buys you a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that is far too easy to drink for its, and our, good.

No, it’s not named after the French version of a game show hosted by Les Dawson. This sparkling white was dry without the cheek-pinching effect that some dry whites and Champagnes have. At £10.99 a bottle it is the obvious choice for podium celebrations.

We’re going to be working with Corney and Barrow to offer Premier members an exclusive deal on these and many other wines. More details soon.

 

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Chipps Chippendale

Singletrackworld's Editor At Large

With 23 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)

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