Fresh Goods Friday

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Singletrack Studio
Taking a leaf out of Andy Warhol’s book Singletrack has embraced warehouse living. Well, we’re renting a bit of one as a photo studio. Early days yet but Sim is hoping to get some gorgeous models, a casting couch and a wine cooler in there. Hmm. Dream on.

It's new to us - a whole (or half actually) photo studio! Expect a slightly higher class of 'casually leaning bike' shot in future.

Jamie’s Haircut
Price: When you look this good? Priceless.
From: One Stop Chop Shop
Jamie draws his strength from his well tamed mane and is always keen to appear well turned out no matter what the occasion is. He said he asked for an asymmetric cut but with an offbeat feel that represents both a powerful look that demands to be looked at combined with a friendly and welcoming fringe line that helps to emphasise his eyes. It’s like architecture in hair. Hairchetecture?

Here's the 'before' photo...
And now the 'after' photo. Hold yourselves back ladies, he's taken!

Santa Cruz Tallboy
Price: £1749 frame only – 2012 complete Tallboy AL starting at £2399
From: www.santacruzbikes.co.uk
Back in issue 57 we tested Santa Cruz’s original carbon Tallboy. In summary we liked it, but it wasn’t cheap. The alloy version aims to offer all the fun of the carbon model but for less money. We’re looking forward to seeing if it delivers on that promise.

Santa Cruz aluminium Tallboy. On test for issue 69.
Good old beercans. No tapered head tube here.
Enough space for some of you?

Fox Shox
Price: 36 Float RLC, £869. Float RP23, £349.
From: www.mojo.co.uk
Now with even more slippery Kashima coating the 2012 fork and shock range are looking decidedly golden. First ride impressions are that that coating really does make for less stiction and more movement.

Fresh contraband. Some new 2012 Fox 36 forks.
This is headed for Jon's long term Intense.

Pivot 429 29er
Price: £1899
From: www.pivotcycles.co.uk

Also in for test is this Pivot 429 29er

Teva Links Shoes
Price: £85
From: www.teva.co.uk

Pitching an alternative flat pedal shoe comes Teva with its new Links shoe. Teva (pronounce it ‘teh-vah’ please, not teeeeva) is well known for producing river shoes and sports sandals. These freeride flats have been designed in conjunction with tall trials god Jeff Lenovsky and feature Teva’s Spider365 sticky rubber sole and ‘ion mask’ treatment on the uppers to shed water and keep you dry on those Fort William runs. We’ll be testing them extensively for comfort and grip over the next few months.


What do mean, this IS the subtle colour version

 

Maxxis Tyres
Price: Depends on model, size, compound…
From: www.oneindustrieseurope.co.uk
Dave has been running an Ardent/Crossmark combo for over a year now and bar super slippy conditions hasn’t had much cause for complaint. With the imminent arrival of his big wheel long termer he’s keen to see if the 29in versions are just as good. Just need to wait for that frame to turn up now, eh, Dave?

Maxxis rubber in both 26in and 29in flavours.

Lowepro Compuday Photo Backpack
Price: £59 or so
From: www.lowepro.com

Do you like to travel with a camera, but don’t want to lug a full camera bag of gear around? Or do you need to carry other stuff around too? Here’s a great pack from Lowepro for just that kind of thing. The ‘obviously named by a programmer, or a German’ Compuday Photo Backpack 250 will carry a reasonably chunky SLR camera in an easy to reach side pouch, while still leaving room in the main compartment for a laptop, a copy of Singletrack, sandwiches and a coat.  It’s a ‘casual’ fit rucksack and as such won’t do off roading too well, but for riding into town with gear and camera, or as a modestly sized carry-on flight back, it’s great. And it’s not a fortune either.

Looks like a normal rucksack...

 

Bu then, 'zip'... and... INSTANT PAPARAZZI!

 

BikeParka

We know very little about this, apart from Matt W, pictured, won it. It’s a large rain cover for your bike which has a cunning hole in the side so that you can lock it up through the cover. Good if your bike has to live outside, though it might draw a little attention to it if used in town.

It's like a poncho for your bike. Actually that's exactly what it is.

Brunox Turbo-Spray
Price: £4.99
From: www.brunox.co.uk
We’re big fans of Brunox’ fork seal cleansing Deo lube so know Brunox make good stuff. The Turbo-Spray is an all-round spray for lubrication, water dispersion and penetration. Insert your own ‘fnar’ comment here. It’s got something called Turbolene in it, which makes it sound either like something from The Fast and The Furious, or a window cleaner. It’s the kind of thing that’s worth having in the back of the car for pre and post ride lubing. Damn innuendo…

Revelate Viscacha
Price: $130 – about £100 with shipping and tax.
From: www.revelatedesigns.com
Eric from Revelate is a bona-fide out doorsman who lives the life that many of us would love to lead. For proof see here http://epiceric.blogspot.com/ and make sure to watch the video. Whilst we can’t all go bike-kayaking round Alaska with Eric it is possible to buy a seatbag from him and to set out on our own adventures.

Fresh out of the box from Alaska
...and here's one after 3000 miles of use, as borrowed by Aidan Harding and ridden to sixth place in the Great Divide Race. Still plenty of life in it.

Book on Stretching
Price: Worth it
From: Second hand bookshops
Anyone who’s had an eventful early life, with plenty of mishaps, falls and injuries, is going to have to start looking after their body a little better as they get a little older. Matt has started to embrace the way of the stretch in order to keep himself in better balance and he reckons that everyone needs to start stretching more – starting now!

Blue hotpants and lilac top optional

 

Camelbak Insulated Better Bottle
Price: £19.99 or so for 600ml size
From: www.zyro.co.uk

We do like the Better Bottle from Camelbak. It’s great for keeping (spillproof!) water on your desk and it does encourage you to drink more water (which, along with stretching, we all need to do more of). Last year Camelbak came out with a chi-chi insulated steel flask version of its bottle, but now here’s the more affordable plastic one. It’s not a full vacuum seal, but it does keep cold drinks noticeably cooler for longer. Plus it’s fun to look at the water in the inner chamber sloshing around. Or is that just us?

 

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.)

More posts from Chipps

Comments (14)

    bob anderson book is ace. in depth sections laid out by anatomy. and then a short regimes by sport, (road and mtb are seperate), biggest issue is lack of use but you can’t blame the author!

    Been using an Ardent (front) Crossmark (rear) on my 29er SS for a couple of years. Perfect for almost everything

    Assume them Tallboy prices quoted are frame only prices … 8o(

    Frame-only prices on Tallboy and Pivot, yep.

    when are those teeeeeevas out?

    The Tehvahs should be out now. There’s a less tech version coming out too which is a little cheaper.

    the pinner? my google-fu is strong, not so strong to find a confirmed release date though.

    Interested in the Tehvas but no details on website. I have a pair of their outdoorsy trainers which are really comfortable and fit really well so am keen to get bike ones. Any ideas where they could be bought?

    So how come an alu Tallboy frame is £1749 and a Spearfish is £999. A few more linkages but £749 worth?

    SC aren’t really VFM are they? Or is it just me?

    Chipps, could you give any early indication of the fitting of the teeevah’s? Are they quite wide, or narrow like most bike shoes?

    Next time you talk to One Industries, perhaps you can campaign for the re-introduction of Ignitors in 29er size. Best big wheel tyre out there IMO. On my last pair…

    Went to Lee Quarry and bumped into a bloke who works for Teva and he said they’re around a month away from being released.

    Hi Iomaxicus good to meet you at the Lee Quary the Teva Links are hitting the shops this week

    Hey Andy, your warehouse seems to need some cleaning, ha ha.

    Just joking guys. Anyway, I am into vacuuming machines of some sort. Can’t get this out of my head, lol.

    However, if any of you ever in need of some advice or something such over this, feel free to check my works .

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