It’s Friday and time to settle down with a good spreadsheet, while working efficiently towards the afternoon deadline that you’re going to hit exactly. Your boss will congratulate you and send Champagne round to your house so that it will perfectly set off the scrambled free range eggs and smoked salmon you already have lined up for brunch. At that point, your gleaming bike will appear back from the valet and you’ll ride dusty trails until sunset.
Screeeech! Back to reality. You’re reading Fresh Goods Friday because it gives you a brief and valuable glimpse of things that aren’t work, before doing just enough work this afternoon to not get into trouble, at which point you can skive off two seconds after the boss has left the building and get on with enjoying what might be the last truly great weather weekend of the year. What are you waiting for? Get sloping off now! Which reminds us, it’s time that we did the same.
Bike Porn Book – Chris Naylor
For those of you with no Friday night plans, we have this ‘Bike Porn Book’ by Chris Naylor. A book of desirable bikes amidst many more, not actually very desirable bikes, presented while leaning on trees and railings, all presented in a jarring and overcomplicated design and peppered with vaguely bike-related quotes. Don’t ask for this for Christmas.
£14.99
XTools Workshop Protector
If things are getting a bit messy in the workshop (AKA the kitchen when your other half isn’t looking), there’s a handy floor protector from XTools. Also doubles up as a picnic mat for civilised bike rides and comes in a nice neat carry bag. Of course you could use an Ikea bag, but some people choose not to.
£8.99
Pretty soon, a lot of us day shift workers are going to have to take up night riding if we’re going to fit in a midweek ride. Chipps is testing a bunch of lights so we can find our way – or at least see how lost we are.
Lupine Rotlicht rear light
Hannah couldn’t see for ten minutes after photographing this. It’s that bright.
Price: £75
Lupine Betty R14 light
Anything that comes in a lovely little suitcase has got to be good, right?
Price: £720
From: Leveret Productions leveretproductions.com
Lupine Piko light
Price: £285
From: Leveret Productions leveretproductions.com
Specialized Deflect Expert Jacket
To keep that cold night air off your chest, we have the Specialized Deflect Expert Jacket, which is wind and water-resistant, plus protects you from the sun’s rays with a UV50+ rating. It’s got you covered whatever the weather.
£160.00
45N Japanther Boots
Just to prove the Charlie the BikeMonger is worthy of his ‘Best Online Service’ nomination, we’re including these boots. These are a size up from the ones we posted last week (to fit flipper footed Jamie) and arrived here so quickly that we suspect Charlie is actually a Time Lord. Behold the lovely warm lining which will be protecting Jamie’s flippers from the cold.
£205
But enough of the cold dark thoughts. The sun has still been shining of late, so take advantage of it while you can. Get your pins out, you’ll feel the benefit later (as your Granny might say) when it’s properly cold and leggings become unavoidable.
Vaude Craggy Pants shorts.
Very green, very tartan.
£95
Vaude Tremalzo Rain Shorts
Price tbc
Juliana 3/4 Enduro Jersey
£50
Bright shiny things are always welcome come dark nights or sunny days. We have a bunch of bling from Superstar to pimp your ride.
Superstar Groove Race Rotors
Apparently learning from the motorsport industry, these have ‘degassing grooves’ in the braking track. Designed to take ‘serious punishment from alpine descents’.
Available in 160mm, 180mm and 203mm
£12.99-£16.99 each
Superstar Arctic Rotors, plus pads
The manufacturer says ‘Arctic cooling technology alloy radiator fins help dissipate heat build up from epic descents, while the floating design helps the rotor to expand and contract under extreme conditions without warping’. Let me at those epic descents… are there lifts to the top?
Shown here in purple, they’re also available in black, gold, lime, orange, blue, red and white.
Available in 160mm, 180mm and 203mm
£24.99-£29.99 each
The pads claim to run cooler than basic pads by increasing airflow over the braking surface. Orange for Kevlar compound, yellow for sintered, available in various brake models. Shown here in Avid and Shimano format.
If any of these braking lovelies take your fancy, Superstar is offering 25% off their entire braking range during October. Use code BK25 at the checkout.
Superstar I/O Narrow Wide Chain Rings & Superstar 40T Extender ring
I/O Chainrings – Made with aerospace grade aluminium. Shown here in Gunmetal and Purple, also available in Blue, Gold, Lime, Orange, Black, Silver and Red.
30-38T available, £25.99
Extender Ring – Made with aerospace grade aluminium. Shown here in Lime, also available in Blue, Orange, Black and Red.
£29.99
Superstar XCR Direct Mount Chainguide
For use with a 9 or 10 speed cassette, this guide fits 32-44 tooth rings. Design for XC use, it is made from aluminium alloy with a composite reinforced guide. Various colour options available, shown in gold.
£19.99
Superstar Nano-X Pedals
Made in the UK, these have a larger platform than the previous Nano pedals. Steel grip pins are replaceable. Available in Blue, gold, orange, black, silver, gunmetal, lime purple and red (shown).
£39.99 a pair, or £79.99 with Ti axles
18 Bikes Midland Red Beer
Beer! A lovely gift from the folks at 18 Bikes, winners of the Best Bikeshop award; many bottles of their beer made by the Intrepid Brewing Company in the Hope Valley, Derbyshire . It’s a red beer called Midland Red in homage to the 18 Bikes flagship Midland Railway Red road bike frame the Monsal. Drink beer at your desk Friday sorted. Nom nom.
ODI Elite Grips
Another item we saw at Eurobike and now have in for test, ODI Elite grips with offset padding for the places you need it.
From £22.99
Rob Mitchell
And finally… introducing Rob Mitchell! Rob is our new Art Director, taking over from Jorji, who’s off to have a child and thence to Spain. Rob is in at the deep end with just a couple of weeks to get the next issue finished, but he’s not exploded yet.
Price: Priceless, of course!
Now for the weekend. Time to work off the padding on the places you don’t need it.
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Oooh shiny things……
Erm… The photo on the front of that book… Where do I start? Non drive side, seat pack…
Bike Porn – with that front cover image!? No thanks.
Clearly designed to attract non-bikers to buy it for their biker friends/family for christmas. ugh.
Agree, the first impression of that book is ‘that is not bike porn’…
Yes, yes, yes to the green tartan shorts.
Saddle bag? Is the porn in it?
What is Chipps doing with that sheep?
Wow, finned sandwich rotors with a name referencing something cold! Totes amaaaze original finking!
If that’s bike porn it’s for a pretty niche clientele
Just ordered the Rotlicht rear light – looks superb!
£720 for a Lupine light? Golly.
The new Art Director looks, somewhat, familiar……..
😉
Footflaps the Lupine Rotlicht is outstanding and have been using one since last Autumn. As for the New Betty front light it’s simply on a different planet compared to other brands envelope though it comes at a price.
Chipps still has his 2004 Berlin SSWC shirt!
And bike porn? I think it’s marketed as something you buy for your biking relative at Xmas. You know just like the gnarly birthday card you get with “extreme mtb” across it and an inaccurate illustration of a bike. But what grandmother is going to buy something with porn written on it. And if your grandmother will buy you porn, you should at least receive the razzle Xmas special.