What is the meaning of life? The point of our existence, summarised and encapsulated in a brief, pithy sentence? Some believe it’s the establishment of happiness (but if everyone was happy all the time, how would you know with no contrasts?). Some that it’s the doing of Good Works. Some the attainment of immortality, either by ammassing great wealth, or by becoming legendary. Or by simply not dying. Douglas Adams thought that, if the answer was 42, you might be able to get to the question by pulling random letters from a scrabble set until a sentence emerged (which was wrong). But in a spirit of enquiry I tried this with the extant people in the office, and I came up with the following. Are you ready? Ladies and gentlemen, the meaning of life, according to the Singletrack Staff, is this:
Pig Smooch Banana
I thank you. Here’s Fresh Goods Friday.
Focus SAM C Team
Price: £4,999
From: Focus
Focus’ 160mm enduro full-bouncer, which Barney has previously ridden and found most entertaining. He’s keen to see how it fares in the less sunny, and rather more mud-festooned climes of West Yorkshire.
It’s made of carbon, and has an enormous coffin-shaped top tube, which is intended to make things stiffer.
RockShox Monarch bounce at the 160mm level at the back
with a tidy XX1 drivetrain
Carbon swingarm keeps the weight down, and chainstays are bit shorter than the alu version.
Yup. Pretty good clearances too. And (oh ye of little faith) here’s another pic showing clearances:
Lots of clearance. SEE? *rolls eyes*
The Ubiquitous Pikes: 160mm front bangers.
Very nice cable entry point at the front of the head tube which keeps things neat…
SQ Labs 611 Active saddle
Price: €159.95
From: SQ Labs
Saddle of Teutonic Specialness – they’re available in a variety of different widths, and these active ones come with three different grades of interchangeable elastomer for increasing sizes of arse. Lots of flex in the right way, and a special shape to relieve pressure from troublesome spots in a way that differs from cutaway saddles. Plus, black and orange, a bit like Tron.
SQ Labs 711 Grips
Price: €24.95
From: SQ Labs
Team Orange ergonomic grips. Look comfy, available in S, M and L sizes, and a variety of colours.
SQ Lab 311 handlebars
Price: €89.95
From: SQ Labs
Impressively swept back bars, 740mm wide, with a whopping 16 degree backsweep. Hans Rey likes them a lot, apparently.
Schwalbe Nobby Nic Evolution Snakeskin TL Easy TSC
£49.99
It’s a catchy name, but there are loads of permutations to be fair. Fresh rubber from Schwalbe. Looks grippy, And lord knows, we need grippy right now…
Chris Hoy’s Flying Fergus books
Price: £4.99
From: Bookshops everywhere
Lord Hoy wrote these with renowned kids’ author Joanna Nadin. Bicycling-based hi-jinks for – y’know – kids.
Upper Downs Neo Jacket
Price: £269.99
From: Upper Downs
Polartec NeoShell waterproof of much poshness – it even comes in its own box. Designed on the South Downs, it apparently also has intelligent phone-chute, I’m told. Which I assume is in the appropriate place…
Garmin Edge 25
Price: £139.99
From: Madison
Teenyweeny GPS, which has the usual GPS cycle computer functions, connects to other things via the Magic of Bluetooth for things like smartphones, cadence and HRM, and you can upload courses to follow a breadcrumb trail too. Awesomes.
Garmin Edge Explore 1000
Price: £389.99
From: Madison
More of a full-on deal than the teensy 25, the 1000 has the full deal – mapping, GPS and GLONASS (the Russian satellite system) for lightning fast position acquisition, and the full enchilada when it comes to route planning, turn warnings and customisation.
Hebden Trouser Company – the 177
Price: From £95
From: HebTroCo
Brant Richards and Ed Oxley, with their Trouser Hats on (?) stopped by to show off their latest Kickstarter-funded trouser, the 177. The 177 is the model of moleskin old-skool trouser, and has been fully funded – the Kickstarter ones were the first 176, so these are now production keks, hence the 177 – see? Anyway, they’re warm, comfy, they’re available in a variety of waist sizes and are available in two different hem lengths or unfinished.
This is Ed Oxley, who is apparently (according to Brant) the face of the Hebden Trouser Company. This is disturbing.
And that’s your lot for this week, chaps/chapesses! But, if you’re feeling stressed at all, here’s a photo of some seagulls for your delectation and encalm-ment. Singletrack – the Caring Concern:
Cheery-bye!
ST out
Comments (14)
Comments Closed
I thought that too. Nice colour though.
It’s the photo. There’s loads of clearance, I promise…
Sorry don’t believe you 🙂
*rolls eyes* check the story again: I’ve put up another pic 🙂
http://singletrackworld.com/2016/02/fresh-goods-friday-280/
The Edge 25’s are £109 at Halfords this weekend.
Those be terns, not gulls.
Gah. maybe not. I be better at plants than birds tbh…
Still doesn’t look like much clearance.
In Arizona it’s loads of clearance. In the Chilterns that tyre might as well be touching the swing arm already.
It’s in the same building as me; I can fit my finger in between the tyre and the chainstay.
You’ll have to take my word for it.
In the Chilterns right now, anything other than a 1.8 in a fatbike frame isn’t enough clearance, no?
which finger?
do you have skinny fingers, or sausage roll digits?
Aaargh! 😉
Like the pic of the Focus changing gear! Lovely looking 160 travel bike!
So any way of getting your hands on the SQ labs grips in the UK? (See what I did there!?)