Wide tyres, huge towels and a small bike with big wheels – Fresh Goods Friday 405

Not only are our fellow Union compatriots, the Scots, laughing at us because they can ride all the trails, they’re also a fair chunk into their school summer holidays and they’ve had all the weather. Fingers crossed as us sassenachs head for the motorway queues this weather holds, because we still have six weeks of child occupation ahead of us. It’s going to be great. Siblings are going to play together, their friends will all be nice, and if you go abroad they will embrace the local food with gusto. Those of you who have no children, we are coming. We are coming to take your beaches, disturb your restaurants, and pee in your pools.

Before we enter this idyll of summer days, let us squabble over all that it new. It’s Fresh Goods Friday 405.

Islabikes Beinn 27

• Price: £439.99
• From: Islabikes

Recognising that bigger wheels roll over bumps more easily, Islabikes has brought out this new addition to the multipurpose Beinn range by building a low standover frame that takes 27.5in wheels. This replaces the former Beinn 26 Large, and is aimed at children around 10 years and older, or with an inside leg of 68-80cm. With all the usual Islabikes features aimed at a child’s proportions, but with bigger wheels, this could be just what those ‘difficult to buy for’ pre-teens are needing.

Torq Snaq Meals

• Price: tbc
• From: Torq Fitness

These are low fat meals-in-a-bag which you add to water and simmer to bring them to life. The come in 3:1 Recovery form, 2:1 Anytime, and 5:1 Carbo-Load forms – with the ratio being the carbs:protein ratio. Perhaps handy for pre-event scoffing, or even bike packing grub?

Bosch Fontus Washer

• Price: £259.99
• From: Bosch

Not in fact a shopping trolley, this is a washer powered by a 18V Li-Ion battery with a 15L water on board water tank. There are three power settings and four spray patterns available, with a cleaning brush. The maximum pressure is 15bar, so Bosch says it’s not a high pressure washer, but has enough to remove mud without destroying bottom brackets, headsets etc.

Booicore Changing Towel

• Price: £30.99
• From: Booicore

A giant soft towelling poncho, handy for trailhead changing while retaining one’s dignity, or streetside changing when you’ve already lost it. They come in a range of colours – this one sets Amanda’s hair off nicely, which is obviously important when choosing a towel.

Drysure Shoe Dryers

• Price: £24.99
• From: Drysure

These are in fact for putting in your shoes to dry them out – whether that be a spot of post-ride sweat, or a full on river crossing soaking. You can just leave them in your shoes until next time you need them, there’s not heating involved, and you can use them time and time again. Apparently drying your shoes properly not only keeps you from having that unpleasant squishy shoe sensation, but also prevents fungal growth. Mmm…

Howies Bottle Opener

• Price: £20
• From: Howies

CNC’d from brass alloy in Yorkshire and attached to a cherry veneered MDF beer mat, this might be the poshest bottle opener we’ve ever laid eyes on. Oh, and this is number one in a limited edition run of 50.

The Man And His Bike

• Price: £8.99
• From: All good bookshops.

This is a collection of cycling tales which claims to uncover ‘the true soul of cycling’. Apparently it’s hilarious and melancholic. Hannah might read it and find out, though there’s always the risk a book review might turn out like this.

An Outside Kind Of Space

• Price: £nfs
• From: Slippery Mouse

This is a sort of arty coffee table book with pictures of UK riding and ride locations by photographer and rider Andrew Hackett, who makes a living taking wedding photographs – but who wants to look at pictures of other people’s weddings? This is much nicer.

American Pro

• Price: $18.95
• From: All good bookshops.

Ready? It’s another cycling book. There is going to be a laying of something bare, and something involving soul. There might be something raw. Sure enough, the blurb says: ‘American Pro rips away the thin veneer of professionalism among domestic racing teams to lay bare the heart and soul of a struggling sport’. More holiday reading for Hannah then.

Maxxis Rekon+ and Rekon Race Tyres

• Price: €74,50 (Rekon+), $64 (Rekon Race)
• From: Maxxis

Maxxis is pretty excited about these new tyres and has sent us a big promo box of things to launch its new tyres.

On to the main topic then, the tyres. There’s the new Rekon+, with a Rekon tread on a huge 2.8in width – for fast rolling summer days perhaps?

And then there’s the new Rekon Race, which we got a sneak peek at in Idaho. These are designed to fast over today’s challenging XC courses, and we’ve been sent the version with EXO (not EXO+, which was launched at Eurobike) sidewall protection.

Schwalbe G-One Tyres

• Price: £58.99
• From: Shwalbe

G-Ones come in a vast array of sizes, and we have them here in 29×2.25in form. Tubeless ready, fast rolling, but capable of tackling a touch of off road, James is planning on having these on his adventure commuter. Because why have a boring ride to work?

Miss Grape Bud Mini Bar Bag

• Price: £45
• From: Ison

This bag is the right size for a flask or water bottle, or you could fill it with snacks, or even your camera. Whatever you want to hand as you’re riding along. James will be attaching this to his adventure commuter, but it’s compatible with both flat and drop bars.

Specialized SWAT Mountain Liner Bib Shorts

• Price: £80
• From: Specialized

Truth be told, we included these bib shorts with pockets a couple of weeks ago, but Wil wasn’t around to model them. When he realised that, he simply had to put them on and perform for the camera. So, here you are, just to round off your Fresh Goods Friday.

Onwards, brave parents. Take cover, childless ones. We are coming, with our sticky fingers, our stray balls, and our screaming youngest. If you’re enduring someone else’s children, just remember: your suffering is temporary.

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