Thursday was a big old day for the Singletrack Team and indeed for the whole cycling industry for it was the 2018 Singletrack Readers’ Awards. We had bike riding, bants and beer, lots and lots of beer, and more beer. It was a great day and night, but we’re all feeling a little delicate this morning so FGF 418 is going to be a short one.
Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Expert
- Price: £6250.00
- From: Specialized
The eBike experts among you will have noticed that this isn’t the new Levo which we rode at the launch a few weeks back, but the 2018 model. The reason we have this bike at the office is for the Singletrack Readers Awards where you voted the Levo the best eMTB of 2018.
The Expert version of the bike gets a carbon frame, carbon wheels, Ohlins suspension and is painted in a rather hot red! Unfortunately, we’re under strict orders not to ride this eMTB but we hope to get the new Levo to review soon.
Nordest Bardino Ti
- Price: From 1,299 Euros Frame only
- From: Nordest
Tenerife, it’s where we all want to be right now. Basking in the sun, paddling in the sea, and riding along stunning volcanic rock trails, what we wouldn’t give for that. While we all pine for a little extra sun, Nordest has managed to brighten up the office with the arrival of the Bardino Ti hardtail.
We’ve got the Bardino Ti in for a Titanium hardtail bike test which will be published in issue 122 of Singletrack Magazine, but for those of you wanting to learn more about this 160mm travel, plus sized, Enduro wagon, we’ve published a short first look article here.
Muc-Off Disc Brake Covers
- Price: £22.50 a pair
- From: Muc-Off
Picture this. You’ve just had a great day out on the bike. You smashed some KOM’s, you hit lines you’ve always wanted and now your back at home tired, and a little muddy. First thing you do is break out the hose pipe and bike cleaner to give your ride a good hosing down. Once cleaned you reach for the Bike Spray and apply to your frame, water beads. You continue to spray down your fork shaft (where is this heading?), more water beads and gently rolls away.
The spraying continues, your bike is lubed and shiny and before you know it… you’ve covered your discs, callipers and pads with silicone…. If only you had used protection! Muc-Off Disc Brake Covers wrap around those sensitive bits meaning you can go crazy with lube and not live to regret it.
Flat Tire Defender Elite 29
- Price: £134.99 a pair
- From: Madison
In case the spelling hadn’t given it away already, Flat Tire Defender is a “Made In The USA” foam insert that fits inside your tyre to help protect your wheel against dings when running lower pressures, and also help to prevent punctures but that’s not all! According to the Flat Tire Defender website, once fitted these foam hoops “DAMPENS bike vibrations over rough terrain”, “improve traction” and offers “improved cornering and stability”. There are other claims and testimonials on the site too, and with Aaron Gwin and Katy Winton both running Flat Tire Defender we have pretty high expectations for them.
Each set comes with a front and rear specific defender, the rear being slightly thicker than the front, and a pair of “No Clog” tyre valves, which, well.. don’t clog apparently.
Ion K-Pact Knee Pads
- Price: £69.95
- From: Ion
The ION K-PACT kneepads may not look all that high-tech, but they are. These revised versions of the kneepad feature a sleeve design for a great fit and are made of Super Perforator Neoprene, a material that offers flexibility and superior breathability. Protection is handled by SAS-TEC 3D protectors while the outer material is the same stuff they use to manufacture bulletproof helmets and bow strings.
Keep your eyes peeled for the write up of the Singletrack Readers Awards coming your way soon, in the meantime enjoy these organic, hand picked tunes.
Comments (16)
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i think you should do a full fat friday and tell us all what you are eating to cure your hangovers
I’m sorry but they disc brake protectors are utter boll…. When was the last time anyone got silicone or anything similar on their dics? Using them to stop degreaser etc. getting into pivots and bushes maybe have been a better marketing tool.
I quite like the idea of the disc protectors, I hate using spray lube for this reason. Hence I normally use drip lube but I was in a bind the other day and only had spray, it was tough to get it on the chain and not have lube/solvent go everywhere.
Those tyre insert things are used in motocross/enduro all the time with lots of success. However since going tubeless on my MTB, punctures are not really an issue anymore.
Is there only me that thinks £135 for some foam is taking the pi55?
Not as much as £22 for some disc protectors!
“Winner of the 2018 Singletrack Readers Awards.” what was the award for, biggest indulgence that I wouldn’t buy of the year?
Maybe the idiots that buy the disc protectors could also be told to keep them on so that they don’t get dirt and mud on the discs too?
If you cannot lubricate a chain or other components on your bike without coating everything else then maybe you should not be riding or maintaining a bike…..
135 quid for rubber inserts so you can run your tubeless tyres with not enough air in. The world is mad!
Why no riding the Levo? Is this one of the exploding fork models?
I dunno why, but the whole silicone bike spray thing made me think of the petrol station scene from Zoolander, the bit where they do slo-mo crazy spraying petrol over each other. I guess in Muc Off’s fantasy world that’s pretty much what people do.
Those disc brake covers look great, just the job for protecting my brake calipers this winter. When driving to trails, all the salt on the roads spraying onto the brakes destroys them.
Love the comments… if you don’t like them, don’t buy them.. I think they could actually have a number of uses.
FGF hits an all time low. A mobility bike, disc brake muffs and £135 for a set of draught excluders. #JesusWept Vent over. I’ll get me coat.
Free shower caps from hotels are all your rotors need…
“First thing you do is break out the hose pipe and bike cleaner to give your ride a good hosing down.”
I’m sorry, what world do you live in???
First thing you do is put the kettle on, then sit down and enjoy the tea, then start watching the tv, then realise it’s dark, then put the bike in the shed/garage with the intention of cleaning tomorrow, then pull it out of the shed just before your next ride two weeks later, then curse your laziness, then pray that your expensive chain lube will free off the chain and stop the various creaks, then vow to be better next time…
You should store your mountain bikes in the livingroom like I do.
One never forgets to clean the bike first thing after a ride!
A how heavy bike with a poxy weedy motor – HOW MUCH!!????????
Yeesh speshy you gotta be ing me!