Good Bye 2018, Hello Fresh Goods Friday 428

Here we go here we go here we go, it’s the last Fresh Goods Friday of 2018. A year that started with Wil freezing his toes off in our studio building a bamboo bike, and ends with him sweating his toes off Down Under among the eucalyptus trees. Some of us are tempted to have ago at building a bamboo bike and seeing where it leads us…

Amanda started the year complaining that her screen was a little tricky to see and finishes the year wearing some of the strongest glasses known to man.

Chipps started the year dogless, and finishes the year as the owner of Jess, aka the Love Croissant.

Andi started the year with all the hair, and finishes it with much less of it – but just shorter, not thinner.

And Hannah…the less said about her the better really. No, really. Anything you say is liable to embarrass her children. Ssh. No, don’t mention that. Or that. And definitely not the dancing, don’t mention that…

Moving swiftly on. Hannah, stop that. We saw you. Put that giraffe down.

Vitus E-Sommett

• Price: £3,199
• From: Chain Reaction

You can check out our full First Look article here, with all the details on this budget-friendly e-MTB. Powered by your legs and the new Shimano e7000 STEPS motor, with Shimano 4-piston brakes for stopping and a Brand X Ascend post to help with dropping in, Andi is keen to get testing.

Singletrack Deadline Blend Coffee

• Price: Various Options!
• From: Us!

Coffee! With our name on it – so it must be good. You can buy this as a new subscriber, or upgrade your existing account – meaning you’ll get Singletrack delivered to your door one months, and Singletrack Deadline Blend the next. Here’s what the fancy pants coffee tasting notes says:

Deadline blend is a mix of three different origins of coffee beans from El Salvador, Rwanda and Indonesia. Indonesian beans were chosen as they give a great base for darker roasts like ours. The Rwandan beans because we love the stories of cycling coming from the country in the last decade. And El Salvador? For no better reason than Chipps’ uncle lives there.

The three beans have been blended and then roasted to a medium-dark roast. Dark enough that the taste will linger with you, but smooth enough that you’re not scared to go back for a second cup. It’s a blend you can drink any time of day, but preferably when you have that rare quiet moment to yourself. 

Fox Attack Water Jacket

• Price: £170
• From: Fox Clothing

Claiming to be both breathable and waterproof, this jacket is cut to fit just right when you’re in the ‘attack’ position on a mountain bike. Side vents help cool you down when you are too hot, and there are stretch zones for added comfort and manoeuvrability.

Fox Print Socks

• Price: £tbc
• From: Fox Clothing

Foxy socks for the sexy fox in your life. Or maybe just for keeping your feet warm.

Fox Demo Camo Burn Jersey

• Price: £50
• From: Fox Clothing

Made from ‘Tru-Dri’ moisture-wicking fabric and designed for downhill riding or big days out, this jersey has a drop tail to keep the gaps at bay and is cut to go over armour.

Fox Attack Water Pants

• Price: £135
• From: Fox Clothing

Tailored and seam sealed pants (or trousers) for riding through the winter. A ratchet adjuster on the waist stops you showing folks your bum, and tapered legs keep your ankles out of your chain.

Endura MT500 Waterproof Shorts

• Price: £99.99
• From: Endura

‘Rugged, waterproof trail legwear’ – so not putting them on your arms. Designed for all-day all-mountain riding, these are waterproof shorts with waterproof stretch panels. Witchcraft! The seat panel is designed to be extra durable, and there are two zipped pockets for secure storage of stuff.

Knog PWR Mountain 1800L

• Price: £179.99
• From: Silverfish

This light is a whopping 1800 lumens. It’s basically a power bank, onto which you attach a variety of lighting options of various whoppingness. This is the Mega Blinder Mode light, with a monster battery that promises an hour of run time at full power. There are smaller versions available for commuters and those in need of less rabbit startling brightness.

Kalf Five Windproof Gloves

• Price: £35
• From: Evans

Featuring Kalf’s distinctive oil wash style logo, these are windproof and water-resistant gloves with a reflective strip across the knuckles for visibility. They’re not too bulky, so if you warm up you can stuff them away in a pocket, or indeed carry them with you until the temperature drops.

Vaude Trail Spacer 18

• Price: £140
• From: Vaude

Soon to be released, this is a new larger version of the existing 8-litre pack of the same name. Lightweight, form-fitting with a 3D form-knitted back, and plenty of pockets for all your gear. It’s also eco-friendly in its production. There’s a bladder available separately if you want to add one.

DMR Flip Pins, Vault Replacement Axles, V12/Vault Pedal Bearing Tool, Vault Servicing Kit

• Price: £12 (Flip Pins), £15 (Replacement Axles), £16 (Bearing Tool), £25 (Service Kit)
• From: Upgrade Bikes

Hannah has some rather old DMR Vault pedals that are showing signs of age after more than four years of abuse. She’s going to have a go at bringing them back to life with this collection of pieces. Plus some instructions. Which she’s going to follow very carefully. Probably.

Leatt DBX 5.0 Shorts and All Mountain Jacket

• Price: £179.99 (jacket)
• From: Hotlines

Matching waterproof shorts and jacket, for looking nice in horrible weather. There’s four-way stretch material for comfort, and loads of ‘brush guard’ protection to keep your pack in place and stop you rubbing the fabric in the event of any ground inspections. With a pass pocket on the arm of the jacket and pre-curved knees for pad friendly fitting, this has the look of an outfit designed for uplift days when you might be the only person on the bus.

…aaaand we’re done. Fresh Goods of 2018, we are done. 2019 here we come, shaking our things and feeling pretty funky. In a good way, not in the kind of funky way that’s emanating from our changing room. That’s going to be even better after a few more days of New Year holiday…

Oh, someone let Andi into the draft. Insert jungle tune here.

Twitch your tush, shake your stuff and have a rollocking good start to the new year. You’ve got three days to get into the party zone, or plan your night under the duvet, safely tucked up by 10pm.

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