It’s raining outside, after a week of lovely weather. Which must mean: the English school summer holidays start today! Yes, today children across the bottom half of the UK quit pretending that they’ve done any work since they sat their SATs, teachers start growing beards, and parents start frantically looking for last minute deals to places that are cheap, warm, quiet and don’t attract anyone else with children, or any other people, and where the local wine is delicious. And cheap.
But not us at ST Towers. We have a magazine deadline to meet, and a Fresh Goods Friday to deliver. Here we go…
18 Bikes №9 Frameset
- Price: £900.00 frame only, bike from £2,400
- From: Eighteen Bikes
The Number 9 is the made-in-Sheffield hardtail from 18Bikes. It offers 29in wheels and is designed for a 130mm fork (though there’s some leeway there) and it comes with very ‘progressive’ geometry in a choice of four frame lengths, all with very healthy standover. With reaches starting at 450mm and 475mm and heading up to 500mm and 525mm. The frame is ‘inspired by the riding that most of us actually do’, designed in the Peak District and built from Reynolds 853 main tubes.
The No9 is available as a frame-only, or full builds start at £2,400. We’ve managed to snag one of its demo bikes for review in the next (but one) issue of Singletrack Magazine.
Kieft-Racing Hip Flask Cage with Surly Gravel Dash Hipflask
- Price: £38.00 Stainless steel cage, £20.00 Hipflask
- From: Kieft-Racing
Kieft Racing is born out of vintage motorsport, however owner James is also a keen pubpacker, a bit like bikepacking but he likes to stop to carbo load on traditional sports drinks such as Gin and Tonic. And rum. Which would be a much less fizzy choice for carrying on your bike. Thanks very much to Charlie the exBikemonger for filling this sample with delicious rum. The Surly Gravel Dash hip flasks can not only “contain traditional sports drinks”, but also proclaims the two rules of Charlie’s Gravel Dash event… “It’s not a bloody race – Don’t be a dick”. Charlie says “Man, yeah, those are the only two rules you need in life, they cover everything. Have you murdered someone… if so, you have broken the dick rule. Just like the ten commandments, but in a more concise, lightweight format”.
Time Speciale 8 Pedals
- Price: £139.99
- From: Extra UK
Compatible with all existing Time cleats, these are an enduro specific design from Time. Promising a predictable release, self-cleaning design and micro-adjustable clamping system, these come with for adjustable pins and +/-5° angular float and 6mm lateral float. Discover why Time pedals have such rabid, lifelong fans.
Topeak Tubibooster
- Price: £54.99
- From: Extra UK
Tubibooster works as high pressure inflator for easily mounting tubeless tyre beads. The very beefy-feeling, aluminium air chamber is charged using any presta valve compatible floor pump and then released into the tyre via the machined inflator head. This head can also be used with CO2 cartridges as a regular inflator out on the trail.
Pirelli Scorpion MTB S Soft Terrain 29 x 2.4″ Tyres
- Price: £46.99 each
- From: Extra UK
The Scorpion MTB Soft Terrain tyre is designed for softer and looser terrain. The tread features deep, widely spaced knobs that offer more penetration into the ground and for more aggressive riding styles. The SmartGRIP compound claims to use chemical technology to achieve excellent rolling resistance whilst retaining high levels of mechanical grip. It’s also claimed the use of a single rubber compound ensures that performance won’t decrease as tread wear increases.
BLS VeloRacing Full Face Bag
- Price: £203.53
- From: BLS Global
From the makers of high end bags 0 the kind of things roadie might like to keep their carbon slippers safe in – comes a Full Face bag, specifically designed for Enduro, Downhill and BMX, to house a full face helmet and other protective gear.
The bag was designed with individual compartments for your full face helmet, shoes, bottles, kit, chest protector, gloves, knee and elbow guards, and pretty much anything else you can throw in there. If you’re organised, maybe it will allow you to be better prepared and perform at your best on race day? Or maybe you’ll just turn up at the pub ride with both knee pads?
Tubolito MTB
- Price: £27.99
- From: Extra UK
Designed to save you up to 61% per wheel on a standard tube, these can also be used to replace a standard inner tube. They’re also supposed to be twice as robust as a butyl tube, and just as comfortable. Floaty light – might make a great spare for carrying just in case? And before the ‘How much?’ comments, if you’re going to lug around an inner tube you’ll probably never use, you might as well make it a light one, eh?
S-Tubolito MTB
- Price: £29.99
- From: Extra UK
When you puncture and tubeless can’t handle it, you’re going to need a tube. This will get you home, but won’t weigh a ton while it’s sitting in your pack waiting (weighting?) to be deployed. Weighing up to 78% less than a standard tube, these are popular for enduro racers – it’s really rather more like an extra thick condom than a standard inner tube. Plus there’s a removable valve to make it even more stoarage-able on the go. Unlike the Tubolito MTB, this is designed to get you home rather than substitute a tube, so fix your tyre properly when you get home! Also, don’t use it with rim brakes!
Tubolito Flix Kit
- Price: £3.99
- From: Extra UK
If you put a hole in your Tubolito, these patches will fix it for if you need to deploy these in a race, you’re probably not going to win. But you will get back to base without a long walk. Result!
And now, for the weekend!
Have fun wherever you’re headed, we hope the motorway queues are short, the flight delays long only on the way home, and that none of you gouges a chunk out of their leg on a ‘last gentle ride’ just two days before a family holiday. Eh, Ross?
Also this weekend is the UK Nationals for XC and Downhill. All the best to everyone riding, especially these guys, Thanks for the laughs this season!
Friday Tunes
Here’s our regular playlist of the week to go along with our Fresh Goods. Each track is picked by a staff member here in the office and added to their individual playlist over on our Spotify page.
All of the Singletrack staff have their own playlists that list all their choices for each FGF. So if you want to see who is responsible for which song you can find out by checking out their personal choices.
Staff playlist | Chipps
We’re highlighting Chipps’ playlist this week. If you want a… erm… wild and broad ranging selection of music, then give him a follow.
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Can I go first with the HOW MUCH outrage at the cost of those inner tubes?! blinkin flip
well they are light Weight: 42g (26”), 44g (27.5”), 45g (29”) . but £30, are they reusable ?
maxxis welter weight on CRC 27.5×1.9/2.35″: 191g (Presta) 27.5×2.2/2.5″: 222g (Presta)
Yep definitely reusable. I’ve had some in a tyre after getting a cut that wouldn’t seal and just cleaned it and rolled it back up when I got home!
If you need a volunteer to try the Time pedals I’m sure I could manage it for you ;o).
I really want those pedals, just not in orange, or at that price.
Cheaper than there big brother though….
The tubes seem a bargain to me compared with that bag! £203! WTAF!
That no9 is a thing of beauty
Isn’t it just!
I put my order in a while back, getting excited now.
Having seen someone struggle to repair a Tubolito they seem to offer little more than weight saving as an advantage. When PX are bashing out normal tubes for 50p I can’t see buying one.
However…..£200 for a bag?!
they do everything a normal tube does, but for 10x the price. standard cycling deal.
My mate needed to use his Tubolito last week. After lots of frantic pumping we realised something was wrong. It was leaking air where the 2 ends are joined. We put a patch over it and the tyre was almost fully inflated when the valve stem cracked. We got eaten alive by midges and he had to walk back down the hill and buy a normal tube.
Hhmm I wonder how long it’ll be before there’s an eBike specific Tubolito. It’ll probably be the same as the regular Tubolito, but 50% more expensive and maybe a different colour.
Cynical? Me??
900 of her majesties squidly diddlys for a frame with naff all rear clearance means I AM OUUUUUUT!
However re: pirelli tyres- I used to use them on motorcycle and found them to heat up good in cold conditions and get rid of water quite effectively.
So can believe the hype surrounding this mtb range of tyres.
And seeing as it looks similar to my forekaster (2.35”) which rubs my frame means I will be going for a Pirelli jobby up there ^
Watch out forum as expect a do my tyre brands match topic haha