Fresh Goods Friday 479 | Santa Comes Early!

Santa? Wait? What? That’s next week? Erm, OK. If you could just read on quietly while we nip out to the shop and find a few essentials… The kids will be happy with half a dozen sausages and four candles from Todmorden market hall, won’t they? Maybe some tripe as an extra treat?

As ever, here is your Friday serving of all that is fresh, along with a little tripe and maybe even a dollop of codswallop on the side.

Production Privée Shan No 5 29

• Price: €1,849 frame only
• From: Production Privée

It has taken a little longer than originally planned but Andi has finally (almost) completed his Production Privée Shan No 5 29 build. They only part missing is a couple of cable ties, and the addition of a mudguard before this steel beauty can hit dirt!

Shimano XT 1 x 12 Groupset

• Price: £839 or so.
• From: Freewheel

Shimano XT has been used to build up the steel full-susser. This is the latest 1 x 12 Shimano XT groupset complete with brakes, new 12-speed cassette, and everything else to move that chain around and stop the wheels. Andi has already put in a fair amount of time on 1 x 12 SLX and is keen to see how the workhorse XT compares.

Need Shimano XT prices? Here you go:
Crankset: £139.99

Shifter: £54.99

Rear mech: £99.99

Brakes: £129.99 each

Chain: £39.99

Rotors: £49.99 each

Cassette: £139.99

Maxxis Assegai Tyres

• Price: £64.99
• From: Freewheel

In an interesting twist, Andi has got a Maxxis Assegai front and rear on the PP. The tyres in question are 29 x 2.5 EXO tyres. Ross has been raving about this rubber for a while and it will be exciting to see how they handle the trails as they turn to soup and snow.

Shimano SLX MT620 Wheelset

• Price: tbc
• From: Madison

These SLX level wheels are aimed more aggressive riding but aren’t overly heavy. The rear wheel uses Shimano’s new Micro Spline technology for a small 10T cassette, while the rims are a 30mm internal alloy design. These 29er wheels are tubeless-ready with 24 J-bend spokes outback and the same up front. There’s no price yet as they’ve literally just hit the warehouse.

SRAM GX Eagle Drivetrain, AXS Chain

• Price: £405.99 groupset, £65 chain
• From: SRAM

Amanda is very happy to have the final piece in her Ragley BigWig build jigsaw: a drive train. She gets the reliable GX Eagle forward motion kit with rainbow bolts to get her back on a hardtail for the first time since her Piglet was stolen. The rainbow chain meanwhile is for Chipps and his Ibis Ripley SRAM AXS bling machine. Thanks to Alex Rafferty from SRAM for sending these through, and congratulations to him on the new job – which (no doubt among other things he probably doesn’t even know he’s got to do yet) will have him in charge of all the promotional words you mountain bikers read about SRAM MTB products. The busiest man in MTB just got busier!

EWS Yearbook: The World Stage III

• Price: £15 plus postage
• From: Misspent Summers

Not lucky enough to follow the EWS around the world? Join the club! But you can soften the blow with this selection of write ups from the series which are accompanied by photography from Sven Martin, Boris Beyer and Sebastian Schieck.

DH World Cup Yearbook: Hurly Burly 4

• Price: £15 plus postage
• From: Misspent Summers

There’s commentary on every race plus great photography, so you can go back and break down where your heroes won or lost their campaigns. Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two for your own dual crown quest for greatness?

DMR Versa Pedals

• Price: £115
• From: Upgrade

Clips or flats? How about both! These are flat pedals with plenty of pins on one side, and clippy pedal with optional pins on the other. If you want to clip in on the ups and go flats for dabbing on the downs, or you just want a versatile pair of pedals that will work on your commuter whatever your footwear, these could be the pedals for you. Plus, they come in five different colours so you can match all your shoes.

Lezyne Ratchet Kit

• Price: £38
• From: Upgrade

A ratchet kit in a handy pouch so you can have it with you at all times. The nifty little kit has got you covered for: Hex: 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8mm; Torx: T10, T25, T30; and Phillips and Flathead bits.

Top Bothy

• Price: £10
• From: Singletrack World Merch Store

Hannah and Chipps sat down to pose for a game of Top Bothy and ended up reading all about different bothies they knew nothing about. There are points for solitude, proximity to the pub, and difficulty to get to, plus an interesting fact about each. Hmm…. we might just feel an adventure itch coming on.

Self Build Campervan Conversions Book

• Price: £24.95
• From: Cordee

Ever considered building your own adventure wagon? This book tells you how. With lists of essential and desirable tools, costed conversions, and loads of how-to information, that dream of driving off into the sunset might just get a step closer. Or, you might look at it and think ‘heck’ and just buy one ready made. Either way, this will have given you an invaluable lesson.

Madison Gift Box

• Price: Priceless…
• From: If you have to ask…

A top selection of products for all the team from the folks at Madison. Pearl Izumi clothing, Shimano winter gloves, a Park Tool mug, an Elite flask, a DT Swiss multitool, plus a selection of edibles. Thanks folks!

And thanks to all you folks for hanging out with us all year. We’ve got just one more Fresh Goods Friday to come this decade, and then a whole new era of Fresh Goodiness opens up before us. What will it hold? Certainly, more dubious modelling. Probably more electrically powered thingammies. Hopefully, a whole pile of fun enhancing bike riding accoutrements.

Have yourselves a great week, whether you’re working, festivitying, or just surviving another seven days on the planet. We’ll be here every day, and no doubt so will lots of you – especially over on the forum. See you here, there, and on the other side!

Friday Tunes