Chipps

The One Where We Don't Mention BREXIT | FGF 485

Fresh Goods

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It’s the last day of January. You’ve all made it! Upon waking up tomorrow, half the nation can eat meat again and the other half can pour themselves a drink. We’re not going to talk about the other big thing that’s happening overnight. Or the fact this is the last Fresh Goods from within the EU. The chances we may not have any product next week… Argh. Let’s just look at the nice bike things and think about the weekend.

Giant Reign E +  1 Pro Electric Bike

We’ll hand you over to Sanny for this one, since we all know he likes to talk:

(Fanfare) Pa-pa- parapa-papaaaaa. For your delectation and pleasure, may we present Giant’s latest foray onto the world of Enduro E bikes, the Reign E + 1 Pro. Featuring Giant’s proven Maestro suspension system in an aluminium frame package, this 650b monster promises to be able to tackle the steepest and most technical Enduro trails around with none of that horrible unassisted pedalling and pushing of acoustic bikes. Power comes in the form of Yamaha’s SyncDrive-Pro motor technology and EnergyPak 500 battery and promises 80% charging in just over two hours. Giant reckon they have refined the motor technology such that it is noticeably quieter than previous generations while operating over a much broader cadence range.

Eschewing easy to damage LCD screens, Giant have opted for a simple to operate switch (Ride Control One, no less!) with a built in, light up power indicator. Travel is 160mm out back and 170mm out front courtesy of Fox while the drivetrain and brakes come in 12 speed Shimano XT flavour. The Reign E + 1 also features Giant’s Smart Assist function which is designed to match power output to rider input and offers the option of using their E bike App which allows you to tailor the factory settings of each power level and measure more metrics than you could shake a stick at.

Aside from testing the bike, Sanny will be penning a piece where he does a head to head between the Reign E + 1 and Giant’s 2020 29er Reign. Will he give up his analogue ways and turn to the E bike Dark Side? 

Chromag Tachyon Jacket

Waterproof, breathable with a four way stretch, this DH oriented jacket from Canadian based brand Chromag has reenforced forearms, a stashable hood and a good amount of ventilation.

Chromag Ambit V3 Shorts

A lightweight trail short with laser cut vents, a reenforced waistband for durability and some adjustable buckles that neither Amanda or Ross could figure out how to use. There’s a fair share of pockets, four way stretch material and they’re a great colour for all you stealth fans.

Endura Pro SL Bib Tights

They’re stretchy, breathable, padded, reflective, ergonomic, insulated, water repellant… but none of that matters. What matters is, they made you look this good.

Gussett S2 Lock-On Grips

Featuring different size diamond textures top and bottom and more padding on the topside and under your palm, ribbed underside for finger grip, along with extra security ribs on top to stop your hands blowing off the end of the bars. These are extra soft and available in eight colours. Overwhelmed with choice, we opted for black.

Gussett Sleeper Grips

Available with or without flange, these soft ribbed grips come in nine colours and have really nice solid bar ends. Over-encumbered with choice, we went for black.

Bothy Bible

This is an awesome resource if you are planning on exploring Scotland, or need a little inspiration. Bothys are remote mountain huts, generally free to use, and the ideal overnight stopovers when exploring Scotland. Simply opening this 304 page colour book and gazing upon the wonderful wild and free places to put your head down for a night is all it takes for your next adventure to start coming together.

What’s more, the people you may meet in these bothys can be remarkable. Charlie explains “We hiked over a mountain ridge on the Isle of Skye, hoping to get the bothy to ourselves. But as night fell we could see lights tumbling off the ridge, and a bunch of friends in their mid twenties appeared out of the darkness, looking a bit boozy. We had a great evening with our new colourful and very cheerful bothy buddies, ate well, chatted, and emptied a bottle of red or two. In the morning we woke early to find the table covered in several giant elaborate Lego sculptures: part dinosaur, part spaceship, part fire engine… reaching over 1m in height! It was then we realised that we had spent the night with people who not only carried several rucksacks of Lego over a mountain… but also packed a load of LSD. It all made sense now”.

Free your mind and your Lego will follow.

Bikepacking Guide Book

Bikepacking, or rather “saddle tramping” as Charlie prefers to call it, is just like being Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, and you get to ride your bike. You are wild and free, and bikepacking costs almost nothing. However knowing what you are doing makes it not only much easier, but also you will feel more confident, and therefore relaxed and happy. This book has 30 different routes to try, and many pages of helpful general bikepacking information covering planning, food, kit and tarps etc.

Royal Rhubarb Gin

What has our office manager done to deserve this?! Make your guesses in the comments section, and the winner will receive 10 internet points. Other flavours available are Royal London Dry Gin and Citron Royale.

One More Thing

That image is what we like to call ReadBait. For those of you that aren’t subscribers to Singletrack Magazine, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about subscription options, how to access a digital subscription, how to gift one, or anything else. We are a very small team but we are always happy to have a chat. Sometimes THE Chipps Chippendale will answer the phone. He’s famous. So famous that fifteen years ago Dirt Rag interviewed him. Have a read of that here.

That wraps up the final Fresh Goods Friday of January. I leave you with the tune I’ve had bouncing through my head most of the week:

And here’s one just to upset Hannah, whose response to me listening to Rod Stewart was “You are a sick woman”. I think if anything, she’s just jealous of his hair.

Author Profile Picture
Amanda Wishart

Art Director

Amanda is our resident pedaller, who loves the climbs as much as the descents. No genre of biking is turned down, though she is happiest when at the top of a mountain with a wild descent ahead of her. If you ever want a chat about concussion recovery, dealing with a Womb of Doom or how best to fuel an endurance XC race, she's the one to email.

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