The Self Improvement Edition: Fresh Goods Friday 532

Fresh GoodsNews

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I’m putting my positive pants on for this round of Lockdown. It sucks, for many reasons we are all aware of, so I plan to make something good come of it, and you can too!

My plan is to choose a thing that I’m missing, and work out how to make it more enjoyable when I can finally do it again. Some examples:

  • Travel to Spain with a bike: Improve my Spanish
  • Hike up some mountains: Make my ankles stronger
  • Ride with friends: Regain my bike confidence
  • Ride bikes anywhere and everywhere: Get fitter!

I think we’re all on the same page with improving our fitness where possible, because being stuck at home really draws attention to your body and activity levels, and exercise is a good way to kill time. But I’d like to hear some of the more quirky self-improvement projects going on, so let us know in the comments. You might inspire others, and if you put it in writing you have to commit..!

¿Dónde está la Fresh Goods?

Yeti ARC T-Series Hardtail Frame

  • Classic
  • Timeless
  • Free bog roll holder
  • Imagine spending £1399 on a frame and having Charlie balance it on a canal lock…

The Yeti ARC is back. Named after one of Yeti’s most famous (alloy) hardtail frames, Yeti has reimagined the all-round hardtail from the Tomac and Furtado era. For 2021 it comes with a ‘Turq’ series carbon frame, it takes 29in wheels, a 130mm fork and a long dropper post, thanks to a steeply dropped top tube. Retro fetishists will be sad to see it doesn’t feature a loop of bent aluminium for the rear triangle, however it does come in classic Yeti turquoise (and black for the shy).

Numbers? The medium we have here features a 445mm reach, 67°/76° angles, and a 410mm seat tube. And talking of numbers, Chipps has actually ponied up the cash to buy this – obviously with dreams of his lithe, hardtail racing self from years gone by. We’ll look to see what this gets built up with.

Shimano TF-FC39 Tool

The Shimano TF-FC39 installation tool is designed to tighten the lock ring on Shimano STEPS motor systems. This version is the larger model and is for the E8000, EP8 and E7000 motor systems. The high-quality CNC machined tool is made in Japan and uses a standard Shimano BB tool to tighten. But what is it for? Well, its for fastening the lock ring on to the chainring of your Shimano eMTB. For those of you who either need to remove or replace your STEPS eMTB chainring, keep in mind that the thread is opposite what it would be normally.

2021 Nukeproof Scout

I predict a lot of jealous eyes will be on this 2021 Nukeproof Scout! Here we are, slap bang in the middle of hardtail season and the popular Scout is out of stock…. But I have one, so there! This is the Scout 290 Pro rocking a pair of 29in wheels and a rock-solid build spec including a RockShox Lyrik fork, DT Swiss wheels and a complete, no-nonsense Shimano SLX drivetrain. I love the lacquered brush alloy finish, external cable routing and threaded BB, and cannot wait to get this thing filthy!

Singletrack Subscription

  • Price: From £20/year
  • From: Here!

To save straining your eyes trying to read these proofs that are littering Amanda’s living room, you can check out what’s inside the upcoming issue of Singletrack Magazine here. You have until 25th January to subscribe in time for this one.

Clif Bars & Bloks

  • Price: £1.59/each bars, £2.69/each Bloks
  • From: Extra UK
  • Great bribery for bike test models
  • Mmm Black Cherry
  • CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE!
  • Alpine Muesli Mix, Coconut Chocolate Chip, Black Cherry. Great choices.

We all need snacks on rides, and we need more energy in the winter because we’re shivering so much (Amanda-Science, possibly true, too busy to do the research). With a winter pack crammed full of emergency shelters, dry gloves and flasks of tea, you don’t want a banana squishing around, so a neat Clif Bar that doesn’t suffer too much when squashed is ideal. Fun fact: one Clif Blok is roughly equivalent nutritionally to a date.

For your downtime

If you are looking for some light relief in these troubled times then we may have some Instagram gold for you. I challenge you to not waste many minutes browsing through the posts on the Instagram account Animalsandsythensizers. Here’s a sample for your Friday smiling pleasure..

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A post shared by Animals and Synthesizers (@animalsandsynthesizers)

Well, there’s not much this week thanks to some issues with items being delivered to the UK… See you next week, hopefully with more goods!

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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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