Tom Hutton MTB Guiding is a family-run mountain bike holiday company that runs mountain bike holidays and weekend breaks in the Lake District, the Peak District, the Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia,…
Happy Friday everyone! This Fresh Goods Friday comes to you like a beam of sunlight piercing through the clouds. Optimistic, warm and filled with positivity. It’s a while since I (Amanda) have had much input to FGF. I’ve been busy doing handstands on my desk trying to design a magazine that’s all backwards, upside-down and in two different time zones. But I’m inspired.
I’ve just got back from a short, post-work ride out the door. I have great trails within riding distance, but I didn’t go for anything technical or fast, just somewhere high enough to catch the sunset. The sun set, the lights were lit, and I blasted home to jump in the shower for a quick clean before tea. Now, I was in the shower for longer than usual… because my eyes were itching. A lot. I stood in there scrubbing my face so hard it’s now pink, and I was initially quite sad about it – Am I run down? Have I got a new allergy? And then I realised. It’s DUST. Dusty trails!
We’re so close. Lockdown is easing, the beer countdown is in single figures, and the weather appears to have looked at the calendar and realised it’s spring. So I hope this positivity has been infectious and you all get heaps of dust in your eyes. To the weekend!
Salsa Timberjack SLX 29
- Price: £1870
- From: Lyon
In for test for a future edition of Singletrack World Magazine, it’s this new Salsa Timberjack that was first revealed a few weeks back. Fresh off the boat, it’s the lower spec of the two models available in the USA. Our Medium test bike here has a 454mm reach, 66.35 degree head angle and 75.1 degree seat tube angle. The chainstays are adjustable by 17mm, thanks to that dropout – there are two positions, it’s not infinite adjust. The dropper post is adjustable on the fly – you can set it to be up to 30mm shorter, handy perhaps for shorter riders. With plenty of frame mounts for bags and bottles, it looks like a great candidate for mixing up trail riding with the odd bike packing trip.
POC Omne Eternal Spin Helmet
- Price: €250.00
- From: POC Sports, available in June
I peek a lack of peak 
Solar panels 
‘Charging’
The POC Omne Eternal features a self-powered rear light that will never need charging with a cable… using Powerfoyle technology (solar panels!) it can convert any light source, indoors or outdoors, into power.
Takes the light in… 
… gives it back out
The light is turned on automatically when you put the helmet on, and sensors detect the light intensity to switch on the light when dark. So, if it’s in charging mode the light is likely to be off, as it’s chomping away on the tasty sun beams.
POC Devour Clarity Glasses
- Price: €250.00
- From: POC Sports
Wider than a 90’s handlebar 
Lightweight 
So much lens!
POC Clarity lens is designed to give optimum control of the colour spectrum on both the road and trails. The Devour glasses have an exceptional field of view, adjustable temples (length and grip), adjustable nose piece, hydrophobic and oleophobic treatment protect from dirt, water, sweat, salt, oil and dust, anti-scratch treatment, interchangeable lenses, UV Protection (UV400) and they arrive with a spare clear lens and a soft carrying pouch.
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Restrap Bar Pack
- Price: £104.99
- From: Restrap
Accessible stash 
Spring-loaded buckles 
Waterproof roll-top 
Handmade in the UK
Restrap has introduced a new bar pack to the range, to sit between the 14l and 1.5 canister packs. This 10l, slightly rigid pack features a side-release tension and buckle system, a mini D-lock carrier, two fully waterproof roll-top compartments and a top mounted elasticated drawcord to stuff your jacket in on the move. The spring-loaded cam locks that attach the pack to your bars are a nice update from the Canister pack!
76 Projects Anti Strap System
- Price: £35 for both, £19.50 each
- From: 76 Projects
Just in from 76 Projects is this pair of bike storage solutions, the A.S.S. Clip and the A.S.S.Slider. The ASS stands for ‘Anti Strap System’ and it’s designed to be a simple solution for those little ‘Bento Box’ top tube bags that you cram full of snacks on your epic rides. The Slider is an interface between the normally bolted-down bag and the bosses on the top tube. It means that when you need to get to the bag, or just some more room on the top tube, the bag can slide off the clips and come with you to be refilled with Jelly Babies.
The A.S.S. Clip is an improvement on the Bento stabiliser – normally there’s a stabilising strap on many of these top tube bags that goes around the headset to stop the bag tilting and tipping over. This can quickly wear all the anodising off your prized King headset and is a bit of a fudge anyway. The Clip replaces a 10mm spacer and provides a free-running plain bearing attached to a clip to hold your bag of snacks upright. In addition, the clip aspect allows the bag to be snapped on and off the bike – especially when combined with the Slider. Snacking made simple!
Hannah has had a migraine for most of the last week and music feels like someone is scrambling her brain while simultaneously scraping their fingernails down a blackboard. This (brilliant) track makes every neuron hurt.
In the spirit of staying with Amanda’s upbeat mood however, here comes the sun.
Let’s hope the sun hangs around through the weekend, we’re coming for you!
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Comments (14)
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76 Projects do some clever stuff.
Venus in Furs! More VU!
Always a tease for me when I see a Salsa bike: nice bikes but not easy to UK source/view and certainly not the full line up
It’s good to see complete Salsa Cycles bikes back in the UK. They are tricky to import, as the range is vast, so you have to pick the winners, months before they even exist.
That reminds me, I have a steel El Mariachi in the lockup…. I think a new parts bin build will on be a good thing to do on the next wet weekend (that is every weekend in Yorkshire).
Just me being grumpy again, but do me a favor £250.00 for a pair of plastic bins
“I’ve just got back from a short, post-work ride out the door.”
You mean FGF is written on a Thursday night???????
Oh my God! My illusions are SHATTERED. A Thursday? Not a Friday?
I really don’t know what to do now.
Just what was needed on a gloomy, rainy Friday: a healthy dose of optimism and a tidy looking hardtail. I’m not sure that helmet will be much cop on tonight’s night ride. Nice idea, though.
@bearGrease It’s okay, the clocks go forward this weekend. That’ll sort it. 🙂
@bearGrease – not all of it. There was still room for some last minute stuff from me this morning 🙂
OK OK, I feel a bit better now but am still worried about being disappointed next Friday now the inner workings have been laid bare.
That Salsa is lovely. The glasses can do one quite frankly.
The bike is smashing,POC can do one and more biscuits please.Perhaps Amanda’s take on a Jammy Dodger for starters.
35 quid for a clip?
Could I squeeze my work MS Surface in the bike bag? It’s just under 30cm wide, so a little wider than the measurements on the restrap website, but maybe it will squeeze in? Anyone?
another year, another salsa no-one in the UK can buy. i’m not sure why they even send these over for test. 🙂