Ahh yes. Early summer holiday weather. Schools have broken up, the caravans have been woken from their slumber and it’s still a bit tricky to go abroad, so most people are looking forward to a bit of a staycation. Cue endless days of Monopoly in the B&B/caravan/van while the rain hammers at the windows and the children (in body and/or mind) ask when it’s going to stop and can they have some more chocolate?
We’re sorry that we can’t do much for the weather. Just pretend it’s December, drink sherry and do some window shopping for your perfect bike build for when the weather improves. It WILL improve, right? We’ve already seen the Zwift threads appearing on the forum again, they obviously don’t think so…
But here’s to a late summer reprieve, followed by an Indian Summer of sunset rides and mountaintops. In the meantime, let’s make the most of things by ogling some Fresh Goods!
SR Suntour GVX Gravel Suspension Forks
- Price: £479
- From: SR Suntour
Need a little spring in your gravel bike step? The SR Suntour GVX suspension fork is designed specifically for gravel bikes with travel ranging from 40mm, 50mm and 60mm. Suntour has based the GVX on a 32mm chassis housing an air-spring, rebound adjustment and a lockout lever for those tarmac springs. We have the 40mm travel option in for test and will have a review up in the next few months.
Hope Union TC Pedal
- Price: £150
- From: Hope Technology
Earlier this week, Hope Technology released a range of new SPD pedals. The Union pedals come in three flavours from XC Race to Gravity, but we have gone for the TC Trail pedal which offers a smaller platform compared to the full-on Gravity pedal but uses the same Hope developed cleats to offer either 4 or 5 degrees of float. Hope has obviously planned for UK riding conditions with each pedal running on 3 x cartridge bearings plus an IGUS bush for smooth running. Like Hope’s flat pedals, the Union TC is fully serviceable and rebuildable and Hope will be offering a Titanium axle upgrade in the future.
Fovno Monster Chainset
- Price: TBC
- From: Fovno
Fovno has sent through a new XC/Trail 1x chainset named the Monster. The chainset is a 3 piece system meaning that the axle is separate from each crankarm. Though the Fovno Monster looks like your standard crankarm from the side, peering from the top reveals CNC machined channels through the arm. Fovno supplies the Monster with a BB and users can choose to run a standard 104BCD chainring with a spider or a direct mount ring.
Fovno Goblin Chainset
- Price: TBC
- From: Fovno
The Fovno Goblin was the first Fovno chainset to make use of the company’s new CNC machined channel design. Compared to the Monster, the Goblin is an overbuilt chainset and weighs more than the Monster. It’s not clear what the pricing for these chainsets will be in the UK but we have asked Fovno to confirm pricing and let us know of a UK distributor (if they have one).
Vee Tire Co. Rail Rocco
- Price: $65.00
- From: Vee Tire Co.
We generally associate Vee Tire Co. with downhill and enduro racing, but the Thai company is one of the go-to brands for BMX racing tyres and Fat Bikes. They also make a range of XC tyres that I think would make pretty good gravel options. The Rail Rocco is a lightweight XC tyre with a supple 120tpi casing. The samples we have sent for test boast Vee Tire Co’s B-Proof puncture protection technology and uses their DCC dual-compound technology.
Vee Tire Co. Rail Escape
- Price: From $35.00
- From: Vee Tire Co.
The Rail Escape appears to be a fast-rolling XC tyre, perfect for dry conditions or hard-pack trail centre laps. Like the Rail Rocco this looks like it could also be a perfect gravel tyre. Like its knobbly brother, the Rail Escape uses a dual-compound rubber with a fast central rolling tread with softer side knobs for cornering grip.
Leatt DBX 5.5 Neck Brace
- Price: £355
- From: Hotlines
Hannah’s partner, Fahzure, needed a UK race wardrobe, so he’s got himself a new set of kit for DH racing. First up is this neck brace, which sits in the middle of Leatt’s flagship neck brace range. If you look on the Leatt site there are some unpleasant diagrams and statistics on spinal injuries and the reduction in likelihood you can get with a neck brace. This one is also designed to avoid contact with your collarbones, so you’re also less likely to break them if you crash.
Leatt 3DF AirFit Body Protector
- Price: £250
- From: Hotlines
This body protector offers elbow, shoulder, chest, side and back protection all in one. It’s pretty bulky and not light, but you’re only going to be wearing this for plummeting, not pedalling. With mesh and vents where possible to keep you cool, but it’s hand washable when you do get stinky. It’s even certified to motorbike safety standards. Fahzure is wishing he’d worn this suit to bed, since he’s sporting a hefty bruise after Hannah elbowed him in her sleep (she claims she was dreaming she was fighting off an attacker).
Leatt Impact Pants 3DF
- Price: £109.99
- From: Hotlines
Hannah previously tested the shorts version of these, but the leggings come with the added benefit of coccyx and upper hip bone protection pads made from 3DF. Sticky knees help keep your kneepads in place – because who would wear all this but skip the knee pads?
Powell Peralta Vato Rat Skateboard
- Price: £89.99 deck, £44 wheels.
- From: Sean Goffs Ebay Shop
Charlie says… A brief detour from bikes. The week that the new concrete skatepark opens in Todmorden (just 3 mins from Singletrack Towers), and Sky Brown makes skateboarding cute and respectable at the Olympics…. I decided I shall relive 1984/5 with a Powell Peralta reissue of their Rat Bones deck and Mini Cubic wheels. In the mid-eighties I was Sky’s age and when “Back to The Future” came out it transformed me from the weird kid on a skateboard into the coolest kid in town. I actually hung onto the back of a milk float and waved at girls.
Now, let’s see what I can do about de-cute-ing skateboarding. Sleeves cut off T-shirt, check. Torn up jeans, check. Checkerboard vans, check check check check check. Slamming and swearing loudly in front of little children….
Oddly Britain’s 1980s national champion Sean Goff was mentioned by the commentators at the Olympics. Meanwhile this retro delivery was on its way to me from Sean’s eBay shop. Click the video below to travel back to 1984.
And we have some staff news too. As early readers of the magazine will have seen, Chipps is going to be doing less of the day to day hamster-juggling at the magazine so that he can concentrate more on the writing and direction of the print magazine, while Hannah is moving up to a Managing Editor role. Congratulations Hannah and no, Chipps isn’t retiring 🙂
And finally… Given that the weather is looking typically ‘British summer’ we were going to play you out with Saxon’s cover of ‘Ride like the wind’ but we figured that the original needed an airing, so here you go. Ride like the wind! And this is particularly dedicated to the brave souls riding the Great British Divide, which is going on right now, in all weathers. Give them a cheer if they come past…
The topic ‘Fresh Goods Friday 560 – The Padded Pyjamas Edition’ is closed to new replies.