What is it with March? It seems like it’s someone’s birthday every day. Well, obviously it is someone’s birthday every day, every day. But you know what I mean. Don’t you? Maybe it’s just me [Benji]. Can everyone stop having birthdays in March please? It’s messing up my anti-social life.
What do we have for you this week’s instalment of the genuinely iconic and overwhelmingly stunning Fresh Good Friday?
What am I? The narrator? Go read it yourself.
Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Comp Alloy
- Price: £3,450
- From: specialized.com
Not so Fresh, but still looking Good, we have this none-more-trail-bike from Specialized. That is, if you agree that ‘trail bike’ means a 150mm travel mountain bike with a 160mm Fox 36 up front.
This bike will going in an upcoming ‘WTF is a trail bike any more’ bike test, also featuring the Canyon Spectral 125 and the Pace RC295.
Gravel Rides Scotland Guide Book
- Price: £25.00
- From: Singletrack World ‘O’ Books
Gravel Rides Scotland by Ed Shoote contains 28 routes, ranging from 31 to 128 kilometres in length, exploring the very best gravel riding that Scotland has to offer.
It’s a really neat book with good maps, a link to GPX files, inspiring pictures, and useful information. Available now in the Singletrack Bookshop.
Hiplok Organizer
- Price: £39.99
- From: Hiplok
This is a handy organiser pouch that has two large pockets for helmet and shoes, plus elasticated storage straps for tools and accessories. It’s compatible with the Hiplok Airlok bike mount, clothes hangers or wall mounting. Handy for garage organisation or perhaps tidy bike/locker room storage at work?
Hiplok Ride Shield
- Price: £120
- From: Hiplok
If you have to take your bike apart to fit it in the back of your car then this is for you. It’s a padded mat that protects your car and also has a pocket to put your front wheel in – so you protect your frame from rubbing up against it in transit. For those not living the #vanlife, this might just make the act of balancing the muddy fun with having a car that looks and smells like a grown up owns it just a little easier.
Hiplok Flipstand
- Price: £19.99
- From: Hiplok
This pouch acts as a saddle protector and tool roll, and also contains two foam handlebar supports. This allows you to turn your bike upside down to work on it without damaging any mounts or fittings on your handlebar – especially useful for ebikes with handlebar controls. If you don’t have a workstand at home, this might make for a useful and simple alternative for basic maintenance tasks, or for a handy item to have stashed in the back of your car.
Full Metal
- Price: 95 EUR
- From: Nicolai
The book that goes with that video. Ours is signed, because we asked nicely. Let’s have the full marketing blurb: ’25 plus 1 equals 26. And 26 is not actually an anniversary number. But in relation to mountain biking it has a special meaning: it all started with 26 inches. The big Nicolai book “FULL METAL – A Mountain Bike Technology Reference Book” is published 26 years after Leigh Donovan became downhill world champion on the first bike built by Kalle. With over 500 pages, the book illustrates the long journey from the start-up in her parents’ garage to the modern, industrial production hall. It shows the development from the first fully functional bike to the brand-new 29er Enduro geometry, accompanies the leap from the analogue to the digital age, from the milling machine with manual control to the high-end CNC machine. FULL METAL tells the stories of the many people who, together with Nicolai, have achieved impressive sporting feats and celebrated memorable successes, from Elmar Keineke to Yvan Lapraz and Benoit Coulanges. And it brings us close to those people who, over the past 25+1 years, have used all their skill, ability and creativity to build ever better bikes and constantly push the limits of what is possible – and who are still far from reaching their goal.’
Hope Tech 4 E4
- Price: £195.00
- From: hopetech.com
The new Tech 4 brake lever paired to a E4 4-pot caliper and topped off in this instance with a floating rotor so it can go straight into our 4-pot brake group test.
Santini Women’s Vega Grido Bib Tight
- Price: £219
- From: ZyroFisher
The Vega range is for cold, nasty weather, including rain. This is like a winter onesie for riding bikes in. It’s thermal lined all over, with a breathable baselayer style top instead of bib straps. If you know the weather is going to be bad, this will minimise the number of different items you need to wear or carry. The legs are a fleece-lined Superroubaix fabric, with a fully waterproof PU outer layer as waterproof thigh inserts – on the outside it looks kind of rubbery, like a triathlete’s wetsuit. Elsewhere, the legs are made with cosy fleecy thermal fabric with Acquazero water-repellent treatment, and there are reflective details on the calves. The short-sleeved base layer top part is made from Polartec Power Wool fabric, which is designed to transfer moisture out and stop you cooking like a baked potato. There’s a fairly thick chamois sewn in. It seems very cosy, but wild wees might be tricky. Hannah is wearing the XL and these are designed for -8 to +5 degrees. Brr.
Santini Women’s Vega Multi Jacket
- Price: £229
- From: ZyroFisher
This is a thermal and waterpoof jacket made with Polartec Powershield Pro fabric, waterproof to 5000 mm water column. It’s designed for very wet weather and is completely thermowelded, but it feels more like a soft shell to touch. The sleeve cuffs and tail are made from the fleece-lined Superoubaix fabric as seen on the thighs of the leggings above. There are reflective details, including a stripe right up the back of the rear contrast panel, plus three large rear pockets and an additional central waterproof zipped pocket. Designed for use between 5 and 18 degrees C.
Santini Women’s Guard Mercurio Rain Jacket
- Price: £245
- From: ZyroFisher
The not baggy gear continues. What is going on? This is designed as a close fitting waterproof with triple layer membrane for extra inner warmth during heavy rain showers. It has thermo-welded seams and a waterproof zipper for total rain protection. The cuffs are that Superoubaix fabric again, and there’s a waterproof zipped pocket on the left rear side. You also get a rear Superoubaix flap for added bum/lower back protection. Lurking in the tail and black chest panels are reflective elements, which add a subtle rainbow sheen in daylight. Designed for use between 0 and 10 degrees C.
Santini Women’s Guard Nimbus Rain Gilet
- Price: £89
- From: ZyroFisher
This gilet is floaty light and packs down tiny small, yet still offers a zippered pocket, reflective detailing which goes all rainbowy and lovely under light, total windproofing, and a degree of rain protection.
Santini Women’s H20 Nimbus Bib Tight
- Price: £169
- From: ZyroFisher
These are thermal winter leggings with a mesh vest style back and soft strap front. The legs are windproof and somewhat rain resistant, cosy fleecy lined with reflective calf details, and there’s a fairly thick chamois sewn in. Designed for use between 0 and 10 degrees C.
Santini Women’s Colore Pure Long Sleeve Jerseys
- Price: £89
- From: ZyroFisher
These are thermofleece jerseys designed to be warm but breathable at temperatures between 8 and 16 degrees C. Small reflective spots run up the back of the jerseys, with additional reflective tabs on either side of the three rear pockets. Hannah is in a size L here.
Santini Women’s Nebula Puro Pocketable Wind Jacket
- Price: £110
- From: ZyroFisher
This packable windproof jacket has three rear pockets, reflective rear detailing, and some protection from light rain. Small and light enough to carry just in case.
Santini Women’s Gravel Short Sleeve Jersey
- Price: £80
- From: ZyroFisher
Aha, and now the cause of all this tight fitting gear becomes clear: gravel. Hannah is off to somewhere cold next week for some secret gravelling, so she’ll be glad of all this cosy gear. And one day, the sun will shine again, and then she shall be able to wear this super light weight short sleeved jersey, and it will use its anti UV powers to stop her burning. Until then, it’s light enough and comfy enough to wear as a base layer. Designed for use between 18 and 35 degrees C – imagine that!
Santini Women’s Gravel Technical Shirt
- Price: £129
- From: ZyroFisher
And the final item in our Santini/gravel fest. This is made with a mix of wool and polyamide, yet feels nothing like wool. Instead it feels more like your favourite cosy sweatshirt, or a super thick T-shirt. Only it’s got a collar and popper-buttoned front, so it looks fairly smart. There’s a hidden zippered pocket to the rear plus reflective details. One for off and on the bike wear. Apres gravel, maybe?
Thread of the Week
This week’s TOTW is duly awarded to the post from @dazzydw that asked a very important question… and got plenty of excellent responses.
This week’s #STWFGF winner
Every week we running a competition over on Instagram and Twitter to win a free subscription to Singletrackworld (or some other item of merchandise if you’re already a subscriber/member). Simply tag your riding pics with #STWFGF on Instagram or Twitter and… that’s it.
We sift through the tagged candidates at the end of each week and pick a winner. The winning #STWFGF pic gets proudly displayed in Fresh Goods Friday.
Congratulations go to @fat_tyre_surfer for this week’s winning piccie. Email editorial@singletrackworld.com we’ll sort you out with your prize.
Until next time. Keep it real/unreal. Either is fine.
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