Fresh Goods Friday 623: Rechargeable Battering Edition

by , and 23

This is the “Wintro”. The intro of winners. What have we won exactly? We’ve won the satisfaction of making it through another week. We’ve won ourselves a weekend.

Enjoy your weekend. Ride a bike if you can. Plan your next ride if you can’t. Whatever you can or cannot do this weeked, take a few moments to realise/remember/appreciate that bicycle riding is excellent.

With that, on to the Goods!

Kudos forever to Andy Partridge

Crank Brothers Mallet Boa Shoes

Nominally designed for DH duties but no doubt just fine for any sort of ATBing really. Besides the BOA fit system, the significant thing about the Mallet BOA is that it features longer cleat slots. 5mm longer than before to be precise. Longer towards the back of the shoe so as to enable a further back mounting of cleats. The idea being that further-back cleat position improves control and also helps reduce calf strain and fatigue.

what else? Perforated mesh material for breathability. Padded tongue. TPU reinforced areas for protection and abrasion resistance. Interior ‘heel dots’ for superior heel hold. Pre-installed with Crank Brothers match shim and cleat.
Can be used with any brand of cleat, mind.

Spada Howitzer MIPS MTB Helmet

  • Price: £79.99
  • From: Spada

Decently priced MIPS equipped mountain bike hat from a relative new name on the scene. 17 intake and exhaust vents. 375g claimed weight. Fully adjustable straps. Twist lock adjuster. Removable and replaceable peak. Adjustable retention system. Crash replacement scheme (replace your damaged Spada MTB helmet at 50% of the helmet’s RRP). Looks alreet dunt it?

Blizzard Blanket & Blizzard Jacket

Looks like dehydrated military ‘food’. Don’t eat. Well, unless things get really bad.

The Blizzard Jacket size (vacuum packed!): 13cm x 11cm x 5cm. 230 grams. Reflexcell Hood. Clear plastic sleeves. The Blanket is 13cm x 11cm x 5cm (packed). 260 grams. Size (unpacked): 2.3m x 1.56m. Top may be closed to form hood. Drawcord with spring toggle. Fits fully clothed large adult.

Both items are 5.5 togs – equal to a medium weight regular sleeping bag. Waterproof and windproof. For any situation in which people need to be kept warm, or treated immediately for chilling and hypothermia.

Wera Tools

  • Price: £339.99 Safe-Torque A 1 Wrench Set 2-12Nm 10pc, £139.99 Zyklop Ratchet Pocket Set 18pc, £36.99 Bicycle Set 5 5pc
  • From: Chicken Cyclekit

Wera Tools. Perhaps best known in cycling circles for their colour coded Allen key sets. Turns out they do some really nice other tools too.

The compact Zyklop is a super cute/cool ratchet with a bit magazine inside the tool. With fine toothing of 72 teeth, it allows a low return angle of 5°. Captive and freely swivelling bit magazine for easy removal and secure storage of the bits. The ratchet head pivots freely and can be locked into any defined position by using the slide switch on either side.

The Safe-Torque wrench set has a 2 to 12Nm range. Clockwise and counterclockwise torque-ing. Equipped with a slide over mechanism; once the set torque has the reached value, the tool cannot be overtightened. The torque function can be deactivated so it can also be used as a standard ratchet for loosening stuff without potentially damaging the torque mechanism thingy.

The Bicycle Set 15 is two ‘quadruple bits’ and three tyre levers. One ‘quadruple bit’ offers 4 Allen key sizes (3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0). The other ‘quadruple but’ offers 3 different sizes (2.5, 5.0, 6.0) with a Torx 25 in there too. A bit can be inserted into one tyre lever, this can then be used as a torque wrench up to 10nm and stack two levers together to achieve 20nm. One of the tyre levers serves as both valve ejector and bleeder valve. It’s quite a bit more techno than you first think this thing!

Singletrack Definition Organic Unisex T Shirt

Around 20 years ago Chipps discharged a series of words from his brain and came up with this. And you know what? It is still as true as it ever was. Bikes may have got a lot more bouncy, and brake’y, and Bluetooth’y, and hoverbike’y (I have future-proofed this blurb ready for the next big tech to hit bikes) but we still do the same thing, in the same place, for the same reasons.

When you buy merch from Singletrack you are directly supporting independent mountain bike journalism. This is a very nice thing to do. And that makes you a very nice person. Congratulations for being nice. We love ya.

Specialized SL Ranger Extender

We know we featured this in a recent-ish Fresh Goods (FGF 616 to be precise) but well, it’s ebike testing season here at ST HQ at the mo and more moreness is more betterer. Soft ground and mud friendly tyres aren’t exactly range-helpers.

And am I [Benji] spoilering anything by admitting that I’m already a bit in love with the Specialized Kenevo SL Comp that we got in last week? Sorry! It’s blowing my tiny mind. Or, more accurately, totally annihilating my preconceptions about it.

Altura Ridge Thermal Women’s Waterproof Trouser

Another week, another metric tonne of Polartec arrives at Singletrack World. These kecks then. Polartec Powergrid technical fleece inner upper leg. Waterproof softshell fabric with taped seams. DWR coating. Water resistant zip pockets. Water resistant zips provide adjustable ventilation on leg. Elasticated waist band. Tapered leg with stretch cuff.

Altura Esker Dune Women’s Thermal Jacket

Pertex Quantum Eco windproof outer shell fabric. DWR coating. Insulation made from recycled post-consumer PET.
Insulated, elasticated hood. Zipped chest pocket. Shaped cuff.

Altura All Roads Women’s Fleece

Cosy mid layer. The chest pocket and large rear zipped pockets provide plenty of storage. Gravel ride anyone? How about a hike? Or a walk? To the pub?

Falke Women Wool Tech Tights & Men Singlet Wool Tech Light

  • Price: €95.00 tights, €70.00 singlet
  • From: Falke

Help to keep your body extra-warm in cold to very cold temperatures (such as a West Yorkshire pay and display car park in late October), whilst also working to neutralise odours (your body’s, not the car park’s). Combination of merino wool and “high-quality functional materials” (10% elastane, essentially) promises “superior moisture wicking and thermal management”.

‘Who Voted For This?’ Greenpeace T-Shirt

Hannah: “I bought it in the middle of the night when I got very angry about something our government was up to. There have now been so many things I’ve got angry about that I can’t actually remember what it was.”

Singletrack Reader Awards Vote Last Chance!

This is your last chance to cast your vote in some/all of the following categories:

  • Most Desirable Mountain Bike
  • Most Innovative Mountain Bike Product
  • Trail Team
  • Community Builders
  • Bike Industry Paying It Back
  • Best Photographer
  • Best Writer
  • Best Trail Network or Trail Centre
  • Mountain Bike Personality Of The Year

Grandstand Astro Wars

  • Price: Erm. Too much probably.
  • From: eBay

Very much loads miles better than the PlayStation 6 (or whatever modern consoles are up to nowadays). I [Benji] only switched it on to check whether it did work as the eBay claimed (it does, TFFT) and the shrill fanfare of ‘music’ that accompanied its booting up instantly gave me a 1980s flavoured Proustian rush.

The main thing I remember about this ‘Electronic Game’ is the AC adapter used to fracture/unplug at vital moments of near high score-ness. AAARGH! Needless to say, I’ll be getting some rechargeable batteries for this one. Not that it’s mine. It’s obviously for my son for Christmas. Oh yeah. Not for me at all. No way.

Classifieds Ad of the Week

A new thing for FGF. We’re bigging up up our Classifieds. Great place to find bargains. Great place to raise some quick cash (to then no doubt waste/spend straight back on bike parts).

OMFG! A pair of classic cult rubbers on sale for less than the price of a new (probably not as good) mud tyre! Rejoice! Rejoice! Sorry, but these have almost certainly gone by the time you click through. Unless you are VERY lucky indeed.

Thread Of The Week

This week’s winning post was from didnthurt. Check check check it out, check it out…

Every week the winning TOTW in FGF gets a prize. And it’s now the fabulous majestic Singletrack x Granite Designs RockBand Strap that is to be awarded.

So.. hey there didnthurt! Please email editorial@singletrackworld.com. Please include your postal address, as it’ll really speed up despatch.

Au revoir!

The Mysterious Cities Of Gold FTW yeah?

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Charlie Hobbs

Merch & Marketing Manager at Singletrack

Grumpy, happy, hairy, overweight and awesome. I started riding offroad in 1978, and never stopped. I was once Charlie The Bikemonger, I invented orienBEERing, the Clunker Classic, and the Dorset Gravel Dash. I own the Bum Butter brand and I'm a co-owner of Dirt Dash Events. I also work at Singletrack, I have the self-appointed job title of "Overlord of the leftovers" and look after the merch shop, and marketing. Other interests include skateboards, surfboards, motorbikes, and cooking (I invented the Beefer Reefer).

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Home Forums Fresh Goods Friday 623: Rechargeable Battering Edition

Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)
  • Fresh Goods Friday 623: Rechargeable Battering Edition
  • nickc
    Full Member

    Who buys white MTB shoes? Honestly

     

     

    tthew
    Full Member

    Heh, there’s an Astro Wars just like that, (inc. the box) at my dad’s house. You think the start-up tune is good, just wait until you complete it at 10,000 points and reveal the majesty of the Victory Tune!

    andyspaceman
    Full Member

    nickc
    Full Member
    Who buys white MTB shoes? Honestly

    Was just thinking that @nickc, just in time for the slop of winter!

    TheGingerOne
    Full Member

    Still got a boxed Astro Wars at my parents, though the box is very tatty.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    I finally threw out my old Astro Wars a couple of years ago. It hadn’t worked in years, as a kid I realised that if you upped the voltage on the power adapter the display went really bright. Higher voltage still and it went really really bright, briefly, and then very dark permanently.

    The one photographed / purchased here, there’s a mismatch. The box is for a mark 1, the game itself is a mark 2.

    just wait until you complete it at 10,000 points and reveal the majesty of the Victory Tune!

    IIRC it’s the same tune as the ‘end of game’ fanfare before it loops back to the first level, only three or four times over.

    IHN
    Full Member

    The one photographed / purchased here, there’s a mismatch. The box is for a mark 1, the game itself is a mark 2.

    I mean, now, fair credit when it’s due, that is quite spectacular levels of spoddery 🙂

    sanername
    Full Member

    I don’t think there will ever be a better explanation of the geek – nerd – dork continuum.

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    That anorak @Cougar, where’s it from? 🙂

    IHN
    Full Member

    I see Hannah is on the road to true West Yorkshire feminine fashion…

    desperatebicycle
    Full Member

    Can’t help but think it appears to say
    Q Who voted for this?
    A Greenpeace

    maybe that’s just me 😛

    Cougar
    Full Member

    I mean, now, fair credit when it’s due, that is quite spectacular levels of spoddery 🙂

    Here all week. 😁

    gazzab1955
    Full Member

    as already said …………. white MTB shoes, really!!

    Maybe if you live in California and shop on Rodeo Drive ……..

    Is someone really selling these in the UK, in Autumn when the heavy rain and associated gloop are the order of the day? Must be marketing men/women working from home somewhere very dry and sunny 🙂

    tthew
    Full Member

    IIRC it’s the same tune as the ‘end of game’ fanfare before it loops back to the first level, only three or four times over.

    Given you spotted the non-standard box, I’d probably best defer to your expertise. Plus I think I only heard it once or twice. 🫤

    Northwind
    Full Member

    nickc
    Full Member

    Who buys white MTB shoes? Honestly

    I had the old Shimano AMs… But they still looked good once they were manky and destroyed. Just as well since the white started coming off pretty much straight away

    chipps
    Full Member

    @northwind – the Shimano ‘Stormtrooper’ shoes? They were lovely and white, with bold black. Until they went beige – and stayed that way, somewhere around the third ride…

    noeffsgiven
    Free Member

    Doesn’t matter where you live with those white shoes you’ll never keep them white, dust or mud will discolour that tongue material in no time, spotted them on janaynay’s vlog looking quite grubby.

    I have to say Hannah’s enthusiasm for modelling knows no bounds.😃

    didnthurt
    Full Member

    Cheers for awarding me with thread of the week, I’ve sent you an email with my address.

    Thanks again.

    desperatebicycle
    Full Member

    I seem to remember a lot of riders in the Downhill WC wearing the white shoes. Which means there will be plenty purchased for riding at the likes of Rogate etc. to go with the neon pyjama look

    chaos
    Full Member

    Didn’t MVdP manage to keep his shoes spotlessly white on a muddy Paris-Roubaix?

    Could be the same stuff…

    gazzab1955
    Full Member

    @Cougar you were only one post away from have your moniker directly below Nora Batty!

    didnthurt
    Full Member

    Received my free gift today along with a sticker. I’ll be affixing the sticker to the cross bike once it’s had a wash.

    IMG_20221026_103025678

    Thanks again.

    IHN
    Full Member

    Received my free gift today along with a sticker.

    Lucky you, I’m still waiting for mine from the other week 🙁

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Blizzard Blanket & Blizzard Jacket

    Having spent a few hours being a practice dummy for MRT in the highlands, I cannot recommend these or alternatives enough. 3+ hours sat in wet and snow, and I kept warm with all my layers on and this. As soon as they removed me from the bivvy bag to pop on a stretcher, I could feel the cold. The multilayer things are sooooo much better than old school orange big plastic bag.
    We have two foil/orange SOL branded ones on top of our ultralight bothy bag.

Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)

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