Fresh Goods Friday 624: Gold Leaf Edition

by and 30

Eee… I don’t know about you but there seems to be an inordinate amount of leaves on my lines all of a sudden. I think last week’s high winds are to blame for the new cloaking of existing trails.

I’ve mostly been riding ‘from memory’ across aesthetically pleasing but traction-ally interesting carpets of tree droppings. Still, it’s all good testing times for suspension forks and winter tyres isn’t it? That’s what I keep telling myself anyway as I pick myself up from the floor once more.

Anyways, here is this week’s Fresh Goods for you, and only you. Because it’s been Half Term, a ten year old was duly press ganged into service and made to take (most of) the pics this week.

Scott ‘Boom Boom’ Beaumont riding the realm between the living and the dead

Atherton AM.130.1

Atherton Bikes may have taken a bit of time to get going as a fully fledged bike brand but 2022 has very much been their breakthrough year it seems. They’ve been racing on the AM.200 for quite a while. The AM.150 trail bike came out earlier this year (you can read our First Ride of the Atherton AM.150 here).

And now we have this bike. The 130mm travel Atherton AM.130. Diet Trail bike? Double Down Country? Just a Mountain BIke? Regardless, it’s certainly one of the most unique bikes out there currently. This particular model is the AM.130.1 with a 490mm reach. It weighs in at 14.53kg (on our our Digital Scales Of Truth & Justice), which we think is pretty good when you factor in that it has very burly tyres on. We reckon it could get under 14kg with a pair of less chunkster rubbers on. Which is someting that we’ll no doubt find over the next few weeks of testing and tweaking.

Pivot Firebird 29 Ride SLX/XT Air

They’re like buses these flipping DW Link pushbikes. Okay, technically Pivot and Atherton use wholly different DW Link layouts. But still, it feels a bit like the good ol’ days of the noughties when every other bike seemed to have Dave Weagle’s fingerprints on it.

This Firebird 29 then. Yes, it can be flipper chippered to run a 27.5in rear wheel if you’re a keen as mustard mulleter. 165mm rear travel. 170mm fork travel. Super Boost 157 back end. 64.6° head angle. 76.5° to 77.5° seat angle (depending on frame size). 450mm to 515mm reaches.

This one has already been swiped from Singletrack HQ and taken up to our remote tester’s Lakeland lair. Stay tuned.

Troy Lee Designs Descent Jacket & Resist Pant

Descent jacket. Waterproof 10K/10K fabric (78gm2). Zipped hand pockets. Droptail hem. Adjustable hood for helmets. Waist adjustment cinch.

Resist pant. Taped seams throughout. Bluesign certified 10k/10k waterproof stretch fabric with Teflon Eco Elite finish. Reinforced seat panel. Front zippered vents. Waterproof zipper fly. Ratchet closure at waist. Driveside inner calf panel.

CushCore XC 29″ Insert

You get two of these inserts and a set of tubeless valves in the set

Light weight version designed for cross-country racing, light trail riding, and/or “less aggressive riders”. For tyre widths up to 2.48(!)in and inner rim width of 22mm to 32mm. 150g for 29in flavour.

I’m [Benji] will be running one in the rear of my blessed NS Eccentric Alu Evo hardtail. Hopefully allowing me to unleash the beans a bit more confidently when out testing mud tyres and 130-140mm forks. I’ve used other inserts but do keep coming back to CushCore for ‘ardcore ‘ardtailing.

Fizik Terra Artica GTX boots

Terra Artica GTX is Fizik’s off-road winter boot. Insulated and equipped with a ‘Koala’ membrane by GORETEX, the Artica GTX is fully waterproof, meaning you can rely on their proven performance to keep you dry when it matters most.

Inside the shoe, a soft, brushed-fleece lining for an added cozy layer. Velcro strap secures the ankle in place, while the single L6 BOA dial enables micro fit adjustments.

Ride Concepts Vice Mid

In our round up of flat pedal shoes earlier this year, Hannah really like the regular Ride Concepts Vice shoes. So we’ve got the higher topped Vide Mid versions in for autumn-winter bashing.

RC Fuzion outsole hexagons varying in diameter from 9mm to 7mm at the pedal contact area. D3O High Impact Zone Technology insole. Suede/canvas upper. Anti-bacterial mesh lining. Internal TPU toe protection. Gusseted tongue.

Birzman Uncage Side Draw Bottle Cage

Design allows for assembly according to left/right handedness (unscrew and move the bolted stopper from one end to other basically). It’s also possible to attach Birzman’s range of tools/spares/repair kit to the end of the cage should you so fancy. Fits bottles with diameter ranging from 72mm to 78mm and length of 250mm and under. We’ve encountered these before on a few test bikes and always liked ’em. 62g, if you’re bothered.

Litelok X1

Photo taken with flash to show off reflectivity

Armoured with Barronium, “a composite material that resists angle grinder attack by turning the grinder’s energy and force in on itself. It offers at least 5 times more resistance than the best-selling, best-performing D-locks”.

Designed to repel angle grinders. Anti-rotation feature fights against twisting attacks and single cuts. Soft plant-based eco-rubber outer layer. Reflective strips. Silicone keyhole sphincter.

Spada MTB Enduro Jacket & MTB Route Trousers

Enduro jacket. 3 layer. Waterproof rating 10,000mm H2O+. Breathability rating 10,000g/2/24hm+. Underarm vents. Cuff inserts with thumb holes. Waterproof zips at pockets and front zip. Adjustable hood, cuffs, hem and across the back. Designed for armour to be worn underneath if desired. Helmet compatible hood with roll away function.

Trousers. And yay for them actually being trousers for once, by the way. Velcro waist adjuster (enclosed waistband). Two-way stretchy fabric main. Mechanical stretch is two way (main fabric). Lycra crotch. Laser cut ventilation holes. Knee pad friendly. Mesh pockets with zip closure.

Oxford Aqua Evo Adventure Handlebar Pack & Seat Pack

Bar bag. Front zip pocket. External bungee storage. 9 litre capacity. Dual ended roll closure. 450g claimed weight. Dimensions: 35 x 15 cm (L x D). Maximum load of 4kg.

Seat pack. 400D Ripstop TPU material. Welded seam construction. Waterproof to level IPX6. Hypalon panels. External bungee storage. 10 litre capacity. “Universal seat-post fitting” (doesn’t look overly dropper friendly but hey).

I Heart Singletrack Wonky Women’s Organic Tie Dye T Shirt

Charlie says: “Say ‘right on, right on’ to our new tie dye T shirts.

“These are wonky shirts. Just like the wonky veg in a supermarket, these have a bit of kink and jaunty angle going on in the “I heart Singletrack” print. However, Amanda, Zoe and Hannah have disguised the kink with glorious colour. Yes, these are hand tie dyed, by hand, at Singletrack towers. Each one is very unique and way cool.

“Handmade stuff is great. But I’m confused, I was given some hand cooked crisps this week. How hot do your hands have to be to make crisps crisp? Surely using a fryer is easier.”

Thread Of The Week

This week we’ve decided to give the nod to the esteemed funkmasterp for this all-too-family-ar tale of toddle theft…

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

Classifieds Ad Of The Week

Once again, we’re bigging up up our Classifieds. Great place to find bargains. Great place to raise some funds.

This Hightower (size Large) caught our eye: “All standard spec, fox 36 performance forks. Gx eagle 12spd, Guide brakes. Will come with standard wheels not the Blueflows you can see. One careful lady owner.”

Toodle-pip!

RIP Brian Robinson

Join our mailing list to receive Singletrack editorial wisdom directly in your inbox.

Each newsletter is headed up by an exclusive editorial from our team and includes stories and news you don’t want to miss.

Signing up to our mailing list is not only a great way to keep up-to-date on all things Singletrack but it is also a great, free way to support us.

Sign up to receive awesome editorial content from Hannah every week.

We appreciate how handing over your email address is a mark of your trust in us. Check your inbox for our confirmation email and click the link to activate your newsletter.
We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Check out a previous newsletter here

While you’re here…

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/cheap-things-tuesday-004/
https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/buyers-guide-to-the-best-mountain-bike-flat-pedals/

Orange Switch 6er. Stif Squatcher. Schwalbe Magic Mary Purple Addix front. Maxxis DHR II 3C MaxxTerra rear. Coil fan. Ebikes are not evil. I have been a writer for nigh on 20 years, a photographer for 25 years and a mountain biker for 30 years. I have written countless magazine and website features and route guides for the UK mountain bike press, most notably for the esteemed and highly regarded Singletrackworld. Although I am a Lancastrian, I freely admit that West Yorkshire is my favourite place to ride. Rarely a week goes by without me riding and exploring the South Pennines.

More posts from Ben

Home Forums Fresh Goods Friday 624: Gold Leaf Edition

Viewing 30 posts - 1 through 30 (of 30 total)
  • Fresh Goods Friday 624: Gold Leaf Edition
  • P20
    Full Member

    That Atherton looks fantastic

    nickc
    Full Member

    White MTB shoes last week, this week; autumn/winter shoes made with a suede a-like material.

    Do the folks who design this kit know what we actually do, I wonder?

    CalamityJames
    Free Member

    Request for a run of men’s ‘I heart Singletrack’ tie-dye tees please.

    Beagleboy
    Full Member

    I’d like a tye dyed t-shirt as well, in…XXL, because I like the baggy boho look, not because I’m a chubster…honest.

    chrismac
    Full Member

    14kg for a 130mm trail bike sounds weighty to me. I would expect 13kg for the price they are asking for. I suspect the weight is because the tube and lugs are the same spec as the DH one so massively  overbuilt for a trailbike

    Northwind
    Full Member

    That Pivot looks awesome and deserves exactly 1 star for being ****ing ridiculous Superboost. I hope literally nobody buys one.

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    chrismac
    Full Member
    14kg for a 130mm trail bike sounds weighty to me.

    Didn’t you make precisely the same comment on this when the first article came up?

    rOcKeTdOg
    Full Member

    I can confirm the fizik boots waterproof claims

    kayak23
    Full Member

    I do like the Athertons and their new bicycle . I will never own one however for I am but a humble carpenter.

    Each one is very unique.. .

    Well,… Oh never mind. Its Friday. A day of rest for pendants. 🙂

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    Each one is very unique.. .

    Well,… Oh never mind. Its Friday. A day of rest for pendants. 🙂

    Well it sounds better than “very inconsistent” at least

    chrismac
    Full Member

    chrismac
    Full Member
    14kg for a 130mm trail bike sounds weighty to me.

    Didn’t you make precisely the same comment on this when the first article came up?

    Probably, but thats because the article is trying to hide and excuse how heavy it it rather than asking a journalist type question as to why Athertons think making trail bikes that heavy is a good idea.

    LAT
    Full Member

    That Pivot looks awesome and deserves exactly 1 star for being ****ing ridiculous Superboost. I hope literally nobody buys one.

    steady on! can’t you remember how boost revolutionized the mountain bike? superboost does everything boost does and more!

    ta11pau1
    Full Member

    Weight really isn’t an issue, unless it’s heavy rims/tyres where losing rotational weight makes a difference.

    It’s a burly 130mm trail bike certified for downhill and bikepark use for Pete’s sake. Lose 1kg of your own bodyweight and you’ve negated most of the effects of the 1kg heavier bike on the climbs.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    kayak23
    Full Member

    A day of rest for pendants.

    LAT
    Full Member

    Probably, but thats because the article is trying to hide and excuse how heavy it it rather than asking a journalist type question as to why Athertons think making trail bikes that heavy is a good idea.

    do you follow paul aston (aston mtb)? he does reviews on bikes and kit that he used his own money to purchase. he seems to break most (a lot of?) things he gets his hands on. this bike may be strong built strong enough to survive the serious use it is designed to cope with.

    just a thought

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    rather than asking a journalist type question as to why Athertons think making trail bikes that heavy is a good idea.

    Since you obviously disagree, why is it a bad idea?

    (I’m going to put words in their mouths at this point and suggest the answer they’d give is broadly along the lines of “not being bothered about building a light bike lets us build a good one, and frankly 12kg vs 14kg only matters on paper, you can’t tell if the bike is built properly”. Second assumption on someone else’s behalf is you wouldn’t find that helpful and you’d still disagree so asking the question was fairly pointless)

    rickon
    Free Member

    <scrolls down page>
    <More scrolling>
    ‘Oooh, under £8k for Shimano SLX build that’s a bargain’.

    <Checks self>
    ‘What have I become?!!!!!’

    desperatebicycle
    Full Member

    Didn’t you make precisely the same comment on this when the first article came up?

    I did! but I didn’t say that its a great looking bike. I am now.
    Can’t help but wonder *why* weight doesn’t matter any more. It used to! Is everyone stronger than they were 10 years ago? Anyway, who cares. I weighed my hardtail and found it to be 29lbs! I’m sure thats heavier than my fullsus. La-di-da

    didnthurt
    Full Member

    Enjoyed the video on Brian Robinson. RIP indeed.

    didnthurt
    Full Member

    I like the look of that Pivot, but the price is out of my league 😭

    Is it just me that thinks their logo looks like the rebels one out of Star Wars?

    ta11pau1
    Full Member

    Can’t help but wonder *why* weight doesn’t matter any more. It used to! Is everyone stronger that they were 10 years ago? Anyway, who cares. I weighed my hardtail and found it to be 29lbs! Ikm sure thats heavier than my fullsus. La-di-da

    Bikes have gotten more capable, most people are riding far gnarlier stuff than 10 years ago, and the science has been proven that adding 1% weight to the total system weight (your, your kit & your bike) – ie 1kg on a 100kg – makes a very little difference on a long climb. GCM did a test with roadies, on a 1 hour climb it made 1 minutes difference. But going down, weight is good for stability, suspension performance, tyre durability etc.

    Unless you’re lifting the bike into your back, 1kg on you Vs 1kg on the bike is exactly the same.

    roger_mellie
    Full Member

    sphincter

    Steady now.

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    Can’t help but wonder *why* weight doesn’t matter any more. It used to!

    Thing is weight as a number doesn’t tell you why it’s heavy, where the weight is, how a bike will ride or if its any good, it doesn’t actually tell you anything more than the colour or the does.

    tthew
    Full Member

    Can’t help but wonder *why* weight doesn’t matter any more. It used to!

    I think it’s more simple than the explanations above. Back in the day MTBers still had the roadie mindset of ultra lightweight=fast and by extension head down and arse up aero position also good for speed. There’s more separation of mainly road riders and MTB riders these days, but when I see one jump across from to try mountain biking in my trad cycling club, the bike they choose is almost always a XC weapon, because that’s what they perceive as fast.

    jimmy748
    Full Member

    My 150mm Hardtail weighs 14Kgs, weight has never mattered unless your in marketing.

    noeffsgiven
    Free Member

    Stop letting bike manufacturers know you’re not bothered about weight, we’ll all have to put up with 10lb frames if you think 9lb is perfectly acceptable, with 38mm forks and newer tyres adding around 300g each, pulling manuals and bunny hops is going give me hernia.

    funkmasterp
    Full Member

    Oh wow! Thanks for the thread of the week award. Still no iPad and I’m considering removing the plaster from the walls like in an episode of Narcos Mexico!

    asbrooks
    Full Member

    7K plus for a bike when all you see in the media is that some people have to choose between eating or heating…

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    7K plus for a bike when all you see in the media is that some people have to choose between eating or heating…

    Well it is a bike mag, and the reason people are having to choose is because [almost every] things are getting significantly more expensive.

    If bikes were still £300 for a top of the line bike today but fuel and food cost the same as they do, people would still be having to choose between food and heating, except maybe the people involved in making and selling the bike who wouldn’t be able to afford either.

    Expensive bikes aren’t the problem, crap salaries are.

    tomhoward
    Full Member

    My 150mm Hardtail weighs 14Kgs

    Same, worse value than the Atherton too. 🤷

Viewing 30 posts - 1 through 30 (of 30 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.