Not-Bike Objects of Desire: What We’re Looking For

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Sorry to disappoint anyone, but we don’t ride bikes all the time. Quite a lot of our time is spent in houses just like yours (though perhaps with dirtier carpets) doing all the daily essentials like sitting at desks, hoping the car starts, and attempting to make small children eat vegetables. Or adults, come to that.

There are things that we lust after too, in our normal daily lives, that don’t come with stickers or free Haribo. Since it’s that time of year when people want to buy you things and the internet wants to sell you things, here’s our staff list of desire. Maybe you like some of the same things we do, or know someone that is just like Amanda and would appreciate just the same sorts of things (this can’t be possible, there is only one Amanda).

Clicking the links here will help us keep the lights – but if you find something you think is better, put a link in the comments and they might also help.

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Solo Stove Ranger

Solo Stove Ranger

Amanda: “I van camp a lot, at events and on trips with friends. We always need a fire for warmth and to dry stuff, but I/we hate the smoke from it. It’s also hard to travel and camp with a fire that isn’t self contained, so the ridiculous amounts of advertising Solo Stove have done has worked on me. I really want one!”

(Note from Hannah: I’ve got a small one. I wouldn’t want to rely on it to cook on in the wild, but as a way of having a mini fire to toast marshmallows without leaving a trace or causing a massive fire risk, it’s ace!)

BioLite CampStove 2+

BioLite CampStove 2+

Amanda: “Same reasons as above, but this one can charge stuff and BBQ food too. A firepit is often a need more than a want, but these smokeless options are a luxury I would buy into if I could afford to.”

BioLite Smokeless Firepit+

BioLite Smokeless Firepit+

Yep, another stove. “The BioLite Firepit+ Wood & Charcoal Burning Fire Pit Enjoy the warmth, smell, crackle, and feel of a wood campfire, without any of the smoke. Lift the fuel rack and toss in charcoal to transform it from a fire pit to a portable hibachi-style grill, complete with included grill grate. Control the size of your flames manually or remotely with the free Bluetooth app.”

Voited Blanket and Change Robe

Amanda: “I would never buy this but would be over the moon if I was gifted one. For camping and because I can’t afford to turn the heating on. Similarly, DryRobes have stupid short sleeves and useless pockets that don’t securely hold anything but a tissue. The Change Robe is another wouldn’t-buy-but-would-cherish item.”

Check ’em out: Voited Blanket and Change Robe

Sage Barista Pro

Sage Barista Pro

Anthony: “Because coffee is life and a way to practice latte art because I’m awful currently!”

Ryobi ONE+ 18V 500mm Cordless Hedge Trimmer

Ryobi ONE+ 18V 500mm Cordless Hedge Trimmer

Chipps: “I do currently have a cordless hedge trimmer, I got this one from B&Q and it’s actually pretty handy for the cash (and it’s on clearout sale right now!) 

“However, while it was OK for trimming the privet outside the house, I’m after one for some deep dive trail gardening. Having patiently wandered around with some secateurs, I’ve discovered that a decent trimmer can clear an overgrown trail in the time it takes to walk down it.

“I’m now after something with a longer, sharper blade and bigger capacity batteries for a long day ‘cleaning’ the trails. This from Ryobi should be up to the job. Overgrown trails begone!”

Fender Player Plus Meteora

Fender Player Plus Meteora

Chipps: “You’d think I’d have enough guitars, but I definitely don’t have one that looks like a Fender Meteora. Launched in 2018 as a limited edition, it’s now in the Fender Player Plus range – yet it looks like it could have appeared any time in the last 60 years. In Cosmic Jade please!”

Russell Hobbs RHGWC4B-LCK Wine Cooler

Wine and Beverage Fridge

Chipps: “This is surely just one of those inevitable stages of growing up, right? Buy house, fill garage with bikes. Buy a separate beer and wine fridge… yeah? 

“I think it’s time that I stopped getting in trouble for taking over shelves of the fridge with chilling artisan IPAs and classy bottles of rosé and got my own space. This one seems to be about the right sort of size for a weekend of post-ride celebrations and costs less than some handlebars…”

Croc Classic Lined Clog

Furry Crocs

Chipps: “One thing that lockdown taught me was a bit of home office comfort goes a long way. Oh, and that I (still) don’t care what I look like. 🙂 

“While beanie wearing is mandatory for us short-haired folk all winter, everyone can benefit from some fuzzy fur-lined Crocs. Just as no one can see your shapeless sweatpants in the Monday Zoom call, no one is going to know about your comfy feet in their furry, yet practical Crocs. And while you can buy knock-offs on Amazon, you can’t beat an original.”

Robosen Flagship Optimus Prime

Robosen Flagship Optimus Prime

Zoe: “Boys toy”

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Zoe: “House want.”

Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream & Frozen Dessert Maker

Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream & Frozen Dessert Maker

“Create and customise delicious homemade treats, exactly as you like them – from indulgent ice cream, smooth gelato and luxurious milkshakes to soft fruit sorbets, guilt-free smoothie bowls and more.”

Bosch Universal Electric Chainsaw

Bosch Universal Electric Chainsaw

Benji: “There are lot of big-enough downed trees in my friendly neighbourhood bikepark.”

Roland VAD-706 V-Drums Acoustic Design Drum Kit

Roland VAD-706 V-Drums Acoustic Design Drum Kit

Mark: “A top of the line electronic drum kit. A tad short of £7k, so about the same price as a mid range eMTB.”

Check out: Roland VAD706 at bRimmers Music (£6,951)

Nidecker Supermatic Step In Bindings

Mark: “Slightly more attainable are these new snowboard bindings from Nidecker that allow you to drop the back and step right in without having to bend over (something increasingly objectionable as you get older) to keep fastening them up.”

Just coming out on the market now but seem to be selling like hot cakes, even though they cost a whopping £365!

Check Out The Snowboard Asylum

Smeg Hand Blender with potato masher

Hannah: “I don’t need one of these, I’ve already got one. But you need one. It blends soup, it chops nuts, it whisks cream and – best of all in my opinion – it mashes potatoes. Well, rices them, really. But without all the torturous slowness of a potato ricers, and also without the cleaning faff. Just smooth and creamy mash. Yum. One device, many functions. Get one.”

Sage Bean To Cup Coffee Machine

Hannah: “I’ve come close to buying one of these in the refurbished section of ebay, but I’ve never quite pushed the buy button. I still want one. I’d settle for pretty much any machine really, but The Forum seems to rate the Sage machines highly, so who am I to argue?”

Opinel Tree Saw

Hannah: “After my incident earlier this year where I accidentally took an Opinel knife into the higher than airport-security (they have guns) of the American Embassy, you might think I’d be off Opinel. But just look at the beauty of these saws. Handy in the garden and out on the trail. I want them both, but especially the 18 inch one that’s currently on sale in my local indoor market.”

Check out: Opinel Tree Saw at Alpine Trek (£20.76)

Carhartt Dog Coat

Charlie: “Because cool dogs need neat threads.”

NUTRIBULLET Blender

Charlie: “Smoothies are a great way of getting your “five a day” into yourself in one hit. Simply add rum to make them even more fun.”

Custom Vans Hi Tops

Charlie: “As a very old skater I still have a thing for hi top Vans skate shoes. You can now custom build your own pair… where I may seamlessly blend leopard print with checkerboard and pink laces.”

Check out: Custom Shoes | Custom Trainers & Slip Ons | Vans UK

Evolve Hadean Carbon All Terrain skateboard

Charlie: “Until the prophecies of Back To The Future become true (I’m talking about the hoverboards now), I will settle for a 25mph all terrain electric skateboard with a 25 mile range.”

Check out: Shop Hadean Carbon All Terrain at Evolve Skateboards UK – Official Store (£1,849)

VICTROLA Empire VTA-270B 6-in-1 Belt Drive Bluetooth Music Centre – Mahogany

Charlie: “It’s the 70’s again. An era when young boys were handed old 1950/60s wooden encased music centres the size of tea chests. I had a TeleFunken with a ‘loudness’ knob. Anyway this music centre here is just the ticket for charity shops finds as it plays cassettes, CDs and vinyl.”

While you’re here…

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Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
  • Not-Bike Objects of Desire: What We’re Looking For
  • danieljohnreynolds
    Full Member

    @Amanda, I can whole-heatedly recommend an Irish company called Rawsaol for fire pits. Not quite the smoke-free one you were looking for but amazing piece of kit and it disassembles into 4 flat pieces of steel for transport and even comes in it’s own carry case. I got one a few years back a love it. And they’re going cheap these days. (P.S. I’m not affiliated in any way with them)

    https://www.rawsaol.com/fire-pits-ireland/buy-firepit-ireland

    Rubber_Buccaneer
    Full Member

    Blimey, it this list of referral links pays off the Singletrack directors shall be bathing in champagne for christmas 😀

    chipps
    Full Member

    “bathing in champagne for christmas 😀”

    Why do you think I need a new wine fridge? 😉

    simon_g
    Full Member

    Solo stoves are ace, got a small one for camping which has been brilliant and just ordered a Ranger today for garden use. £165 direct (no stand, cover, etc – don’t really need those) and today’s email had a code FREEMESA for one of the new tabletop Mesa ones, which will go straight on ebay.

    militantmandy
    Free Member
    kayak23
    Full Member

    Crocs?
    Crocs?
    Pink frikkin Crocs?

    😳

    lightfighter762
    Free Member

    Oh that board is hotter than any ebike. Added to the list!

    BadlyWiredDog
    Full Member

    The Biolite stove with the built-in charger is great for amusing kids on picnics, but essentially near useless for both cooking and charging ime. This is especially true if you suddenly decide to charge your phone and don’t want cook/boil anything at the same time. It’s a novelty gift for grown-ups unless, I suppose, you live off-grid surrounded by dead twigs and want to brew and charge simultaneously. YMMV etc.

    freeagent
    Free Member

    BBQs – particularly Kamado ceramic versions, and Damascus steel kitchen knives…

    northernmatt
    Full Member

    That list does not help with me trying to avoid buying a Sage coffee machine

    lightfighter762
    Free Member

    Sage fail. Jura FTW!

    alanclarke
    Full Member

    energy saving dad here – energy consumption on a glass fronted wine fridge is pretty rubbish – our big larder fridge is more economical

    Also I have a mains electric chainsaw, always a pain trailing extension leads, no longer unused now I have a battery one (just get one which takes same battery as your hedge trimmer)

    thebunk
    Full Member

    Just checked my bank account this morning. It seems to have been drained by a beer guzzling monster that read this article late last night 👹

    I’ll be able to turn the heating off once my blanky and fire pit arrive though 🔥

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