This is the Finntro… just like an intro but with the happiest population on Earth. Festive fact time: the orange-chested robin redbreast is called redbreast because there was no English word for the colour orange until the 16th century, which was when we first clapped our eyes on orange fruit.
The Spanish for orange – ‘naranja’ – and the Sanskrit word for orange – ‘naranga’ – are both what we turned into the English word ‘orange’.
Right. That’s that explained. On with FGF!
Surprise Pope
- Price: N/A
- From: Behind the radiator
We found this stashed behind one of our radiators in the Singletrack World HQ on Thursday. Answers on a postcard please.
Velomont ND95 V1.0
- Price: £4,500
- From: Velomont
And now for something completely different. Velomont is a new name to us and this is their ND95 V1.0 e-bike. It’s a 150mm travel (160mm fork) carbon frame mullet e-bike.
The principal thing of note (to us at least) was the use of a Bafang motor. 95Nm of torque makes it pretty much more torquey than most. As regards how it dishes out this power… you’ll have to wait for our review. Suffice to say, it’s not quite like any other motor we’ve experienced.
The build kit has some things we’ve never seen/heard of before. VMSHOX forks and rear shock. The rear shock has independently adjustable positive (MP) and negative (NP) chambers. The shiny weave carbon bars (720mm width) and rims are very shiny indeed. The dropper post is a no-name crotch-grab style affair.
The brakes and drivetrain are a bit more familiar. Shimano Deore M6100 gears and MT200 disc brakes. And God bless Soft Magic Mary rubbers front and rear.
As regards that ‘Made In England’ decal, Velomont state: “The bikes are built in UK using components fabricated all around the world. We don’t get our bikes made overseas and shipped to UK because it would mean transporting boxes full of fresh air around the planet which seems irresponsible but shipping boxes tightly packed with multiple parts is kinder to the environment.
“We would love to be able to afford laying up the carbon components in this country but, at the moment, it is so much more expensive. If customers are prepared to pay increased prices to lay up carbon here or production processes change to automate the manufacture in order to bring costs down we would love to fabricate carbon here but currently we have focused on making the bikes as cost-effective as possible for buyers given the current economic climate.”
We’re sure you have questions. Get on down to the comments!
Saracen Ariel 60 Pro
- Price: £3,499
- From: Saracen
Nice bike this. So nice in fact that we’re going to something special with it very soon. In the meantime, here’s a frosty pic. All-new 160mm suspension with Saracen’s Series 3 custom-butted and hydroformed 6013 aluminium frame. You want reach? How’s about 530mm? OK, so that’s for the XL. But even the Large size we have here is 505mm. Yesssss! Bring. It. On.
This will be going up against the Privateer 161 we had in last week’s FGF, plus A.N.Other BritBurly Bike that is currently TBA.
Specialized Camber helmet
- Price: £70.00
- From: Specialized
Sure, the super elevated peak is aesthetically challenging and literally useless* BUT this is absolutely the comfiest helmet I [Benji] have ever worn.
*I concede that the peak is possibly a decent shade when the sun is very high in the sky directly above you (but for autumn, winter, spring and all sunsets it does nowt**). And yet… and yet, I wear this lid all the time. I just have to remember to pair it with suitable shades for the conditions.
**it may possibly be good for dropbar riders. See how I find excuses for my new best mate! Gee, how I love this slightly annoying hat. I might just go and put it on now while I’m typing.
Spada MTB Socks WP
- Price: £34.99
- From: Spada
Waterproof and breathable all-season sock. 20,000mm waterproof rating. Coolmax fabric. Arch support and comfort seams. Available in Stormy or Olive.
Spada Hydro Trousers
- Price: £119.99
- From: Spada
10K waterproof and 10K breathable fabric. Taped seaming. Curved waistband. Darted knees. Stretch panelling at ankle and calf. Waterproof zipped pockets. Micrometric waistband adjuster. Available in Black or Olive.
Bosch x Magura ABS
- Price: N/A
- From: Only on certain Bosch equipped e-bikes
Here we have an unmarked e-bike with an anti-lock braking system. Okay, it’s a Mondraker Crafty R with the Magura-x-Bosch colab ABS brakes. Magura have been dabbling with ABS systems for a few years now (check out our Eurobike 2017 report) and this is the latest release. How does it work? Basically, sensors on the rotors detect the front wheel locking up (only the front brake is actually ABS) and/or the rear wheel lifting off the ground. We’ll bring you a full review in a couple of weeks’ time. First impressions: so far they just feel like disc brakes. We suspect there’s a whole load of (un)learning how to brake to experience the benefits.
Fara F/Gravel Bike
- Price: Around £4380 as seen
- From: Fara Cycling
Here is the latest gravel bike from Norwegian brand, Fara Cycling. The F/Gravel is, as you’d expect, its gravel model which features a full carbon frame and fork, with all of the braze-ons you could want. There’s even custom bolt-on luggage available so you don’t scuff up the lovely Fjord Green paint job.
Fara offers the F/Gravel in four, rangey sizes and builds bikes to order for customers, allowing ultimate control over spec. This one has the fancy Campagnolo Ektar 13 speed groupset. The first time we’ve seen one at grit.cx! This is going to be off on some hot laps with Chipps in his mountain lair.
Women’s Nomadic Sport Arctic Grip Boots
- Price: £205 (currently on offer at £164)
- From: The Muck Boot Company
Waterproof and insulated boots for cold weather. In an amazing feat of good fortune these have just landed as the weather has turned. The Vibram soles are designed to offer grip on both wet and dry surfaces. If the last time you had snowboots was when you were about eight years old and they were sort of clumpy and plasticky, then Hannah can confirm that these feel quite different. She’s hoping for toasty toes, whatever the weather.
Singletrack ‘Cycle of Good’ Innertube Belt
- Price: £26.99 (members get a discount)
- From: The Singletrack beltaskelter.
Charlie says: “These belts are brilliant. Firstly, the innertubes have a little give in them. This means you get the benefits of a variable waist without buying old man elasticated slacks that are advertised in infomercials on daytime TV. Just not ready for that, yet.
“But the really cool thing about these belts is how they are made. You see, they are made in Malawi using recycled materials. Cycle of Good train tailors in the world’s poorest places so they can earn a decent living and support their families. All the money Cycle of Good make pays for childcare and non-profit social enterprise in Malawi. And that is why they are called “Cycle Of Good”.
“Back in stock now, but we only a couple of dozen left.”
YT Szepter Core 4
- Price: £4,399
- From: YT
Another test bike for Hannah, it’s the top of the Szepter range from YT, with RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR suspension fork, AXS dropper and SRAM Force AXS groupset. She hopped straight on it for a quick Calderdale lap, where you can see the ‘1,2,3 let go!’ didn’t quite go to plan when taking pictures. First impressions are good, especially appreciated are the ickle little mini mudguards, inspired by rally cars apparently. And no, it’s not aero gravel, that rear seat tube shaping is for aesthetic design reasons inspired by fighter jets. And the head tube is inspired by centurion helmets, making for possibly the most alpha-male gravel mood board ever.
USE Vybe Suspension Seatpost
- Price: £120
- From: exposure-use.com
I [Benji], like many ATBers of a certain age, had a USE suspension seatpost back in the 90s. This is the latest version, essentially. Because it it now 2022, and 90s ATB is called ‘gravel’, here’s a post for Amanda’s dropbar dirtbike.
50mm travel. Choose your spring (elastomer) option from soft, medium or hard according to your weight. There is also a ‘Pre-Load Adjustment’ screw at the bottom of the post.
USE TR2 Clip-On Chassis
- Price: £150.00, £45.00 for Aluminium Ski-Bend Extensions
- From: exposure-use.com
The TR in this case stands for Tortured Rear… that of a bikepacker going such a long distance they need to shift position to spread the stress around various parts of their backside. The USE TR2 clip-on tri-bar offers loads of adjustability, so hopefully somewhere within all that will be a comfortable position for a first time user.
Titan Cordless Window Vacuum
- Price: £29.99
- From: Screwfix
Condensation is the enemy within. Hoovering up condensation from a window is a deeply satisfying experience. On a serious note, if you’re struggling to heat up your home, a big part of the problem could just be the humidity level inside your house is too high (over 60%, between 30% and 60% is good). Window vacs like this one are a lot cheaper than a decent dehumidifier and do make a difference.
Singletrack Granite Designs Rockband Strap
- Price: FREE, yes, they are free… read on. Or £11.99.
- From: Singletrack Merch Store
Charlie says: “The Rockband is a super lightweight carrier belt for sports cycling enthusiast. Inner hook and loop strap for secure attachment and additional grip surface keeps your cargo secure and free from rattling. Weighing at just 23 grams, its application and usage are pretty wide and self-explanatory! Our unique Singletrack “all seasons” design features bitching sun, playful snow, bastard rain, and lovely crunchy golden autumnal leaves.
“It’s free… Right now, up until the next Fresh Goods Friday comes out you can get one of these free. Simply spend over £25 in the Singletrack merch store, add the code “strapon” at checkout and one of these will be added to your cart free of charge. (T&Cs, cannot be used in conjunction with other offers or codes, expires 1400hr on 16/12/22, while stocks last).
“Now, I dare anyone to have a ‘how much?!’ outburst about a free Rockband.”
Thread Of The Week
This week’s winning post comes from bfw for this most excellently Modern Life Is Rubbish thread…
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 ‘OWDO! to bfw. Please email editorial@singletrackworld.com. Please include your postal address, as it really speeds up delivery times.
Classified Ad of the Week
- Price: £450
- From: ST Classifieds
mtvb900: “A great bike that introduced a roadie to off road adventures. just point it down hill, over the drops or up a bank and it just goes, delivered safely every time. All suspension bearings replaced last winter 21/22, new chain and cassette,. bottom bracket. All with less than 100 miles of riding. In my time as owner I have replaced rear shock Fox Float RP2, front forks RockShox RevelationRCT 3 Dual Air. Converted to 2X (from 3x). All XT 10spd with new Deore Shifters. Upgraded wheels to Stans no tubes ZTR Arch EX and Schwalbe Racing Ralph (Brand New) and Nobby Nic Tyres set up tubeless. All new Avid brakes (levers, calipers, hoses) as of 2020. Frame Model year 2011.”
Hwyl fawr!
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