Fresh Goods Friday 631: Not Just For Christmas Edition

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This is the inntro… much like a usual intro except there’s no room for messiahs. What have the Four Wise Couriers brought for us this week? Certainly not any gold, Frankenstein nor Grrr.

Is this Mad Friday? Is next week Mad Friday? Or is the big drunken office party and missing the last train home a thing of the past? For office mate avoidance rants, head to the Forum. For a chance to win some bike packing bags that will mean you could head into the hills and avoid all of humanity, also head to the Forum (nowt to do with us, except that Rocketdog is a regular around these parts, and it’s in aid of Rider Resilience, with is A Positive Thing).

Some members of Throbbing Gristle made this(!)

YT Decoy Core 3 MX

This is the mixed wheel mullet MX (I think that covers it) version of YTs e-bike, the Decoy. We liked – we mean, really liked – the full 29in YT Decoy we had earlier this year. If we did such things, it would have been our E-Bike Of The Year for sure. All the good parts of e-bikes but without the negatives (no range dread, or lack of trail ‘pop’).

It’ll be interesting to see how this MX version differs. Surely it can’t be even better, can it?

Swytch E-Bike Conversion Kit V2

  • Price: £999 SRP (£449 with a 6 month wait, £549 with a 3 month wait)
  • From: Swytch Bike

Another ‘thing’ that we’ve had in before and reviewed, that’s come back to us in an updated form. Here is the second generation of Swytch’s conversion kit that can turn a bicycle into a pedal-assist electric bicycle.

At the moment there’s not any bolt-thru axle flavoured kits available to test so this is a QR front wheel kit. The actual wheel itself looks similar to the previous version, as does the crank sensor gubbins, but the battery pack thing is much sleeker.

Deviate Claymore Frameset

Ross finally bit the bullet and got himself a Claymore. A frame without a shock technically. If you read his review of the Deviate Claymore back in October this news will come as something of a non-surprise. What is the Claymore? It’s a carbon fibre enduro bike with a high pivot idler rear suspension design.

Despite not being known for his patience when it comes to bike builds, Ross did somehow find the will to get the frame wrapped by his friendly neighbourhood frame wrapper (Shack Wrap over near Bury).

Shock bushing

A small but vital part for the Claymore mentioned above. Can you guess what rear shock Ross is going to put into his new bike? Comment below.

Hope RX4+ Calipers

Something for Amanda’s gravelling bike. The RX4+ calipers from Hope are designed to suit dropbar set ups and to run with 140, 160 or 180mm rotors. Dot fluid calipers have bore caps with a ‘D’. Mineral oil, ‘M’. Slimline 4 piston ‘monobloc’ design. Available in colours as well as black. CNC’d from 2014 T6 aluminium.

Hope Reindeer

Some companies send Christmas cards. Some send embroidered saddles. Some send baked goods. Not Hope Tech. Hope Tech send self-assemble flatpack reindeers. Happy Christmas Hopesters!

Fizik Terra Artica GTX boots

Yes, we’ve had these boots in Fresh Goods before (in a burgundy and purple colour combo). These are a boring black pair purchased by our Rhys after enduring one too many frosty tootsies on rides this month.

Topeak Mountain 2Stage Digital & Pocket Shock Digital

  • Price: £94.99 2Stage, £79.99 Pocket Shock
  • From: Extra UK

The Mountain 2Stage Digital shock pump features pressure selector that lets you choose high pressure for filling suspension units or high volume for tyres. We’ve never had great experiences with 2-in-1 pumps before but hopefully this one can buck the trend. We shall see…

The Pocket Shock Digital takes the classic and much-loved Pocket Shock DXG and adds digital PSI accuracy. Ideal for those of us who are permanently messing with new bikes/forks/shocks out on the hills.

Clif Bar Minis

  • Price: £11.99 for box of 10
  • From: Extra UK

Ideal emergency fuel for when someone forgets their pack lunch in the Singletrack Office. Everything you like about Clif bars but in snack size! Plant-based ingredients, 108-111 calories, 4g plant-based protein and “phosphorus contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism”, as we all suspected it did.

Spada Winter MTB Clothing

  • Price: £49.99 Topo Jersey, £89.99 Hydro Shorts
  • From: Spada UK

Jersey… Quick dry thermo material. Quality soft feel rib cuff. Tailored fit with dip hem for increased coverage. Topographic design detailing.

Shorts… 10K waterproof and 10K breathable fabric. Taped seams. Curved waistband. Waterproof zip pockets. Waistband adjuster.

Digital Subscription to Singletrack – no post required!

Send the gift of Singletrack virtually. Buying an electronic gift subscription can’t be simpler; enter the lucky person’s email at checkout and they will receive a voucher via email for a year’s free digital membership of Singletrackworld. This is what the lucky recipient will get:

  • Future digital editions of Singletrack Magazine for mobile and tablet via our apps
  • Digital access to back-issues in our online Mag Archive
  • Access to Premier-only online features and extra magazine articles.
  • Access to downloads, like classic ride GPX files.
  • We even have a collection of iBooks for Kindle and iBooks.
  • Ad free website – no more annoying marketing around what they are trying to read.
  • Automatic discounts off our exclusive Singletrack merchandise in our shop.
  • Discounts on our print magazines.

Pixco 25mm F1.4 CCTV Lens C Mount w/ MFT Adapter

I [Benji] can’t really afford a Petzval lens from Lomo (which are pretty cheap for what they are, to be fair) so this is the next best* thing. What’s it for? Taking swirly bokeh photos of course! Paired with a Micro Four Thirds camera body (Panasonic GM1) it’s a lot of hit-and-miss photographic fun/frustration!

*’best’ is a relative term

Archie the dog

This pic was taken with the above CCTV lens. Anyway, meet Archie. Benji’s new old dog from the rescue centre up the road. If you keep watching the MegaSack GiveAway advent competition videos, you’ll see Archie pop up (literally) now and then.

Thread Of The Week

This week’s winning – and most excellently first-stone-casting – forum posting goes to nickc for this sticky peach…

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 BONJOUR! to nickc. Please email editorial@singletrackworld.com. Please include your postal address, as it really speeds up delivery times.

Hyvää päivänjatkoa!

147% better than the recorded version (immense T-shirt too)

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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 631: Not Just For Christmas Edition

Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)
  • Fresh Goods Friday 631: Not Just For Christmas Edition
  • dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    I guess since no one else has yet I should ask “How MUCH?” I’m not entirely sure what about though, I mean £3333 sounds like a lot of money for a frame without shock, at least it does until I get home and look at my smart meter tk see how much it cost to prevent my empty house developing ice on the inside of the windows whilst I was at work. Then that sounds like an awful lot of bike frame for the price of cooking a slice of toast.

    That said being a Yorkshireman I don’t really need it to be about anything particular.

    ktache
    Free Member

    What is the volume on the near pointless tiny bottle on the six grand ebike?

    mashr
    Full Member

    475ml – so not quite as useless as it looks

    TheGingerOne
    Full Member

    Bikes really do have saddles on silly rail positions these days.

    A little bit of me dies every time I see one.

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    I guess that’s what happens when folks start to look at [reach] numbers in isolation and ignore things like the top tube being way too long to actually be comfy to ride. My legs hurt just thinking of pedaling that for a few hours (ebike helps I guess).

    I can see the “point” on dh/Park bikes where you don’t need to actually ride the bike along or up for any length of time, I can see it if you’re racing Enduro where the time down a hill is more important than your comfort up it so long as it doesn’t ruin you but you even see it on normal all day sorry trail and “down county” bikes too.

    That being said, what do I know, I’ve jammed the saddle as far back on the rails as I can for ever. 🤷🏻

    rOcKeTdOg
    Full Member

    Thanks to Hannah and the team for the link to the ortlieb bike packing bag competition. I won’t add the link as I’m sure you’ll all get fed up of it. Please check it out though

    And for once the answer to “how much??!!” Is only £5 to win £200+ worth of kit

    chrismac
    Full Member

    What is the volume on the near pointless tiny bottle on the six grand ebike?

    It doesn’t matter, you wont get thirsty with the engine doing the work 🙂

     

     

    chrismac
    Full Member

    That hope reindeer looks fab

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    That hope reindeer looks fab

    Pfft not even purple anodised let alone oil slick.

    sargey2003
    Full Member

    Ross needs an EXT Storia on that Claymore

    honeybadgerx
    Full Member

    Is the reindeer similar to their bottom bracket tools in that they look harmless but have razor sharp edges?

    tintim
    Full Member

    What a lovely dog Archie is

    Speshpaul
    Full Member

    The plague of comedy seat positions at STW towers is due to an incorrect interface between the machines to be tested and the testers. Big bikes medium to small sized testers.
    But they do look gopping, the silly seat positions not the testers. Phew that was close.

    Hope Reindeer?? its a Stag not a reindeer.

    desperatebicycle
    Full Member

    Ebikes are starting to look much better … or are my eyes adjusting to the hideousness? The YT is rather tasty though.
    Not sure why I’m seeing that Switch Byke rubbish on my favourite mountain bike site though… but hey ho.

    doomanic
    Full Member

    Ebikes are starting to look much better

    The Decoy hasn’t really changed since it was released in 2019.

    Ben_Haworth
    Full Member

    Er, @Speshpaul, I’m 185cm tall.

    I just like to be as far forward as possible when seated. Steep (effective) seat angles FTW! 🙂

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    Steep (effective) seat angles FTW! 🙂

    Is it steep, vertical or actually over 90 at this point?

    I mean, whatever floats your boat but it does look like the nose is in front of the bottom bracket!

    Ben_Haworth
    Full Member

    @dangeourbrain the nose may well be, I sit on the wide bit at the back 🙂

    kilo
    Full Member

    Chris and Cosey, October (Love song), haven’t heard that in years / decades, superb, excellent and superb again!

    fahzure
    Full Member

    Chris and Cosey! Next up PTV or Factrix?

    robertajobb
    Full Member

    Never mine all the bike related ballyx.

    What we need is more Archie 😍😍😍

Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)

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