Welcome to Fresh Goods Friday, number six hundred and sixty six! There’s obviously only one tune that can start off this instalment – so make sure your office speakers are turned up full for maximum workplace embarrassment. And the ‘wee beastie’ bit is in honour of Scotland’s national bird, the midge, and a nod to the absolutely fantastic week and a bit of World Championships just gone. If you’ve been under a rock and not seen any of the racing highlights yet, we won’t spoil any surprises apart from to tell you to get watching before you find out the winners anyway.
Meanwhile, in STW Land, Amanda is back from her travels, Hannah is off on hers, Mark is about to disappear, Benji is in Holland and I (Chipps) am still larking around as usual, though with added ‘new bike day’ building going on for my wife, as you’ll see below.
First, though, on with the show! Bring on Fresh Goods Friday 666!
Ibis RipMo V2
- Price: US$4424 (+tax/VAT)
- From: Ibis Cycles
It’s new bike day in the Chipps’ household*, with this shiny new Ibis RipMo in SRAM GX spec. There’s currently a sale on, so this was too much of a temptation. The RipMo is the longer travel, enduro-friendly bike in the Ibis range, with a 160mm Fox 38 up front and 140mm of DW Link travel out back. Launched a few years ago, it was a mash up of the Ibis 29er Ripley with the burlier Mojo – hence the name. It has been recently refreshed (hence the V2 moniker) and it’s also the first of the Ibis bikes to now come with a SRAM UDH dropout (ensuring SRAM T-type (and who knows who else?) compatibility.
(* It’s actually Beate’s, but Chipps can ride it if he’s been good)
CushCore Bumper Box
- Price: From £89.99 a wheelset
- From: Silverfish
This bumper box of Cush Core has come in with the express intent of changing the mind of Mr ‘I never puncture, why would I need inserts’ Chippendale. After a chat at Eurobike, the bosses of Cush Core were persuasive in their argument that, even if you never pinch flat, any rider can benefit from the lower pressures and tyre support that Cush Core (and presumably, some other inserts) offer. We’ll see… Luckily, they’ve supplied their ‘third hand’ Bead Bro tyre clamp (£16.99) and inevitably phallic Bead Dropper tool (£23.99).
MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 person tent
- Price: £484.50
- From: Cotswold Outdoor
Amanda: This tent was a panic-purchase days before we set off to France. Our van died, so we decided to go bikepacking, and couldn’t face bivvy bags for two weeks. It is so easy to put up, really lightweight and packs so perfectly into a Tailfin Aeropack you’d think it was designed to be paired with them.
Sea to Summit Pocket Shower 10L
- Price: €25.00
- From: Intersport
Amanda: This is basically a drybag with a twist action showerhead that is so small it fits in a cargo pocket on a jersey, or takes up as much space as a mobile phone in your bag. If you have a multiday bike trip, it could be a great option, assuming you can either handle a cold shower, or you have time to leave it in the sun to warm up.
Col de la Bonette Trophy
- Price: €6.00
- From: Tat shop on the Col du Galibier
Amanda: I’ve been up plenty of Cols and never felt the need to buy a little trinket, but this is one beautiful mountain. Not only is it super scenic on the way, you are completely surrounded by layers of mountains as far as your eyes can see from the top. So yeah, I bought some tat to remember it.
Specialized Pathfinder Pro 700×47
- Price: £39.99 each
- From: Cyclestore
Amanda: I normally run 38mm Pathfinder Pro tyres on my gravel bike, as it’s mostly used as a road bike so I don’t need the volume, but I do need the toughness for Potholemorden. I ordered the 47mm for riding the Torino Nice Rally route, with the addition of some more mountains at either end of the trip. They’re super comfy, still fast rolling on tarmac, and despite me riding down the odd MTB trail I didn’t have a single puncture.
Fox Union Flat Shoe
- Price : £129.99 (RRP)
- From : Foxracing.co.uk
- Buy : Wiggle (from £87.99)
One piece welded seamless upper is the big feature here plus the Ultratac™ Grip sole for sticking to your pedals. Gun metal grey is not the only colour option, although we reckon these look understated and rather classy. Not the best look for photoshoots but still, we’ll do our best to shoot them pretty when we review them.
These have Benji’s name attached to the delivery note although they are size 6. Benji won’t be testing them – his feet are massive!
1980’s Dutch Football Shirt
- Price: Holiday money isn’t real money
- From: Benji
Amanda: Benji has sent these photos over with no more information than the year the shirt is from. I can almost guarantee he’s desperately jealous that the shirt is Olive’s size and not his own, as that 80’s wallpaper pattern is right up his street. Wouldn’t that make a great MTB clothing range… 80’s wallpaper? With the avocado bathroom suite colour for an accent, maybe the shorts? If we get a rush of subscribers before Christmas, I’ll design it.
Hagenslag
- Price: Who cares
- From: Benji
This iconic Dutch breakfast is basically sprinkles for toast. No doubt what MVDP had before the World Champs road race.
Thread of the Week
The hallowed award (of something from Charlie’s bottom drawer) this week goes to @duncancallum for starting off this most amusing thread about inappropriate wedding songs – either imagined, or increasingly numerous – actual playlists of not very appropriate nuptial choonze
The winning TOTW in FGF gets a prize. So @duncancallum please email editorial@singletrackworld.com for your random prize. Don’t forget to include your postal address, as it really speeds up delivery logistics like. Ta!
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Get your Friday started!
So, all that remains is to send you on your way with some good wishes for the weekend. May it be all that you ever dreamed of, eh? And what better way to send you off, than with Calderdale’s finest Mr Wilson’s Second Liners having a clog-off on a Blue Monday…?
It’s Singletrack’s long running, weekly roundup of all of the new products that have been sent in to the magazine.
They’re sent in by bike companies and marketing agencies
They’re featured and then some are reviewed down the line in either Singletrack Magazine or in online reviews and photoshoots.
They’re usually sent back after review, or kept on long-term test bikes. But no one ever asks for shorts and shoes back. Trust us on that. Once we were asked to return some brake pads.
Nothing. Nil. Zero. Diddlysquat. Sod all. Just send all ‘next big things’ to us at – Fresh Goods Friday, Singletrack Magazine, Lockside Mill, Dale Street, Todmorden. OL14 5PX. Please note that if you require the products back after they have featured then you are responsible for arranging collection at your cost. While it is our policy to feature everything we receive in FGF if we decide your product is not suitable for publication we won’t do it. Publication is at our discretion. Whether a product goes on for publication as a review is at editorial discretion. Beer, coffee & spirits will ALWAYS be tested.
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