Fresh Goods Friday 675 – The Black, White & Read All Over Edition

Fresh Goods

by 46

Welcome one and all to the six hundred and seventy fifth installment of Fresh Goods Friday.

I don’t know if its due to strong winds messing with my cerebral cortex, or it’s just part of aging, but I’ve been reminded of the noughties mash-up era a lot this week. Who remembers that mashup that mixed Wu Tang’s ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ with The O’Jays ‘For The Love Of Money’? Just me? I can’t find it anywhere on YouTube. I’ll have to dig out my old iPod from the bedside drawer.

What was the first mashup? It may have been Adina Howard x Gary Numan ‘Freak Like Me’. Maybe it was Kraftwerk x Whitney Houston ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody‘. Or that ‘Kid Will Rock You‘ Queen x Reggae x Kids tune?

Anyway. Where were we? Here’s what you actually came in for: Fresh Goods Friday!

Grey skies call for Grey Albums

Shimano GF8 GTX Shoes

Why shoulder SPuDders get all the weatherproof footwear eh? Flat-sole shoes built for the wet and cold conditions we are into now. The sole is a special “low-temperature version” of ULTREAD GF rubber “formulated for sticky and stable pedal grip in cold conditions”. GORE-TEX sock-style liner with a stretchy ankle collar. BOA with the L6 dial (plastic shielded) prevents accidental undoings. Robust toe cap for additional toe protection (when booting out clogged up drainage channels, for example).

Madison Eyewear Enigma Glasses

One of the lesser appreciate daspects of Modern Life is that the bendy plastic frames of cycling glasses are loads better than the snappy-clicky-latchy awks-tastic designs of yore when it comes to changes lense in and out. Take these Enigma specs for example. Just grab ’em, pull ’em open, pull the lens out, stick the new lens in, squash ’em shut again. Modern Life isn’t always Rubbish despite what Messrs Albarn et al claimed. Oh yeah, these glasses come with the usual three lenses: orangey-pinky (pictured), grey-dark and clear.

Wolf Tooth Waveform Pedals

Gosh darn these peggles look lush. To my eyes anyway. I don’t care if silver-is-the-new-oil-slick (and thus soon to be naff and dated), I think Waveform flatties from Wolf Tooth are gorgeous. Which is just as well because they cost nigh on a hundred quid. Each. Deets ya want is it? Okay then: 14mm thickest, 12.5mm in the centre, 112mm x 106mm (Large version), 400g, 6061-T6 aluminium platform, 11x 304 stainless steel rear-loading pins per side, fully serviceable, six spare pins included, 5-year warranty.

Stages Power L – Shimano GRX RX810

Now that there is such a thing as the Gravel World Championships, there are plenty of serious AF training aids for gravel bikes. This Stages power meter is built onto the non-drive side of a Shimano GRX crank arm. Accuracy: ±1.5%. Over 200 hours battery life claimed. Power range (Watts): 0 to 2500, so probably okay. Compatible with Stages Link, Training Peaks, Strava, Garmin Training Center and other software/apps. Price does include lifetime access to Stages Link for power meter management and firmware upgrade. Also available in two-crank versions. For mo’ money, obvs.

Feedback Sports Thru-Axle Chain Keeper

A non-essential but very-nice-to-have item this. The Thru-Axle Chain Keeper will er, keep the chain of bikes with 12mm Thru-Axles out of the way during washing, tune-ups or travelin’. Installed by hand. Made from recyclable, bio-based plastic.

Silca Mondrian Bright Water Bottle

From the moment I saw this bottle I knew that it will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine. What is there to say about this bottle besides its super rad graphic design? Well, it has a “transparent visual guide” on the side letting you know how much liquid is left. And there’s a MoFlo cap ont top.

One Up Aluminium Handlebar

Our guy Ross recently did his shoulder in (technical medical terminology there). Anyway, he was chatting to the bods over at One Up Components about stuff (probably about the whys and wherefores of building goat-proof fencing or such like) and the subject of returning to riding post-injury came up. This handlebar promuises to offer the same comfort as OneUp’s handlebar but a more wallet friendly price. “Get carbon performance at an aluminum price. The Aluminum Handlebar uses the same patented oval shape as our Carbon Handlebar to deliver increased vertical compliance without sacrificing steering stiffness. It’s the perfect mix of durability and performance.” 800mm wide. 8° x 5° sweep combo. Guaranteed to never get fitted to an e-bike (Ross init).

One Up Stem

A collar to match the above cuffs. Here’s a One Up stem to hold on to Ross’ new comfy bars. 35mm diameter. 35mm length too. 39mm stack height. 55mm clamp width. 6061-T6 aluminium.

Lazer Chase KinetiCore Helmet

A 5-star Virginia Tech-rated full face helmet, built with KinetiCore technology to protect against direct and rotational impact. Features a breakaway peak for enhanced neck protection, a flexible front grid to protect the face from splashes and thick padding for a snug and comfortable fit. Destined to contain Hannah’s bonce when bikeparking.

Ortlieb Seat Pack QR 13L

  • Price: £160.00
  • From: Lyon

Is this the best saddlebag ever? If you want to read more about what this pack is great at, read our Where the wild things aren’t – A Cairngorm bikepacking adventure feature from last year. P.S. it will also work just fine for plain old commuting to your workplace along the canal.

Shimano GF6 Shoes

Shimano’s benchmark flat pedal shoe. Synthetic leather upper. A new ULTREAD GF slow rebound rubber compound and wide profile hexagonal tread pattern. Asymmetric raised padded ankle collar. The “trail tuned upper” is tighter around the ball of foot for enhanced bike control and pedalling efficiency and has increased volume at the toe box and heel for improved walking comfort and shock absorption.

Shimano GE7 Shoes

Downhill/enduro SPD shoes. Shimano ULTREAD GE rubber compound and tread pattern. TORBAL 2.0 torsional midsole “improves outer edge flexibility for excellent control on aggressive descents and corners.” Updated Pedal Channel has an expanded toe-to-heel design for SPD stability when unclipped. Asymmetrically raised padded ankle collar and sidewall sole for added protection. Reinforced toe cap for additional toe protection.

Shimano GF4 Shoes

Yes, these were the only Shimano shoes in the box that fitted me. Comfortable flat-sole shoes these. Shimano ULTREAD GF rubber compound. Layered half-length EVA foam absorbs impacts. Breathable fabric upper with laces and elastic retaining strap. “Cascaded upper and outsole designs deliver competition-level performance to even more gravity riders” (no, I’m not sure what that means either). Asymmetrically raised padded ankle collar and robust toe cap for protection.

Ere Research Tenaci GA40 Aero Wheels w/ Tenaci TLR Skinwall 700×38 Tyres

  • Price: from £1,399 (wheels), £49.00 (tyres)
  • From: Ere Research

Resident Gravelleure Amanda will be pleased. Ere Research: “The fastest wheels you’ll ever need for your gravel bike. No compromise on either materials or design was made to make this wheelset a reality from our ideas on paper to the final wheels in our gravel bikes. It might need some getting used to that hollow whooshing speed sound these wheels make when accelerating… off-road! Tried and tested for over a year by many pro riders in UCI gravel series and coming out on top winning several Gravel UCI Worldcup’s in 2022. We are proud to present the new GA40 carbon aero wheels for gravel bikes. Weighing in at only 1.549 grams with 40mm carbon rims.”

Madison Flux D30 Arm Pad

Lightweight mountain bike trail elbow pad with a stretch fit, designed to worn all ride. Features a D3O insert which “offers excellent protection and minimises bulk”, it sez ‘ere.

Madison Flux 3-Layer Men’s Waterproof Trail Jacket

Lightweight waterproof mountain bike jacket with hood, protects from downpours in milder conditions. Cool enough to wear all day and small enough to pack down. Fully taped seams and a DWR coated. When not in use this jacket can be rolled up into the hood for stowage.

Madison Isoler Merino Waterproof Socks

Can you have too many waterpoof socks? Er, no. “Merino wool retains its thermal properties when it’s wet to better regulate the body’s temperature. The inner and outer sock have a waterproof, windproof and breathable membrane sandwiched between them, which is what keeps your foot dry and warm.”

Madison Flux Men’s DWR Trail Trousers

A lightweight mountain bike trouser. Ratchet strap with elasticated waist and four way stretch fabric. Water resistant to shrug off splashes and light rain. Designed in conjunction with the Madison Saracen Factory Race Team. Leg lengths! You can choose from three leg lengths Madison offer: 30 inch SHORT, 32 inch REGULAR or 34 inch LONG. Yes!

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Thread Of The Week

Absolutely vital convo going on throughout Merak‘s stunning post on the Chat Forum this week:

The winning TOTW in FGF gets a prize. So @Merak 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!

Six and a half hours(?!)
What is Fresh Goods Friday?

It’s Singletrack’s long running, weekly roundup of all of the new products that have been sent in to the magazine.

Where do all of the goods come from?

They’re sent in by bike companies and marketing agencies

What happens to all of the products?

They’re featured and then some are reviewed down the line in either Singletrack Magazine or in online reviews and photoshoots.

What happens to them when you’ve finished with them?

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.

I’m a company making the next big thing. How much does it cost to feature in FGF?

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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Author Profile Picture

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.

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Viewing 6 posts - 41 through 46 (of 46 total)
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  • Fresh Goods Friday 675 – The Black, White & Read All Over Edition
  • Rubber_Buccaneer
    Full Member

    Why do companies keep selling water bottles without a proper cover for the nozzle?

    I wonder this every time I see Steve Peat on Facebook trying to sell me his Fidlock water bottle. No cap no purchase.

    Posted 6 months ago
    rootes1
    Full Member

    these work well in keep the muck out and cheap.

    https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/elite_fly_tex_mtb_water_bottle_with_cap_550ml-ID_86954?opt=191031&gclid=CjwKCAjw7c2pBhAZEiwA88pOF3xAuNN-qtEHOtJK5VEfE9V4Ay5z8jBJXa4e6tNQzv-P5F6hlnEWIBoC0eoQAvD_BwE

     

    Posted 6 months ago
    rootes1
    Full Member

    and:

    https://www.elite-it.com/en/products/water-bottles/sport/jet-plus

     

    Posted 6 months ago
    bikesandboots
    Full Member

    CamelBak do a little rubber cap which is fine for most conditions.

    When it’s worse, or there’s a lot of actual poo (rather than mud), Dawn To Dusk Dirt Mask (fits CamelBak bottles):

    Posted 6 months ago
    redsnail
    Full Member

    I am looking for a flat pedal shoe that will keep the mud and crap out of my feet over winter.The clipped in folks have many options. So I really hope there’s a review of the Shimano GF8 GTX and the Endura MT500 Burner flat waterproof shoe.The 510 GTX Trailcross option looks a bit flimsy.

    My old 510 mid top with the flap across the laces worked well but they eventually died after years of riding. 🙂

    Posted 6 months ago
    Northwind
    Full Member

    The gtx 5 10 doesn’t feel flimsy to me- it’s a pretty clumpy thing, definitely not my favourite sole but it does work well. Best “bike specific” winter flat shoe I’ve worn, but that’s not an especially high bar tbf.

    My favourite bad conditions shoes are Columbia Fairbanks Omnis- they don’t have a “sock” to keep water out so for best results you do need to wear trousers so that water doesn’t get in the top, but they’re otherwise proper waterproof, super warm, and stay warmer than most when wet. And bizarrely they feel better on the bike than most bike-specific shoes, while at the same time not being very good winter walking shoes which is what they’re designed for (because they lack squishy mud grip while walking). Obviously shoe feel is very subjective though.

    Posted 6 months ago
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