Fresh Goods Friday 759: The Circles Running Edition

It’s half term, which means Benji is elsewhere. Instead, you’ve got me (Hannah). It is my kids’ half term too, but it has been an opportunity for them to go to work instead of school, tackle my housework, and generally hold the fort while I try and tick off all the jobs on my list before I depart Singletrack Towers for the final time. My FGF debut was at number 253, meaning I’ve been around for five hundred and something effgee-effsis. Ah… back in the day. When 1x was new. Ebikes were rarities. 27.5in tyres came on front and back wheels. My hair was brown and luxuriant. Bits of my body hung closer to my ears than my feet. But, with age comes wisdom. It’s just that some of the time you can’t remember what it is you know.

Tune for this week comes from the playlist of my youngest child, who was still at nursery when I started here and is now taller than me. Clearly I have failed to master the parental controls that restrict access to rude words.

Routine is important to prevent confusion. Friday is Fresh, and has Goods, and is here. Here we go…

Merida eOne-Sixty SL 6000

• Price: £5,500
• From: Merida

This ebike comes with a Bosch SX drive unit, full 29″ wheels (half wheels would be terribly bumpy), and 160mm of travel. There’s an integrated 400Wh battery and you can add the optional 250Wh range extender. Apparently the geometry includes ‘Reach-based Agilometer-inspired sizing system with long travel dropper post’. Does this Agilometer take into account stiff old bones vs rubbery young guns we wonder? This 6000 model is the entry level model in the range, which makes a pleasing change for us media squids. Sensible functional gear like a Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain, 4-piston Shimano disc brakes and Marzocchi Z1 eMTB fork and Bomber air shock have been fitted to the all carbon frame.

Orange Stage 6 Frame

• Price: £3300
• From: Orange

A local bike for local people. Ross is going to be building this up as his test mule. He’s ridden and owned plenty of Oranges in his time, and he’s looking forward to seeing how this new Stage 6 will perform. It’s destined to have 29inch wheels attached. And it already has the Fox Factory X2 Float shock (Frames start at £2900 with a Performance Float X shock – if you’re interested but can’t see it on the Orange website, drop them a message. Our local bike delivery pigeon has flown faster than their website). Beyond that, who knows what he’ll do with it. Apart from hit steep and muddy tracks, which goes without saying.

Sensus Swyaze Single Ply Grips

• Price: £14.99
• From: Apex DST

Designed by Cam Zink, these are a supersoft compound with the kind of giant flange you might want when making sure your hands slot back onto the grips after your latest no-handed trick. If that’s not your thing, they do a flangeless version too, leaving your thumbs extra free to operate gears and droppers and so on.

Sensus EmJ Grips

• Price: £16.99
• From: Apex DST

These are Emil Johanssen’s Signature Grips (and there we were trying to think if there was a Dirty Dancing reference/theme to the grip names). These have a 150mm grip area, and cut lines at 144mm, 137mm, and 132mm if you want to make them shorter. 32mm diameter, with Micro Interior Flange and single ply construction.

Evoc Allride 3D WP16 Backpack

• Price: €300
• From: ZyroFisher

This is a 16 litre backpack, made to be weatherproof, with taped seams and waterproof zips. It’s got a back panel designed to give 360 degree ventilation so it shouldn’t be sweaty, however you care to deploy it. It even uses 3D printing as part of the construction, which minimises wastage. It’s designed to be flexible in function – so big days out on the trails, or there’s laptop space if you want to use it for a commute or work trip. The Allride, for all the riding, then. James Vincent is going to be deploying this on his bike rides. Last weekend he ran around a running track for 12 hours, clocking up just shy of 100km. That is enough running, time for him to get back to all the riding. His legs are going to love him.

Leatt CeraMAG AllMtn 8.0 Clip-in Pedals

• Price: £229
• From: ZyroFisher / Leatt

Holy moly spec pedals – magnesium, titanium, all the bearings, less of the weight. These have CeraMAG pedal bodies, which is CNC-machined ceramic-coated magnesium. A titanium axle keeps the weight low at a claimed 420 grams per pair — approximately 210 grams per pedal. The serviceable triple-bearing system consists of a LSL self-lubricating bushing, a needle bearing, and an industrial roller bearing. Quad seals to keep the internals dry. Dual-sided clip-in system with 5 degrees of free float.Compatible with classic SPD cleats, with adjustable spring tension to finetune entry and release. Only available in this ‘Ceragrey’ colour. These will be keeping James’ run-ruined legs attached to his pedals. James is tough on pedals (or perhaps his line choice is poor?) so these will be subjected to a solid Lake District testing regime.

Continental Kryptotal Tyres

• Price: £84.95
• From: ZyroFisher / Continental

James Vincent will be trying these mixed terrain tyres out in the Lake District, where he’s almost as tough on tyres as he is pedals. He’s got the Enduro casing in super soft for the front, and DH casing soft rear. The super soft rubber was previously only available with the DH casing, so is a new option for the lighter Enduro casing. Note that the Kryptotal tyres come in an Fr and Re tread pattern – optimised for front and rear respectively.

And that’s it for today’s Friday action. One more tune to play. This time, one with a mountain biking connection – this is a single by Whistler Grace, who is Leigh Donovan’s daughter.