This week is all about racing. Whether that’s World Cup racing, ebike motor brands racing for power, or simply racing home from work to ride your bike in the sunshine.
The World Cup MTB racing kicks off this weekend over in South Korea. Which due to the pesky nature of the not-flat Earth means that if we Brits want to watch the live streams we’ll need to get up at dawn. Which means we’re just off out to squeeze in one more ride in the sun before going to bed early. NIght night!
Oh, let’s do FGF first eh?
Fresh Goods Friday is Sponsored by Pedal Cover – The better route for cyclists
Most riders insure bikes through home insurance.
Pedal Cover builds home insurance specifically for cyclists
The Ronettes go Northern Soul? Nedra Talley-Ross RIP.
Moustache Game 160.8
- Price: £6,999 (w/ 750Wh battery)
- From: Moustache Bikes
Moustache are a French brand. You may remember our review of the Moustache Clutch with Pinion MGU gearbox motor from last year. This is another ebike but it’s got a derailleur and a Bosch motor. Things of note: the radically rotated motor (for improved venting apparently), the offset-to-the-left rear shock (so you can read the sag-o-meter decal on the top tube), nice multi-tool in the stem, unusual cap-on-a-string charge port cover, Mavic hubs on Moustache’s own carbon rims, and the acceptable(?) face of thru-headset routing (just the display wire passes through). As you can see, we’ve been riding it before taking photos (naughty!). Turns out non-Avinox eebs are great too.
Ergon GDH Standard/Slim/FAT grip
- Price: £35.99
- From: Extra UK
Ergonomic Gravity grips doncha know. Features: multi-level cushioning at the top, finger grip zone at the bottom, ‘GravityControl’ rubber. GDH Slim recommended for glove size small/medium (6.5-8.5) or riders who like skinnier grips. GDH Standard recommended for glove size large/X-large (8.5-10.5). GDH Fat recommend for Glove size from large (8.5) or anyone who wants maximum cush. Loadsa colours.
Coast Optics Alta 2 goggle
- Price: £79.99
- From: Extra UK
Coast Optics are a new name to us. Based in Whistler, BC. Features: “Impact-resistant, cylindrical anti-fog and anti-scratch lenses for improved protection and safety, Laser-cut lens holes allow for airflow and ventilation, interchangeable high-definition lenses use our rapid mag lens change system, sustainable Bio-TPU and PC co injection-molded frame, recycled polyester interchangeable strap, perforated triple-layer face foam.
Coast Optics Nita 2 glasses
- Price: £79.99
- From: Extra UK
Features: “Biodegradable Bio-TR90, interchangeable lenses with anti-fog and anti-scratch coatings, 100% UV protection, Ultra-Grip rubber nose and temple tips. Optimized arm length for compatibility with a range of helmet sizes and styles.” But will the top of the frames still knock against the front of helmets like every other pair of glasses seems to these days?
Peaty’s Casual Clothing
- Price: £27.99 T-shirt, £54.99 sweatshirt
- From: Peaty’s
Coming from the same fine merch producers as our own Singletrack Merch, here’s a couple of Tees and long sleeve sweatshirt from The House Of Steve. We especially like the ‘Aloe’ colour of the sweatshirt. We may be stealing that tone…
Bontrager flat shoes
- Price: £119.99
- From: Trek Bikes
I, for one, am very pleased to see that Bontrager are still making these. The Flatline is a great choice of shoe when you want/need to be a bit more dextrous with your footwork. The soles are relatively thin which really aids in feel but the rubber isn’t overly sticky so you can reposition your feet quickly and easily when the trail dicates. From my experience, these shoes are surprisingly durable too. All in all, a useful second set of shoes if you already have some chunkier and/or stickier shoes in your armoury.
Framed Issue 166 Cover
- Price: £32.99
- From: The Singletrack Shop
Is Joe Wakefield’s cover image for issue 166 the best Singletrack mag cover of all time? Yes. Yes, it is. Commemorate our 25th anniversary issue with some beautiful wall art. Our lustre art prints are printed on a flat, stiff, middle-weight paper with a white base and an instant dry, micro-porous coating. 275 gsm. Lustre finish. Wide colour gamut and something called “high d-max”. Loads better than low d-max (ugh).
Forum Thread Of The Week
This week’s reading-the-room winner is Mister-P for the What should you be doing to your bike but CBA? thread:
The winning FTOTW in FGF gets a prize. So, Mister-P please email editorial@singletrackworld.com for a random prize. Don’t forget to include your postal address please.
Stale Goods Friday – 2006(?) Cannondale Prophet MX
- Price: £N/A (I think a complete build bike was about £3,500, so about £6,000 in today’s money)
- From: Fresh Goods Friday 12
Yes, a shameless bit of personal nostalgia here. An absolute classic of an ATB. Back in 2009 we wrote: “Benji’s Cannondale Prophet MX is back in ‘Enduro’ mode (after being in Downhill mode for the Kidland DH race t’other week). 29.4 lbs (inc. pedals) if you must know. After his usual tortuous umm-ing and ahh-ing, Benji has opted for Bontrager Big Earl 2.35 tyres (running with 125ml of Stans No Tubes sealant on Mavic Crossmax SX wheelset).”
Covered by the crew
Insurance handled by people who ride, wrench and understand mountain bikes.
When something goes wrong, your claim is handled by people who genuinely understand how mountain bikes are ridden, repaired and put back together after a bad day on the trails.
From blown suspension to cracked frames, decisions are made by cycling specialists – not general insurers.
We also keep key bike parts in-house and work directly with trusted bike workshops, helping reduce delays and get riders back on the trails sooner.
What this means for you
- Cyclist-first decisions focused on getting you back on the trails
- Claims handled by people who ride and work with bikes
- Experience with real mountain bike damage, including off-road riding
- Repair-first approach using specialist cycle workshops
Fresh Goods Friday is sponsored by Pedal Cover
It’s a shame with that Moustache that when they moved the motor they put it on a big ugly mounting plate – an opportunity to make the whole BB area of an emtb less fugly and they’ve somehow made it worse
*edit – maybe the big fugly plate is actually part of the motor as it comes from Bosch, but still, it looks like a pigs ear
Biodegradable lenses? How do they know when to start the process?
Is biodegradable code for designed to dissolve so you buy more?
Ah, Prophet MX / Prophet – a really underrated bike IMO.
The stickers really add to the ride.