Fresh Goods Friday 812: The Rock Stopping Edition

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In the week that saw good ol’ Shimano release a high end drivetrain that didn’t require batteries, and adopting the 200mm rotor size, and Orbea announcing it’s ditching thru-headset-routing, it feels like there’s something of a positive vibe between the bike industry and its customers once more.

What are the next Important Issues that the industry needs to address?

Rockintor AirVora

• Price: £230.00
• From: Rockintor

Rockintor has officially launched the production version of its AirVora™ OrganProt3ct™ Pedalling Armour system, a new approach to upper-body mountain bike protection designed around a simple but awkward truth: armour only works if riders actually keep it on. This system is for riders and racers who need chest, back, rib and lower-back protection without going full stormtrooper on every climb.

SKS EMP Electric Bike Pump

• Price: £84.99
• From: ZyroFisher

It seems like every one and their dog is coming out with an electric pump these days. Which is no bad thing; I think they’re one of the best things to happen in cycling er, kind of ever really. So simple and quick to keep your tyres how they need to be week in week out. Anyway, it’s nice to see good ol’ SKS getting in on the act with this rather stylish offering. Will it work any better or worse than any other lecky pumper? We’ll let you know.

SKS MIA 12 Multitool

• Price: £44.99
• From: ZyroFisher

A multitool with a chain tool is a great thing. Many is the time when a ride has turned into a push home because no one had a chain tool on them. It’s a fine art to strike a good balance of size and functionality with any multitool and this MIA 12 from SKS looks like it could be The One. The only thing I can see arguably missing is stowage for a powerlink (but you could/should always just tape of those to your brake hose in an enduro racer stylee).

Schwalbe Shredda Radial Front & Rear

• Price: £83.99
• From: Schwalbe

I think we’ve had the Front Shredda in before. I can’t seem to find locate it in the office tyre pile, which is usually a sign of good tyre (as someone has purloined it for themselves!) Anyways, here we have a(nother) Shredda F and also a Shredda R. The Shredda R is in 27.5 size (the F only comes in 29in). As these tyres are very tread-gappy, with Gravity casing and Ultra Soft compound, they aren’t going on a xc/downcountry/trail bike. They’ll most likely see service principally on an e-bike.

Schwalbe Doc Blue Pro Tubeless Sealant

• Price: £13.00 (220ml)
• From: Schwalbe

As usual, any and every time we receive some tyre sealant we punch the air and exclaim OH GOSH YES! We’re pretty sure this stuff is rebadged Stan’s but we’re fine with that thanks.

Altura Esker Waterproof Smock

• Price: £120.00
• From: Altura

The endless search for a waterproof jacket that works when mountain biking in the UK continues apace. As a big fan of smocks (less zip = more betterer) I’m very interested to see how this lightweight garment performs. At £120 it’s at the very upper limit of what I think it worth spending on an MTB jacket. Features: 2.5 layer fabric with taped seams, 10K/10K waterproof and breathability claims, water-resistant zips, central pocket doubles as a stuff-sack, elasticated hood, cuffs and hem. A relatively fitted shape which bodes well. We shall see.

Altura Esker Polartec Long Sleeve Jersey

• Price: £75.00
• From: Altura

Yes we know technically it’s almost summer but when we come across an interesting autumn-winter garment, we like to get it in before we forget about it! Features: Polartec Power Grid fabric, brushed fabric for next-to-skin comfort, “durable design built for regular use” and fairly relaxed fit for versatile layering.

Altura All Road Adapt Gloves

• Price: £35.00
• From: Altura

Convertible lobsters! Whilst the 2+2 split doesn’t work so well for mountain biking (one-finger braking etc) we’re wondering if we can run these ‘overfinger’ compartments in a 1+3 split..? Hmm. It’s worth a go. Once the temperature drops anyway! Features: water resistant shell outer cover, minimally padded Amara palm, silicone print on brake fingers.

Altura Esker Eco Trail Trouser

• Price: £85.00
• From: Altura

Constructed from “durable, eco-conscious fabric” with a “PFC-free water-repellent coating” and a “flexible fit is designed to be worn comfortably with or without knee pads.” I can confirm they pass the International Standard “still wearing them when in Aldi at 9pm whilst doing the shopping” comfort test.

Singletrack World Mountain Bike Magazine 167

• Price: £12.00
• From: The Singletrack Shop

It’s finally arrived! And it stinks. Of solvent. Which may well send some of you in a Proustian rush back to your youth. When you glued things at school using glue made from cows. What’s in this issue aside from adolescent aromas? Groms, oldies, retro bikes, beautiful bikes made in sheds, Shropshire route guide, the longest descent in the UK, an actual cartoon… and more.

Yorkshire Rainbow T-shirt

• Price: from £21.60
• From: The Singletrack Shop

‘Designed’ by Chipps to celebrate Northern summertime. 100% organic ringspun combed cotton. Sleeve hem and bottom hem with wide double needle topstitch. Set-in sleeve. 1×1 rib at neck collar. Inside back neck tape in self fabric. Glad to be grey!

Forum Thread Of The Week

Thius week’s winner is PJay for the Nice adaptive mountain biking story on the Beeb. thread:

The winning FTOTW in FGF gets a prize. Therefore, PJay please email editorial@singletrackworld.com for a random prize. Don’t forget to include your postal address please.

Win a pair of Kenda Double Black tyres by signing up to our newsletter

• Price: £0.00
• From: The Singletrack Newsletter

What’s better than fresh tyres? Fresh tyres that don’t cost any money! Courtesy of the kind folk at Kenda we’ll have a set of tyres each month to give away to newsletter subscribers – starting this week. To kick things off Kenda is giving away a pair of the all-new KENDA Double Black Trail tyres. Great for front and and rear. A do-it-all option for huge variety of MTB trails and conditions.

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Stale Goods Friday – 2009 Foes 4X 2:1

• Price: £2,299 frame & shock (or £3,774.11)
• From: Fresh Goods Friday 19

I still want this bike: “Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-i-ice. We got the nice guys at Balfa to supply a pre-bedded in Curnutt air shock. Even the dials are oversized. At first we were a bit miffed we weren’t getting a red one, but this raw metal finish looks ace. Extensive “car park testing” began immediately.”

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