[Sticky] PSAs that may or may not be amazing enough to warrant their own thread 2025

https://www.bananaindustries.co.uk/products/giro-merit-spherical-dirt-helmet

If you find Giro helmets a good fit then the good folk at banana industries have a good price to match.

Sportspursuit shouldn't need a plug, but I just took delivery of a Northwave softshell jacket for those chilly dry days. Its quite a lovely thing - good weight, really well cut and fitting, decent good if you wanted. Its almost too nice to ride in and will get plenty casual wear. £110 might be an ambitious RRP but down to £40 it certainly feels like a bargain. 

https://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog/product/view/id/3926781

This PSA means leaving your screen!

Oxfam in Guildford, Surrey (top of town) have had a massive load of Endura gear donated by a corporate donor (probably Endura). Loads of bibs, jerseys, jackets, glasses, and helmets. One of the chaps that works there spotted my sniffing around the helmets on display and invited me into the back room to rummage through all the kit. Most of it is about a third of RRP.

@jimmy How do you find the sizing for the softshell please as I've been hovering over this.

@stayhigh

For me it's perfect, it's not too slim but also not baggy. Arm and body lengths spot on. I'm a small and did worry it would be too fitted, but it's really well cut.

3 weeks delivery? It'll be too warm by then! 🙂

Various stores doing Playstation 5 Slim plus Astro Bot bundle, with or without disc drive, for £430/340.

Posted by: Alex (formerly theboyneeds on STW)

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This PSA means leaving your screen!

Oxfam in Guildford, Surrey (top of town) have had a massive load of Endura gear donated by a corporate donor (probably Endura). Loads of bibs, jerseys, jackets, glasses, and helmets. One of the chaps that works there spotted my sniffing around the helmets on display and invited me into the back room to rummage through all the kit. Most of it is about a third of RRP.

 

 

Top insider PSA, that one! Sadly, too far for me!

Shimano XT 12-Speed Upgrade Kit - £235 

https://www.biketart.com/products/shimano-xt-12-speed-upgrade-kit?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email-Y25M3W2-offer&_kx=NZSKlC2LtSfURKWV4SjF_jdaQ9VJIaDSe7Z3sS7Ti2Q_TCIzXkjM2Fl7Tq8j-wo9.UQ9g9g

Shimano SLX 12-Speed Upgrade Kit - £169

https://www.biketart.com/products/shimano-slx-12-speed-upgrade-kit?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email-Y25M3W2-offer&_kx=NZSKlC2LtSfURKWV4SjF_jdaQ9VJIaDSe7Z3sS7Ti2Q_TCIzXkjM2Fl7Tq8j-wo9.UQ9g9g

^ more expensive than Merlin

Needed a new dropper so bagged this...

https://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/parts/seatposts/rockshox-reverb-stealth-dropper-post-316mm-diameter-175mm-travel__427742

£100 vs £400 seemed like a no brainer.

Works perfectly with my mismatched rims and mismatched tyres

If my budget for a dropper was £100 I would buy anything but a Reverb. In fact I wouldn't buy if if they were £0. You can buy a SDG 175mm for £90, albeit YT branded.

You'd have to pay me to put a non axs reverb on my bike. A mate has one and seems to spend at least every other ride faffing with it as it goes bouncy. The worst was three times on the Borrowdale bash.

Yeah do yourself a favour and cancel that reverb order. They simply don't work

didn't want to add salt to the wound but i'm pretty sure i got my oneup v2's for about £125 on sales etc.. a while back.. 100 for another thing that needs regular serve to maybe just work is ridiculous...I didn't legitimately think anyone bought them and they were OEM only...

Posted by: Matt

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Needed a new dropper so bagged this...

https://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/parts/seatposts/rockshox-reverb-stealth-dropper-post-316mm-diameter-175mm-travel__427742

£100 vs £400 seemed like a no brainer.

I was of the same mindset as you. Having had three reverbs in the past ( all of which failed with the usual sag) I thought surely they improved durability with the latest version and a 200mm drop @ £100  was a no brainer. Four rides after fitting the sponginess has arrived. My suggestion would be don't waste your money.

Just to counter the above. I bought my first reverb in 2012 I think. It still works, got maybe 5-10mm of squish now. Never been bled, never had bushes or anything other than a squirt of silicone if I remember. 
Got a newer, maybe three year old one and that’s (touch wood) been fine also. 

YMMV 

It still works, got maybe 5-10mm of squish

🤔

The n̈ew c1 reverb are fine and a lot of the above is quite true of the original a1 a2 versions  but back then reverb outsold every other dropper by 100/1 at least 

Axs dropper with a max 175mm is ridiculous imo

One up dropper goes on my list of one of the most overated products. Yes it's great for max drop minimum insert but the slop is bad the function isn't smooth. 

Bikeyoke everytime 

It still works, got maybe 5-10mm of squish

🤔

I know I know.  But that’s after 12 years and a touch of squish ain’t too bad 🤣🤣

One up dropper goes on my list of one of the most overated products. Yes it's great for max drop minimum insert but the slop is bad the function isn't smooth. 

Bikeyoke everytime 

Price being equal maybe........ 

I've had 3 Oneup droppers in the past and not had any major slop or play. Stack/weight not being an issue, those Tranz X rad+ droppers sportandleisure were doing for just over £50 last year have been faultless as well.  

Could have bought one of these for £40

https://sportandleisure.com/products/limotec-alpha-1-internal-route-dropper-post-black

Was in Lidl yesterday and picked up some digital calipers for £7.99. They feel pretty good. They also had a digital angle tool for the same price. Looked very similar to my Trend one which is great. Well worth having if you do woodwork or metalwork.

One up dropper goes on my list of one of the most overated products. Yes it's great for max drop minimum insert but the slop is bad the function isn't smooth. 

I bet OneUp can't believe their luck that nobody else has come out with a dropper that competes on insert and especially on stack height.

Well, maybe one of those Ascend posts will be close - for half the price - but they're not wildly popular yet.

Well, maybe one of those Ascend posts will be close - for half the price - but they're not wildly popular yet.

I mean they are, they just say Brank X on them currently. 

I mean they are, they just say Brank X on them currently. 

I understand they are from the same factory, to the same design - and that the OneUp is probably also from the same factory and very similar inside.

But Ascend have a new variant of the BX post (along with the classic design) which has a much lower stack height - and looks like a good option for stumpy legged riders like me.

I'm stumpy of leg, so total post length is critical, as I'm both running shorter seat tubes and typically need as much drop as possible. 
For anyone looking for the comparison tables, the OneUp V3 can be found here: https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/seatposts/oneup-components/v3-dropper-50956  
..and this is the current Ascend options: https://ascendcomponents.com/collections/dropper-seatposts/products/flight-dropper-seatpost-30-9-31-6-150mm-170mm-200mm

OneUp does moar travel (up to 240) and more diameters, but for £99, if the Ascends are as good as their previous ones, it's a no-brainer for most use cases. I've run about half a dozen of the old Ascends over the years on the family's bikes, and they are the only ones that haven't needed any maintenance at all. The new ones look a bit different, and stock seems to be cleared out. Worth following for sure though.

[EDIT]Tell a lie - they do a slightly fancier one that goes to 130: https://ascendcomponents.com/collections/dropper-seatposts/products/adapt-dropper-seatpost-travel-adjust-30-9mm-31-6mm-150mm-170mm-200mm

They also do this one, currently available in 30.9 for Orange owners like me:

Flight SL Dropper Seatpost 30.9mm 31.6mm 150mm 170mm 200mm – Ascend Components

@chakaping - I've just put an Ascend Flight SL on my new Cotic Rocket Max C2 size, so needed a short insertion dropper. Only used it for one ride so far but it does what you want it to. looks like a nice bit of kit. 

I've just put an Ascend Flight SL on my new Cotic Rocket Max C2 size, so needed a short insertion dropper. Only used it for one ride so far but it does what you want it to. looks like a nice bit of kit. 

Good to hear.

When you get a tick, could you fully compress the post and measure from bottom of seatpost collar (where it would sit against the frame/seatpost clamp) to middle of saddle rails?

It'll be interesting to compare the actual stack height to a OneUp.

Posted by: chakaping

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I've just put an Ascend Flight SL on my new Cotic Rocket Max C2 size, so needed a short insertion dropper. Only used it for one ride so far but it does what you want it to. looks like a nice bit of kit. 

Good to hear.

When you get a tick, could you fully compress the post and measure from bottom of seatpost collar (where it would sit against the frame/seatpost clamp) to middle of saddle rails?

It'll be interesting to compare the actual stack height to a OneUp.

 

 👍  I'll nip out to the garage at lunch.

@chakaping - I get 45mm, angle of photo doesn't quite show it properly....

Nice one, just measured my OneUp and it's something like 33mm for the same measurement.

Most of the difference is in the saddle clamp part being higher.

@chakaping - you may be able to fit the OneUp clamp to that post. I seem to remember others doing that on the old Brand X ones.

Massive sale at YT, website keeps crashing but big savings on pretty much every bike, Decoy SN, Capra, Jeffsy , Decoy. 

Posted by: chakaping

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Nice one, just measured my OneUp and it's something like 33mm for the same measurement.

 

Most of the difference is in the saddle clamp part being higher.

 

I've also been looking at these, good to get confirmation on the numbers. I'd tried to calculate it from the dimensions given on the website which suggested 43mm but I wasn't certain it'd be accurate.

Posted by: bleedineck

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https://www.bananaindustries.co.uk/products/giro-merit-spherical-dirt-helmet

If you find Giro helmets a good fit then the good folk at banana industries have a good price to match.

Mega deal this one, this is a very high end trail helmet. Just picked up a direct replacement for my fantastic but now bio-hazard level stinky original from a year or so ago. 

Banana Industries must have a lot of polystyrene they need to get rid of as the helmet box was packed full of the stuff.

These may be open box returns. The rear adjustment dial on mine was really hard to turn, but I noticed there is three position adjustment to allow the inner cradle to extend further down the back of your head. When I moved the strap to the third position the dial is easy to use as there’s plenty of room around it.

Thanks op for finding the deal. Price has gone up by a tenner now

literally just sent an email about nobby nic 29x2.4's for 12.99, madness

Schwalbe Nobby Nic 29 x 2.40 Performance Addix Folding — bananaindustries

literally just sent an email about nobby nic 29x2.4's for 12.99, madness

Not tubeless though, a PSA for those jumping at the PSA without reading the spec. 

Posted by: DB

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Not tubeless though, a PSA for those jumping at the PSA without reading the spec. 

It's also the "Performance" range, I don't know if they've improved that in recent years or not, but the last Schwalbe Performance tyre I had had the gripping capability of teflon.

ah thanks for the heads up, i didn't realise they weren't fancy ones

The Benji approved Specialized Hillbilly (in 29x2.4 T9 Grid Trail flavour) is 23quid at Tredz at the mo.

Posted by: billoddie

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The Benji approved Specialized Hillbilly (in 29x2.4 T9 Grid Trail flavour) is 23quid at Tredz at the mo.

I've gone through winter with the Trail version of this on the front of one bike. Brilliant, brilliant tyre. Might keep it on for 'summer'!

The Benji approved Specialized Hillbilly (in 29x2.4 T9 Grid Trail flavour) is 23quid at Tredz at the mo.

Same for 26mm tubed S-works road tyres.

Yes it's not tubeless

Yes it doesn't say GP5000 on the sidewall

Yes it won't last much more than 2000miles on the rear.

But for the average STW'er riding an older bike a few hundred miles a year that's a bargain.  I've just picked some up for when the Cannondale get's demoted* to summer duty.  I'll have to black out the logos though 😂.

*because really winter is 9 months of the year and deserves a nice bike!

Posted by: a11y

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Posted by: billoddie

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The Benji approved Specialized Hillbilly (in 29x2.4 T9 Grid Trail flavour) is 23quid at Tredz at the mo.

I've gone through winter with the Trail version of this on the front of one bike. Brilliant, brilliant tyre. Might keep it on for 'summer'!

 

I had one on a couple of weeks ago and an Assegai the day after. The Assegai was the better choice in the dryer conditions.

Yep, following advice from here, and mate who has far more riding exerience than me, order cancelled.

He offered the 3 he has in bits to see if I could make a functioning one out of them.

Have you seen it cheaper?

https://amzn.eu/d/iIoNx11

I've gone through winter with the Trail version of this on the front of one bike. Brilliant, brilliant tyre. Might keep it on for 'summer'!

likewise, and still quite happy that I paid £35 for mine

To the middle isle!!!!!!!!

£13

https://www.lidl.co.uk/p/crivit-bike-torque-wrench/p10026677