After an unexpectedly hectic – and just plain odd – week of rolling news, it’s nice to finally kick back and unwind with a nice slice of FGF.
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By ben_haworth
Get the full story here:
https://singletrackworld.com/2023/01/fresh-goods-friday-636-the-onlyfan-heaters-edition/
New Merlin hardtail? Excellent! I love my Malt 2 (it's now my commuter) so it is good to see that the name lives on. Also looking forward to seeing the verdict on it.
Good FGF title....
A couple of comments on the photos:
Standing the shock pump on a metal handrail makes it had to see whether the pump has some kind of plate at the bottom or if that's just the way the rail is built.
Can we get a pic of the front (the straps) of the backpack? Having the (not so rare in MTB circles) joy of lumpy clavicles, I'm always keen to see how the straps lie across the shoulders and fasten at the chest.
New Merlin hardtail? Excellent! I love my Malt 2 (it’s now my commuter) so it is good to see that the name lives on. Also looking forward to seeing the verdict on it.
^
I can't help with the shock pump image I'm afraid - I think Benji made sure I didn't get my hands on it after I told him I don't like digital pumps. I would have 'misplaced' that Lezyne one...
Has Jarvis Cocker spilt some gravy on his nice new jacket?
Nice Rat Bones.
My originals are a bit worn these days 😊
New Merlin hardtail? Excellent! I love my Malt 2 (it’s now my commuter) so it is good to see that the name lives on. Also looking forward to seeing the verdict on it.
I was intrigued, but a 67deg head angle and 482mm seat tube (on the large) make it look about five years out of date, sadly.
🙁
Saw the Merlin frame in the shop the other day, it looks really nice in the flesh.
Here’s the pump among the detritus of my coffee table.
I was intrigued, but a 67deg head angle and 482mm seat tube (on the large) make it look about five years out of date, sadly.
Totally depends on what you want to ride and if you are really bothered about the latest fad/trend with bikes. I suspect it will ride very well and work nicely for many people, but equally it won't ride as well depending on the type of stuff being ridden.
Unsure it is out of date, but it might not be on the latest trend...
Really appreciate the extra pics - that's the level of responsiveness that keeps me coming back to singletrackworld (and ensures my subscription continues) 🙂
I can confirm the Merlin hardtail is a beautiful looking bike in the flesh - for the cash I'd buy one on looks alone if I was in the market for a hardtail
The flat shoes...
Crono CD1 Mountain Bike Flat Shoes
How wide are they? My new vaudes cripple me despite having 2x pairs previously
Unsure it is out of date, but it might not be on the latest trend…
You can still ride out of date bikes, but they don't really offer much advantage and geometry is free.
My new vaudes cripple me despite having 2x pairs previously
Have a look at the Ride Concepts flat shoes on offer various places, I got some Hellions and they are my new favourites. Go up at least one size BTW.
The Malt 725 looks interesting, and it comes frame-only. It could be a great replacement for my Onza payoff, which is a great all-rounder, but let down by the lack of dropper posts for the 27.2 seat tube.
The Malt looks nice but I don’t see any drawbacks from making its seat tube shorter (and having a 200mm+ dropper) on a hardtail. Personally I’d like a 65ish head angle (or slacker) but it would definitely be the seat post that rules that bike out for me.
Looks lovely though.
